Guide

This guide explains all the features of Draw.Audio

Getting Started

1. Draw notes on the grid

Click or tap any cell on the grid to place a note. Click again to remove it. Each row represents a different pitch, and each column is a step in the sequence.

2. Press play to hear your song

Hit the Play button (or press Space) to start the sequencer. It sweeps across the grid left to right, playing each column of notes in sequence.

3. Clear the grid

Tap the Clear button to erase all notes on the current pattern. Press and hold it to clear every pattern on the track at once.

4. Reset sound settings

The Reset button restores all sliders and effects to their defaults without erasing your notes.

5. Change the grid size

Switch between 8, 16, 32, or 64 steps. Larger grids give you more resolution for detailed patterns. Each grid size keeps its own set of tracks.

6. Browse sound presets

Use the preset selector to quickly switch between pre-configured sounds. Navigate with the arrow buttons or pick from the dropdown.

7. Shape the sound

The control panel on the right has tabs for waveform, filter, envelope, effects, and more. Each section has a ? button that explains what it does, and double-click any slider to snap it back to its default.

8. Add patterns

Click the + button below the grid to add a new pattern. Patterns play in sequence, letting you build longer songs — up to 32 patterns per track.

9. Manage patterns

Click a pattern thumbnail to select it. Right-click or long-press for options: duplicate, delete, or set a repeat count (1–64 plays). Drag thumbnails to reorder.

10. Add more tracks

Layer up to 8 tracks per grid size. Each track has independent notes, sound settings, and patterns. Use Mute (M) and Solo (S) buttons to focus on specific tracks.

11. Drum tracks

Add a sample-based drum track from the preset dropdown. Drum tracks play audio samples (kick, snare, hi-hat, etc.) instead of synthesized tones. Each grid row is a different drum sample. Right-click a note to adjust its velocity, chance, pan, gate, and play-every settings.

Switch between drum kits from the preset selector — the grid rows and sample sounds update instantly. Use the Edit Drum Row section in the Edit tab to tune individual samples: pick a row from the dropdown, then adjust its pitch (−24 to +24 semitones) and volume (0–200%). The selected row is highlighted on the grid.

12. Undo and redo

Press Ctrl+Z (Cmd+Z on Mac) to undo, Ctrl+Shift+Z to redo. Hover over the undo/redo buttons to preview what will change.

13. Explore community patterns

Click the Explore button in the header to browse featured patterns from other users. Load any pattern to play, remix, or learn from.

14. Share your song

Click the Share button to generate a unique link. Anyone with the link can load your pattern in their browser.

Control Panel

What every section and setting in the control panel does

Panel Basics

Reset a slider: Double-click any slider to snap it back to its default value. Works everywhere — synth controls, effects, mixer faders, pan, reverb sends, everything.
Toggle a section: Click any section header to turn that section on or off. Active sections show a filled toggle; inactive ones are bypassed. Settings are preserved when you toggle a section off, so you can quickly A/B with and without it.
Section help: Every section has a ? button next to its header with a short explanation of what the section does and what each control changes.

Sound Synthesis

Waveform: Pick the sonic character of your sound. Options include sine, triangle, sawtooth, square, and pulse.
Note Length: Controls how long each note plays before stopping. Ranges from 1 to 8 steps.
ADSR Envelope: Shapes how each note fades in and out over time. Attack: fade-in time Decay: time to drop from peak to sustain level Sustain: held amplitude while the note is on Release: fade-out time after the note ends
Sub Oscillator: Adds a second, lower tone underneath your main sound. Level: mix amount of the sub Waveform: sine, saw, triangle, or square Octave: −1, −2, or −3 octaves below the main oscillator
Noise: Mixes in noise alongside the oscillator. Level: mix amount of noise Type: white (flat), pink (−3 dB/oct), brown (−6 dB/oct), blue (+3 dB/oct)
Unison: Stacks multiple detuned copies of the oscillator for a thicker sound. Voices: number of copies (1 = off) Detune: pitch spread between copies, in cents Spread: pans voices across the stereo field
Drift: Random, subtle pitch wandering — like analog oscillator instability. Unlike Pitch LFO (periodic vibrato), Drift is random and never repeats. Amount: how far the pitch wanders, in cents Rate: how quickly the wandering evolves
Pulse Width: For the pulse waveform, sets the duty cycle — the ratio between the high and low parts of each cycle. 50% is a square wave; lower or higher values thin the pulse and change the tone. Modulate it with the PWM LFO for classic moving-pulse textures.
Warmth: Subtle harmonic saturation on the raw oscillator, before the filter. Adds gentle analog color without heavy distortion.
Stereo Spread: Widens the stereo image by adding a detuned shadow oscillator panned opposite to the main voice. A single Width slider controls both stereo separation and detune amount — 0% is mono, 100% is maximum spread.

