ARCYN OFFGRID

OFFGRID is not a DAW.

Logic, Ableton, FL Studio, Pro Tools — these are tools built for musicians who finish songs in bedrooms and press spacebar on stage. They evolved around commercialized productivity. The average musician became a production pipeline specialist and spontaneity and fun got lost along the way.

OFFGRID gives it back.

You will never finish a song here. That's the entire fucking point. It is the core of the OFFGRID ethos.

OFFGRID exists to build stems — fast, alive, full of the happy accidents that make music worth engaging and performing with. We want you to get in, find something you love fast and leave. Take your fresh stems to your favorite instrument, your stage, your park bench, your grandma's kitchen. The goal is to get you away from the computer faster, not keep you here longer. I want more of your music in the world where it belongs, not more songs in folders all over your desktop.

Born from Samplers: This tool was built out of my deep personal love for hardware samplers — I own every kind of Roland sampler and more than a couple MPC's, the philosophy of working fast and working physical is what I wanted from my own tool. I wanted limitations that make me better. OFFGRID serves that ethos inside of any browser.

An Entirely Different Workflow: Most tools have you write one instrument at a time. OFFGRID is built to scratch an itch that I had. I believe that musicians enjoy writing and thinking holistically. This tool is unique. Speedwriting up to four tracks simultaneously feels crisp and rewarding. Everything stays visible in the same space at the same time. Hotkeys let you switch instantly between instruments and per note instrument saved states so fast that your momentum never breaks. It's the fastest grid based workflow ever built.

The Grid Menu puts generative tools within immediate reach — randomization, algorithmic patterning, note, scale and arpeggiation tools get you started faster so you get to the finish line sooner. All of it designed to spark your creativity, not replace it. OFFGRID will never include AI in the creative process. That's a promise. A chef doesn't call themselves a chef if they never cook the food.

Never Before: OFFGRID is the first tool of its kind to offer a professional piano roll interface with state-based instrument recall per note! Every parameter of an instrument can be saved and recalled on a per-note basis. Play eight presets simultaneously. The compositional potential is entirely unique and unprecedented.

Lowest Barrier on Earth to Experiment: Instruments and effects are all built in HTML and JavaScript. If you can imagine a tool, you can build it. No gatekeeping. No proprietary formats. The world is ready. It's up to us to make things nobody has thought of yet.

Runs on Anything: Browser-based and proudly low-spec friendly. Accessibility options for color blindness, dyslexia, and synesthesia are built in. You are welcome here exactly as you are.

File Output: Stems export as 16-bit/48kHz WAV files—the gold standard format that works in every modern professional sampler. No headaches or file conversions. Thoughtfully organized, drag and drop ready, regardless of your instrument of choice.

Basic Workflow:

1. Select an instrument from the dropdown
2. Click and drag on the grid to create notes
3. Press play

The Grid is always recording your performance in the background. After you stop playing:

• Stem indicators turn red while recording
• After 2 seconds of silence recordings are immediately available for download
• Stem indicators turn green when ready to download
• Click "Download All" to get up to 4 stems from your last Grid performance
• Each instrument slot saves as a separate audio file for easy mixing
• Each file name contains the name of the project, its bpm, its scale, its key and its take number

Universal Hardware Sampler Compatibility:

Stems export as 16-bit/48kHz WAV files—the gold standard format that works everywhere:

• Roland SP-404 MKII/SX - Meets Roland's strict file requirements
• Akai MPC (One, Live, X, etc.) - Drop-in ready, no conversion needed
• Elektron (Octatrack, Digitakt) - Direct import compatible
• 1010music Blackbox, Maschine, and more - Works universally

Color System: Each of the four tracks is represented by a unique color. Any track can be muted or soloed independently. Ghost notes dim inactive tracks while you draw, keeping your focus on what you're editing.

Scale Highlighting: Select a scale and root note to highlight in-scale notes with a subtle blue tint. Blue rows are in your selected scale. Darker rows fall outside it. This is a visual guide only — you can place notes anywhere regardless of scale.

Randomization: The randomization tool instantly generates notes across any scale, note length, and octave range on demand. A starting point in seconds.

Note Operations: Ctrl + left click opens a menu of per-note and pattern-level operations — reverse patterns, shift octaves, apply instant arpeggios, or distribute notes using math-based patterns like Fibonacci, ping-pong, and more.

Snap: Toggle snap on or off with the SNAP button. Divisions range from 1/4 to 1/64 note.

Loop Region: Shift + drag on the timeline to set a loop region.

Mixer: The mixer is non-destructive and for monitoring only. Adjust levels to hear your composition the way you want while you work — your stems always export at their maximum undistorted volume. Focus on the right composition now. Get the mix right later.

Drum Loop Slicer

• SLICEBREAKER

Synthesizers

• Glitches Get Stitches
• GGS OG
• STRONGARM
• CHIPTONE
• ANTHEMITE
• SLEEPMORE
• CORROSIVATE
• DEVASTATE
• TRASH MACHINE
• BASSILISK
• RINGLEADER
• FIREWALK
• GOOMLORD
• SHIOI

Drum Machines

• VOLEDRUM

Samplers

• Simple Sampler
• Universal Sampler

Pianos

• PIANO 1
• PIANO 2

Cellos

• CELLO PIZZ 1
• CELLO SPIC 1
• CELLO SUS VIB 1
• CELLO SUS VIB 2
• CELLO TREM 1

Mallets

• GLOCK
• MARIMBA
• XYLOPHONE

Organs

• OPEN ORGAN
• PEDAL ORGAN

Vocals

• CHOIR 1

Guitars

• CLASSICAL GUITAR

Strings

• DOUBLE BASS
• VIOLA
• VIOLIN CRESC
• VIOLIN DECRESC

Brass

• FRENCH HORN
• TROMBONE
• TROMBONE 1
• TRUMPET
• TUBA

Woodwinds

• FLUTE
• OBOE
• SAXOPHONE

Plucked

• MANDOLIN
• MANDOLIN TREMOLO
• HARP F

Add a YouTube video to play behind the grid for ambient vibes. (video will be muted and looped):

Customize the grid overlay color and opacity to create different moods and visibility levels:

The default colors are designed to be accessible for users with colorblindness. You can customize any channel below - changes update immediately:

Alexander Scriabin (1872-1915) was a Russian composer and mystic who developed a mathematical system mapping musical keys to colors. Contrary to popular belief, Scriabin was not a synesthete - his system was deliberately constructed, mapping the circle of fifths to Newton's color spectrum. Deeply influenced by theosophy, he believed music could transform humanity. His orchestral work Prometheus: The Poem of Fire (1910) included a part for "clavier à lumières" - a color organ that would flood the concert hall with light. At his death, he was composing Mysterium, a seven-day multimedia ritual intended to take place in the Himalayas that he believed would bring about a new world order.

Tools for building and organizing sample libraries

Save and load patterns as MIDI files for testing and sharing

ARCYN OFFGRID includes high-quality instrument samples from these generous open-source contributors:

We're deeply grateful to these organizations for making professional-quality samples freely available to musicians everywhere.