What you get on Android
DAWG provides an Android build on itch.io. Check its release notes and device requirements before installing. The beat grid lets you enter drum hits and notes by touch.
- All 9 instruments with full sound banks
- Step sequencer and piano roll
- Live mixer with VU metering
- WAV export
- Multi touch support
- Bluetooth and USB MIDI controller support
- Accelerometer and gyroscope input for effects modulation
Best setup for Android
The minimal setup is just your phone and headphones. But a few additions make the experience much better:
- Headphones: start with a wired connection when playing notes live. Bluetooth audio can introduce a noticeable monitoring delay.
- Bluetooth mouse - gives you precision for placing notes on the grid. Surprisingly useful on mobile.
- USB OTG adapter - lets you connect USB MIDI keyboards and audio interfaces to your phone.
- Tablet: a larger screen gives the grid more room, but check the app's requirements. Screen size does not establish compatibility.
Touch techniques
- Tap cells on the grid to place or remove notes.
- Swipe to scroll through the grid and navigate between sections.
- Multi touch to play multiple notes at once in real time.
- Tilt your device to modulate effects using the accelerometer.
Performance tips
- Close other apps to give DAWG maximum CPU and memory.
- Use wired headphones for lowest audio latency.
- Keep your device charged or plugged in during longer sessions.
- If audio crackles, reduce active instruments and effects. If the app exposes an audio-buffer setting, try a larger buffer. A smaller buffer can reduce delay but increase underruns. See Android's AudioTrack documentation.
Mobile music workflow
Choose a drum kit and set the tempo to 120 BPM. With one sixteenth note per step, place kicks on steps 1, 5, 9 and 13, a snare on 5 and 13, and hats on 3, 7, 11 and 15. These sixteen steps make one bar of 4/4. For a 32-step pattern, repeat them in the second half. The step-sequencer guide explains the counting.
Save the session before experimenting. Session files keep editable notes and settings; exported audio records the result. Play the export in another app to check its beginning, ending and levels. See exporting a track.