By keithinsanfran
Wed Apr 01, 2026 9:31 pm
Hey everyone,
This would be an amazing tool inside the MPC and I see no reason why AKAI couldn't add the logic I've open sourced it, but if you're a Hip Hop beat head MPC user who wants to create amazing beats and learn how to program drums like the legends this FREE open source browser based (no installs) application I've created is for you.
Hip Hop Drummer — https://keithadler.github.io/hiphopdrummer/
No install, no account, no subscription, no login. Open it on your phone, your laptop, whatever. Hit New Beat and you're done.
What it actually does
This isn't a random pattern generator. It's a full hip hop drum programming engine that models how real producers and drummers actually work. Every beat it generates has:
Authentic velocity dynamics — ghost notes at 35-50%, backbeat snare slightly harder on beat 4 than beat 2, hat accents that follow the natural ride hand curve
Ghost kicks with a velocity curve that mimics actual foot rebound — softer leading into the snare, firmer after it
A/B phrase variation — bar 1 and bar 2 are slightly different, just like a real drummer
8-bar phrase variations — bar 3 adds a ghost, bar 5 breathes, bar 7 turns around, bar 8 pre-fills into the next section
Swing selected from curated pools per style — not just a number, but the actual swing range that style uses
Full song arrangements: Intro → Verse → Pre-Chorus → Chorus → Verse 2 → Breakdown → Last Chorus → Outro
Want to sound like Dilla? There's a mode for that.
The Dilla/Neo-Soul style puts the kick intentionally off the grid — steps 3, 7, 11, 15 — softens the backbeat to about 82% instead of 95%, scatters ghost snares across every odd step, and cranks the swing to 62-72%. It's the actual Dilla approach, not just "add swing." The groove leans back so hard it almost falls over.
Want G-Funk? 16th note hats with a specific 3-level dynamic (quarter notes loud, 8th upbeats medium, "e" and "ah" positions very soft), kick on 1 and 3, laid-back snare, heavy swing. That rolling West Coast bounce.
Want that RZA/Wu-Tang darkness? Sparse mode — kick barely appears, snare hits hard when it does, space between hits is the whole point.
Mobb Deep halftime feel? Snare on beat 3 instead of 2 and 4. Same tempo, feels like half speed.
Pete Rock dense ghost pockets? Jazzy mode — ghost snares everywhere at whisper velocity, wider dynamic range, the groove breathes like a live jazz drummer.
15 styles total: Classic Boom Bap, G-Funk, Dilla/Neo-Soul, Lo-Fi/Dusty, Chopped Break, Halftime, Hard/Aggressive, Dark Minimal, Bounce, Crunk, Memphis, Jazz-Influenced, Driving, Big/Anthem, Sparse.
You can also pick your style, key, and BPM before generating — or leave everything on Auto and let it surprise you.
The MPC export is built specifically for MPC users
When you hit Export, you get .mpcpattern files — one per section — ready to load directly into your MPC. They use the Chromatic C1 layout (the MPC default since firmware 2.11), so load your samples onto pads A01–A09 in order and the patterns just work:
A01 = Kick
A02 = Snare
A03 = Clap
A04 = Rimshot
A05 = Ghost Kick
A06 = Hat
A07 = Open Hat
A08 = Ride
A09 = Crash
The .mpcpattern files are on a straight grid, no swing baked in, because you set swing on the MPC itself. The included help file with each export tells you exactly where to set it in MPC 3.x and older 2.x firmware, and gives you the exact swing value for that specific beat.
There's also a full song .mid file and individual section .mid files if you want to work in the sequencer instead.
