Need Metronome Recommendation

[Bob Stolkin]

I've been using a Wittner wooden pendulum metronome that I like a lot, but I want to get an electronic one for compactness, ease of use, and adjustability.

My main concern is that it be loud, and have a woodblock sound available. Combed through some threads, and saw the Zipbeat and the Seiko SQ70 mentioned. Somebody also mentioned one with adjustable volume, which sounded useful.

What others you like?

[John Flynn]

NFI, I like the Sabine Metrotune. It is a metronome, tuner and tone generator all in one. It has a great woodblock sound in the metronome mode and an LCD "arm" that swings back and forth. It's a high-quality unit. The list is 43.95, but Amazon has them now for $15.90, which seems an incredible value to me.

[Steve L]

I've been using the Zipbeat since my old bakelite Franz bit the dust. I really like them...nice loud woodblocky sound and just twist the knob to change the tempo instantly.

[alanz]

You mention that you want a loud metronome.

May I offer an alternative, a metronome that you feel instead of hear. I bought a Peterson Body Beat MM1 Pulsing Metronome, and attach its "vibe clip" to my waistband or collar. This way I feel the pulsing of the rhythm instead of hearing it. It's like someone is tapping my own foot for me... internalizing the beat. You can disconnect the egg if you want to hear the metronome, but I find I don't do that.



I got mine on sale at Guitar Center. It's a pretty full featured metronome, very configurable. I showed it to a group at a harpers conference, and folk were quite excited about it.

Just food for thought.

[Bob Stolkin]

You mention that you want a loud metronome.

May I offer an alternative, a metronome that you feel instead of hear. I bought a Peterson Body Beat MM1 Pulsing Metronome, and attach its "vibe clip" to my waistband or collar.

Alan,

That's interesting you mention it. I've been curious about these, and actually posted a thread awhile ago asking if anyone had used one, and got no responses, so I sort of filed the thought. Seems like a great idea. The only thing I questioned is that part of the benefit of the metronome is that it forces the player to listen, and I wondered if the Body Beat would diminish that.

[alanz]

Bob,

If you're anywhere near the NJ/NYC area, you're more than welcome to borrow mine to see if you like it. As mentioned, you can unplug the vibe clip and let it beep, but I rarely do that.

[Douglas McMullin]

If you're anywhere near the NJ/NYC area, you're more than welcome to borrow mine to see if you like it. As mentioned, you can unplug the vibe clip and let it beep, but I rarely do that.

I am liking this concept. If you do want to or need to hear it, does it have more than one sound to pick from? The only video I could find had an annoying beep rather than a traditional click. If it could serve me well as an audible as well as a vibration based metronome I will likely order one.

[Dan Margolis]

Sabine Zipbeat.

[Brandon Flynn]

I love the Sabine zipbeat. Cheap and effective.

[alanz]

I do not believe you can change the tone of the Peterson BodyBeat. You can change the volume of the beeps. Also, I checked the output of the socket that goes to the vibe clip, wondering if it would drive normal headphones... it doesn't.

[mandroid]

I saw a video clip of a robot, I think Honda was one of the companies involved , and they had the robot conducting an Orchestra, imagine if you had a home version waving it's arms and such ..
easier to see out of the peripheral vision than some dots on a blinking LCD screen. ..

[Miked]

I've been using a Wittner wooden pendulum metronome that I like a lot, but I want to get an electronic one for compactness, ease of use, and adjustability.

I just got a Wittner wooden pendulum metronome after using the free download Weird Metronome for a number of years. Nothing like hearing and seeing the motion of the metronome; I really like it. We had one when I was a kid and 40 years later, I finally broke down and got my own!

If you're using this strictly at home, why not stick with the Wittner?

[anntorrence]

Any new favorites?

[derbex]

I use an Android app called Sound Corset when I'm out and about.

[ajh]

Metronomes used to drive me nuts. A programmable drum machine changes everything. I wound up with an older Alessis for about $70 that is great.

