Besides being able to edit rhythm manually, there are some interesting tools to generate rhythm patterns using mathematical algorithms. The rhythm generators are available only in the phrase generator Rhythm menu.

The following rhythm generators are included:

• Modern Rhythm
• Modern Random Rhythm
• Schillinger's Interference
• Subdivision
• Polyrhythm
• Generic Rhythm
• Probabilistic Rhythm
• Euclidean Rhythm
• Smooth Rhythm
• Bass Rhythm
• Simple Intervals
• Toggle Intervals
• Manual Editing

There are a few rhythm settings (collapsed by default) that are common to all rhythm generators. You can see these controls under the rhythm generator UI, suggesting that these process the rhythm after rhythm generation. Please notice that note length is part of the rhythm in RapidComposer.

• Dotted Notes: Use dotted notes where possible. E.g. when selecting “Dotted 1/4” when there are 2 quarter notes one after the other, the length of the first note becomes 3/8 and the length of the second quarter note becomes 1/8. Options are None, Dotted 1/2, Dotted 1/4, Dotted 1/8, Dotted 1/16, Double Dotted 1/2, Double Dotted 1/4, Double Dotted 1/8, Double Dotted 1/16
• Note Length: options are Sustain Notes, Set Equal Length, Change By Percentage, Change By Offset
• Rotate: shift notes left or right, using the snap setting
• Rests: you can insert silence in the middle of a rhythm pattern
• Accents: increase or decrease 1/4, 1/8 or 1/16 note accents
• Humanize: humanize note positions, lengths, and velocity

More detailed descriptions of the various rhythm generators are followed:

Modern Rhythm creates rhythm patterns used in modern EDM styles (trance, dubstep, trip-hop, DnB…). The rhythm is based on groups of three 16th notes with some 8th notes lead in. It is best to use with the Modern Chord Pattern Generator.

• Divide 3-Note Groups: Specify how a group of 3 16th note should look like. Possible options: No (16th+16th+16th), 1-2 (16th+8th), 2-1 (8th+16th), Randomly (choose any previous settings), Randomly For Each (select a random division for each group).
• Lead-in 8th Notes: You can use one or two (or none) 8th notes at the beginning of the rhythm pattern
• Remove 16th Notes: Remove all 16th notes from the pattern
• Complexity: This setting will change 1 or 2 groups of 16th notes by re-grouping. Possible options: Simple (no re-grouping), Medium (1 re-grouping), Complex (2 re-grouping)

Modern Random Rhythm is a rhythm generator for EDM (trance, dubstep, trip-hop, DnB…) and other modern styles especially for chord patterns. It works by joining preset rhythm patterns used in EDM songs randomly.

Schillinger’s Interference (based on Joseph Schillinger's work) places pulses on every Nth position creating an interference pattern. You can achieve a lot of nice results using this rhythm type. Experimentation is the key!

The settings above show the defaults for the Schillinger’s Interference Rhythm (using the Generic Generator). All of these parameters can be changed and tweaked to your liking. Let’s run through what each setting for Schillinger’s Interference means.

• Duration: A pulse will be placed every Nth 'pulse width'. Set N with the Duration sliders.
• Phase: You can offset the pattern. Valid phases are zero to Duration-1.
• Pulse Width: Available settings are 1/4, 1/8, 1/16, 1/32, 1/64. The basic duration unit used by the generator. Set it to 1/16 to better see how it works.
• 1 Pulse, 2 Pulses, 3 Pulses: Specify what happens when there are 1, 2, or 3 pulses at a given beat.

Subdivision works by recursive slicing of a long note. It is especially useful for creating percussion phrases but it can also create some very melodic and quirky patterns, which can be perfect for “chiptune” music. You can achieve a lot of great results in this style by increasing the Number of Subdivisions slider above the default of 6 (13 to 16 is a great number), and also increasing the Full Polyphony slider to above 50%. Subdivision is useful in a lot of other ways.

The settings above show the defaults for the Subdivision Rhythm (using the Generic Generator). All of these parameters can be changed and tweaked to your liking. Let’s run through what each Subdivision setting means.

• Subdivision: Available settings are Random Weighted (default), Random, or Successive. Depending on how these are set, different algorithms are used.
• Number of Subdivisions: The number of slices, that is how many new notes are created. How “busy” the Phrase can be (or how “simple”).

Polyrhythm allows a phrase to include notes that are off-beat or uncommonly-placed. You can achieve a human-like performance quality using this rhythm generator type. You can set a duration (e.g. 2/4) which is then divided into 'division' parts.

The settings above show the defaults for Polyrhythm (using the Generic Generator). All of these parameters can be changed and tweaked to your liking. Let’s run through what each Polyrhythm setting means.

• Division1, Division2, Division3: Sets the number of divisions. E.g. if you set 5, the specified duration will be divided into 5 equal length parts
• Beats To Divide: Sets the duration in quarter notes that you want to divide.

Generic Rhythm (especially inside a Generic Generator) is one of the most useful ways to generate “piano-style” patterns. Don’t be fooled by the word “generic”, as it is anything but.

The settings above show the defaults for Generic Rhythm (using the Generic Generator). All of these parameters can be changed and tweaked to your liking. Let’s run through what each Generic Rhythm setting means.

