I need help Buying a Metronome!

JakePlaysDrums

Junior Member
I have had problems with the metronomes i used and need a good one that is loud enough and easy to use.

Heres the ones ive tried:

Using the Korg MA-30 the headphone jack doesn't work properly and its volume is not loud enough.

The Boss DB-30C has lost battery life to fast and also the volume was another issue.

What do you recommend?
 
Regardless of which you get, you should get a power adapter... You'll tear through batteries no matter what. And if volume is an issue then I'd worry that your hearing protection isn't adequate.
 
Smart phone!


10/char

Yea... if i didn't already own two of them (Tama Rhythm Watch, and Roland RMP-5), I would probably just use my laptop with drum machine software (Hydrogen is free and very good). The programability means it can do pretty much anything and more than even the best dedicated metronome.

I have "mobile metronome" on my phone, but only use it when I travel.
 
Regardless of which you get, you should get a power adapter... You'll tear through batteries no matter what. And if volume is an issue then I'd worry that your hearing protection isn't adequate.

I have in ear isolating headphones and i always use earplugs the metronome is to quite and for some reason the headphone jack dosent work properly
 
TAMA RHYTHM WATCH

PROS:
Has multiple timing/measure variations - lots of timing adjustments for every beat.
You can still hear it when you're drumming - so it's loud enough. I use with and without earphones. Programmable if you want to duplicate a beat as well. You can also save these.

It has 2 sets of lights that flash so you can watch your beat. Truly a professional piece of equipment.

CONS:
Price.

About $89 nowadays. Add a multiposition clamp, "L" Rod and adapter for about $50 more.
Not cheap. But good stuff...

I just opted for the clamp assembly for a cool fit on my Tom stand. Costco for batteries.
 
TAMA RHYTHM WATCH

PROS:
Has multiple timing/measure variations - lots of timing adjustments for every beat.
You can still hear it when you're drumming - so it's loud enough. I use with and without earphones. Programmable if you want to duplicate a beat as well. You can also save these.

It has 2 sets of lights that flash so you can watch your beat. Truly a professional piece of equipment.

CONS:
Price.

About $89 nowadays. Add a multiposition clamp, "L" Rod and adapter for about $50 more.
Not cheap. But good stuff...

I just opted for the clamp assembly for a cool fit on my Tom stand. Costco for batteries.

Thanks I appreciate it, that will probably be the one ill buy
 
Tama Rhythmwatch is pretty loud. I have used one for a couple of years with no major trouble. However there are a couple of other cons that are worth noting:

It resets to 120 when you turn it off and back on. Not really a big deal but would be nice if it remembered my set up.

It doesn't have an auto-off function, so if you forget to switch it off, expect to be buying a new 9v battery fairly soon.

If you adjust the tempo while it is running, it starts again from beat 1 instead of carrying on. It also doesn't have a standalone tap button, so you cannot 'tap' it back into time if you're playing with a band.

The footswitch jack is only for advancing to the next programmed tempo, I was hoping it could be used to tap.
 
Tama Rhythmwatch is pretty loud. I have used one for a couple of years with no major trouble. However there are a couple of other cons that are worth noting:

It resets to 120 when you turn it off and back on. Not really a big deal but would be nice if it remembered my set up.

It doesn't have an auto-off function, so if you forget to switch it off, expect to be buying a new 9v battery fairly soon.

If you adjust the tempo while it is running, it starts again from beat 1 instead of carrying on. It also doesn't have a standalone tap button, so you cannot 'tap' it back into time if you're playing with a band.

The footswitch jack is only for advancing to the next programmed tempo, I was hoping it could be used to tap.

Thanks for the info, the current metronomes i have now do half of the same things anyways
 
Does no one use the Boss Dr. Beat anymore? I still have mine that I bought about 15 years ago and I swear it's the loudest thing on the planet. Of course, all it does is that click sound, but what else do you need? It's got a headphone jack and the single 9V it runs on has lasted me months at a time. Get one of those and some in-ears and you should be good to go with running it at a comfortable volume into your head. Sometimes simpler is better. It's just a metronome.

If I couldn't use that, I'd get a used drum machine like the Boss DR-550 MkII (it runs on batteries too) and have actual sounds at my disposal - like a cowbell sound.
 
Have you tried Bounce Metronome? It's for windows so you need a windows laptop, netbook or whatever to run it.

The visuals help you to keep time even when you play too loud to hear the tick, it's like a conductor's baton. The conducting patterns with the baton lifted highest on the update make it really easy to see at a glance where you are in the time signature.

Here is an example with 5/4

Bounce Metronome Conducting 5/4

Then you can also listen to it over headphones as well if you need it louder or play it through your audio system and good loudspeakers and turn the volume up.

You get it from bouncemetronome.com

There's a free version with the most common rhythms like 3/4, 4/4, 6/8 etc and the paid for version also has things like gradual tempo changes, some drum rudiments, polyrhythms, swing, cycles of rhythms, and many other types of rhythm (you can also take it for a 30 day trial)
 
I have used the Tama RhythmWatch for serveral years and love it! My vote is for Tama.
 
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