Editing Drum machine (section)

==Programming==
{{See also|Music sequencer}}
[[File:Four to the floor Roland TR-707.jpg|thumb|[[Four on the floor (music)|4-on-the-floor]] on [[Roland TR-707]]]]

Programming of drum machines varies from product to product.  On most products, it can be done in '''real time''': the user creates drum patterns by pressing the trigger pads as though a [[drum kit]] were being played; or using '''step-sequencing''': the pattern is built up over time by adding individual sounds at certain points by placing them, as with the TR-808 and TR-909, along a 16-step bar. For example, a generic [[Four on the floor (music)|4-on-the-floor]] dance pattern could be made by placing a closed high hat on the 3rd, 7th, 11th, and 15th steps, then a kick drum on the 1st, 5th, 9th, and 13th steps, and a clap or snare on the 5th and 13th. This pattern could be varied in a multitude of ways to obtain [[Fill (music)|fills]], [[Breakdown (music)|breakdowns]] and other elements that the programmer sees fit, which in turn could be sequenced with '''song-sequence'''—essentially the drum machine plays back the programmed patterns from memory in an order the programmer has chosen. The machine will [[Quantization (music)|quantize]] entries that are slightly off-beat in order to make them exactly in time.

If the drum machine has [[MIDI]] connectivity, then one could program the drum machine with a computer or another MIDI device.