Recommended loud and click sound metronome
I'm a beginner and I'm looking to get a new metronome. I have both the Korg MA-30 and Qwik Time Qt7. The issue is the Korg's beep pitch is too high and the QT7 though it has a good click, the volume is too low and to be able to use it I need to use an earphone.
What do you use, have used or can recommend that has a decent click sound and is loud enough to hear over the violin without earphones ?
Thanks,
Replies (19)
Dr. Beat DB-60 and Dr. Beat DB-90, thats still the best metronomes that is LOUD enough to hear even when your playing, and the features are geat than any others.
The Seiko SQ50V Quartz metronome is a workhorse. It is quite loud, and moderately priced.
The Korg KDM-1 Digital has a loud click and a resonating chamber on the side. With a fresh battery, it is very loud.
It's always been my impression that the Dr. Beat is unparalled in volume...and I knew an orchestra director who would hook it up to an amp! If you want it to, I think it will also yell "ONE two three four," like having your own personal female drill sergeant.
I use the "Body Beat". No clicks or tones, just a mild 'electrical shock'. OK, so really, no electrical shock, but a pulsating & vibrating.... er... look it up before I get in trouble trying to describe it.
In all seriousness, it is the best metronome for private practice that I have. It takes away the 'not being able to hear the click or tone' factor altogether and is nearly impossible to ignore. It has helped me internalize the beat like nothing else.
The Dr. Beat is unquestionably the loudest, or you could take any cheap electric metronome and plug it into any cheap computer speaker, and turn the volume way up. A reasonably loud cheap metronome is the Shar STM-30, which is very reliable, but it's pretty fragile.
I still use a Seth Thomas wind-up. Nice and loud, reliable, no batteries. It even has a bell inside for subdivision.
mendy - I just looked up the body-beat metronome. it sounds fantastic. And apparently you can synchronise multiple BBMs wirelessly so that a group can invisibly play to the same rhythm. I wonder how many performers - both soloists and groups - are going to 'cheat' with this!
Only problem is finding where to buy one. the manufacturer's dealer search fails to identify any source for this particular product where I am - or even on-line.
@ elise
Body Beat is sold by Shar music, here it is:
www.sharmusic.com/shop.axd/Search
(sorry it says they are 'delayed until november' and this is the MORE EXPENSIVE model too) I'll look for another dealer for you now, I know there is a much cheaper model too, this one is the one you can 'sync' with other players (useful for ensembles, but NOT needed for solo practice)
Here, found it on Amazon.com:
www.amazon.com/Peterson-BB-1-Pulsing-BodyBeat-Metronome/dp/B0015YROUE
I wonder if they still make the old clockwork pyramidal metronomes. I have one that is about 100 years old and it still does a fine job for what I require, which is usually to set a practice speed beforehand that isn't too quick; I don't normally play along with it. The only thing I have to be careful of is to make sure the surface on which it is used is absolutely horizontal, otherwise some interesting and misleading rhythmic structures can be heard!
Yeah, Wittner makes good pyramidal metronomes, or if you like that design, there's iPhone and iPod Touch apps that work the same way (provided that you have one of those contraptions), many of which are free.
I have a couple clockwork metronomes which have been sitting on my piano gathering dust (along with my piano) ever since I got an electronic metronome.
I second the cheap electronic metronome plus cheap computer speakers suggestion. Unless portability is a major concern, this setup works wonderfully - I'm very happy with my Korg TM-40 hooked up to a pair of old amplified computer speakers. I can hear both the beats and the drone note over my playing even with the lowest setting. I bet this combination beats any standalone metronome in terms of maximum decibel.
Thank you all for your responses!! This is an awesome community!!
Just wanted to post this in case it helps somebody with a similar question reading this in the future.
I ended up getting the Korg KDM-2 and I'm totally pleased with my purchase. It is loud enough to hear over my violin and maybe even over 2 .It has different sound options (4 I believe) and one of them is a very nice clicking sound.
Attaching speakers seems like a good second choice, but I wanted something more portable and didn't want to depend on electricity and plugging things.
Thank you!! Violinist.com Rocks!! :)
Sorry for the slight diversion, but perhaps you should check with your housemates before choosing a metronome:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdmd5fenroU&feature=player_embedded
;-)
There are some great iPhone metronome apps - iPad even better! I use Tempo a lot. Only cost a dollar or so.
I play two instruments the Violin and the electric guitar. I am 45 and tried every which metronome you can think from both categories; Clockwork and Electronic. They all have theier pros and cons. One day whilst being really frustrated not being happy with any metronome, I browsed for hours till I ran into this Cherub WMT-220 Digital Metronome Tuner Tone Generator. I bought it on Ebay andit is quite cheap. I think it worth checking it out because since I got it, I am sticking to it. Personally I didnt find anything better.
Chaim: I looked up the cherub and it does look pretty good - but the one feature that was not listed (and I find essential) is the 'tap' one to let you determine the speed of a piece you are listening to.
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March 25, 2011 at 05:17 PM ·
I use the Korg 2 digital metronome. It is loud, fits on the stand, and has a nice wood block sound. "Tolk, tolk, tolk..."
It also has those dreadful beeping sounds, and a beat that sounds like a tin can being kicked down the sidewalk, with a few more tuning and rhythmic features.