Soundbrenner Pulse - Anyone Using One?
- Thread starter Cuban
- Start date
PorkPieGuy
Platinum Member
It may be just me, but I don't see how something tapping on me would work any better than a regular ol' metronome through some headphones or IEM's.
I'm not using one, and I have no interest in using one.
I'm not using one, and I have no interest in using one.
I tried it at NAMM a year or two ago, and a bass player friend had one. I didn't like it either time I tried, and didn't feel that its was something that I needed to work with or use.
An audio or visual metronome is what we're all used to, and learning a new tactile device means unlearning a life of the other. I don't see a benefit in investing the time to completely change the method of doing what we already do.
They had a NAMM booth twice as big this year, with a great position on a busy aisle, but I never saw more than few people actually in the booth.
Bermuda
An audio or visual metronome is what we're all used to, and learning a new tactile device means unlearning a life of the other. I don't see a benefit in investing the time to completely change the method of doing what we already do.
They had a NAMM booth twice as big this year, with a great position on a busy aisle, but I never saw more than few people actually in the booth.
Bermuda
soundbrenner
Junior Member
Hey, I just saw this pop up in our Slack channel and thought I reply. I'm Florian the founder of Soundbrenner. I would say there are a few good things you can expect from working with a Soundbrenner Pulse.
As Bermuda said, using vibrations is a new way to play to a click. If you expect to pick it up and have the exact same experience as before you will be probably disappointed. However, if you are looking for new ways to practice and improve, it can make a great training tool. Many drummers have said it makes them think differently about rhythm and enables them to practice in a way not really comparable with an audio click. Many also find it quite liberating.
Our mission with this product is to create a new practice tool that enables musicians to get better - that takes practice & time & learning and no product can replace that for you. No magic pills
If you want to try it out I recommend to download our metronome app which is completely free and works with audio. You can check out how everything works and if you like you can upgrade to the hardware later and plug it right into the same app. PS: If you do I recommend the Body Strap, which is how most drummers prefer to use it.
Cheers,
Florian
As Bermuda said, using vibrations is a new way to play to a click. If you expect to pick it up and have the exact same experience as before you will be probably disappointed. However, if you are looking for new ways to practice and improve, it can make a great training tool. Many drummers have said it makes them think differently about rhythm and enables them to practice in a way not really comparable with an audio click. Many also find it quite liberating.
Our mission with this product is to create a new practice tool that enables musicians to get better - that takes practice & time & learning and no product can replace that for you. No magic pills
If you want to try it out I recommend to download our metronome app which is completely free and works with audio. You can check out how everything works and if you like you can upgrade to the hardware later and plug it right into the same app. PS: If you do I recommend the Body Strap, which is how most drummers prefer to use it.
Cheers,
Florian
jdhardrummer
Senior Member
The first thing I thought it 'how do I bury the click' with this? So many exercises of mine are spent burying (or intentionally not burying) the click....
They sure do have good sponsors though.
They sure do have good sponsors though.
Cuban
Senior Member
Thank you for your reply Florian, it is much appreciated.Hey, I just saw this pop up in our Slack channel and thought I reply. I'm Florian the founder of Soundbrenner. I would say there are a few good things you can expect from working with a Soundbrenner Pulse.
As Bermuda said, using vibrations is a new way to play to a click. If you expect to pick it up and have the exact same experience as before you will be probably disappointed. However, if you are looking for new ways to practice and improve, it can make a great training tool. Many drummers have said it makes them think differently about rhythm and enables them to practice in a way not really comparable with an audio click. Many also find it quite liberating.
Our mission with this product is to create a new practice tool that enables musicians to get better - that takes practice & time & learning and no product can replace that for you. No magic pills
If you want to try it out I recommend to download our metronome app which is completely free and works with audio. You can check out how everything works and if you like you can upgrade to the hardware later and plug it right into the same app. PS: If you do I recommend the Body Strap, which is how most drummers prefer to use it.
Cheers,
Florian
Based in the UK (and actually in the remote Highlands of Scotland) there is little or no chance of me being able to test Soundbrenner Pulse which is why I am looking to hear from end users.
I am about to go back to basic practice (I won't bore you with why) and plan to of course use a click or.. a Soundbrenner Pulse, but having posted here and in a few other places, so far, I have had not one reply for a user which is frustrating.