• Density: How “busy” the Phrase can be (or how “simple”)
• Note Placement: Available settings are 1/4, 1/8, 1/16 or 1/32.
• Musical Stress: Available settings are Strong, Strong-Middle, and Strong-Medium-Weak.

This generator will place notes based on probabilities. The bigger divisions have higher probabilities, e.g. 1/1 will more likely contain a note than 1/4 and 1/4 will more likely contain a note than 1/8, etc.

The settings above show the defaults for a Generic Generator. Notice how the default Rhythm is “Probabilistic”, interval at “Half Beat”, etc. All of these parameters can be changed and tweaked to your liking. Let’s run through what each setting for Probabilistic Rhythm means.

• Division: Available settings are 1/4, 1/8, 1/16, 2 Beats (2/4), 3 Beats, 4 Beats, 6 Beats, 8 Beats. Depending on how these are set, you’ll see the notes below change to be more “busy” or more “simple.”
• Density: The number of notes to generate. How “busy” the Phrase can be (or how “simple”)
• Randomness: Sets the movement or phrasing of the Phrase. Random can lead to some unexpected surprises, and Expected is the opposite.
• Musical Stress: Accents to use in the rhythm pattern. Available settings are Strong, Strong+Middle, and Strong+Middle+Weak.

The greatest common divisor of two numbers is used rhythmically giving the number of beats and silences, generating almost all of the most important World Music rhythms. The beats in the resulting rhythms are as equidistant as possible.

• Steps: the length of the rhythm sequence in 'division' units
• Density: it is the number of notes spread evenly in the number of steps
• Offset: offset of the rhythm sequence
• Mirror: possibility to mirror the sequence
• Division: the note length used in the rhythm sequence

This generator creates a sequence where the neighboring note lengths are either the same, twice or half of the previous note.

• Shortest Note Length: the length of the shortest possible note in the sequence
• Longest Note Length: the length of the longest possible note in the sequence
• Allow 1:2:1 Division: option to allow/disallow a 1:2:1 division of a 4 unit long note

Bass Rhythm places interesting rhythmic patterns one after the other. It suits monophonic sounds (obviously a bass guitar, and other instruments) best. If you play with the sliders a bit, you can achieve a lot of great dance/trance/techno-style piano patterns using this Rhythm type, with a Generic Generator.

The settings above show the defaults for Bass Rhythm (using the Generic Generator). All of these parameters can be changed and tweaked to your liking. Let’s run through what each Bass Rhythm setting means.

• Patterns: Select the possible patterns that are inserted to each quarter note. Available settings are One Note On Beat, Two 16th Notes Before and After Beat, Two 8th Notes Before and After Beat, Two 16th Notes Before and a Note On Beat, and finally, Two 8th Notes Before and a Note On Beat. Depending on how these are set, you’ll see the notes below change to be more “busy” or more “simple.”

• Note Length: Available settings are Short, Medium (default) and Long.

Simple Intervals are exactly that: simple rhythmic intervals. Sometimes you just need something simple and fast, that gets the harmonic job done, with a basic rhythm. NOTE: The Chord Generator uses the same type of simple rhythmic generation as Simple Intervals.

The settings above show the defaults for Simple Intervals (using the Generic Generator). All of these parameters can be changed and tweaked to your liking. Let’s run through what each Simple Intervals setting means.

• Division: Available settings are Bar, 3/4, 2/4, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16, 1/32, 1/64, 1/4T, 1/4T Shuffle, 1/8T, 1/8T Shuffle, 1/16T, 1/16T Shuffle. Depending on how these are set, you’ll see the notes below change to be more “busy” or more “simple.”

Toggle Intervals, like Simple Intervals, toggle when certain MIDI notes are played and when and where they are not. You can create very useful Phrases with Toggle Intervals, if you have a certain “groove” in mind.

The settings above show the defaults for Toggle Intervals (using the Generic Generator). All of these parameters can be changed and tweaked to your liking. Let’s run through what each Toggle Intervals setting means.

• Toggle Every: toggles every 1/1, 3/4, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16, 1/32, 1/64 notes.

It is possible to edit rhythm patterns using Manual Editing. When you like the results of a rhythm generator but want to modify the rhythm slightly, select Manual Editing.

• Create Note: Ctrl+click or left double-click
• Move Note: drag note horizontally
• Change Length: drag note at the right edge
• Split Note: left double-click at split position
• Delete Note: Ctrl+click or right double-click
• Delete All Notes: right click on the background
• Change Note Accent: right click on note. Note accents are: strong/medium/weak.
• Change Note Velocity: Ctrl+right click on note

• Snap&Grid: note snap and grid density: 1/4, 1/8, 1/16, 1/32, 1/8 Triplet, 1/16 Triplet.

Let’s assume you want to create a somewhat interesting rhythm for your phrase, such as:

1 and (2) and (3) and 4 and

Let’s change the Snap & Grid setting to 1/16, which gives us a 16th note Grid. Double-click to insert a note wherever you want, and right-click on the note to change velocity or erase it if you made a mistake. Right-click the note (once for medium, twice for light, and a third right-click erases the note). Keep this in mind, as this helps you create exactly the type of “feel” you want, as well as the exact rhythm you want.

So, assuming we want that rhythm above: [1 and (2) and (3) and 4 and], it will look like this. You can also hit the Preview button to hear how the rhythm sounds with a metronome click/cowbell-type sound (if you’re unsure if you placed the notes correctly):