I’ve been following this thread for a while now (yet to receive my Beatbuddy). I too would love to see this feature added. I have a Roland GR-55 guitar synth so it would be great to see how the BB and the GR compliment each other in a live situation. I’ve never tried the looping function of the GR though. I use Reaper as a DAW so I could also just sequence midi drum loops (I think) and then render the full drums and even bass tracks as a .wav file. But it sure would be nice to have the songs loaded on the SD card for Beatbuddy to sequence through with a toe tap.
++++HUGE, HUGE +1 ON THIS FEATURE!!++++
Add me as another user scratching their head as to why this seemingly obvious feature has not been implemented. Despite being in pedal form, the BB was billed as a device to “replace a drum machine”. Unless a new feature could be added to enable “Song Mode” the BB simply cannot compete with a drum machine or even a basic MIDI sequencer. Without it, its basically just a pseudo-looper “jam-along” toy AKA a crippled drum machine that can only perform in Pattern mode. Ideally, it would play an entire song through by default and then the only foot tapping involved would be to optionally extend certain sections indefinitely (for soloing, vamps, etc.) and eventually revert (either manually or auto) and finish out the song with the pre-programmed ending. The less toe-tapping the better. I was under the misleading impression that the pedal already did this or at least it could be programmed to play entire songs by using the MIDI editor. As a guitarist, im already tap dancing enough on FX pedals without having to repeatedly tap individual sections on/off just to get through a single song. This is definitely a deal-breaker for me and whether or not I keep my BB depends on this feature being added soon.
A very good post with some really nice suggestion. To be honest, I think exactly the same. Especially, the part
may seem a bit rude, yet after a lot of time using my own BeatBuddy I should admit I feel the same.
When I am working on some song part I am trying to learn it’s completely not like I have extra time to trigger fills - I am all concentrated on my playing! Yet I would still love to have occasional fills, as simple straight drum loop becomes boring at times.
I am especially having troubles when I need to properly queue a transition AND change loop on my Boomerang III AND play a sped up riff at the same time!..
I will have this fixed pretty soon.
It would be really nice if the song mode could follow the midi pattern tempo or do tempo settings per segment or transition. Fingers crossed for midi CC out on fills or transitions so it can control my Infinity or other samplers at some point.
In the defence of the BB (if that is required). It was initially designed as a drummer replacement (if that is even possible) but that sounds a bit pretentious so a ‘drum machine’ seems more accurate - it is a machine that plays drums. I don’t know much about drum machines now adays but in the past they behaved just like the BB. My first keyboard had a rhythm section with an Intro an Outro and some fills, arranger keyboards work the same I think.
This is not to say that I don’t think this is a good idea but as development is slow people need to do their research - I am holding out for full midi support, got the cable for this feature knowing full well that this this may or may not be implemented in the future, but as an initial release its uniqueness was to control a drumbeat with your foot compared to pressing buttons - not good if you have lots of pedals but perfect for a singer songwriter, duo with an acoustic guitar.
It will.
Ah, now if only my Boomerang III could change tracks via MIDI commands… 
I also hope for Midi control… My dream would come true! With full Midi control I could even program my controller (Gordius LGX) to play songs straight through… 
Not necessarily. Even my Alesis HR-16 from the early 90’s allowed you to string patterns together to create a SONG. This is a basic feature of all “drum machines” for the last 20 years. I assumed this was the case when I bought it and that the toe taps were only needed for changing or extending song sections manually “on the fly”.
We are always open for the new ideas, @miamigroove. But how would you make this “stringing patterns together” with only one pedal (plus two optional footswitches) that would be more convenient and intuitive than what BeatBuddy offers currently?
In the “settings” menu, there are currently 4 options (Footswitch, Main Pedal, About BB, Restore Default). Add the following menu items: Playback Modes. 1. Manual Mode (this would be the factory default mode, as it is now) 2. Program Mode.
Now, if “program mode” is selected, another submenu will then show up that will allow for the chaining together and defining the length of each section ala “step” programming. OR even better a mode could be entered that would allow a “run-through” where the pedal / footswitch button presses could be recorded and saved upon initial playback. 3. Play mode. This would allow the saved songs (created in program mode) to be selected & then played back with one simple press of the pedal.
If all this seems too difficult to obtain on the pedal locally, there should at a minimum be a way to implement some of these ideas through the software and various mode settings switched on/off via the editor program.
This would effectively harness the true power of the BB as a unique song creation and rhythm accompaniment tool and demonstrate its full ability to compete with other marketed drum machines.
Would love to play a song straight through or at least be able to cut into bigger parts that 500. Example: beating my head against the wall trying to get I Love Rock and Roll into this BB. The song has 5/4 bar in it through out. Unfortunately the main area of the song is 583 notes but breaking up at any other trigger point sets transitions in the middle of a measure pushing 3 beats ahead. Many songs have time signature changes and there should be a way to navigate through these.
These are major questions to the firmware. Changing tempos and a “playback mode” would most likely be added to the BeatBuddy in the future.
Other than the issues with time signatures playback mode this pedal is incredible. I really like the fact that the musician is controlling the triggering of the pedal and creating music as opposed to playing to a track. every once in a while tracks are a necessary evil. Thanks DAEF for your reply.