I have always been happy to use a click live through in ears, but I have had a number of occasions where I have had to adapt to a 'live situation' that means the click has to be abandoned or until such time I can pull the band back to it and playing out of sync with an audible sound is a distraction, so I would assume the pulse would work well here?
You mention the Body Strap being the preferred option to most users, could I ask why?
Finally, if I look to add the APP, it asks if I am just adding the APP or have a Soundbrenner Pulse. If for now I opt for the 'just want to use the app', could a Soundbrenner Pulse be linked at a later date or would I have to uninstall and start again, losing any saved settings?
Thank you in advance.
calan
Silver Member
I use the app in conjunction with in-ears for my own use.
The wearable device goes on other band members. It's nice to be able to not have to always mark time and be able to completely drop out for extended periods of time with other band members still having a reference point. It also helps keep them centered if I play something completely out.
It's much quicker and cheaper than an IEM rig for everybody, and useful when playing smaller venues where such things are overkill anyway.
You can use the app with or without the Pulse device at will. No saved settings get undone, it's as simple as pressing a button to turn the link off or on. I'd recommend using the app if using the device, it's just a much more fluid way of controlling it. If you have a smartphone, it's completely free, so it's not as if it's a further expense.
The wearable device goes on other band members. It's nice to be able to not have to always mark time and be able to completely drop out for extended periods of time with other band members still having a reference point. It also helps keep them centered if I play something completely out.
It's much quicker and cheaper than an IEM rig for everybody, and useful when playing smaller venues where such things are overkill anyway.
You can use the app with or without the Pulse device at will. No saved settings get undone, it's as simple as pressing a button to turn the link off or on. I'd recommend using the app if using the device, it's just a much more fluid way of controlling it. If you have a smartphone, it's completely free, so it's not as if it's a further expense.
soundbrenner
Junior Member
Hey! Sorry for the late reply, just thought of checking back in now. If you're in the UK you should be able to buy the device on Thomann and should be able to send it back relatively pain free.
The Body Strap is preferred by most drummers because it's central and you don't move it while playing. If you place it directly on the chest the feeling is the strongest and it's the easiest to internalize it that way. In terms of the app, you can simply select use the app only and then add a Soundbrenner Pulse later. No problem with that! Good luck
Mastiff
Senior Member
Resurrecting this one. Anyone else? I don't have a ton of experience with audible clicks to unlearn. I use metronome apps with my practice pad, but can have trouble hearing one over real drums without cranking the volume (I use in ear monitors). Not having to manage the volume of everything seems like a valuable feature.
Les Ismore
Platinum Member
A tactile metronome?
Sounds like a bad idea.
I would not want that thing strapped on me, then you become the slave.
You get off time and you're punished with little pulses? Ummmm, no thank you, or am I missing something here?
Be good for triggering a robot, but humans (I would think) are going to (eventually) be agitated. The reality is, people/humans are not metronomes, and perfect time is an implied goal.
I 'might' get one of these, I say one because I would find this thing more useful strapped to the singers mic stand, or on the front stage monitor where the whole band can see it.
All the band members wearing a the same watch flashing in time is going to look lame IMO. Why give that visual to the audience? Then the people in the audience become tempo cops. $85 USD
Sounds like a bad idea.
I would not want that thing strapped on me, then you become the slave.
You get off time and you're punished with little pulses? Ummmm, no thank you, or am I missing something here?
Be good for triggering a robot, but humans (I would think) are going to (eventually) be agitated. The reality is, people/humans are not metronomes, and perfect time is an implied goal.
I 'might' get one of these, I say one because I would find this thing more useful strapped to the singers mic stand, or on the front stage monitor where the whole band can see it.
All the band members wearing a the same watch flashing in time is going to look lame IMO. Why give that visual to the audience? Then the people in the audience become tempo cops. $85 USD
Attachments
Push pull stroke
Platinum Member
There comes a point at which you don’t really need a metronome to keep good time. I am at that point, but this is a great tool for people who aren’t there yet.
thestrubes26
Junior Member
I have a soundbrenner pulse that I got as a gift. Honestly, if you spend the time and work with it, it can be a very useful and helpful tool. One thing I recommend forgetting used to it is listening to the click and wearing it. Then later after you are used to it you wont need to listen to the click.
bongodoctor
Member
Sound Brenner Pulse - First Impressions and review...
