MINI REVIEWS

€49 (PC/Mac); £7 (iOS)

This friendly drum and percussion sequencer lets you load your own one-shot samples (none are included, unexpectedly) onto each of its four tracks, then either program your patterns manually or hit one of four ‘dice’ buttons to randomise the number and positions of active Steps, Pitch, Volume or all of the above. This randomisation can be applied to one track at a time or all four at once – there’s no way to select two or three, although you can copy patterns between tracks – and is apparently generated using “algorithmic and random procedures”. It all just seems, well, random to us – we certainly don’t detect the influence of any artificial intelligence at work, and if there is any, the lack of any form of documentation leaves you completely in the dark as to what its machinations might be.

That doesn’t matter, though – all you really need to appreciate with Playbeat is that you can freely set the sequence length (start and end points), step value and shuffle for each track independently, for a high degree of polyrhythmic control, and that each track can n be set to automatically re-randomise every 1-32 bars.

Randomisation of each parameter can be e constrained to whatever range you like, up to 16 presets are definable for on-the-fly switching, and a fully comprehensive onboard MIDI assignment ent system systemadds adds real potential for live performance. rmance.

Playbeat is at its best st when used for generative percussion (as opposed to drum kit) patterns, and even off-kilter bass and melodic lines. It’s quick and easy to use, and capable enough on its own fairly straightforward terms, but the lack of any form of processing beyond sample start point offset is glaring, and it does feel rather like it was designed as an iPad app first, which doesn’t reflect particularly well on the slightly high price of the PC/Mac version. n8/ 10n