Rowdy Rabouw

Beats in the Browser: Coding Music with JavaScript

Can your browser talk to MIDI controllers and heart rate monitors? Learn how to build a JavaScript drum machine that bridges the physical and digital worlds.

Beats in the Browser: Coding Music with JavaScript
#1about 7 minutes

The history and cultural impact of Roland drum machines

Roland's TR-808 and TR-909 drum machines were commercial failures that later became iconic in hip-hop and dance music.

#2about 3 minutes

Generating basic sounds in the browser with Web Audio API

The Web Audio API allows for sound generation in the browser using an AudioContext and an oscillator node to create simple waveforms.

#3about 3 minutes

Simplifying audio playback in the browser with Tone.js

Instead of complex synthesis, use WAV files and the Tone.js library to easily load and play audio samples with minimal code.

#4about 6 minutes

Connecting physical MIDI controllers using the Web MIDI API

The Web MIDI API enables browsers to receive messages from physical hardware like keyboards and drum pads to trigger in-browser events.

#5about 7 minutes

How to build a step sequencer in JavaScript

A step sequencer can be built using HTML checkboxes for the interface and the Tone.js scheduling feature to loop through and play selected notes.

#6about 4 minutes

Controlling music tempo with the Web Bluetooth API

The Web Bluetooth API can connect to low-energy devices like a heart rate monitor to dynamically control application parameters like music tempo.

#7about 3 minutes

A live karaoke demo and concluding thoughts

A fun demonstration combines the browser-based drum machine with karaoke, followed by a look back at early DJing experiences.

Related jobs
Jobs that call for the skills explored in this talk.

Matching moments

Building music sequencers with the Web Audio API
56:55 MIN

Building music sequencers with the Web Audio API

New Browser APIs, End of React Create App, Smuggling Data in Emoji and more with Rowdy Rabouw

Combining a drum machine with karaoke for a live performance
30:26 MIN

Combining a drum machine with karaoke for a live performance

Beats in the Browser: Coding Music with JavaScript

Building a step sequencer using Tone.js for looping beats
19:01 MIN

Building a step sequencer using Tone.js for looping beats

Beats in the Browser: Coding Music with JavaScript

Triggering browser audio with the Web MIDI API
12:48 MIN

Triggering browser audio with the Web MIDI API

Beats in the Browser: Coding Music with JavaScript

Creating basic sounds with the Web Audio API
06:58 MIN

Creating basic sounds with the Web Audio API

Beats in the Browser: Coding Music with JavaScript

Creative web tech for music notation and modern CSS
29:07 MIN

Creative web tech for music notation and modern CSS

WeAreDevelopers LIVE - Dapr / Pixels and Generative Art / Open Source and Communities / and more

Using the Web Bluetooth API to control music tempo
26:10 MIN

Using the Web Bluetooth API to control music tempo

Beats in the Browser: Coding Music with JavaScript

Connecting hardware prototypes to the browser
00:39 MIN

Connecting hardware prototypes to the browser

Prototyping with Hardware and the Web

Featured Partners

Related Videos

Beats in the Browser: Coding Music with JavaScript32:54

Beats in the Browser: Coding Music with JavaScript

New Browser APIs, End of React Create App, Smuggling Data in Emoji and more with Rowdy Rabouw1:13:35

New Browser APIs, End of React Create App, Smuggling Data in Emoji and more with Rowdy Rabouw

Chris Heilmann & Daniel Cranney & Rowdy Rabouw

Catching up on the basics you don't really need that much code14:44

Catching up on the basics you don't really need that much code

Chris Heilmann

Using all the HTML, Running State of the Browser and "Modern" is Rubbish1:15:44

Using all the HTML, Running State of the Browser and "Modern" is Rubbish

Chris Heilmann & Daniel Cranney and David Letorey

The Eventloop in JavaScript - How does it work?30:36

The Eventloop in JavaScript - How does it work?

Christian Woerz

Building a Browser-Based Karaoke Game with Web Speech API28:09

Building a Browser-Based Karaoke Game with Web Speech API

Ana Rodrigues

WeAreDevelopers LIVE – Frontend Inspirations, Web Standards and more1:06:20

WeAreDevelopers LIVE – Frontend Inspirations, Web Standards and more

Chris Heilmann, Daniel Cranney & Jan Deppisch

Prototyping with Hardware and the Web30:58

Prototyping with Hardware and the Web

George Cave

Related Articles

View all articles
CH
Chris Heilmann
Building a "shoutout" component in plain HTML/CSS/JavaScript
Every Wednesday we meet at noon to talk about a lot of tech news, tools and resources in something we call WeAreDevelopers Live . We go live on YouTube and afterwards we cut out short videos to post on social media. What we needed was an obvious “sho...
Building a "shoutout" component in plain HTML/CSS/JavaScript
DC
Daniel Cranney
Security Basics for Vibe Coders
Vibe coding has become a popular trend in the tech world. With so many tools now available for both developers and non-developers, it’s easier than ever to build projects using natural language, in some cases without touching a line of code along the...
Security Basics for Vibe Coders
DC
Daniel Cranney
Dev Digest 195: End of Likes, JavaScript’s a Zoo, and Messing with Bots!
Inside last week’s Dev Digest 195 . 👎 No more external likes 🤗 Needy programs 📉 The worst selling Microsoft product 🟨 JavaScript engines zoo 🍞 No more toasts! 🤖 Messing with bots 👔 Beware of fake job interviews 🗞️ Join over 150,000 developers alread...
Dev Digest 195: End of Likes, JavaScript’s a Zoo, and Messing with Bots!

From learning to earning

Jobs that call for the skills explored in this talk.

Web Developer

Web Developer

Chordify
Utrecht, Netherlands

€4-5K
Intermediate
CSS
GIT
React
TypeScript
+1