I received my Sound Brenner Pulse last night and spend three or four hours experimenting with it at my Roland electric kit.
#1 Packaging was confusing - it looks like the middle should slide up out of the box, but there is an arrow on the front indicating you should open the front flap like a book - so I spent several minutes trying to work out how to open it - I eventually spotted an almost invisible plastic strip holding the central box in - once removed the middle slid out as expected (the body belt box was equally confusing) - Come on guys as this product is presumably aimed at drummers so it needs to be a lot simpler - we are easily confused
#2 Charging is a bit fiddly - On the website they showed a circular charging station which the Pulse was put onto face up - however in my box I just got a USB charging cable with two small magnets and two small charging pegs. This was a bit fiddly to get working because the wire is quite rigid and you have to put the Pulse face down - this means you can't really see the flashing orange light to confirm if it is charging or not (unless the room is dark) and because of the rigidity of the wire it sometimes disconnected when I put it down or let go of the wire. Apparently this is the newer charging method and it isn't compatible with the circular charging station.
#3 Song/Set List glitch - I had pre-installed the Sound Brenner Metronome App in advance (on an Android device) and entered a set list which was working perfectly. However once I connected the Pulse to it all of the Songs in the Set List now displayed as having a tempo of 120, the only solution to this was to either delete all of the App's data or re-install it. So I wouldn't recommend creating any Songs or Set Lists until you have connected your Pulse to the App. Apparently they are working on a cloud storage system for the future. Once the Pulse is connected you can create Songs and Set-Lists and they will play and display at the correct tempos - however, in the Song and Set-List view they still display as 120.
#4 The Three Straps - I bought the extra body strap because I had read in other reviews that it might be difficult to feel the vibrations on wrists, arms, thighs and ankles whilst playing at volume. It terms of positioning I found it fitted fine on my wrists with the small strap, on my biceps with the medium strap, but I need to use the body strap on my upper legs. The straps are comfortable and made of a soft silicone materials (body strap is elasticated). It is a bit fiddly to get the Pulse into the discs at first but fine once you get the knack. I am not 100% convinced how well these will last with heavy use, but only time will tell. The body strap allows you to wear the pulse on your chest, shoulder or back. Fastening a watch style strap on your bicep is tricky - I found it easier to fasten it loosely just below my elbow then slide it up.
#5 Sensitivity and Positioning - I tried wearing the Pulse everywhere I could - wrists, ankles, biceps, thighs, chest, back and shoulder. I found that as a drummer I could definitely feel the Pulse a lot better when it was on my Chest, Back or neck - but on my chest it felt like my heart was pumping really fast and I looked like an Iron Man wanna be. On by spine/shoulder I could really feel the jolt but it just felt a bit weird and it wasn't comfortable having a strap over my clothing. So in the end I decided that my left bicep or left wrist was the best place for it. One trick I have learnt it that in certain positions because of the movement of muscles and tendons etc the intensity of the vibrations increases dramatically. So for instance when I am wearing it on my left wrist and I switch to traditional grip - the signal suddenly gets a lot stronger and I can feel it right up to my elbow. Same with the bicep - in certain positions the bicep expands and the signal gets much stronger. After about an hour I settled on the left wrist because of the strength of the vibration and the fact it just looked like a watch rather than a pretend Arc Reactor...
#6 Effectiveness as a Metronome - Initially because we are used to listening to a click instead of feeling one it is very difficult to lock into the pulse, but after getting the optimum positioning and setting the vibration to max I was able to start feeling the pulse and letting that guide my playing. In terms of the settings I found that with slower tempos the medium length vibrations where most effective, whilst at faster tempos the shortest vibrations worked best (because of this it would be nice if you could set the pulse length on a per song basis) I ended up setting the click to be four maximum strength vibrations - I don't want to know where the start of the bar is - just where the pulse of the music is - but hopefully as I get more used to it I might be able to reduce this slightly. I also found that it was generally easier to follow if it was set to play 1/8 notes rather than quarter notes. Physically/Psychologically it is then almost like I am feeling the vibration of my right hand stick on my left wrist as I play the hi-hat or ride - and this makes it very easy to lock on to.
