Recording Looking for a good drum machine or metronome

[nomad]

As the title suggests I'm after a good to very good professional quality drum machine or metronome, I have set aside a budget of around £200.00 for one. Now before anybody suggests it, I'm not interested in phone or tablet apps - I use a Nokia 3310, I want a proper piece of equipment the gives both audio and visual indicators.

I do have my great grandmothers metronome that doesn't get used due to it's age, my stupidity and it's value, so ideally I'm probably after something digital, a big plus and what I'm really looking for is not just the ability to dial in a specific speed i.e. 144 bpm, but something that allows me to enter time signatures and not just the common ones at that and even actual musical notation - quavers, minims, crotchets and semibreves and what not, and generate a drum beat or click track for me from that.

These are the models that have caught my eye so far:

Boss DB-30 Dr Beat Metronome
Boss DB-60 Dr Beat Metronome
Boss DB-90 Dr Beat Metronome
Korg Beat Boy Drum Machine and Tuner
Korg KDM-2
Korg Beatlab Digital Metronome

There is also some oval shaped 'i' metronome thingy that syncs with all of the Macs recoding programs like Garage Band and what not that vibrates instead of clicks and has a visual L.E.D. indicator, this metronome can wirelessly link with others of the same type to make sure everyone has it set up the same and in sync with each others and so forth.

Now so far the Boss DB-60, or DB-90 are the way to go from what I've been reading, even the DB-30 for those on a budget, I was wondering what the good people here thought gven my requirements, do you fine people have any other suggestions you think I should be looking at, have you tried any of the models I've mentioned and care to share your experience.

I haven't really done much researching into the drum machine side - I hate drum machines truth be told, and am actually hoping to be able to find a metronome sophisticated enough for my needs. However those of you with more knowledge and experience in drum machines may wish to correct me and ruin my bonfire by pointing out that the features I am looking for can only be found in drum machines - something that allows me to enter time signatures and not just the common ones at that and even actual musical notation - quavers, minims, crotchets and semibreves and what not, and generate a drum beat or click track for me from that.

Cheers for the effort, and sorry for the log rant again.


Nomad

 

[aldevis]

Now before anybody suggests it, I'm not interested in phone or tablet apps - I use a Nokia 3310, I want a proper piece of equipment the gives both audio and visual indicators.

What about using your computer?
A limit of electronic metronomes is usually the volume. Until you try to play a scale with it you will not know if that "bip bip" is loud enough.

Also having a computer setup for your practicing can open the doors to other applications like Audacity, Logic or Band In A Box, that eventually come very handy.

 

[Riversider]

If you want a digital metronome with a loud click on the beat, plus a complex combination of other beats and rhythms, then the Boss DB90 is the only one to deliver this. I have it because it is the loudest I can find —although it is expensive and eats batteries. I use voice 1 (a bell note for the downbeat followed by clicks). The other available voices are less useful, including a slightly strangled voice that counts the beats in words. (??) The Boss DB 60 is OK but does not go nearly as loud. The only other metronome I have found that is as good and loud is the Korg KDM-2 which produces a really good woodblock sound with a flashing light, but it doesn't have the swinging pointer that the Boss DB90 has, nor the complex rhythm programming, which to be honest I scarcely use. But you can hear it!

 

[Colin the Bear]

I like this.

http://www.very.co.uk/stylophone-be...NTXrRstFUJ9O4BzE7LcOKhE-vvvbay6_y8RoCe1Lw_wcB

http://youtu.be/hELTtsBRie4?list=RDEuGUFadY41o

 

[BigMartin]

Also having a computer setup for your practicing can open the doors to other applications like Audacity, Logic or Band In A Box, that eventually come very handy.

Or "Transcribe!", which can be used for more than just transcribing. I play all my backing tracks through it. Plenty of free software metronomes out there. I don't think you need anything fancy. In my opinion you can learn a lot more by internalising a simple regular beat than by having a machine (or a recording) play a complex rhythm at you.

 

[nomad]

The whole idea of getting a very good drum machine or metronome was so that I didn't have to turn the DAW on, I would rather not have to use the likes of Pro Tools for something as simple as a click track, especially seeing how sophisticated modern metronomes and drum machines are getting.

I probably will fork out for thr DB-90, everyting that I have read so far review wise has basically said this is the best one money can get at the moment, and let's be honest it's not that expensiv, 50% less than those original analogue triangle wooden metronomes.


Nomad

 

[nomad]

Now this is a joke I have no problems ordering a BOSS DB-90 Dr Beat Metronome, I can order it overnight from several places, the problem I'm having as another poster mentioned, is that this thing chews through batteries, it costs a fortune in batteries to run, and none of the places that stock the metronome - you would think that at over a hundred quid it would come with a mains powers supply, know if they stock the correct BOSS transformer due to the U.K. model and the U.S.A. model transformers having different product numbers, and the U.S.A transformer product number being used in all the promotional material. I should hopefully find out by tuesday which of the online music stores I use has the transformer in stock as well, they all have the metronome, but this thing will go through a fresh set of batteries in 2 hours, that canmake practicing very very expensive.


