In Summary

Although many DAWs land with the tools to inject productions with programmed beats, getting fast inspired sounds sometimes needs a zero-learning curve. Here we take a look at getting the MIDI, along with the sounds and more in one window…

Going Deeper

For a long time now, makers of drum machines and their virtual counterparts have done much to make programming more intuitive. Starting with the revolutionary step sequencers of the 1980s, later beat machines have since spoiled composers with other goodies such as built-in effects and ever-greater capacity for samples and routing to allow mixing outside the device itself.

In the present, virtual drum instruments often land with the performance itself on board as well. Taking full advantage of MIDI’s tiny files sizes, a whole tonne of beats, fills, and other song building blocks are there to be dragged, dropped, and edited or used as is on the timeline.

Lo-Fi Drum Machine Sounds With UJAM Beatmaker COZY

Frequently DAWs now come with drum sampler and sequencer instruments that can handle all of the things that hardware machines can do in the studio and a lot more. So much so that all of their functionality and any learning curve that comes with that can feel like a bit of a drag on the creative process. After all, there can’t be many composers who’d willingly trade their hoodies and sneakers for a lab coat and instruction manual…

Billed as being tailored for LoFi hip hop beat creation, UJAM’s Beatmaker COZY is designed to deliver the essence of LoFi machine sounds including the kit, the signal chain, and of course the MIDI itself. Adding some of UJAM’s stylistic flare, the instrument lands with both very high quality samples tempered with incredibly simple effects controls to deliver what they accurately refer to as “roughened fidelity”. In the video we pitch it against our DAW’s stock instrument - this is a highly capable professional tool but there are a few things in Beatmaker COZY that even it cannot match…

Using a DAW’s bundled machine along with on-board effects, or maybe a few downstream audio plugins can be a highly effective way to get the exact sounds needed. That said, some of these machines might be a little overkill for composers who know exactly what they want - even ten minutes in the user guide is a hard sell for many. With a tool like UJAM Beatmaker COZY in your back pocket, getting smart machine arrangements couldn’t really be any simpler. The sounds are there as well, going from big, bright and clean, right through to the delicious effervescence that makes LoFi sounds so addictive…

UJAM Beatmaker COZY Key Features:

• 20 styles, 50 presets.

• 10 drum kits, 460 patterns.

• MIDI Drag & Drop, Resizable User Interface.

• Nostalgia Control simulates the crackle of vinyl records, adjusts tones using EQs, and moderates drum hit intensity and frequency range for added LoFi charm. It also incorporates a convolution effect that mimics an old tube microphone, adding vintage complexity. A bus compressor maintains track balance, while a saturation effect enhances the audio warmth.