BeepBox is a fantastic web-based tool that lets you create music right in your browser. Whether you’re just starting to explore music creation or you’re looking for a quick and easy way to sketch out melodies, BeepBox offers an intuitive and accessible platform. Let’s dive into how you can use this online sequencer to bring your musical ideas to life.
To begin, you’ll notice a grid-like interface. This is where the magic happens. The gray rows at the top are where you input notes. Simply click on these rows to add notes, and BeepBox will instantly play them back for you. It’s a hands-on way to experiment and hear your musical ideas take shape in real-time.
Notes in BeepBox are organized into patterns. Think of patterns as building blocks for your song. You can edit one pattern at a time, focusing on a specific musical phrase or idea. At the bottom of the editor, you’ll see numbered boxes – these represent different patterns. Clicking on these boxes allows you to jump to different sections of your song. You can also use the arrows on the selected box to easily swap out patterns and experiment with different arrangements.
BeepBox’s power comes from its ability to play multiple rows of patterns simultaneously. Each row acts as a separate musical track. Most rows are designed for melodies and harmonies, allowing you to layer sounds and create rich textures. The bottom row is specifically for drums, letting you add rhythmic foundations to your compositions.
Navigating through your song is made easy with the purple loop located beneath the pattern boxes. This loop controls the section of the song that repeats during playback. You can drag the loop to focus on different parts of your composition, or expand it to encompass the entire song for a full listen.
For efficient workflow, BeepBox offers a range of keyboard shortcuts. When the BeepBox interface is in focus (simply click anywhere within it), you can use shortcuts like:
- Spacebar: Play or pause your song – essential for on-the-fly adjustments and listening.
- Shift + Spacebar: Start playback from your current mouse location, useful for quickly checking specific sections.
- Z: Undo your last action, and Y or Shift + Z: Redo, giving you flexibility to experiment without fear of permanent changes.
- C/V: Copy and paste selected patterns, speeding up the process of repeating or reusing musical sections.
- 0-9: Assign pattern numbers to your selections, helping you organize and quickly access different patterns.
- Arrow Keys: Move your selection around the interface for precise edits.
- Ctrl + Arrow Keys: Rearrange the order of channels, allowing for quick adjustments to your song’s structure.
- [ / ]: Move the playhead backward or forward in time, for fine-tuning your position in the song.
- F/H: Jump to the First or Highlighted pattern, for efficient navigation within larger compositions.
- Shift + Drag: Select a portion of a pattern, useful for isolating and manipulating specific musical phrases.
- Explore the Edit menu within BeepBox itself for even more shortcuts and functionalities!
Within the note pattern editor, you have precise control over individual notes. Clicking and dragging horizontally on a note allows you to adjust its duration, shaping the rhythm and feel of your melodies. To create richer harmonies, you can add chords by clicking above or below an existing note. This adds layers of simultaneous notes, expanding the sonic possibilities of your compositions.
For more advanced editing, long-pressing in the pattern editor lets you select a time range within a pattern. Once selected, you can drag this range to move multiple notes at once, streamlining the process of adjusting entire musical phrases.
For those looking to add expressive nuances, BeepBox offers advanced features. Dragging vertically from an existing note allows you to bend its pitch, creating slides and vibrato effects. Similarly, dragging vertically from above or below a note lets you adjust its volume, adding dynamics and shaping the intensity of your sounds. You can even drag across numbered pattern boxes to select multiple patterns, enabling you to copy and paste larger sections of your song for efficient song construction.
BeepBox is packed with even more features waiting to be discovered. Experiment with the buttons and menus on the right side of the interface to unlock its full potential. For helpful explanations of each option, simply click on the label next to it.
Want to explore what others have created with BeepBox? You can browse songs shared on Twitter before 2023-05-22 in this interactive archive. It’s a great source of inspiration and showcases the versatility of this online sequencer.
About BeepBox
BeepBox is developed by John Nesky, a passionate creator in the world of online music tools.
Songs created with BeepBox belong entirely to their authors, as BeepBox makes no claim of ownership. It’s your music, your creation.
BeepBox and John Nesky are not responsible for any copyrighted material used in songs created on the platform. Importantly, BeepBox does not store, record, or distribute any user songs on its servers. All song data is cleverly encoded within the URL after the hash (#) symbol. Your musical creations remain on your device unless you choose to share the URL. BeepBox prioritizes user privacy and does not collect, track, or share any personal user data.
Stay up-to-date with the latest improvements and features by checking out the release notes for the newest BeepBox versions here. For users who prefer earlier versions, BeepBox 2.3 and 3.0.13 are still available.
For offline use, you can download an offline version of BeepBox, providing the same features and functionality without needing an internet connection.
The source code is available for download and use under the MIT license. Notably, the synth code can be integrated into your own JavaScript projects, as demonstrated here, allowing you to play BeepBox songs within your own creations. This open-source nature encourages further exploration and innovation within the BeepBox community.
