Dyllan Tallchief has used Microsoft Excel to make a drum machine

Can we use an ‘Excel-lent’ pun? Is that allowed?

When you purchase through affiliate links on MusicTech.com, you may contribute to our site through commissions. Learn more

Electronic music YouTuber, Dyllan Tallchief, has recently uploaded a video of a drum machine he’s made in Microsoft Excel. It’s probably not the most user-friendly interface, but it’s fun to see the possibilities of Excel in the music world. Dyllan hasn’t actually created a sample library within the spreadsheet software, but has used it as a MIDI controller linked up to Ableton Live, which is triggering drum sounds in the sequence created in Excel. 

The step sequencer’s BPM can be adjusted with a single parameter and a Swing function is even featured on the interface. Using an ‘x’ marker, the user can programme in where they want the drum sample to trigger within the sequence, with velocity and pitch values being input as desired. Up to four sequences can be saved and recalled in the drum machine. 

Recently on social media, a meme circulated around music fans of an Excel spreadsheet coloured in to look like a DAW session. Although Dyllan tells viewers that his drum machine idea wasn’t necessarily inspired by the meme, he did see the resemblance. After seeing a ray-tracing demo in Excel, he realised that perhaps the software is more powerful than we thought. 

The drum machine is available as a free download from the link in the video description, along with Dyllan’s Patreon page and social media accounts. 

For more music technology news click here 

logo

Get the latest news, reviews and tutorials to your inbox.

Subscribe
Join Our Mailing List & Get Exclusive DealsSign Up Now
logo

The world’s leading media brand at the intersection of music and technology.

© 2024 MusicTech is part of NME Networks.