[bradlaird]

ajh: If you think a normal metronome drives you crazy you should experience these insane "dropped beat" metronome tracks I made. They'll drive the sane to pure insanity, and the insane... well, it's off the charts.

http://www.bradleylaird.com/blog-art...minefield.html

As a big believer in metronomes I was glad to see this thread from 2009 resurface.

[Rodney Riley]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=e3ORXRhMY-g

[anntorrence]

I'm interested in something stand-alone but portable. I use an app on my IPhone right now, but it uses too much battery power for my liking. Like the OP, the woodblock sound is appealing. Most of the models discussed in 2009 aren't around any more.

[Bill McCall]

Amazon has several, both mechanical and digital. I have a small, 5 inch tall, mechanical. Works fine as long as I wind it.

[ajh]

Thanks for those minefield clips Brad...a great tool. I think everyone has gone through one of the old Wittner metronomes and swore it was "off".....only to get a new, electronic one and find that It is "off" also.

The Alesis SR16 drum machine I have is a standalone about the size of a thin hardcover book. that has a ton of preprogrammed drum kit patterns, but you can also hand program your own into it (and save them internally). You can also run it through an amp if you like. The one I got is from the early 90's. They still make them, but are fairly pricey new. I got mine from the local Craigslist pretty cheap.

[Jim Garber]

I tried to use the Wittner and also had an old Franz but they drove me crazy. I found this relatively cheap Seiko works fine for what I need it. Two volume levels of click and a flashing light if you need that.

[foldedpath]

I don't use one myself, but we do have one in the house that my S.O. uses occasionally with her fiddling. I think it's a Korg?

Anyway, what I wanted to mention is that if you're buying a metronome, you might want to look for a feature called "tap tempo," where you can hit a button in time to the beat of music you're listening to, and get a display of the beats per minute. Metronomes with this feature will include settings for how you want it counted as 2/4, 4/4, 6/8, or whatever. This can be very useful in figuring out target tempos to aim for, or check your tempo on a self-recording.

There are web sites with this feature too, but if you're away from a computer and buying a metronome anyway, it's a handy thing to have in a compact box.

[Spencer]

I don't use one myself, but we do have one in the house that my S.O. uses occasionally with her fiddling. I think it's a Korg?

Anyway, what I wanted to mention is that if you're buying a metronome, you might want to look for a feature called "tap tempo," where you can hit a button in time to the beat of music you're listening to, and get a display of the beats per minute. Metronomes with this feature will include settings for how you want it counted as 2/4, 4/4, 6/8, or whatever. This can be very useful in figuring out target tempos to aim for, or check your tempo on a self-recording.

Sounds like the Korg I have, MA-1 I think it is. Can use headphones, but doesn't have the wooden sound the OP would like as far as I know. But if fits in my case nicely.

Spencer

[Toni Schula]

I've been using a Wittner wooden pendulum metronome that I like a lot, but I want to get an electronic one for compactness, ease of use, and adjustability.

My main concern is that it be loud, and have a woodblock sound available. Combed through some threads, and saw the Zipbeat and the Seiko SQ70 mentioned. Somebody also mentioned one with adjustable volume, which sounded useful.

What others you like?

I would take one which is able to click on other beats than the 1. Even on the upbeat. Like this one here:



Not necessarily from this company, NFI, anyhow thanks to them for putting this video on air ;-)

Or you can use one, which clicks very seldom, just like this:



Any how, what I use for practising is a smart-phone app played over a PA speaker if I feel I need it loud.

[bigskygirl]

I'm interested in something stand-alone but portable. I use an app on my IPhone right now, but it uses too much battery power for my liking. Like the OP, the woodblock sound is appealing. Most of the models discussed in 2009 aren't around any more.

I have a Boss DB-88 which I think has since been replaced by the DB-90. It's a little spendy but it does just about everything one could ask...click or voice on/off the beat with a flash function, it has divisions to 16th notes as well triplets. It's programable and battery powered so it's portable and has the tap function. I'm very happy with it and I'm sure the DB-90 is even better - I've had it going on 20 years now and it still works fine for me.

I also keep a Matrix digital with a simple dial handy and have an app on my iPhone but I don't use the app very often as it's not loud enough.