Trip-hop
Genre: Trip-Hop, Downtempo · Tempo: 88 BPM · Time signature: 4/4 · Length: 32 steps · Style: dusty, heavily-swung trip-hop breakbeat 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, 10, 17, 26 | 65-110 | step 10: early by about 4% of a step, plays 70% of the time; step 26: early by about 8% of a step, plays 65% of the time |
| hat-closed | 3, 7, 11, 15, 19, 23, 27, 31 | 45 | step 3: late by about 8% of a step, plays 75% of the time; step 7: late by about 8% of a step, plays 75% of the time; step 11: late by about 8% of a step, plays 75% of the time; step 15: late by about 8% of a step, plays 75% of the time; step 19: late by about 8% of a step, plays 75% of the time; step 23: late by about 8% of a step, plays 75% of the time; step 27: late by about 8% of a step, plays 75% of the time; step 31: late by about 8% of a step, plays 75% of the time |
| snare | 5, 13, 21, 29, 31 | 40-100 | step 5: late by about 4% of a step; step 13: late by about 4% of a step; step 21: late by about 4% of a step; step 29: late by about 4% of a step; step 31: late by about 8% of a step, plays 50% of the time |
| perc1 | 6, 14, 22, 30 | 30 | step 6: late by about 12% of a step, plays 40% of the time; step 14: late by about 12% of a step, plays 40% of the time; step 22: late by about 12% of a step, plays 40% of the time; step 30: late by about 12% of a step, plays 40% of the time |
Digitakt II
Tracks
- T1: kick
- T2: hat-closed
- T3: snare
- T4: perc1
Settings
- Hat-closed (T2) TRIG page µtime p-locked to a consistent +2 on every hit (steps 3, 7, 11, 15, 19, 23, 27, 31) — this is what creates the dragging trip-hop feel, alongside the syncopated late-arriving kick.
- Steps 10, 26 (kick, T1): µtime locked to -1 and -2 with VEL 70/65 — the syncopated kick lands just after beat 3 in both bars, quieter and slightly ahead of the grid position it's p-locked to.
- Step 31 (snare, T3): TRIG page VEL locked to 40 (vs 98-100 on the main backbeat hits) — a ghost note sitting well behind the main backbeat, texture rather than a second accent.
- SRC page BR (bit reduction) on perc1 (T4) locked around 35-45 (of 0-127) for a dusty, lo-fi vinyl-crackle texture underneath the groove.
Digitone II
Tracks
- T1: kick (ALGO 4, soft round low carrier)
- T2: hat-closed (high-FDBK FM noise, thinned)
- T3: snare (high-FDBK FM noise, dusty)
- T4: perc1 (FX-page grit texture)
Settings
- Hat-closed (T2) TRIG PARAMETERS page MICROTIME p-locked to a consistent +2 on every hit (steps 3, 7, 11, 15, 19, 23, 27, 31) — this is what creates the dragging trip-hop feel, alongside the syncopated late-arriving kick. SYN page 1 FDBK 75, FLTR page 1 TYPE toward HP but moderate (~70, not fully thinned) for a warmer, dustier hat than a bright house/techno hat.
- Steps 10, 26 (kick, T1): TRIG PARAMETERS page MICROTIME locked to -1 and -2 with AMP page VOL 70/65 (against 110/108 on the downbeat) — the syncopated kick lands just after beat 3 in both bars, quieter and slightly ahead of the grid position it's p-locked to. SYN page 1 ALGO 4, RATIO C 0.35 for a soft, round, plain carrier — no hard click transient, this is a dusty downtempo kick, not a punchy one.
- Step 31 (snare, T3): AMP page VOL/TRIG PARAMETERS VEL locked to 40 (vs 98-100 on the main backbeat hits, steps 5, 13, 21, 29) — a ghost note sitting well behind the main backbeat, texture rather than a second accent. SYN page 1 FDBK 88, FLTR page 1 TYPE set to LP (~60) rather than HP, for a duller, dusty crack instead of a bright modern snare.
- Perc1 (T4): FX page BR (bit reduction) locked around 40 (of 16 bits down to 1) for a dusty, lo-fi vinyl-crackle texture underneath the groove — the direct Digitone II analog to Digitakt's SRC page BR p-lock.
Syntakt
Tracks
- T1: perc1 (SY Raw)
- T9: kick (BD Acoustic)
- T10: snare (SD Natural)
- T12: hat-closed (CH Classic)
Settings
- TRIG PARAMETERS page µtime p-locked to a consistent +2 on hat-closed (T12, CH Classic) across every hit — same dragging feel as Digitakt, do not quantize it back to the grid.
- Step 31 (snare, T10, SD Natural): TRIG PARAMETERS page VEL locked to 40 against 98-100 on the main backbeat hits (steps 5, 13, 21, 29) — the ghost note sits well behind the backbeat.
- SY Raw page NLEV (noise level) on perc1 (T1) locked up, around 70-90 (of 0-127), for the dusty vinyl-crackle/tape-hiss texture the genre calls for.
- Steps 10, 26 (kick, T9, BD Acoustic): TRIG PARAMETERS page µtime locked to -1/-2 with VEL 70/65 — matching Digitakt's syncopated, slightly-ahead-of-grid kick placement.
Notes
A slow, dusty two-bar breakbeat with heavy positive micro-timing on the hats and backbeat for a dragging, behind-the-beat feel, plus a syncopated kick landing just after beat 3 in both bars. An original pattern in the trip-hop idiom, not a transcription of any specific break.
Patchpad is a free reference of drum patterns and synth patches written for real hardware: Digitakt II, Digitone II, Syntakt, Novation Summit, Arturia MiniFreak, Dreadbox Typhon and ASM Hydrasynth Desktop.