Patterns and arrangement: turn a loop into a sequence

Edit a loop, then decide where it appears

A pattern stores the notes for every track within one or two bars. An arrangement stores a sequence of references to those patterns. Pattern A might be your main groove, B a variation and C a sparse ending.

In Float Sequencer the Pattern view shows A–H and the copy, clear and length controls. Arrangement replaces that library view with ordered slots above the same editor. Selecting a slot still opens its pattern in the grid below.

Read an A–A–B–C sequence

This arrangement has four slots but only three source patterns. Both A slots point to the same A. If all patterns are 16 steps long, the sequence lasts four bars; if C has 32 steps, it lasts five. Tempo controls how much clock time those bars take.

A repeated reference is different from a copy

Add A twice when you want the same groove to repeat. Edit a kick in A and both occurrences change, because the arrangement does not make independent copies of its notes.

Use Copy to… in Pattern mode when you want a variation. Copy A to B, then change B’s hats or final snare. A and B can now evolve independently. If you want a change only in the second A slot, first make another pattern and replace that slot’s reference.

Build and rearrange the phrase

A blank project starts with one A slot. Add another A, then B and C. Drag the slots to compare A–A–B–C with A–B–A–C. Removing a slot removes a reference; the original pattern remains in A–H.

You can use up to 16 slots. Pause arrangement playback before adding, removing or moving slots; an edit resets its playback position. Keyboard users can focus a slot, navigate with arrow keys, reorder with Alt + left/right and remove with Delete or Backspace.

Try keeping the main drum pulse consistent in A and B, then using C to leave more space. This makes it easier to hear what the arrangement changes while the underlying sound palette remains familiar.

Pattern switching and arrangement playback

In Pattern playback, choosing B while A is playing queues B at the end of A. In Arrangement, playback follows the listed slots and loops the sequence. A pattern’s own length determines when the next slot starts.

Pause resumes at the next unheard step. Stop returns to the beginning. If you are comparing two arrangements, stop between them so you hear each from the same starting point. Tempo and Swing changes wait for the next bar, independently of queued pattern changes.

Choose the export range deliberately

Current pattern renders just the pattern you are editing, once. Full arrangement renders all listed slots, once, including repeats. Both add two seconds for effects. The difference matters when your arrangement uses a pattern more than once or mixes one- and two-bar patterns.

Save project JSON before leaving the browser. It preserves both pattern content and arrangement references. Audio WAV preserves the resulting performance, including the chosen sounds and effect tails, but it cannot reconstruct the editable slots.