Axart Software released AutoBeat, a free drum sequencer plugin for Windows and macOS (paid version also available).
AI seems to be all the rage these days. We already covered free AI music generators, but the technology is now also being used to generate MIDI, edit audio, and much more.
Now, I’m familiar with the good folks at Axart Software, thanks to their excellent mKer sequencer suite for the iPad. Still, it was surprising that they had an AI-driven drum sequencer available for Windows and Mac.
AutoBeat does have a paid version, but there is plenty to explore with the free version. So, let’s dive in a little deeper and take a look.
At the core of Autobeat is a selection of genres to generate drum beats. You’ve got 8 to pick from, with electronic genres like house, techno, and DnB being accounted for.
Moreover, you’ve got 12 tracks to play with, which is enough for most MIDI-driven drum machines on Windows and Mac. I ended up using Autobeat alongside Algonaut’s Atlas.
As I figured, if I was leveraging AI, I might as well go the whole hog and go for the gold!
You can select the density, length, and intensity of each pattern. The randomization dial also introduces a little ordered chaos to the mix.
I found it worked best when set to around 25%, as I noticed things venturing toward abstraction quite quickly otherwise.
Autobeat’s paid version allows for the export of MIDI to your drum machine plugin of choice. If you don’t mind routing MIDI, you’re in for a treat.
I like that you can essentially map things how you want for your workflow. The interface is immediate and quick to grasp, and you’ve got individual mutes and solos per the 12 tracks. In addition, you can store multiple patterns, with 128 in total being stored over 8 prompts.
Autobeat is definitely worth a punt if you’ve got a bit of a creative block when it comes to percussive elements. I did have to do some fine-tuning to target the elements of my Atlas kits that I wanted to work on.
However, once it was dialed in, I was off to the races!
Autobeat is available for Windows and Mac computers. It is Apple Silicon native, which is always a delight to see.
Download: AutoBeat (FREE / Paid versions available)
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