Free Nord Beat MIDI Step Sequencer For The iPad

Clavia has released Nord Beat – a 4-track CoreMIDI Step Sequencer for iPad.

Nord Beat is designed to be a companion for the Nord Drum percussion synth, but can be used with other MIDI instruments, especially for beat sequencing.

Features:

  • 8 Patterns
  • Flexible cueing system
  • 3 Velocity levels
  • Adjustable Pattern Length (1-16)
  • Shuffle
  • Copy/Paste patterns
  • Mute per track
  • Tap Tempo
  • Pad Mode with velocity support
  • Load/Save song
  • MIDI Setup

Sequencer

Nord Beat lets you create drum beats in classic 16 step grid with up to 8 patterns and offers great control over velocity.

Patterns can be played back in two ways: In Sequence Mode, up to 8 patterns can be cued and will play in a chained fashion. Each pattern can be set to repeat up to 8 times to create a song progression.

When Sequence Mode is turned off, a single pattern will loop until you cue another.

Any pattern can be edited while playing and the Copy/Paste function lets you create variations over a pattern very quickly.

There are 3 velocity levels represented by colors, and are easily changed by swiping up or down on the desired notes. The actual velocity values can be altered with the velocity faders for changing accents and dynamics in real-time.

The Shuffle amount can also be changed on the fly and each of the 4 tracks can be muted individually. The Pattern length can be shortened (1-16) while playing for creating breakdowns or alternative time signatures.

A CoreMIDI compatible MIDI interface is required.

Nord Beat is a free download via the App Store.

via aymat

14 thoughts on “Free Nord Beat MIDI Step Sequencer For The iPad

  1. OMG! This and BS-16i is Ridiculous with CoreMidi. I got some oldschool drum soundfonts loaded in BS-16i and sequencing is so painless with the Nord. Gonna use this combo alot for sure.

  2. I was just thinking yesterday, that Clavia could implement workstationish features with an iPad app to their Stages and Wave. Perhaps even hands on module crafting in hopefully some day appearing Modular G3.

  3. This is a step in right direction for Nord Drum, definitely. I wish Clavia would give some indication that midi CC control of parameters is coming in a future OS update for Nord Drum. Clavia??

  4. I hope this comes with a warning for drummers not to hit the iPad screen with a drumstick …

    Has anyone tried midiPads or other ipad drum app that supports accelerometer-type velocity with a Nord Drum yet?

  5. Uuhnn, not to be a spoilsport or anything…
    but when is somebody going to create a simple drum track app that can ease up the ironcast 4/4 straightjacket just a wee bit?

    I mean, there are dozens if not 100’s of apps and not ONE of them can handle something on the level of an early Beatles song. Heck, I’m not sure you can even do a Kraftwerk-covers-Johnny.B.Goode drumtrack without sampling it straight.
    There are no technical limitations preventing you from playing drum samples at other times than those 16 steps, you just need to make it available in the GUI.
    Really!

    1. Almost all the music I’ve been doing lately has been in odd time signatures. 5/4, 7/8, 11/8, etc. I wish some of these apps (for iOS in general, as I only have an iphone) would let me easily do odd time signatures. I’d be nice to work on a 5/4 beat during my lunch break (especially if there was a bass channel). Something as immediately fun and synthy (not sample-based) as MoDrum with odd time signatures would get my money in a heartbeat.

      1. You can program in different time signatures in iSequence from Beepstreet. I’ve done rhythm tracks in 11/8, 6/8, and 5/4 in there, so I know it’s possible. Basically you have up to 32 steps in a pattern but can pick an end point. Recommended.

    2. Sunvox lets you stack multiple patterns of different lengths. If you’ve never used a tracker the initial learning curve is high, but if it clicks for you it should be pretty fast and easy to work with.

      1. I used to use FT2 in the thankfully forgotten days of the 90s. I’ve also used FamiTracker and NERDTracker II (both are Nintendo chip trackers). I have Sunvox, tried it a few times but never really got into it. I’ll give it another try. Trackers don’t scare me, what does is making large edits on the iPhone screen. I really did like the whole modular approach in Sunvox.

    3. You might want to check out Stocastik, which lets you assign probabilities to individual drum beats, or Phaedra, which lets you do 4-tracks of sequencing with independently controllable lengths.

  6. really… I’m a newb…. I just wanna know if it’s possible and easy to use this apps plug in my computer with a software (cubase; protools; live; reason… etc.). If not i’ve read that I must this apps with something that have a midi interface with a compatibility on the coremidi… well… what the hell is that and did I need an adaptator or something??

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