Swing

What it changes in the music

Sequencers implement swing in different ways and may move different step positions. Applying it to a shaker while keeping the kick stable reveals the relationship more clearly than moving every lane together. Amount values are therefore not perfectly comparable across tools. Listen to the spacing and verify which events the setting actually affects.

A small experiment

Create a quiet straight sixteenth-note shaker. Apply a modest swing only to that lane, then compare it with the original while the kick remains unchanged.

Keep this distinction clear

Swing is not synonymous with random timing. Its uneven spacing can be systematic, while random offsets may have no recurring relationship.

Related sound terms