Sequence Like a Drummer on the KO II

Step-sequence tight drums, add swing, and chain patterns into a song.

1. Tighten the tempo. Hold TEMPO and, while holding it, type the BPM you want for this section on the numbered pads, then release. Pick something steady that matches the feel you are after (slower for hip-hop, faster for house). (The display shows your new BPM. Tap **PLAY** and the metronome or playback should move at that speed. If it feels too fast or too slow to play along with, nudge it with **MINUS** and **PLUS** until it sits right.)
2. Step-sequence the drums. Select GROUP A so you are working on your drum kit, then place a kick on the downbeats and a snare on the backbeat by lighting those steps on the pads. Each lit pad is one step in the bar, so you are drawing the rhythm rather than playing it live. (Steps are lit exactly where the drums will trigger. Hit **PLAY** and you should hear a clean four-on-the-floor style pulse: kick, then snare on the off-beats. If a hit lands in the wrong spot, tap that step again to clear it and place it where you want.)
3. Add some swing. Press TIMING and dial in a small amount of swing so the off-beats slide slightly late and the groove breathes instead of marching. (The groove loosens up and stops sounding rigid. You should hear the same notes, but the off-beats now feel laid back and bouncy. If it suddenly sounds sloppy or lurching, you have gone too far, so back it off.)
4. Build more patterns. Record a second loop onto a different pattern slot so you have a verse and a chorus to switch between. Keep the kick and snare backbone but change a fill or add a hat so the two patterns clearly contrast. (You now have more than one pattern stored, each on its own slot. Switch between them and they should sound related but distinct, like two sections of the same track.)
5. Arrange the song. Hold MAIN to step through your pattern slots and queue them in the order you want, laying them out into a scene that plays as your full arrangement. (Your patterns play back in the sequence you set, flowing from one into the next without you touching anything. If a switch happens at an awkward moment, re-queue so each pattern changes cleanly at the top of the bar.)