Beatmaker’s sketchbook is an alternative to commercial sample based sequencers/grooveboxes with a big difference – it is 100% Open-Source.

Its core is a Teensy 4.1 microcontroller with 16 MB additional Sample RAM (~3 minutes of samples in memory) and uses a Micro SD-card as permanent storage.

Beatmaker’s sketchbook houses a microphone, a fader, four rotary encoders, 24 keys for two octaves, 12 functional buttons, a display and a via USB rechargeable battery. It can sample through a line-in or the built in microphone, playback via headphones or the line-out connector and communicates with external devices via MIDI.

• Sample via line-in, the built in microphone, re-sample or combine re-sampling with line-in or microphone.
• Load samples from the sample library on the SD card. We converted the whole SampleSwap library with more than 19.000 samples into a compatible format.
• Samples can be cut and sliced into multiple parts.
• Each song/project can use up to 72 samples.

• Matrix Sequencer – called sketchbook – 8 channels with almost endless steps.
• Matrix cells can be filled with a sample (volume, panning, pitch, probability playback direction), parameter change (volume, panning, pitch adjustments, playback direction, Note Off) or MIDI messages.
• Divide the sketchbook into sheets (pattern).
• Select parts (overarching multiple sheets) and store them as snippets.
• Zoom levels for fine grained compositions (same resolution as the MPC).
• Individual swing for each sample or assign to one of 8 swing groups.

• Chain sheets (pattern) to a complete song.
• Repeat sheets
• Can be used as background track for play mode.

• Assign samples, snippets or midi messages to up to 72 configurable slots.
• Control via external MIDI gear. Slots can be “trained” to listen to a midi note.
• Play via MIDI with velocity and polyphonic aftertouch.
• External MIDI equipment not needed for live performances.
• Piano mode for one sample to play it chromatically pitched via internal piano keyboard or a separate MIDI channel.
• Scratch samples as if you were scratching a tape – as funky effect.
• Synced launch of Snippets of your sequence.
• Record your performance to SD card.

Beatmaker’s sketchbooks firmware – SUCOFUNKey – is continuous evolving, Open-Source and based on the Teensy Audio library. Check these links for more information: