Jamie xx 909 Delay Throw
Genre: UK Garage, House · Tempo: 130 BPM · Time signature: 4/4 · Length: 16 steps · Style: Jamie xx's stated preference for music that 'should sound performed' rather than sequencer-governed, built around his own named gear - a TR-909, a Roland CR-78, and a Space Echo delay he calls 'a staple' - and In Colour's UK-bass-leaning, steel-drum-flecked sound
Open this pattern in the interactive Patchpad (with playback)
The pattern
| Instrument | Steps (1 = start of the bar) | Velocity | Timing and chance |
|---|
| kick | 1, 9, 15 | 55-95 | step 9: early by about 8% of a step, plays 90% of the time; step 15: early by about 8% of a step, plays 45% of the time |
| hat-closed | 3, 7, 14 | 44-48 | step 3: late by about 12% of a step, plays 88% of the time; step 7: late by about 12% of a step, plays 85% of the time; step 14: late by about 12% of a step, plays 85% of the time |
| clap | 5, 13 | 88-90 | on the grid, always plays |
| perc1 | 6, 11 | 55-58 | step 6: late by about 17% of a step, plays 65% of the time; step 11: late by about 8% of a step, plays 70% of the time |
| fx | 8, 16 | 35-42 | step 8: plays 70% of the time; step 16: plays 65% of the time |
Digitakt II
Tracks
- T1: kick
- T2: clap
- T3: hat-closed
- T5: perc1 (steel-drum-style tuned accent)
- T6: fx (delay-throw echo tail)
Settings
- Clap (T2, steps 5/13): SAMP p-locked to a bright, classic drum-machine clap sound - deliberately the pattern's most forward, 'in your face' element, echoing the sourced description of the 909's clap character even though this pattern is built on Digitakt sample playback
- FX/delay throw (T6, steps 8/16): FX page DEL send spiked high (~100) on these two hits only, with SRC page a short hat or perc one-shot underneath, simulating a Space Echo-style throw thrown into the space right after the backbeat - the sourced 'staple' piece of gear
- Perc1/steel-drum accent (T5, steps 6/11): SAMP p-locked to a pitched, tuned tone rather than a noise-based percussion hit, PROB kept below 100% (65-70%) so it doesn't play identically every loop, nodding to In Colour's steel-drum motif without repeating it mechanically
- Hat-closed (T3): micro-timing fixed at +3 across all three hits for a light, consistent swing rather than a rigid grid, giving the pattern its 'performed' rather than purely sequenced feel
- Kick (T1, step 9 and the syncopated step 15): VEL and PROB reduced (85%/45% respectively) versus the full-strength downbeat kick (step 1), so the pattern breathes rather than hitting every beat with equal force
Digitone II
Tracks
- T1: kick (ALGO 4, low RATIO C)
- T2: clap (MOD-page-triggered multi-hit splash)
- T3: hat-closed (high-FDBK FM noise)
- T5: perc1/steel-drum accent (ALGO 5, pitched bell)
- T6: fx (high-FDBK noise with long FX-page delay send)
Settings
- Clap (T2, steps 5/13): MOD page 1 (LFO1) set to MODE ONE with a fast SPD and square WAVE routed to AMP level, retriggering a few quick pulses within one envelope for the real multi-hit clap 'splash' character, per the FM-percussion clap technique documented for this device
- FX/delay throw (T6, steps 8/16): FX page DEL send spiked to ~100 with SYN page 1 FDBK high for a noisy base tone, simulating a Space Echo throw
- Perc1/steel-drum accent (T5, steps 6/11): SYN page 1 ALGO 5, RATIO A 3.00 for a pitched, bell-like tone rather than a percussive noise hit; PROB 65-70%
- Hat-closed (T3): micro-timing fixed at +3 across all three hits for a consistent light swing
- Kick (T1): full VEL and PROB 100% on the downbeat (step 1) only; the syncopated step 9/15 hits use reduced VEL and PROB (90%/45%) so the groove has light and shade rather than uniform force
Syntakt
Tracks
- T9: kick (BD CLASSIC)
- T10: clap (CP VINTAGE)
- T12: hat-closed (CH CLASSIC)
- T11: perc1/steel-drum accent (SY DUAL VCO)
- T1: fx (SY RAW, with heavy FX-page delay send)
Settings
- Clap (T10, CP VINTAGE - a real 909-adjacent analog clap machine): used deliberately over a snare, matching the sourced emphasis on the TR-909's clap as one of Jamie xx's signature live-set sounds
- FX/delay throw (T1, SY RAW, steps 8/16): FX page DEL send spiked high, simulating a Space Echo-style tape throw right after the clap
- Perc1/steel-drum accent (T11, SY DUAL VCO, steps 6/11): tuned to a bright, bell-like pitched interval rather than a noise texture; PROB 65-70%
- Hat-closed (T12, CH CLASSIC): micro-timing fixed at +3 across all three hits for a light, consistent swing
- Kick (T9, BD CLASSIC): full strength on the downbeat (step 1); reduced VEL and PROB on the syncopated hits (steps 9/15) so the pattern isn't uniformly forceful throughout
Notes
A 909-style clap carries the backbeat, a pitched steel-drum-style accent nods to In Colour's tuned-percussion signature, and a delay-throw effect fires into the gaps the way Jamie xx has described his Space Echo as 'a staple' of his sound - all sourced from his own interviews about gear and his stated preference for music that 'should sound performed'. An original pattern in that spirit, not a transcription of any specific track.
Patchpad is a free reference of drum patterns, synth patches and modular hints written for a selection of real hardware.