Filters, Envelopes & LFOs

Highpass Filter: Thins out the sound by removing low frequencies. Cutoff: frequencies below this are attenuated Resonance: boost at the cutoff point
Lowpass Filter: Darkens the sound by removing high frequencies. Cutoff: frequencies above this are attenuated Resonance: boost at the cutoff point
Filter Envelope: Sweeps the filter cutoff once per note — triggered by each note-on. Direction: sweep up or down from cutoff ADSR: shapes the filter sweep over time Amount: how far the cutoff moves
Pitch Envelope: A one-shot pitch sweep triggered on each note. Great for drum hits, laser zaps, or synth plucks. ADSR: shapes the pitch sweep Amount: semitones of pitch bend at peak
LFO Overview: Five independent LFOs can modulate pitch, highpass cutoff, lowpass cutoff, gain, and pulse width. Each has the same controls: Waveform: sine, triangle, saw, square, or random Rate: speed in Hz, or synced to a tempo subdivision Depth: how strongly the LFO modulates its target
Pitch LFO: Continuous cyclic pitch wobble (vibrato). Repeats as long as the note plays. Depth is measured in cents.
Highpass LFO: Modulates the highpass filter cutoff up and down, creating rhythmic thinning or sweeping effects on the low end.
Lowpass LFO: Modulates the lowpass filter cutoff — the classic auto-wah or "filter pulse" effect. Pair with resonance for a squelchy, synthy movement.
Gain LFO: Pulses the volume up and down (tremolo). Depth sets the swing amount between full volume and silence.
PWM LFO: Modulates the Pulse Width of the pulse waveform, shifting the duty cycle in real time. Creates the shimmering, hollow-and-open sound of classic PWM synths. Only affects tracks using the pulse waveform.

Effects

Reverb: Adds space and ambience. All tracks share one reverb, and each track can send any amount of its signal into it. Send: how much of the track feeds the shared reverb (set per track in the Mixer, or in the Effects tab) Decay: how long the reverb tail rings out
Distortion: Adds crunch and harmonics after the filter — from subtle warmth to extreme mangling. Drive: amount of effect Tone: post-distortion brightness Mode: Soft Clip, Hard Clip, Wavefold, Bitcrush, Rectifier, Exponential, Chebyshev, Downsample, Crossover, Diode
Delay: Creates echoes that repeat after the original sound. Six modes available: Ping Pong: echoes alternate between left and right channels Mono: single delay line, both channels hear the same echo Stereo: staggered L/R delay lines with cross-feedback for stereo movement Slapback: a single short echo with no feedback Reverse: captures audio and plays it back reversed Pitch Shift: each repeat shifts pitch cumulatively Time: delay interval in ms Feedback: how much signal feeds back (higher = more echoes) Sync: locks delay time to tempo subdivisions Offset: L/R time offset (Stereo mode) Slapback Time: short echo length (Slapback mode) Pitch: semitones per repeat (Pitch Shift mode) Fine: cents per repeat (Pitch Shift mode)
Chorus: Makes the sound fuller by layering slightly shifted copies. Rate: modulation speed Depth: pitch variation amount Mix: wet/dry balance
Tape: Emulates old cassette tape machines. Applies globally to all tracks. Wobble: pitch instability (wow + flutter) Saturation: compressive harmonic warmth Hiss: filtered noise layer Wear: high-frequency rolloff Dropout: random amplitude dips
Vinyl: Emulates vinyl records and turntables. Applies globally to all tracks. Noise: surface crackle from dust Crackle: random pops and clicks Wow: slow pitch drift Rumble: low-frequency vibration Wear: high-frequency loss Stereo: subtle stereo wandering
Sidechain: Ducks a synth track's volume when a drum track plays — the classic pumping effect used in electronic music. Enable it on any synth track and pick which drum track triggers the ducking. Amount: how much the volume ducks (higher = deeper pump) Ratio: how aggressively the compressor reacts above threshold Attack: how fast the volume drops when the kick hits Release: how fast the volume recovers after the kick Makeup: compensate for lost volume
Ring Mod: Blends your sound with another tone for metallic or robotic textures. Mix: wet/dry balance Frequency: carrier oscillator pitch

