01
Open
Use Chrome or Edge
Nothing to install. A wide screen shows the full three-panel workspace; smaller screens move Project and Edit tools into drawers.
No account required
Browser-based drum chart workspace
Build the chart.
Hear the edit.
Export the score.
Drumline Highway Studio turns percussion MusicXML into an editable, playable project. Bring in the notes, shape the performance, and get the result back out—without an install, account, or device setup.
- Local workflowYour score stays in the browser
- Direct inputMXL, MusicXML, and XML
- Real outputScore, project, or rendered WAV
INPUT
3 files layered
GRID
1/16 snap
01ImportMXL / XML
02PlaceLayers + offsets
03ShapeNotes + bars
04HearKit + backing
05ExportScore + WAV
Quick start
Ready before the count-in ends.
The Studio is an editor, so there is no kit pairing or MIDI routing to configure. A supported browser and a score file are enough to begin.
02
Bring the chart
Choose Import MXL/XML
Select one score or several. Use Append to build forward, or At playhead to place material exactly where you need it.
.MXL.MUSICXML.XML
03
Press play
Hear a working chart
The first import sets the title, tempo, and meter. Pick a kit, add optional backing audio, and the project is ready to shape.
Browser-local processing
Functional walkthrough
Five moves. One finished chart.
Each part of the interface has one clear job. Move through the workflow to see what changes—and what comes out the other side.
01 / Input
Start with the score you already have.
Compressed MXL and plain MusicXML are read directly in the browser. Import several files in one pass and each becomes a separate layer.
- First file seeds title, BPM, and meter
- Later files conform to the project tempo
- No score upload or conversion service
02 / Arrangement
Stack variations without flattening the idea.
Every import keeps its identity. Offset a fill, mute a reference, lock a finished layer, or move material between layers without rebuilding the chart.
- Rename, offset, enable, lock, or remove
- Place at the end or at the playhead
- Only enabled layers reach the final export
03 / Edit
Work hit by hit—or move whole measures.
Highway and Sheet are two views of the same notes. Draw, drag, erase, or use Bars mode for the changes that should happen a measure at a time.
- Snap from quarter notes to 32nd notes
- Edit lane, time, and velocity precisely
- Copy, cut, overwrite-paste, or close a gap
04 / Playback
Judge the notation with sound attached.
Use the synth, a recorded kit, or your own drum samples. Add a backing track and set where beat one sits so playback stays aligned.
- Black Pearl, Red Zeppelin, and Salamander kits
- Per-drum sound choices and custom samples
- Positive or negative beat-one audio offset
05 / Delivery
Finish in the format the next step needs.
Send editable percussion notation onward, render exactly what you heard, or save the layered project so you can return to the edit.
- MXL for compact, editable notation
- XML for plain-text score interchange
- WAV from the current kit and mix
See it. Hear it.
The workflow, without the guesswork.
Short, captioned clips show the actual Studio interface in motion. The audio preview is a real 16-bit stereo WAV—the kind of file Studio can render from the current chart and kit.
Studio close-up 00:25
01
Compare Highway and Sheet in one pass.
Open clip
Watch an imported percussion layer play across the timeline, switch into notation, then return to the editable highway.
End-to-end route 00:48
Capture → MXL → Studio
The wider path from a live performance into an editable Studio layer and notation review.
WAV output preview 00:10
Rendered fill
DHS Sample Fill
Playback begins only when you press play. Drum kit credits
Workspace anatomy
The controls stay where the task happens.
There is no deep menu tree to learn. Sources and outputs live on the left, the music stays in the center, and exact values stay on the right.
A
Left rail
Build the project
- Import score and backing audio
- Choose drum sounds
- Manage layers
- Export or save
B
Center stage
Work on the music
- Switch Highway / Sheet
- Select, Draw, Erase, or Bars
- Set lane, snap, zoom, velocity
- Play, stop, and scrub
C
Right rail
Dial in the details
- Set BPM and meter
- Align audio at beat one
- Edit selected note values
- Operate on selected bars
Technical reference
Clear inputs.
Useful outputs.
Studio uses established notation and audio formats, so it fits between the tools you already use instead of creating another closed format.
Local by default
Score files, audio, and custom samples are processed in your browser. Nothing is sent to a score-processing service.
INImport
.mxlCompressed MusicXMLPrimary score interchange.musicxml
.xmlPlain MusicXMLReadable notation source.mp3 .wav
.ogg .m4aBacking audioOptional alignment reference.jsonStudio projectReopen layered editsOUTExport
.mxlEditable percussion scoreGM instruments, cymbal noteheads, accents.xmlPlain MusicXMLFor inspection or hand editing.wav16-bit stereo renderCurrent kit, notes, and optional backing.jsonEditable projectLayers, timing, color, locks, tempoSmall controls, real leverage
Fast when it should be. Exact when it matters.
Stay in the flow for the common edit, then reach for precision only when the music asks for it.
Grid-aware movement
Every drag and nudge follows the chosen snap value. Hold Shift for a half-step when the hit needs to sit between divisions.
Measure-scale editing
Select a run of bars to copy, cut, clear, overwrite, or remove while closing the gap behind it.
Musical tempo changes
Change BPM and the notes and layer offsets rescale with the beat instead of drifting away from the grid.
Touch-ready workspace
Project and Edit drawers, larger touch targets, and a dedicated Pan mode keep the core workflow available on smaller screens.
Keyboard layer
The edit stays under your hands.
- Space
- Play / pause
- ←→
- Nudge by snap
- ↑↓
- Move between lanes
- CtrlC
- Copy selected bars
- CtrlV
- Overwrite-paste bars
- ShiftDel
- Remove & close gap
Practical answers
Before you open a project.
Do I connect my electronic kit to Studio?
No. Studio is the file-based editing workspace and does not capture live MIDI. Record in Drumline or another tool, export MXL/MusicXML, then bring that score into Studio.
Does Studio upload my score or audio?
No. Imports are read and processed locally in the browser. The workflow does not rely on an online score-conversion service.
What happens when I import several files?
Each score becomes its own layer. The first establishes the project title, BPM, and meter; later files are retimed to the project tempo and placed according to Append or At playhead.
Is backing audio stored inside the project file?
No. The project saves its alignment value and editable chart state, but not the audio file itself. Reattach the backing track when you reopen the project.
Is Sheet view a full notation engraver?
It is a practical drum-staff editing view of the same notes used by Highway view. It shows percussion notation and bar structure, but it is not intended to replace a full engraving application.
The shortest path is the app itself
Your next drum chart is one import away.
Bring the score. Make the change. Leave with exactly the file you need.
Open Drumline Highway Studio