It really does seem a silly problem to have, especially for a machine that is notorious for chewing threw batteries at an alarming rate.


Nomad

 

[Colin the Bear]

There's always Nicads

 

[altissimo]

PSA 240 - http://www.roland.co.uk/products/productdetails.aspx?p=10013
9v - 200mA regulated power supply - centre negative polarity

Digital Village have the power supply
http://www.dv247.com/studio-equipment/boss-psa-240-adaptor-9v-200ma-power-supply--11731
and the DB 90
http://www.dv247.com/drums-and-percussion/boss-db-90-dr-beat-rhythm-coach-metronome--28757

 

[nomad]

PSA 240 - http://www.roland.co.uk/products/productdetails.aspx?p=10013
9v - 200mA regulated power supply - centre negative polarity

Digital Village have the power supply
http://www.dv247.com/studio-equipment/boss-psa-240-adaptor-9v-200ma-power-supply--11731
and the DB 90
http://www.dv247.com/drums-and-percussion/boss-db-90-dr-beat-rhythm-coach-metronome--28757

Thanking you good sir, I swear you would think that they would make the power supply easy as hell to find as they would hope to sell one with every metronome sold.

Cheers you're a star

Nomad

 

[altissimo]

it's a standard Boss power supply that works with most of their effects pedals, so most guitar shops that stock Boss pedals should have them... or something that will do the same job

 

[kevgermany]

There's always Nicads

Or NMiH..

 

[Riversider]

Just to say, Nomad, that I get much more than 2 hours out of batteries for the Boss DB90. (The one it comes with, by the way, is puny.) I only use the basic metronome function —at full volume, mind you— and never light up the dial.

 

[thomsax]

I use a keyboard.

 

[BigMartin]

Or NMiH..

Or even NiMH 😉.

 

[ProfJames]

Or even.........Niamh

 

[trimmy]

Or even.........Niamh

Lovely song i like it 😉

 

[nomad]

I like this.

http://www.very.co.uk/stylophone-beatbox/1251018274.prd?aff=google&affsrc=acquisition&cm_mmc=google-_-PLA - Gifts & Jewellery-_-Gifts & Jewellery - Generic-_-NA&kpid=14277164&gclid=CjwKEAiA2JqkBRDshIOY_9eMghkSJABvNd1QHiVoMtBNTXrRstFUJ9O4BzE7LcOKhE-vvvbay6_y8RoCe1Lw_wcB

http://youtu.be/hELTtsBRie4?list=RDEuGUFadY41o

Not only am I shocked at how unadulterated epically crap that those links are, but that I actually managed to watch them with out self harming in any shape or form, and that you have not had your link posting privileges revoked.


Nomad

 

[OTTO]

As the title suggests I'm after a good to very good professional quality drum machine or metronome, I have set aside a budget of around £200.00 for one. Now before anybody suggests it, I'm not interested in phone or tablet apps - I use a Nokia 3310, I want a proper piece of equipment the gives both audio and visual indicators.

I do have my great grandmothers metronome that doesn't get used due to it's age, my stupidity and it's value, so ideally I'm probably after something digital, a big plus and what I'm really looking for is not just the ability to dial in a specific speed i.e. 144 bpm, but something that allows me to enter time signatures and not just the common ones at that and even actual musical notation - quavers, minims, crotchets and semibreves and what not, and generate a drum beat or click track for me from that.

These are the models that have caught my eye so far:

Boss DB-30 Dr Beat Metronome
Boss DB-60 Dr Beat Metronome
Boss DB-90 Dr Beat Metronome
Korg Beat Boy Drum Machine and Tuner
Korg KDM-2
Korg Beatlab Digital Metronome

There is also some oval shaped 'i' metronome thingy that syncs with all of the Macs recoding programs like Garage Band and what not that vibrates instead of clicks and has a visual L.E.D. indicator, this metronome can wirelessly link with others of the same type to make sure everyone has it set up the same and in sync with each others and so forth.

Now so far the Boss DB-60, or DB-90 are the way to go from what I've been reading, even the DB-30 for those on a budget, I was wondering what the good people here thought gven my requirements, do you fine people have any other suggestions you think I should be looking at, have you tried any of the models I've mentioned and care to share your experience.

I haven't really done much researching into the drum machine side - I hate drum machines truth be told, and am actually hoping to be able to find a metronome sophisticated enough for my needs. However those of you with more knowledge and experience in drum machines may wish to correct me and ruin my bonfire by pointing out that the features I am looking for can only be found in drum machines - something that allows me to enter time signatures and not just the common ones at that and even actual musical notation - quavers, minims, crotchets and semibreves and what not, and generate a drum beat or click track for me from that.

Cheers for the effort, and sorry for the log rant again.

might be off target with this but have you seen the beat buddy really a stomp pedal for guitarists but may be worth a look £ 227 from thomman only place ive found them this side of the pond lots of you tube stuff on this.

 

[Ads]

Or even NiMH 😉.

There was an animated film about 30 years ago called the Secret of NiMh . I remember the rats lit their underground burrow with Christmas lights - must have taken a lot of rechargeable AAs, there were no LED Xmas lights back then ........

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Secret_of_NIMH