If there were a DIY metronome ...

[kothoma]

I would use it mainly as tool for exercising. In addition to rullywowr's list:

- one knob per function --- no hold or double click BS
- footswitch for start/stop
- 20 - 400 bpm, 3 digit display
- 2 tempo settings to switch between (example: 1 home base, 1 for gradual increases)
- half time/double time switch
- tempo increase/decrease in a) traditional metronome marking steps (~ 4 %) b) like a but refined to ~2 % c) 1 bpm steps
- accent (or different sound; at fast tempos accent is better than different sound/pitch) on first beat of 2 - 99 beats, count display, on/off switch (instant "one" on on)
- beat subdivisions (hihat/ride sound?) 2 - 9 and separate volume control and mute switch
- perhaps stereo polyrhythms?

Edit: possibility to have the subdivision sound also on the beat, same for the first beat marker
Edit2: humanize on the subdivisions, swing factor on even subdivisions
Edit3: drag/rush on the subdivisions (behind/ahead of beat, laid back/with drive)

[Thomas_H]

I have beeen playing around a little and think a lot of the mentioned features are feasible. The only blocker is a memory limit for storing sound samples but I currently have a few good samples and that should be ok. If needed it would be possible to store more sounds in an external memory.

Apart from polyrhythms a lot can be done.
But as I am not a drummer I have limited understanding of what is really needed regarding the pattern.
So far I have entered a few basic pattern like 1/4 2/4 3/4 4/4 tripplets and shuffle.

I could need a little help finding more pattern and some theoretical input as I currently do not know if double time and half time can be derived from a standard pattern like 4/4 or if they need to be defined separately.

Also it may be possible to define your own pattern but I have doubts if that is in scope of a metronome project with limited display (re editing) and memory (re #of sounds)
Capabilities.

[kothoma]

First you will have to decide if you want a metronome or a drum computer...

I've tried metronomes with fancy patterns. And didn't like it. A metronome is a metronome. The player provides the pattern on her/his instrument.

I think there is no need to have a lot of theory or even to think in note values. (The interpretation is open to the listener, he decides if he hears 12/8 or 4/4 filled with tripplet 8ths.)

Start with a beat (be it 1/2, 1/4, 1/8 or whatever) having a tempo in bpm.

While half time or double time may indeed be something different, I was more thinking of half tempo or double tempo. (Which is great to alternate between the two or work with half tempo at hight speeds, when the tocks start getting annoying.)

Now simply add two things:

1) The "one". Any number of beats could define a measure. Accent the first beat of a measure with volume or pitch (then maybe a 2nd tone to the regular beat). Typical meters: 2,3,4,5,6,7,9,11,12.

2) Subdivisions. Typical values: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. On the even ones (2,4,6,8) you could apply a "swing factor", that is, don't space each pair 50:50 but make it variable up to 75:25 (typical ratios: 1:1, 3:2, 2:1, 3:1). 66:33 (2:1) gives you shuffle/swing. Also allow a little time delta in relation to the beat (for practicing micro timing).

That would do it for me (having two of those to switch between). Let's skip the poly stuff and let the musician do it.

Edit: As for half time/double time: halve the tempo, halve the beats in a measure, double the subdivisions (so they stay the same). (So this will only work with even meters. Need to think about it some more.) Or keep tempo and meter and only double the subdivisions (making them twice as fast).

Edit2: The essential thing would be to have fast access to the parameters.

[kothoma]

If you really want patterns, here's an essential list:

in 4/4: the omnipresent backbeat (on 2 and 4)
in 4/4: 3+5 (8ths) charleston (on 1 and 2&)
in 4/4: 3+3+2 (8ths) charleston (on 1, 2&, and 4)
in 4/4: "3 2" bossa nova (on 1, 2&, 4, [2nd bar:] 2, and 3&)
in 4/4: "2 3" bossa nova (on 2, 3&, [2nd bar:] 1, 2&,  and 4)
in 4/4: "3 2" son clave (on 1, 2&, 4, [2nd bar:] 2, and 3) (aka Bo Diddley beat)
in 4/4: "2 3" son clave (on 2, 3, [2nd bar:] 1, 2&,  and 4)
in 4/4: "3 2" rhumba clave (on 1, 2&, 4&, [2nd bar:] 2, and 3)
in 4/4: "2 3" rhumba clave (on 2, 3, [2nd bar:] 1, 2&,  and 4&)
in 4/4: 3+3+3+3+2+2 (16ths; that is, 4 dotted 8ths and 2 regular 8ths) (also with (dotted) 4ths over 2 bars)

in 3/4: 3+3 (8ths) broken time (on 1 and 2&)

in 5/8: 3+2 (on 1 and 4) --- or doing only all the 8ths between (on 2, 3, and 5)
in 5/8: 2+3 (on 1 and 3) --- or doing only all the 8ths between

in 6/8: 6/8 son clave (on 1, 3, 6, [2nd bar:] 2, and 4)
in 6/8: bell pattern (on 1, 3, 5, 6, [2nd bar:] 2, 4, and 6)

in 7/8: 4+3 (on 1 and 5)
in 7/8: 3+4 (on 1 and 4)
in 7/8: 2+2+3 (on 1, 3, and 5)  --- or doing only all the 8ths between
in 7/8: 3+2+2 (on 1, 4, and 6) --- or doing only all the 8ths between
in 7/8: 2+3+2 (on 1, 3, and 6) --- or doing only all the 8ths between

in 12/8: [there are also 12/8 claves...]

[Thomas_H]

Danke!

[agattei78]

Hi Thomas,
I play in a bon jovi tribute band ( www.bonjovitribute.it ) and sometimes we need to take a flight so I would like to have a small and lightweight solutions to replace my metronome and mixer.
This is what I'm looking for:
- Metronome with at least 30 preset (memory for saving song tempos)
- Mixer with at least 3 channel (line, no pre-mic; one for the built-in metronome, one for the monitoring and one for another input like a click sent from a sequencer)
- Headphone amp
- Stereo out (I usually use the panpot to route the left out of my mixer for send the metronome to the keyboard player).

best regards,
Alessio Gattei from Italy

[gtr2]

There are iOS metronome apps that let you save metronome set lists.