Beat Studio Blog Open app
Troubleshooting

Common issues & fixes

Step-by-step help for the most common Beat Studio problems on Windows and macOS.

  1. Beat Studio does not detect my drum kit
  2. I get no sound or the wrong sounds
  3. My hits feel late or my scores seem wrong

Beat Studio does not detect my drum kit

  1. Make sure your drum kit is connected via USB and powered on before you launch Beat Studio.
  2. If you connected your kit after Beat Studio was already running, open the Settings dialog and use the Refresh button to rescan for MIDI devices — you do not need to restart the app.
  3. Check that the USB cable is firmly connected at both ends. Try a different USB port on your computer, preferably one directly on the machine rather than through a hub.
  4. Confirm your drum module is set to USB-MIDI mode. Some modules require you to select a MIDI output mode in their own settings menu.
  5. On Windows, check that your drum kit does not need a manufacturer driver. Roland modules in particular sometimes require a driver installed before Windows exposes them as a MIDI device.
  6. On macOS, open Audio MIDI Setup (Applications → Utilities) and check whether your device appears there. If it does not appear in Audio MIDI Setup, the issue is at the OS or driver level, not Beat Studio.

I get no sound or the wrong sounds

  1. Check your system audio output. Beat Studio plays through your default audio device — make sure your speakers or headphones are selected and the volume is not muted.
  2. Verify that the correct drum kit is selected in Beat Studio. Open the KITS selector and confirm the kit you expect is active.
  3. If you hear some drums but not others, your MIDI mapping may be incomplete. Open the MIDI Mapping Wizard and check that all pads are mapped correctly. Unmapped pads produce no sound.
  4. If sounds are triggering on the wrong drum, your mapping has the wrong MIDI notes assigned. Run through the MIDI Mapping Wizard again and remap the affected pads.
  5. If you are using a custom WAV or SF2 kit (PRO), check that the sample files are still in the location Beat Studio expects. Moving or renaming sample folders after creating the kit can cause missing sounds.
  6. Try switching to the default built-in kit to confirm the audio engine is working. If the default kit plays correctly, the issue is with your custom kit configuration.
  7. Check the Mixer effects for the affected pads or channels. Extreme settings can cause sounds to disappear or behave unexpectedly. Reset any effects to their defaults and listen again to isolate whether an effect is the cause.

My hits feel late or my scores seem wrong

  1. Every system has some input latency — typically 5–10 ms — between when you hit the pad and when the signal reaches Beat Studio. Beat Studio includes automatic latency compensation to account for this, so your hits are scored against the adjusted timing, not the raw signal.
  2. On FREE, latency compensation is always automatic and cannot be adjusted. On CORE and PRO, you can fine-tune the compensation value manually in Settings if scores consistently feel off in one direction (always early or always late).
  3. High CPU load from other applications can cause audio dropouts and timing jitter. Close unnecessary background apps when practicing.