Backing Track Option for Beatbuddy

BeatBuddy Feature Requests
1

Hi,

I have had the Beat Buddy for more than a few years now. Although it is a good idea, I find myself spending more time trying to make it work than I do playing the guitar.

Many users are now able to create their own backing tracks in DAWs.

I would be nice to just load up a homemade audio drum backing track into the pedal and press play. No messing with drum kits or adding midi file songs.

Feature request to be able to load up backing tracks. May be a separate tab in BB manager or different mode in the pedal. Would make life 10 times easier for people who play variable tempo songs or have key changes.

There would of course be no need for the tempo bar in backing track mode.

The BB manager is becoming a real pain. Unfortunately, I have even started to look at other products now to get the job done.

Please, just make it simpler.

Regards

Rodney

2

I may be misunderstanding what you’re looking for, but I think the functionality (I think) you seek is already in the BB if you combine 1-press songs with Default Drum Set = ON setting on the pedal.

3

Hi Joe,

My request is the ability to load up an audio file of a whole song/backing track. Name it and add it to a folder.

Then be able to navigate through the folder with the foot switch and press play. Backing track plays from start to finish.

Regards

Rodney

4

If you just want a list of full backing tracks to choose from why not just use a tablet or iPod?

5

Because a tablet or phone just looks terrible when playing live.

A simple pedal on the pedal board with a foot switch for start/stop and another for forward and back.

Easy! No messing around with too much gear or technical know how.

Regards

Rodney

6

A complete backing track? Or just the drums (or drums+bass, etc)?

If you want a complete backing track, there are devices out there for that, some of which can be triggered by a footswitch; if just the drums (or drums+) see my earlier response.

7

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/JamManSoloXT--digitech-jamman-solo-xt-phrase-sampler-looper-pedal?mrkgcl=28&mrkgadid=802094832&rkg_id=0&utm_source=MSN&utm_medium=PPC&utm_campaign=zz_old_p+pedals&utm_term=digitech+jamman+xt&campaigntype=paidsearch&campaign=zz_old_p+pedals&adgroup=DigiTech+-+Digitech+Jamman+Solo+XT&keyword=digitech+jamman+xt&placement=bing&creative=77996631105526&device=c&matchtype=b&msclkid=b34114b6d85e1de302ac49bda6a09f1b

and this
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/FS3X--digitech-fs3x-foot-switch

will get you there
you can also set the tempo to match BB (manually ) and they don’t drift

2 Likes
8

Thanks fxjunky,

I had considered the JamManSoloXT but it didn’t make sense until you included the link to the foot switch.

Much appreciated

Rodney

2 Likes
9

the possibilities are end less…it has a (computer) manager that can help organize your loops (stores them in wav. files… easy to convert from mp3)… stores 200 loops on a card…has a built in metronome that stays in time with beatbuddies… I love it

1 Like
10

I am making my own drum tracks with SD3 in Logic Pro X. A few songs have tempo and key signature changes.

I just want to export these drum tracks in audio, then load them up in a pedal. Press play/stop and scroll through a set list with the foot pedal .

I will probably sell my BB and just use the JamManSoloXT with the foot switch.

Can I ask you a few questions about the JamManSoloXT?

  1. What is the audio quality like for use with a live acoustic guitar?

  2. Is it easy to find a good/appropriate level between the backing tracks and the live guitar sound? Although I might just run two separate lines into the mixer.

  3. Is the software easy enough to use? Could I quickly rearrange my set list on the pedal 10mins before leaving to go to a gig?

Cheers

Rodney

11

Cd quality,it has a volume control and the manager is pretty easy to use … (maybe not ten minutes quick for an old fart like myself) but close

Best of Luck

2 Likes
12

Are you recording audio, not MIDI? I ask because BB is a MIDI playback device.

13

Hi Joe,

Yes I have moved into pure audio now. That way I can mix any type of instrument into a backing track including drum samples.

A one point I was cutting up the audio into bars <3Mb and loading these into the BB as samples.
Then I was triggering each bar via midi.

Too much hard work although I did get it to work perfectly a few days ago.

I prefer to Eq, Compress and pan the instruments which unfortunately is not possible in the BB.

I’m just gonna make life easier on myself now and get a JamManSoloXT, so I can just load up whole tracks at a time.

Thank you for taking an interest in the thread. I was a bit stressed when I started.

Much appreciated

Rodney : )

14

I think the JamMan was the best advice, for sure. You could also do it with a laptop, which would make it way easier to do everything you want to do. Incorporate one of those bluetooth pedals to advance through your sets, and you’d be golden.

Still, the JamMan might still be your best option.

15

You can use the BB for backing tracks… I have several examples… one is a full song track of Reeling in the Years, and also a multi-part version of Fight the Power and a few other experiments.

Basically you make your own drum kit that has your one track assigned to one note, and you make a simple midi part with one midi note.

16

https://forum.singularsound.com/t/public-enemy-fight-the-power/3154

17

Hi Aashideacon,
Thanks for the reply. I believe it can be done but the amount of time achieving it is just too much for me.
I really like the BB, especially the display. However, I have now bought a JamMan Solo XT.
Kind regards
Rodney

1 Like
18

Hate to jump into your conversation but I’m curious at how the Jamman XT Solo and BB stay in time without MIDI sync.

19

No problem, The best I understand is that the Jamman has a built in metronome that cycles much like Beatbuddy. The jamman quantises what you record so it fits in the space and stays in a set tempo. You can set the jamman to (ex. 105 bpm) and set beatbuddy to 105 bpm . You can set the jamman to start recording as soon as it hears you play. Wait for beat one to come around on beat buddy play a phrase end your phrase near the end of beat 4 and step on the button as close to beat one as you can. Your phrase plays over and over, they stay in sync. (and no I am not talking about recording the beatbuddy) The two units running separately. You do have to hit start close to the one beat but they don’t drift like a looper that dosen’t have a bpm metronome built in. The other style looper you record a phrase and you are guarantied to not have the exact time . You can get close but after two cycles you will notice drift. Not so with the jamman. I have left the room and came back an hour later and they are still starting on the one beat at the same interval. Granted you may have started it a micro second off but that stays the same (no drift).Works great for me. I hope this clears things up.

1 Like
20

Just wondering how you get the WAV file into the Jamman Sol XT? I have one and want to also use it for backing tracks for some songs,

I thought I could just use the free JamManger XT software to load the audio files into the pedal but I can’t figure out how to do the importing.

Have you been able to use the Jamman Solo XT with song length audio WAV files?