Ever since Reason 1.0 beatmakers, producers, and button-mashers alike have all loved the venerable old Redrum Drum Computer. And it’s easy to see why. Step sequencing drum machines like Redrum or even the classic Roland 808 offer a nearly perfect layout for programming the rhythmic syncopated beats used in so many popular music genres. The 16 buttons, representing the 16 steps in the beat, provide the right blend of predictable beat construction and random experimentation when you want to spice up your beats.

In this micro tutorial, we’ll get you started with drum step sequencing and get familiar with the Redrum’s layout. You’ll soon learn why producers the world over love Kong but also keep coming back to Redrum for that special creative simplicity.