#7 Conclusions/Recommendations - The main advantage of the Pulse is that it offers a tactile click in situations where having an audio click is difficult or impractical - I have always found it difficult to hear a click in a mix (especially if you are right on the beat) unless you make the sound something very distinctive like a cowbell - and that can ruin the feel of the music. It isn't completely silent though - if you were playing quiet acoustic music or recording the mic's might pick it up. It is also something you are going to have to actively work at if you expect it to replace a traditional click track. I am planning to practice every day for a month with the Pulse and then report back my findings here...
drbongo
I received my Sound Brenner Pulse last night and spend three or four hours experimenting with it at my Roland electric kit.
#1 Packaging was confusing - it looks like the middle should slide up out of the box, but there is an arrow on the front indicating you should open the front flap like a book - so I spent several minutes trying to work out how to open it - I eventually spotted an almost invisible plastic strip holding the central box in - once removed the middle slid out as expected (the body belt box was equally confusing) - Come on guys as this product is presumably aimed at drummers so it needs to be a lot simpler - we are easily confused
#2 Charging is a bit fiddly - On the website they showed a circular charging station which the Pulse was put onto face up - however in my box I just got a USB charging cable with two small magnets and two small charging pegs. This was a bit fiddly to get working because the wire is quite rigid and you have to put the Pulse face down - this means you can't really see the flashing orange light to confirm if it is charging or not (unless the room is dark) and because of the rigidity of the wire it sometimes disconnected when I put it down or let go of the wire. Apparently this is the newer charging method and it isn't compatible with the circular charging station.
#3 Song/Set List glitch - I had pre-installed the Sound Brenner Metronome App in advance (on an Android device) and entered a set list which was working perfectly. However once I connected the Pulse to it all of the Songs in the Set List now displayed as having a tempo of 120, the only solution to this was to either delete all of the App's data or re-install it. So I wouldn't recommend creating any Songs or Set Lists until you have connected your Pulse to the App. Apparently they are working on a cloud storage system for the future. Once the Pulse is connected you can create Songs and Set-Lists and they will play and display at the correct tempos - however, in the Song and Set-List view they still display as 120.
#4 The Three Straps - I bought the extra body strap because I had read in other reviews that it might be difficult to feel the vibrations on wrists, arms, thighs and ankles whilst playing at volume. It terms of positioning I found it fitted fine on my wrists with the small strap, on my biceps with the medium strap, but I need to use the body strap on my upper legs. The straps are comfortable and made of a soft silicone materials (body strap is elasticated). It is a bit fiddly to get the Pulse into the discs at first but fine once you get the knack. I am not 100% convinced how well these will last with heavy use, but only time will tell. The body strap allows you to wear the pulse on your chest, shoulder or back. Fastening a watch style strap on your bicep is tricky - I found it easier to fasten it loosely just below my elbow then slide it up.
#5 Sensitivity and Positioning - I tried wearing the Pulse everywhere I could - wrists, ankles, biceps, thighs, chest, back and shoulder. I found that as a drummer I could definitely feel the Pulse a lot better when it was on my Chest, Back or neck - but on my chest it felt like my heart was pumping really fast and I looked like an Iron Man wanna be. On by spine/shoulder I could really feel the jolt but it just felt a bit weird and it wasn't comfortable having a strap over my clothing. So in the end I decided that my left bicep or left wrist was the best place for it. One trick I have learnt it that in certain positions because of the movement of muscles and tendons etc the intensity of the vibrations increases dramatically. So for instance when I am wearing it on my left wrist and I switch to traditional grip - the signal suddenly gets a lot stronger and I can feel it right up to my elbow. Same with the bicep - in certain positions the bicep expands and the signal gets much stronger. After about an hour I settled on the left wrist because of the strength of the vibration and the fact it just looked like a watch rather than a pretend Arc Reactor...