Playback & Sequencing

Playback Direction: Choose which direction the sequencer moves: Forward, Backward, Bounce (ping-pong), Random Columns, or fully Randomized.
Scale: Constrains grid rows to a musical scale (major, minor, pentatonic, blues, and more). Notes already on the grid snap to the nearest scale degree when you switch.
Tempo: Sets playback speed in beats per minute. Type a value directly, drag the tempo display, or use Tap Tempo: tap the button at the speed you want — the app averages your taps and updates the BPM.
Groove: Controls the rhythmic feel. Swing: shifts every other step later for a shuffle feel (50% = straight, higher values lean toward triplet feel) Gate: shortens notes — lower values create staccato Glide: slides pitch between consecutive notes
Humanize: Adds subtle natural variation to playback. Timing: nudges each note slightly early or late Velocity: randomly varies the loudness of each note
Playback Start Mode: Where each track begins when you press play: Selected Pattern (from your current pattern), Song Start (from the first pattern), or Song Position (aligned to timeline).
Loop Playback: When enabled (default), playback loops indefinitely. When disabled, each track plays through all its patterns once and stops when every track has reached the end.

Mixer

Mixer View: A dedicated view for balancing your tracks. Use the layout toggle in the header to show or hide it. The mixer builds one channel strip per track plus a Main strip for the overall output, and works live — adjust levels while a pattern plays.
Track Strips: Fader: sets the track's volume. Name: click the label above the fader to rename the track — "Bass", "Hi-Hat", whatever helps. Mute / Solo: M silences the track; S isolates it so only that track is heard. Pan: places the track left or right in the stereo field. Reverb Send: how much of the track is sent to the shared reverb. Reorder: drag a strip sideways to rearrange tracks.
Peak Meters: Each strip has an LED-style stereo meter showing live output. Green is safe headroom, amber is loud but still clean, and red means you're close to clipping. A small peak marker catches the loudest recent moment and holds for a beat so brief spikes don't get missed.
Main Output: The Main strip controls the final level after all tracks are mixed together. Its meter shows the overall output, and the fader is your master volume. BOOST: drives the mix +6 dB harder into the main limiter, so your song lands closer to streaming-service loudness (Spotify, YouTube, etc.). Leave it off to keep the mix's natural dynamics.
Vertical or Horizontal: Click the rotate button next to the mixer to switch layouts. Vertical gives you the classic tall-fader, side-by-side look. Horizontal stacks compact strips above the pattern thumbnails so the grid stays in view while you mix.

