Liquid DnB Two-Step
Genre: Drum & Bass, UK Garage · Tempo: 174 BPM · Time signature: 4/4 · Length: 16 steps · Style: liquid drum and bass two-step break programming
Open this pattern in the interactive Patchpad (with playback)
The pattern
| Instrument | Steps (1 = start of the bar) | Velocity | Timing and chance |
|---|
| kick | 1, 11, 16 | 55-115 | step 16: plays 35% of the time |
| perc1 | 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15 | 40-55 | on the grid, always plays |
| hat-closed | 4, 10 | 30 | step 4: plays 70% of the time; step 10: plays 60% of the time |
| snare | 5, 8, 12, 13, 16 | 35-118 | step 8: plays 65% of the time; step 12: plays 55% of the time; step 16: plays 50% of the time |
Digitakt II
Tracks
- T1: kick
- T2: snare
- T3: perc1 (ride, 8ths)
- T4: hat-closed (ghost ticks)
Settings
- Kick (T1): AMP page DEC 55, SUS 0; SRC page TUNE +0; keep it tight, not sub-heavy, so the break stays light.
- Snare (T2): steps 8, 12, 16 (ghost snares): TRIG page 1 VEL locked to 38, 40 and 35 against 118 on the backbeats (steps 5, 13), and AMP page DEC locked down to 25 so they read as ticks.
- Ride (T3): AMP page DEC 30 with alternating VEL 55/40 across steps 1-15 (odd steps); this 8th-note pulse is what fills the top end of the two-step.
- Step 16 (kick, T1): TRIG page 1 PROB 35% for the occasional pick-up kick before the bar turns over.
Digitone II
Tracks
- T1: kick (ALGO 1, FM click-into-boom)
- T2: snare (ALGO 1, FDBK noise)
- T3: perc1 ride (ALGO 1 plain carrier, high RATIO C)
- T4: hat-closed (FM noise, quiet)
Settings
- Kick: SYN page 1 ALGO 1, MIX -64, RATIO C 0.50, RATIO A 1.00; SYN page 2 Operator A LEV 60, ATK 0, DEC 10, END 0 (a fast click that falls away, leaving the low carrier); LEV (B) 0. AMP page ATK 0, DEC 55, SUS 0, REL 10.
- Snare: SYN page 1 ALGO 1, MIX -64, RATIO C 2.00, RATIO A 5.00, FDBK 100; SYN page 2 Operators A & B LEV (A) 60, LEV (B) 0 (FDBK acts on operator A in ALGO 1, so LEV (A) has to be up for the noise to be heard). AMP page ATK 0, DEC 28, SUS 0. FLTR page 1 HP FREQ 40.
- Perc: SYN page 1 ALGO 1, MIX -64, RATIO C 6.00, RATIO A 1.00; SYN page 2 Operators A & B LEV (A) 0, LEV (B) 0 (plain carrier). AMP page DEC 25, SUS 0. Alternate TRIG page 1 VEL 55/40 for the 8th-note ride.
- Steps 8, 12, 16 (ghost snares, T2): TRIG page 1 VEL 38/40/35 and PROB 65/55/50, so they come and go.
Syntakt
Tracks
- T9: kick (BD SHARP)
- T10: snare (SD NATURAL)
- T12: hat-closed / ride (HH BASIC)
- T1: perc1 (PC CARBON)
Settings
- Kick (T9, BD SHARP): SYN page DEC 60, HOLD 20 for a short tight kick.
- Snare (T10, SD NATURAL): SYN page NDEC 45, BAL 70 for a crisp body. Steps 8, 12, 16: TRIG page VEL locked to 38/40/35 as ghost notes.
- Syntakt has only one Analog Cymbal voice (T12), so closed and open hat share it: use `HH BASIC` and lock SYN page DEC short for closed steps and long for open steps (a machine can't change per step, but its DEC can). Ride pulse steps 1-15 (odd) at VEL 55/40; ghost ticks on steps 4, 10 from the same voice.
- Step 16 (kick, T9): TRIG page PROB 35%.
Notes
The two-step skeleton the liquid scene is built on (kick on 1, snare on 2, kick on the & of 3, snare on 4) at 174 BPM, with the character coming from quiet ghost snares between the backbeats and a light ride pulse rather than a hard break. Researched against published liquid DnB breakdowns; an original pattern, not a transcription.
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