We’ve all got our own methods of making beats. There are those of us who loosely tap out our rhythms using a pad-based controller, safely knowing that we can nicely quantise it into rigidity later. Then there are those who might spend hours delicately dragging every element of a virtual kit around the grid, honing perfect percussive movement. This issue our essential guide to beatbuilding intends to take you out of your comfort zone, and prompt you to try your hand at beat-making in other genres beyond the one you typically work. We’ve also got an updated guide to some of the best drum machine and beat-crafting software available right now.