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Metronome with subdivision2/19/2023 ![]() ![]() In our situation and in my professional experience, it's been a very long time since I've seen a drum box being used for a guide tempo. It's how everyone does it unless they are using backing tracks." I can't speak to your experience, which I'm sure is full and competent. ![]() If it isn't robust, fast & easy to use in performance, no price point is going to make it suitable. So, while many drum boxes have audio out AND midi clock out, the functionality in our situation is lacking. * We would prefer something that allows the software to be updated as new features appear, and new performance requirements arise. * We need something that can be seen, read and manipulated in varying lighting conditions, most of them bad for reading non-backlit hardware labels and with something more than a 256 character 2-line readout screen, like an HR-16 and many other drum boxes. Drum boxes require a bit more programming to do that while click stations address that simply and effectively. * We need something that allows quick visual editing of beat, subdivision & tempos. That's not a feature of any drum boxes I'm aware of certainly not an HR-16. * We need something that can easily & quickly create a play list with full alphanumeric song titles, store the play list with full alphanumeric titles, and store a library of previously stored songs & play lists for quick recall. Drum boxes have many extra beat programming buttons & features that tend to get in the way, visually and functionally. * We need a dedicated click that has an interface that only deals with click, not something with extra buttons and small print that confuse the interface. (compound meters? subdivisions? accents? etc.) Even the simplest drum boxes require a few minutes to much longer with the manual for first timers and to find deeper features. As a result, we need a robust, dedicated device that can be quickly & thoroughly understood, programmed, and used by our regular drummer or substitutes. * We do 3 events every weekend plus rehearsals, for typically 12k people (sometimes up to 20k). ![]() Here's why a drum box, no matter what price, is not the right device for us. Your reasons in favor of drum boxes are midi out, audio out, and price. We decided against them for several reasons. It's amazing what you get with those.ĭrum boxes were considered for our situation. I've also had experience with other drum boxes over the years. I was an early adopter of the Alesis HR-16 what a great piece of gear that changed my studio and my music. I didn't a good job earlier of saying why we aren't simply using a drum box. Discussion makes us better at what we do. Hi pr0gr4m- thanks for contributing to the string. MainStage immediately followed all the tempos of the iPad once the preferences were set in MainStage. I tested it by connecting the midi out of the iPad to my MainStage rig's midi in and running arpeggiation. This should work better than a drum machine, which is a bit of a back-door means to an end. Here's a link to the $1.99 Yamaha Metronome app in the US iTunes app store: It says it will in the specs & in display & options. It will also receive midi, but I haven't messed with that to confirm it. We haven't tried it in a performance, but right now, this looks like the thing that might do it. The app does all the usual click things set lists, subdivisions, etc, and sends both audio AND midi clock out. The Yamaha app is now being sold in the US app store it wasn't until recently. That's mounted in a Behringer iS202 ($99 new at Sweetwater), which has audio in/out, and midi in/out. I have the Yamaha Metronome App (which is a ringer for the Yamaha Clickstation hardware click) running on an iPad 2. A click that is dedicated to live performance! I hate the thought of having to bring a computer on stage with an interface for the only purpose to be a click. Not a DAW, must have both audio AND midi. We never got to the point of testing midi clock because it wasn't ready for prime time operationally.Ģ. The Yamaha click we were looking at is only available through the UK app store, and when downloaded, contrary to the description, isn't optimized for iPad. Besides the keyboards & guitar efx that could immediately sync, the FOH board now accepts midi clock for delays and other time-based built-in effects. The specs include a simple click program for the drummer that can be pre-programmed with sets, and must send out audio click AND midi clock. We're geared up for an iOS app now but the ones that have audio click don't have midi clock, and the ones that send midi clock don't send audio click. ![]() Getting Ableton or MainStage or a bigger DAW app just for a click is way over-kill in expense and mental bandwidth for live situations. We've looked at those, and they still aren't what's needed. Thanks for the suggestions on Ableton & the sync generator. ![]()
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