The knowledge base is deep
Every beat comes with an "About This Beat" panel that breaks down everything:
Kick pattern analysis — exactly which steps, what the pattern type is called, which producers use it
Ghost note density — sparse/normal/dense, what it means, how to recreate it
Swing explanation — what the percentage means, how to set it on your MPC, what it sounds like
Suggested key and chords — I/IV/V progressions, 3-chord combos, relative major/minor companions, section-by-section melodic guide (what to play in the intro vs verse vs chorus)
Flow guide — if you rap, it tells you how to approach the pocket at this BPM and feel
Reference tracks — 3 specific songs per style to study. Not just "listen to Dilla" — actual tracks with the same drum approach
Producer technique attribution — which specific techniques in this beat come from which producers
Difficulty rating — beginner/intermediate/advanced with specific reasons
Try This — a beat-specific exercise to understand what makes this pattern work
Listen For — ear training prompt specific to this style
Common Mistakes — what beginners get wrong with this style
History — the story behind the style and the gear that created it
Drum Machine Workflow — step-by-step instructions for recreating this exact beat on your MPC (or any other DAW)
It's genuinely educational. I've learned things reading through it that I didn't know after years of making beats.
Works everywhere, built for MPC
The export dialog lets you pick exactly what you want:
Full song MIDI
Individual section MIDIs (swing baked in, GM mapping)
MPC .mpcpattern files
PDF beat sheet with color-coded grids
DAW help files for: Ableton, Logic Pro, FL Studio, GarageBand, Pro Tools, Reason, Reaper, Studio One, Maschine
The MPC folder has its own detailed guide covering both MPC 3.7.1 and older 2.x workflows — loading .mpcpattern files, importing MIDI as sequences, setting up Song Mode, hat choke groups, the whole thing.
It's free and open source
https://keithadler.github.io/hiphopdrummer/
GitHub: https://github.com/keithadler/hiphopdrummer
No catch. MIT license. Works on any browser, including mobile.
If you're new to drum programming, generate 10 beats and read the About panel on each one. By the time you're done you'll understand ghost notes, swing, kick-snare interlock, velocity dynamics, and section arrangement better than most tutorials will teach you.
If you're experienced, use it as a starting point — load the pattern into your MPC, swap the sounds, and make it yours.
Drop any questions here. Happy to explain how any of it works.
This would be an amazing tool inside the MPC and I see no reason why AKAI couldn't add the logic I've open sourced it, but if you're a Hip Hop beat head MPC user who wants to create amazing beats and learn how to program drums like the legends this FREE open source browser based (no installs) application I've created is for you.
Hip Hop Drummer — https://keithadler.github.io/hiphopdrummer/
No install, no account, no subscription, no login. Open it on your phone, your laptop, whatever. Hit New Beat and you're done.
What it actually does
This isn't a random pattern generator. It's a full hip hop drum programming engine that models how real producers and drummers actually work. Every beat it generates has:
Authentic velocity dynamics — ghost notes at 35-50%, backbeat snare slightly harder on beat 4 than beat 2, hat accents that follow the natural ride hand curve
Ghost kicks with a velocity curve that mimics actual foot rebound — softer leading into the snare, firmer after it
A/B phrase variation — bar 1 and bar 2 are slightly different, just like a real drummer
8-bar phrase variations — bar 3 adds a ghost, bar 5 breathes, bar 7 turns around, bar 8 pre-fills into the next section
Swing selected from curated pools per style — not just a number, but the actual swing range that style uses
Full song arrangements: Intro → Verse → Pre-Chorus → Chorus → Verse 2 → Breakdown → Last Chorus → Outro
Want to sound like Dilla? There's a mode for that.
The Dilla/Neo-Soul style puts the kick intentionally off the grid — steps 3, 7, 11, 15 — softens the backbeat to about 82% instead of 95%, scatters ghost snares across every odd step, and cranks the swing to 62-72%. It's the actual Dilla approach, not just "add swing." The groove leans back so hard it almost falls over.
Want G-Funk? 16th note hats with a specific 3-level dynamic (quarter notes loud, 8th upbeats medium, "e" and "ah" positions very soft), kick on 1 and 3, laid-back snare, heavy swing. That rolling West Coast bounce.