Automation

Automation Mode: Automation lets you draw parameter changes over time. Instead of a slider staying at one value, you can make it sweep, pulse, or follow any shape across a pattern. Press A or toggle the switch in the Automation tab to enter automation mode.
Lanes & Parameters: Each automated parameter gets its own lane. Click Add Parameter and pick any slider from the dropdown — volume, pan, reverb send, filter cutoff, delay mix, and more. Lanes appear in the sidebar with a colored dot. Click a lane to select it for editing. Use the toggle to enable or disable a lane without deleting it.
Drawing Tools: Three tools for editing curves: Draw: click and drag to freehand a curve across the canvas Edit: click to place precise breakpoints, drag to move them, drag handles to adjust tension (curve shape) Erase: click and drag to select a time range and remove all breakpoints within it
Presets: Quick-apply common curve shapes to the selected lane: Ramp Up, Ramp Down, Exponential Up, Exponential Down, Sine, and Triangle. Clear removes all breakpoints from the lane on the current page.
Playback: During playback, automation curves override slider positions in real time. Sliders visually follow the curve and the inline value display shows the current value. When playback stops, sliders return to their manual positions. You can grab a slider during playback to temporarily override the automation — when you release, it smoothly ramps back to the curve instead of snapping.
Per-Page Curves: Automation data is stored per page. Each page can have different curves for the same parameter. When you add a lane, it's available on all pages but each page's curve is independent.
Recording from Sliders: Arm the record button on the selected lane, start playback, then move the matching slider. Your movements are captured as breakpoints on the current page. Releasing the slider ends the take; playback keeps running so you can punch in again on the next pass.

Editing Tools

Edit Selected Notes: Select notes with Shift+drag, then adjust: velocity, chance, pan, glide, gate, length, waveform, and play-every. Changes apply to all selected notes at once. Alt+drag a selection to move it to a new position on the grid.
Play Every: Set a note to play only every Nth pass through the pattern. Right-click a note and set "Play Every" to 2, 3, or 4 — the note will skip the other passes. During playback, a countdown badge shows when the note will next play. Toggle between First and Last to control whether the note plays on the first or last pass of each cycle. Great for building variation across repeats without extra patterns.
Move Notes: Shift all notes on the grid using arrow buttons. Notes wrap around edges. Enable "All Patterns" to move notes on every pattern at once.
Grid Scroll: Scroll the grid up or down using the scroll buttons or Shift+mouse wheel on the grid. Notes maintain their pitch by moving rows as the viewport shifts. Colored indicators on the grid edges mark notes that have scrolled off-screen.
Transpose: Pitch all notes up or down. Toggle between semitone and scale-step mode. Each mode remembers its own offset.
Generate Notes: Randomly place new notes on the grid. Control density and toggle random variety in waveforms, lengths, velocities, or chance.
Randomize Track Notes: Shuffle properties of notes already on the grid: waveforms, velocities, lengths, effects, or panning.

MIDI

MIDI Input & Output: Connect a MIDI keyboard to play live, or send notes to external synths and DAWs. Select input and output devices in the MIDI panel.
MIDI File Import/Export: Save your pattern as a standard .mid file, or import a .mid file onto the grid. Import auto-detects scale, grid size, and tempo.
MIDI Options: Toggle which MIDI parameters are sent and received: velocity, MIDI clock (sync external gear), pan, and pitch bend. The pitch bend range can be set to ±2, ±7, ±12, or ±24 semitones.
MIDI Learn: Click the MIDI Learn button in the MIDI panel, then click any slider and move a knob or fader on your MIDI controller to map it. The slider will respond to that CC in real time. Use Clear All to remove mappings.

Export & Import

Download as WAV: Renders your full song offline and saves it as a 16-bit WAV file. A progress overlay shows the render status.
Export/Import Project: Save your project as a JSON file to back up or share your work. Export all grid sizes or just the current one. Import a JSON file to load it back onto the grid.

Appearance

Color Themes: Cycle through color themes or customize individual colors for background, visualizer, and per-waveform notes.
Spectrum Visualizer: Shows the frequency content of your sound in real time. Click the visualizer to cycle through 26 themes — including drum-aware modes that react to drums and synths independently, and organic morphing themes that breathe with the music. Toggle visibility and adjust opacity from the Options panel. Use the fullscreen button to expand the visualizer to fill the screen.