#6 Effectiveness as a Metronome - Initially because we are used to listening to a click instead of feeling one it is very difficult to lock into the pulse, but after getting the optimum positioning and setting the vibration to max I was able to start feeling the pulse and letting that guide my playing. In terms of the settings I found that with slower tempos the medium length vibrations where most effective, whilst at faster tempos the shortest vibrations worked best (because of this it would be nice if you could set the pulse length on a per song basis) I ended up setting the click to be four maximum strength vibrations - I don't want to know where the start of the bar is - just where the pulse of the music is - but hopefully as I get more used to it I might be able to reduce this slightly. I also found that it was generally easier to follow if it was set to play 1/8 notes rather than quarter notes. Physically/Psychologically it is then almost like I am feeling the vibration of my right hand stick on my left wrist as I play the hi-hat or ride - and this makes it very easy to lock on to.
#7 Conclusions/Recommendations - The main advantage of the Pulse is that it offers a tactile click in situations where having an audio click is difficult or impractical - I have always found it difficult to hear a click in a mix (especially if you are right on the beat) unless you make the sound something very distinctive like a cowbell - and that can ruin the feel of the music. It isn't completely silent though - if you were playing quiet acoustic music or recording the mic's might pick it up. It is also something you are going to have to actively work at if you expect it to replace a traditional click track. I am planning to practice every day for a month with the Pulse and then report back my findings here...
drbongo
Odd-Arne Oseberg
Platinum Member
I probably fel a bit like Bermuda.
It wouldn't really solve any issue for me. This new watch format might be practical for some, but I don't lie wearing a watch and all my guitars already have a Nano tuner on the headstock.
I appreciate a lot of apps, not just for me, but having things ready for various ways of teaching in a single package. For me personally, this device at this point represents a solution to a problem I don't have.
It wouldn't really solve any issue for me. This new watch format might be practical for some, but I don't lie wearing a watch and all my guitars already have a Nano tuner on the headstock.
I appreciate a lot of apps, not just for me, but having things ready for various ways of teaching in a single package. For me personally, this device at this point represents a solution to a problem I don't have.
beyondbetrayal
Platinum Member
Why are we bringing back old posts to post the same review in BOTH? I think one would have been enough.
This guy either works for or bought stock in Sound Brenner Pulse New account, 10 posts all related to it.
This guy either works for or bought stock in Sound Brenner Pulse New account, 10 posts all related to it.
bongodoctor
Member
Lol you are very cynical, I have no connections with Sound Brenner or any other company, I was just writing an honest review and posted it in both threads relating to it - In case people found the other thread. If you read the review you would see I highlighted good and bad points about the Pulse, and Sound Brenner deleted the same review from their Facebook page as I assume they didn't think it was positive enough... Sometimes people do things for altruistic reasons - just thought my findings would help others make a decision over whether or not to order what is a fairly expensive piece of equipment which isn't going to suit everyone...
beyondbetrayal
Platinum Member
I was just busting your balls, haha.Lol you are very cynical, I have no connections with Sound Brenner or any other company, I was just writing an honest review and posted it in both threads relating to it - In case people found the other thread. If you read the review you would see I highlighted good and bad points about the Pulse, and Sound Brenner deleted the same review from their Facebook page as I assume they didn't think it was positive enough... Sometimes people do things for altruistic reasons - just thought my findings would help others make a decision over whether or not to order what is a fairly expensive piece of equipment which isn't going to suit everyone...
But for real, there was no need to post the same review two times in the same forum, on a one year old post even. THAT is the reason for me busting your balls in the first place. I thought the review was fine and appropriate.
It's a red flag when someone joins a forum and day 1 post multiple things on the same product though.
danondrums
Well-known Member
Thanks for the review bongo.Lol you are very cynical, I have no connections with Sound Brenner or any other company, I was just writing an honest review and posted it in both threads relating to it - In case people found the other thread. If you read the review you would see I highlighted good and bad points about the Pulse, and Sound Brenner deleted the same review from their Facebook page as I assume they didn't think it was positive enough... Sometimes people do things for altruistic reasons - just thought my findings would help others make a decision over whether or not to order what is a fairly expensive piece of equipment which isn't going to suit everyone...
Very helpful.
I’m considering the core mostly for having the decibel meter at gigs and rehearsals. My hearing loss is problematic and being able to hear music at the peak of my allowable volume without causing more damage helps me hear the groups the best.
GetAgrippa
Diamond Member
I have progressive hearing loss so I can see a utility for those like myself with major hearing loss or tinnitus.