Play Sticks 4

Play Sticks 4 is for musicians, gamers and engineers worldwide.

The aim of this product is to provide a drum machine that integrates with your PlayStation 4 controller.

The software used to make this possible is Pure Data, which can be downloaded for free here.

Firstly, plug your PlayStation 4 controller into your computer via USB.

After downloading and installing Pure Data Extended (PD), create a "print" message box and connect that to a "hid" object box, this discovers which device number your PS4 controller is.

In the images supplied, a step-by-step breakdown of each object and its role in the patch is explained.

Here are the key commands for PD on an Apple Mac computer:
Command 1 = Object box
Command 2 = Message box
Command 3 = Number box
Command Shift B = Bang
Command Shift T = Toggle

Once the main patch has been created, the sub patch will follow.

Follow the instructions in the image to insert audio into the patch; each part of the patch and its role is explained in the image.

You can use your own samples or download some great free sounds from here.

Now that you've created some noise in your patch, replicated the process for each button and assign a different drum for each button.

My patch is as follows:
btn_0 = Square = Kick
btn_1 = X = Snare
btn_2 = Circle = Floor Tom
btn_3 = Triangle = Rack Tom
btn_4 = L1 = Hi-Hat
btn_5 = R1 = Hi-Hat
btn_6 = L2 = Ride
btn_7 = R2 = Crash
btn_8 = Share = Cowbell
btn_9 = Options = Clap
btn_10 = L3 = Rim
btn_11 = R3 = Tambourine

Feel free to adjust your samples to suit your performance, you could make L1 a kick and R1 a snare, for example.

Here's a video of me running the patch, in case you're a visual learner like me.

If creating a patch is proving too difficult, then my patch and samples can be downloaded here.

You should now have the patch is up and running, have fun creating some awesome beats with your trigger fingers.