Eight tracks that mean something
Kick, snare, clap, hi-hat, two percussion slots, bass and lead - laid out and colour-coded so you read the pattern rather than decode it. Add more tracks when the arrangement needs them.
Sequencer · Web Audio
Step Sequencer
The grid, done properly. Eight tracks down the side, sixteen steps across - or twice that, or four times that - with any sample from the 5000-strong library on any track. Swing to loosen it, scales to keep the melodic tracks in key, mute and solo to work on one part at a time.
8 TRACKS
16+ STEPS
5 SCALES
5000 SAMPLES
SWING 0–100%
5 PRESETS
Under the hood
A grid is only as good as what is on each row
Every track is a sample slot, not a fixed drum voice. Pick a sound from the library, assign a note, set the scale for the melodic rows, and the same grid handles drums and bass lines without changing mode.
What you get
Everything the grid needs, nothing it does not
A sequencer earns its place by being fast. Every control here is one click from the grid you are looking at.
The whole sample library on every row
Any track can load any sample, browsed by category, by folder or by format - WAV, MP3, OGG and FLAC all work. Swapping the kick is two clicks, so you audition sounds against the pattern instead of guessing before you write it.
Steps you can stretch
Sixteen steps is the default, not the ceiling. Multiply the pattern length when a part needs to breathe over two or four bars, and the grid redraws without losing what you already programmed.
Five scales for the melodic tracks
Chromatic when you know what you are doing, major and minor for the obvious cases, pentatonic and blues when you want every wrong note removed from the board. The bass and lead rows stay in key by construction.
Swing from 0 to 100 %
A straight grid sounds like a grid. The swing control pushes every off-beat later by a percentage you choose - a little for house, a lot for anything that should feel hand-played.
Mute, solo and a track summary
Solo one row to hear what it is actually contributing, mute a handful to test an arrangement, and read the summary panel to see what is loaded where. Standard tools, and the grid is unusable without them.
Starting points
Five genres already programmed
Load one, then replace the samples - the pattern is the part worth keeping.
TRAP
Sparse kick, snare on three, hi-hats subdividing into rolls. The 808 does the melodic work, which is why the bass row matters more than the lead row here.
HOUSE
Kick on every beat, clap on two and four, open hat on the offbeat. Add a little swing and it stops sounding like a demo.
TECHNO
Relentless kick, minimal percussion, everything else built from a rhythm rather than a melody. Solo the perc rows to hear how little is actually there.
DNB
Two-step at speed, the snare landing late in the bar and the bass line carrying the groove. The step multiplier is worth using here - the pattern needs the room.
Getting started
From an empty grid to a loop worth keeping
Set the tempo, then the kick
Get the BPM roughly right first - the pattern you write at 90 is not the pattern you would write at 140. Then place the kick, because everything else is positioned relative to it.
Load real samples
Open the browser and put an actual sound on each track. The default kit is there to get you started, not to finish on.
Add swing before adding notes
A straight pattern tempts you to fix it by adding more steps. Try swing first - most grids that feel stiff are stiff, not empty.
Solo everything once
Solo each row in turn. Any track that sounds pointless on its own is usually pointless in the mix too, and removing it is faster than layering over it.
Specifications
The full sheet
| Type | Grid step sequencer with sample playback |
|---|---|
| Tracks | Eight by default - kick, snare, clap, hi-hat, perc 1, perc 2, bass, lead - with additional tracks addable |
| Steps | 16 by default, with length multipliers for longer patterns |
| Samples | Any sound from the shared 5000-sample GOONS library, per track |
| Browser filters | Category, folder and format - WAV, MP3, OGG, FLAC |
| Scales | Chromatic, major, minor, pentatonic, blues |
| Timing | BPM control and swing from 0 to 100 % |
| Mixing | Per-track mute and solo, with a track summary panel |
| Presets | Trap, house, techno, drum and bass, lo-fi |
| Editing | Pattern copy and clear, live step editing while playing |
| Requirements | Any modern browser with Web Audio - Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari. |
The grid is still the fastest way to write a beat
Piano rolls are more expressive and pads are more fun, but nothing beats a step grid for getting a rhythm out of your head in under a minute. Step Sequencer keeps that speed and adds the two things browser sequencers usually skip: real samples on every row, and swing that actually changes the feel.
Sample slots, not fixed drum voices
Each of the eight tracks is a slot you fill from the library. That means the same grid writes a trap beat, a house loop and a texture piece made entirely of field recordings, without switching modes or opening a different app. It also means auditioning a snare takes two clicks while the loop keeps playing.
In key without thinking about it
The bass and lead rows are pitched, and the scale selector removes every note that does not belong. Chromatic is there when you want the whole board, but pentatonic and blues are the reason a first attempt at a bass line usually works.
Part of the GOONS studio
Patterns written here sit alongside the drum machines, samplers and synths, sharing the same transport and the same library. One subscription covers every app in the catalog, and a 7-day free trial covers the deciding.
Questions
Frequently asked
How many tracks and steps does it have?
Eight tracks by default - kick, snare, clap, hi-hat, two percussion slots, bass and lead - and you can add more. The grid is sixteen steps by default with length multipliers, so longer patterns run over two or four bars without you rewriting anything.
Can I use my own sounds?
Every track loads any sample from the shared 5000-sample GOONS library, browsable by category, folder and format. WAV, MP3, OGG and FLAC are all supported, and swapping the sound on a row does not disturb the pattern on it.
What does the scale selector do?
It constrains the pitched tracks - bass and lead - to chromatic, major, minor, pentatonic or blues. Choosing a scale removes the notes that would clash, which is why a first attempt at a bass line usually lands in key.
Does it have swing?
Yes, from 0 to 100 %. It delays the off-beats by the amount you choose. A small amount is enough for house or techno; larger values give you the loose, hand-played feel that lo-fi and hip-hop rely on.
Are there presets to start from?
Five genre patterns - trap, house, techno, drum and bass, and lo-fi. They are meant as starting points: load one, swap the samples for your own, and the rhythm carries the idea while you rebuild the sound around it.
Is Step Sequencer free?
It is part of the GOONS Studio subscription (€9.90/month), which unlocks every app in the catalog, the 5000-sample library and cloud projects. New accounts get a 7-day free trial with full access and no card required.
Keep exploring
Other apps in the studio
Ready when you are
Fill in a grid and press play
Step Sequencer comes with the GOONS Studio subscription at €9.90/month, alongside every other app in the catalog. Start with the 7-day free trial - no credit card, cancel whenever.
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