I’d like to 2nd this… This is an amazing tool and while it’s great to have any flexibility posibally needed by any customer, I would have to question why you would buy this product then try to turn it into a karaoke machine… And then come and complain that its not a karaoke machine… I have a Boss Dr Rhythm that I would sell really cheep…
I’m a new BeatBuddy owner, and as a 30 year musician, and Apple Computer, with ProTools DAW user, which 90% of all the major multi million dollar recording studios in the world use, yes (Mac), I find the BB to be a “God-Send.” I have a Fantom G8, with the most advanced drum sequencer in the world and the best drums sounds on earth, period, and I still have an Alesis SR-16, both which take a lot of time to write the drums out for a song. The BeatBuddy, with MIDI Sync is perfect for Recording, more so than for live. I mean, come on, for live, just the peddle itself is great. For live, just getting a proper beat, with some nice basic rolls and transition from verse, to chorus with a tap of the foot is awesome. I mean, if the drums sound good, and are the same beat/tempo/time sig and bridge breaks as the classic songs your playing, the crowd doesn’t know the difference. Man, I killed with at my last live show, with just the BB peddle and the foots switch playing all Classic Rock, and originals. Great job, BB makers. If your smart you don’t really even need the ‘BBmanager’ to put together a whole “rock, pop, blues, etc.” song. Building songs with MIDI files and or parts and patterns, is what I wanted to get away from! My recording workflow has increased by 10 fold. Thank you BeatBuddy, your my new drum savior!
The BBuddy pedal is an awesome “drum machine” and drum “song” pedal, with the ability to create songs just like any other Pro sequencer, or programable drum machine, i.e. my Fantom S8, 88 key, workstation, with massive sequencing power for drums or any instrument, and or my SR-16. The point is, it’s "Rock ‘n Roll, dudes. The BB pedal with the foot switch alone can pull you through an entire night of performance. And if you ‘really’ want absolutely “perfect” drums, you can spend the time with the BBmanager/midi files and create the exact drums for, i.e. “Brown Sugar”/stones, or “Bohemian Rhapsody”/Queen. I play both, solo, live, with just the BeatBuddy pedal, and foot switch,
and can have my drums sets exact, and beats, exact, with bridge/breaks, fills, accents, and stop and go’s 99% accurate to the actual drums form any song! And I’m talkin’ about the original recorded versions of all these famous songs, not to mention the numerous differences, in them when played live throughout the years. The drums on the original recording of “Brown Sugar” from the Stones, is never exactly the same from concert to concert thourgh the years. Charlie uses different fills, tones, etc., as long as he stays with the same basic Kick, Snare, and Hi hat. Really, give BBuddy guys the credit they deserve. This is a outstanding drum tool, and I have played with and for the best and biggest musicians in the business. My last conversation with one major “Rock Star” form the Classic Rock era said to me, “tommy, I love this new pedal (BeatBuddy) it inspires me to “jam” alone again, and I have a real drummer right at the tip of my toes,” Rock & Roll, BeatBuddy,
you’ve done it well, and made me very happy. Well, for all you gear heads, don’t forget, “is only rock and roll” and you should appreciate what this great little pedal allows a single person to do, live or in the studio.
To Daef: The BeatBuddy already has the ability to 'change tempos, change beats, change accents, change anything that a live person can!
With ANY drum machine in existence, you have to program this stuff. As I said before, I have probablly the most powerful drum sequencer in the world today, and it is a headach to program all this. The BeatBuddy is no different, actually with the “Manager” and “Library” you can do all this even easier than the SR-16/18 or even my Fantom S8. If you are just a bit “smart” you can have a song loaded up in 3 minutes…
It is as usual, most users don’t understand the operating specs. of the tool. It is brilliant, simple, and brilliant. Read, the manual, and listen,
to it, and then take a half day to learn to apply the info, and I assure you, it will fulfill all you questions, and needs. But, in reality, the pedal alone by default, right out of the box can perform the drums, superbly for any song, live, with just a little ingenuity.
@Tommy Radcliffe Thanks for your honest feedback! Actually, I see what you are saying, yet I myself sometimes having difficulties playing back the whole song. Yes, I absolutely love my BeatBuddy,as it is certainly a great tool. But why leave out a (pretty common) use case - “karaoke” thing, as you pretty accurately called it - simply dismissing it as “by design” or “specs”, if we can simply have more? When choosing between the two evils why should I even decide if I could have taken them BOTH?! 
Just like a swiss knife has carries much more than an actual knife, I believe a BeatBuddy can be even better tool.
I am convinced this ‘playback’, ‘backing track’ or ‘karaoke’ thing will greatly improve the overall BeatBuddy usability, and will certainly go for it.
I am working on a song/set list with a guitar player who just purchased a beat buddy. I have the BB and have been working on programming it for our use as a duo. I completely agree that a “song mode” should be added where it can just simply play a song from beginning to end. The memory cards it can hold are huge, no limitation there. The programming to add an additional feature like a song mode player should not be anything close to rocket science.
gutted that this pedal can’t play full tracks. I bought it because I thought it would be great for jamming (check) then, great for covers (not check at all, in anyway shape or form). $300 wasted, I could have just carried on playing tracks through my mac.