Custom Rhythms
The T1 lets you create custom rhythms manually by turning individual steps on or off. Instead of relying only on generated distribution, you can decide exactly where hits should happen and shape the groove step by step.
This is useful in two main ways:
- refining a generated rhythm after starting with Euclidean sequencing
- building a rhythm from scratch by placing hits exactly where you want them
Because custom rhythms are edited on the same step grid used by Pulses and Steps, they fit naturally into the T1 workflow. You can move freely between generated structure and manual control.
Why Custom Rhythms Matter
Custom rhythms are important because they let you add intention to a generative system.
A Euclidean rhythm can give you a strong starting point very quickly, but manual editing lets you decide:
- which beats should feel grounded
- where syncopation should appear
- where fills or omissions should happen
- which hits should stay fixed even while other parts of the pattern change
This makes it possible to keep the speed and surprise of algorithmic sequencing while still shaping the result into something more specific and musical.
Two Common Approaches
1. Start with Euclidean, then refine
This is one of the most natural ways to work on the T1.
- Set a number of Steps
- Add Pulses to generate a rhythm
- Listen for the main shape
- Manually add or remove hits to make the pattern more intentional
This works well when you want a groove that feels balanced at first, but still has hand-shaped details such as:
- backbeats
- fills
- ghost hits
- breaks
- stronger phrase endings
2. Build a rhythm from scratch
You can also ignore Euclidean generation entirely and simply toggle steps until the pattern feels right.
This is useful when you already know the rhythm you want, or when the part needs to be more exact and less generated.
Examples include:
- classic drum machine patterns
- steady pulse patterns
- tightly controlled bass rhythms
- rhythmic motifs with specific accents or gaps
Opening the Step Grid
There is no separate custom-rhythm mode. Manual rhythm editing happens directly in the same step grid used for pulse editing.
You can access the step grid in two ways:
- From the Pulses view: hold (PULSES) or double-tap it to latch the view
- By double-tapping a Track: jump directly to the step grid for that Track
In both cases, the 16 [VALUE] buttons represent the visible steps of the sequence.
Creating a Custom Rhythm
- Open the step grid for the Track you want to edit.
- Use the [VALUE] buttons to view the steps of the pattern.
- Press a step to toggle it:
- On: the step contains a Pulse
- Off: the step remains silent
- Continue toggling steps until the rhythm feels right.
This can be as simple as placing a few fixed anchors inside a generated groove, or as detailed as building the whole rhythm manually.
A Simple Example
Imagine a Track with 16 Steps.
Example A: Generated first
- Set Pulses to create a Euclidean rhythm
- Listen to the pattern
- Manually add a hit on step 13 to create a stronger phrase ending
- Remove one hit earlier in the bar to create more space
You still keep the generated backbone, but the rhythm now feels more intentional.
Example B: Fully manual
- Leave Euclidean generation aside
- Turn on steps 1, 5, 9, and 13
- Add an extra hit near the end of the pattern
Now you have a rhythm built from fixed placements, but it can still be shaped further with Accent, Timing, Repeats, Probability, or per-step editing.
Custom Rhythms and Euclidean Generation
Manual editing and Euclidean generation work together, but they do not behave in exactly the same way.
Keep these rules in mind:
-
Manual additions are sticky Steps you turn on manually stay on until you turn them off again.
-
Manual deletions of generated hits are not sticky If you turn off a hit that came from the Euclidean algorithm, it may return after later changes to (PULSES) or related Euclidean settings.
-
Deleting a generated hit also reduces the Euclidean pulse count If you remove a generated hit, turning (PULSES) up again continues from that new state.
-
Rotate affects the whole pattern Rotate shifts the entire rhythm, including both generated hits and manually inserted ones.
This means a custom rhythm on the T1 is often best understood as a layered result:
- part generated
- part manually shaped
Custom Rhythms and Per-Step Editing
Custom rhythms decide whether a step plays.
Per-step editing decides how a step behaves.
Once you have placed the hits you want, you can take things further with per-step editing:
- lock pitch on important notes
- change accent on selected hits
- shift timing on only a few steps
- create variation without changing the whole Track
This is one of the T1’s main strengths: the rhythm can be hand-shaped first, then individual steps can be given their own identities.
See Per-Step Editing.
Good Workflows
Use custom rhythms to anchor a generative Track
A strong workflow is to let Euclidean sequencing generate the general pattern, then manually place a few key hits that define the groove.
For example:
- keep a stable downbeat
- add a fixed backbeat
- let the remaining hits shift more freely
Use custom rhythms for controlled variation
Another good approach is to build a mostly fixed rhythm, then use modulation, Probability, or Repeats to create motion around it.
This works especially well when you want:
- a recognizable groove
- variation without losing the core pattern
- a balance between structure and surprise
Use custom rhythms across multiple Tracks
Custom rhythms become even more effective when layered:
- one Track can stay simple and steady
- another can be more syncopated
- a third can use fewer but strategically placed hits
This creates contrast and makes the whole Pattern feel more alive.
Tips
- Start with Euclidean generation if you want fast results, then edit manually where needed.
- Use manual hits to create strong anchors such as downbeats, backbeats, or phrase endings.
- If a generated rhythm feels close but not quite right, try editing a few steps before changing Pulses completely.
- Combine custom rhythms with Rotate to hear the same structure from a different starting point.
- Once the rhythm feels right, use per-step editing to shape individual hits further.