This plug comes with four drum sounds - kick, snare, closed and open hi-hat - that can be programmed at 1/8 note resolution, 8 notes in bar. This beat box is no serious contender for the most popular software drum box but it is still very useful as a replacement for the built in metronomes in VST 2.0 compatible sequencer softwares. The GUI is also now implemented and it makes the life easier for VST 3.7 users.

Copy the unzipped files into your VST plugins directory (creating a new directory named Beatz would be a great idea), BeatZ will find the samples from there.

Start the program by opening the VST Instruments panel and selecting the BeatZ instrument. Power on the plugin. You don't have to assign it as an instrument to a MIDI track if you use it as drum machine only. Just let it be enabled in the VST plugins rack. Press the Play button on transport and enjoy! Create your own patterns, save and load them.

Note that only this version of BeatZ is a freeware plugin (there will propably be a new shareware plugin later with enhanced sample loading and more steps per pattern). Distribute it freely but only with this readme.txt file. Note also that as a plug-in developer I am not in any responsibility for your use of this plugin (risk is your own), and I will not give any (end user) support for it (other than this web page).

New in BeatZ-001:
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* DRUMS can be played with MIDI on channel 10
* BASS can be played on other channels (<10 or >10)

Tips for power users:
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If you want to use other samples you can make your own with Cool Edit 2000 (www.syntrillium.com).

(1) Load a  .WAV sample into C2K (I think you can use 24 bit WAV's too)
(2) Convert it into mono (if stereo sample), 44100Hz, 32 bit floating point format (Edit->Convert Sample Type or F11)
(3) Save it: File -> Save Copy as ../Type name: bd01.pcm / Save as type : PCM raw data(*.pc,*.raw) -> Options -> Data formatted as 32-bit IEEE Float (0.24) -> OK -> Save

File names are bd01.pcm, sd01.pcm, hh01.pcm, oh01.pcm and bass.pcm.

Don't replace bass.pcm sample, as it's looped (fixed looppoints are used)!

Download BeatZ-001

Includes the samples (four drums + bass) and the plugin DLL.

VST is a trademark of Steinberg Soft- und Hardware GmbH

About BeatZ

Copyright (C) Mikko Helin, 2000

VST PlugIn Technology by Steinberg

VST PlugIn Interface Technology by Steinberg Soft- und Hardware GmbH