Want that RZA/Wu-Tang darkness? Sparse mode — kick barely appears, snare hits hard when it does, space between hits is the whole point.
Mobb Deep halftime feel? Snare on beat 3 instead of 2 and 4. Same tempo, feels like half speed.
Pete Rock dense ghost pockets? Jazzy mode — ghost snares everywhere at whisper velocity, wider dynamic range, the groove breathes like a live jazz drummer.
15 styles total: Classic Boom Bap, G-Funk, Dilla/Neo-Soul, Lo-Fi/Dusty, Chopped Break, Halftime, Hard/Aggressive, Dark Minimal, Bounce, Crunk, Memphis, Jazz-Influenced, Driving, Big/Anthem, Sparse.
You can also pick your style, key, and BPM before generating — or leave everything on Auto and let it surprise you.
The MPC export is built specifically for MPC users
When you hit Export, you get .mpcpattern files — one per section — ready to load directly into your MPC. They use the Chromatic C1 layout (the MPC default since firmware 2.11), so load your samples onto pads A01–A09 in order and the patterns just work:
A01 = Kick
A02 = Snare
A03 = Clap
A04 = Rimshot
A05 = Ghost Kick
A06 = Hat
A07 = Open Hat
A08 = Ride
A09 = Crash
The .mpcpattern files are on a straight grid, no swing baked in, because you set swing on the MPC itself. The included help file with each export tells you exactly where to set it in MPC 3.x and older 2.x firmware, and gives you the exact swing value for that specific beat.
There's also a full song .mid file and individual section .mid files if you want to work in the sequencer instead.
The knowledge base is deep
Every beat comes with an "About This Beat" panel that breaks down everything:
Kick pattern analysis — exactly which steps, what the pattern type is called, which producers use it
Ghost note density — sparse/normal/dense, what it means, how to recreate it
Swing explanation — what the percentage means, how to set it on your MPC, what it sounds like
Suggested key and chords — I/IV/V progressions, 3-chord combos, relative major/minor companions, section-by-section melodic guide (what to play in the intro vs verse vs chorus)
Flow guide — if you rap, it tells you how to approach the pocket at this BPM and feel
Reference tracks — 3 specific songs per style to study. Not just "listen to Dilla" — actual tracks with the same drum approach
Producer technique attribution — which specific techniques in this beat come from which producers
Difficulty rating — beginner/intermediate/advanced with specific reasons
Try This — a beat-specific exercise to understand what makes this pattern work
Listen For — ear training prompt specific to this style
Common Mistakes — what beginners get wrong with this style
History — the story behind the style and the gear that created it
Drum Machine Workflow — step-by-step instructions for recreating this exact beat on your MPC (or any other DAW)
It's genuinely educational. I've learned things reading through it that I didn't know after years of making beats.
Works everywhere, built for MPC
The export dialog lets you pick exactly what you want:
Full song MIDI
Individual section MIDIs (swing baked in, GM mapping)
MPC .mpcpattern files
PDF beat sheet with color-coded grids
DAW help files for: Ableton, Logic Pro, FL Studio, GarageBand, Pro Tools, Reason, Reaper, Studio One, Maschine
The MPC folder has its own detailed guide covering both MPC 3.7.1 and older 2.x workflows — loading .mpcpattern files, importing MIDI as sequences, setting up Song Mode, hat choke groups, the whole thing.
It's free and open source
https://keithadler.github.io/hiphopdrummer/
GitHub: https://github.com/keithadler/hiphopdrummer
No catch. MIT license. Works on any browser, including mobile.
If you're new to drum programming, generate 10 beats and read the About panel on each one. By the time you're done you'll understand ghost notes, swing, kick-snare interlock, velocity dynamics, and section arrangement better than most tutorials will teach you.
If you're experienced, use it as a starting point — load the pattern into your MPC, swap the sounds, and make it yours.
Drop any questions here. Happy to explain how any of it works.
