Dual grid modesStep sequencer + piano roll. Switch freely.
Simple mode: tap cells on a grid to build patterns. Each row is a pitch or drum sound. 8, 16, 32, 64, or 128 steps. Notes can be restricted to the selected scale.
DAW mode: full piano roll with chromatic viewport. Draw notes with variable length, adjust velocity, drag to reposition. Marquee selection, quantize, snap-to-grid.
Switch between the two views to edit the same notes.
Live mixerPer-channel faders, VU meters, LUFS monitoring.
Every instrument gets its own channel strip: volume fader, pan knob, mute, solo. The master bus has a real-time spectrum analyzer, VU meters, and integrated LUFS loudness monitoring.
How DAWG shapes a soundA closer look at oscillators, envelopes, filters and effects.
Digital signal processing (DSP) generates and changes the audio you hear. These controls set the waveform, its tone and how it develops during a note.
Oscillators
An oscillator repeats a waveform at the note’s frequency. A sine wave gives a smooth tone; saw and pulse waves contain more harmonics. Mix sources and adjust their tuning to change the starting sound.
Envelopes
An ADSR envelope changes a level over time: attack is the rise, decay falls toward the sustain level, and release is the fade after the note ends. A short attack suits a pluck; a slower attack lets a pad swell in.
Filters
A low-pass filter removes frequencies above its cutoff, making a sound darker. A high-pass filter reduces the low end. Resonance emphasizes frequencies near the cutoff. Moving the cutoff changes the tone while the note plays.
Effects
Delay repeats the sound; reverb adds a decaying sense of space. Saturation adds harmonics, while chorus mixes in modulated copies. Balance the processed sound with the dry signal so the original note stays clear.
MIDIUse a MIDI controller with your computer, Android or Steam Deck.
Connect by USB on a computer, USB OTG on Android, or USB-C / a USB hub on Steam Deck. Use Bluetooth MIDI with compatible devices. An audio interface is optional.
Also supports accelerometer and gyroscope for motion-based expression, microphone input for sampling, and USB audio interfaces (ASIO on Windows) for low-latency monitoring.
Real setups
From pocket to studio.
Your phone, computer or Steam Deck is the hub. Find the connections for your setup.
On the goPhone + headphones. Make beats anywhere.
Phone
Headphones or earbuds
Tap the grid, twist effects, export WAV. Touch-first interface means your fingers are the controller. Choose wired or wireless headphones to suit your setup.
MIDI keyboard connects to your phone via Bluetooth or USB OTG. Headphones via Bluetooth, 3.5mm, or USB-C. Use the keyboard to play and record melodies. DAWG Approved: RockJam Go 25.
At the deskPC or Mac + MIDI keyboard + headphones.
MIDI keyboard
PC / Mac
Headphones
MIDI keyboard plugs in via USB or pairs over Bluetooth. Headphones via the audio jack, USB, or Bluetooth. Mouse and keyboard for the grid and mixer. The most common DAWG setup.
On the couchSteam Deck or PC + gamepad + headphones.
Gamepad
PC / Steam Deck
Headphones
Lean back with a gamepad - Xbox, PlayStation, or 8BitDo. Steam Deck has controls built in. D-pad to navigate, triggers for BPM, bumpers to switch tabs. Headphones via 3.5mm, USB, USB-C, or Bluetooth. DAWG Approved: 8BitDo Ultimate.
Home studioMIDI keyboard + audio interface + monitors.
MIDI keyboard
PC / Mac
Audio interface
Studio monitors
MIDI keyboard connects via USB or Bluetooth. If your keyboard has 5-pin DIN MIDI output, connect it to the audio interface's MIDI input instead - the USB cable carries both audio and MIDI to the PC. Monitors connect to the interface over balanced TRS or XLR. Low-latency ASIO output, proper monitoring, VU metering. This is what DAWG is developed on. DAWG Approved: RockJam Go 25 + MOTU M4.
RecordingMic + audio interface + PC. Sample real sounds.
Microphone
Audio interface
PC / Mac
XLR or 6.3mm mic into the audio interface, USB to the PC. Monitor through the interface's headphone jack with zero-latency direct monitoring. Record into the Recording Booth - build custom drum kits from real objects, or feed the Looper for auto-sliced beat loops. On mobile, your phone's built-in mic or a wireless mic like the DJI Mic 2 works too. DAWG Approved: MOTU M4.
Steam release date to be announced. Find current downloads and demo options on itch.io. Some features shown may be ahead of the public build.
Development
About DAWG Tools
DAWG is a music-making app with a step sequencer, playable instruments, effects and a mixer. It’s made by one developer, with new builds, changes and work in progress shared in the devlog.
DAWG Tools also makes Unity packages for color, motion, audio and text animation, developed alongside DAWG. Explore OKLab Pro for color and Smooth Pro for motion, with features and usage on each package page.
Live instrumentsPixel-art instruments, waveforms and the beat sequencer.
Mixer and FXPer-channel faders, waveform display, VU meters, and an XY effects pad with filter, delay, reverb.
Sound designOscillators, filters, envelopes, LFOs, delay, reverb, saturation. Per instrument.
Arrangement and sessionsArrange patterns and return to saved sessions.
