BEATSURFING DRUW: Groove Performance via Touch Instead of Grid Thinking – Pre-order Now!
Build Beats Using the Touchscreen Instead of Drawing Boxes with a Mouse
DRUW comes from BEATSURFING. This tool lets you create instruments using gestures instead of mouse movements. As soon as you play sounds through DRUW, they react as if they were played directly on a percussion instrument or drum rack. Strokes don’t feel static – they follow the movement and energy of your fingers on your iPad. This makes DRUW ideal for lively grooves, spontaneous breaks, and fills that build up naturally instead of sounding abruptly cut. The concept is great, and so is the execution!
All About BEATSURFING DRUW
DRUW Feels More Like an Instrument Than a Drum Rack
In everyday studio use, DRUW doesn’t behave like a typical drum plugin, but rather like something you actually play. You use your smartphone or tablet as a playing surface while keeping everything in the DAW in terms of sound. Your finger movements directly shape the timing, dynamics, and accents. Small inaccuracies bring life to the sound, while stronger gestures push the groove forward. The result sounds less programmed and more like well-rehearsed percussion. Brilliant!
You’ll notice this most sonically in the transients. Firm inputs deliver harder attacks, while softer movements produce rounder, less aggressive sounds. These differences audibly affect the sound and help you control the track’s energy. This creates a natural arc of tension between quiet parts and full drops, eliminating the need for automation.

Here, Grooves are Created with Your Fingers, not Boxes in the Piano Roll
Touch control primarily changes the rhythm’s feel. Rather than playing rigid patterns, sequences evolve slightly and constantly. Timing fluctuates minimally, accents shift, and grooves breathe. In electronic music, which often sounds very mechanical, this brings an organic quality to the arrangement that would otherwise only come from live performance.
When you use your own samples, DRUW doesn’t just react neutrally. Short drums, percussive sounds, and even longer textures behave differently depending on how you play them. This allows you to build layers where crisp hits and flat sounds react to your performance. Transitions are created not only by effects but also by your playing style.
More Performance, Less Mouse
DRUW really shows its potential when jamming or playing live. Instead of drawing curves, you shape dynamics and groove directly with your hands. Breaks open in the moment, fills happen organically, and transitions grow from movement. It feels much closer to playing an instrument than to playing a programmed track. Intelligent quantization has also been integrated, so you can’t play it wrong when recording.
The setup remains flexible, even when layering multiple rhythmic tracks. While a basic groove plays, you can add new accents or adjust the intensity of individual elements. This creates dense, lively rhythms that remain clear and malleable in the mix. DRUW is particularly suitable for intros, reduced parts, or long builds because you can build tension step by step instead of revealing everything at once. Unfortunately, the video only shows how the prototype works in the studio. We will let you know here as soon as the plugin is released.
Price and Availability
BEATSURFING DRUW is now available for pre-order on the manufacturer’s website at the introductory price of €38.00. The price will increase until the release, so if you’re interested, you should act now. The plugin and controller app are expected to be available in the third quarter of 2026.
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