Is this forum pushing BB in the right direction?

I don’t get the one press and adding other instruments, Just get some backing tracks if you want that.
I think most people like the original intent of Beat Buddy, sure it would be nice to have the option of
one press in the firmware. Am I wrong?

Be interesting to hear what other users think.

For me it’s a lot easier to transcribe (and to play) a one-press song from a midi source file than to try to transcribe and then play it using the traditional intro-verse-chorus-interlude-outro version. There are many users on the forum that like the quality of the drums-only songs along with the flexibility of the multi-part songs.

If Singular Sound ever delivers autopilot, MIDI song ID, and more robust MIDI capabilities, that might entice more users to transcribe multi-part songs.

Users appear to have migrated away from higher audio quality, multi-part, drums only songs to a simpler to transcribe and play songs with lower quality audio. Is the BeatBuddy a karaoke pedal or a musician’s tool?

Now I understand why there are so many onepress songs. Me personally, I like to keep it simple. I love the sound of my BB, I pump it through a yamaha stagepas and play margaritaville with a percussion drum set, having a few strong pepsis and I like to miss the odd bar. I don’t think most of us are professional musicians. I do appreciate the effort people put into songs and to be able to down load them. So OP is not for me , but other people yes.

Well, I like that the BB can do both functions. It can be a high quality drum machine that lets you change parts on the fly, or it can be a backing tracks device. Before I got a Beat Buddy, I got a Digitech Trio. I thought that was going to be the be all end all of accompaniment devices. But, it lacked flexibility. The BB, once the “with bass” was figured out, was simply a superior product. Then, when we got rid of the 500 note limit, it was no holds barred. As I am primarily a blues player, once I saw I could set up songs as prejam, jam and then post-jam, I was ready to get things done. The keyboard kits just grew from that as a way to avoid needing a looper. I could build the rhythm part right into the jam. So, no, I don’t think we are headed in the wrong direction. If you want pure drum tracks, there are many midi products from which you can build tracks if you don’t want to write them. And the Singular kits keep getting better. We have the Standard Pro, Ludwig, Phil Collins and Bonham. You got options.

For my use the Beatbuddy at the moment is perfect. I’m not after full backing tracks. Drums and Bass is all I want.

On the “One Press” songs. I have a couple that are programmed for the whole song but I tailor each song to my own needs. I often have a section in each song I can jam in, songs I can extend the intro or if I don’t come in singing right on time I can wait till the next bar. I like the flexibility. That said I have also found the less button pushing I have to do the happier I am.

My advice is if you are seriously going to be using the Beatbuddy have a go at learning how to edit the midi files for songs.

Cheers

I agree with the idea of more options the better. It would be the wrong direction if they took away things but as it stands I agree with guitar Stu. Bass and drums are really all that is needed but the piano in songs like while my guitar gently weeps and instant karma sound so nice. But for me I’m more of a triditional BB users only using OP on certain songs.

I can see your point, but I think it’s great the BB has such flexibility. I use it more like you: haven’t used any one press or bass files-I like to push the button for rolls and changes. I wouldn’t mind trying them one day.

I’ve switched from playing w a bass player to a 2nd guitar player over the last 2 years.
I also do a single using BB as my backup .
Jamming w other players & late arrival dancers are part of the gig, so I want the ability to stretch out tunes.

I use BT’s on 4-5 songs (seldom ) & midi files, through a Roland 1080 sequencer & Van Basco midi player .

I’ve been transferring most of my midi’s to BB … Some work , others …(not so much)
So i don’t think I’ll be giving midi’s up for a while.
Adding keys to BB certainly helps guide some songs, :wink:
but I want it buried out of the way of the ‘live’ guitars ,
because they are the focal point, not a piano/keys solo.

I’m wondering about the weight of these new drumkits on the BB mgr/pedal ?
Can it handle all these drum kits w/out lagging/freezing?
I hope so . :wink:
If ‘Beat Buddy #2’ … w 100mb restrictions lifted, :wink: (One drum kit for all instruments ) …lol
could become a new complete midi player , that we only had to adjust velocities for …
I’d buy that one too ! … but still only use the background voicings at a minimum.

I side with Mark StJohn, Guitar Stu and others in that BB meets my needs with solid sounding drums and flexibility on-the-fly with a variety of easily crafted fills/intros, etc within .sng I can order in a set. I rarely use OP (although a few like Key to the Highway work well live for us) but having them to DL and tinker with is at least instructive. However if BB firmware and features drives in the direction of overly articulated behavior (MIDI control, etc) I will get off the bus. Perhaps two products need to be envisioned - one for the one-man-band needs and a more ‘live play’ version.

What would you envision the main differences between the two would be, and how different would they be from the current BeatBuddy? Are you referring to a different physical design? Or just different functionality?

This would be good to know, because we’ve noticed that many users just express their desire for simplicity, and many others express their desire for several more features and customization options, not that it’s necessarily contradictory though. It would be most helpful for us to know what is on our customers’ minds. :slight_smile:

Wouldn’t those differences already exist between the BB and BB Mini? For those that just wanted simple beats and not have to hassle with the BBM, Midi, and all the other things, I’d think the mini would cover those bases. If someone thought they might or definitely wanted to dive deeper, then there’s the BB. Maybe the only thing lacking for what would be wanted above is the ability to load songs on the mini.

I think the BB is one of the best drum solutions I’ve ever seen. Not only can you cover the bases from a gig context, but there’s a ton here for you to use recording. You will get a great sound, you don’t have to worry about mic’ing a kit, and you don’t have to worry about laying a drum track out via midi if you don’t want to. You’re still “playing” the instrument, as you decide where the fills, transitions, and endings go.

We want what nearly everyone wants - MORE! In a general sense, there are two categories of requests I have seen in the Features Requests section, and. also in general, these two categories seem to come from the two sides of the quality drummer vs. backing tracks users. Of course, there is some crossover, and users in both categories could benefit from these improvements.

Category A - “I want MORE buttons.”

Those who use the various parts that songs can be broken into want a way to access those parts on the fly. The usual result is trying to come up with a way to use a 6 or more button external switch on the BB. This would need to be programmable so the user could set the functions of the buttons. This would likely necessitate a redesign of the BB to accommodate such a controller, although it may be feasible using the midi in.

Category B - I want MORE room for instrument kits.

Those who use the BB for backing tracks constantly run up against the 100mb kit size limit. They also run up against the 128 instrument limits of midi. Increasing the available memory, I would guess at least by 100%, but MORE is better, would solve the first part of that problem. The 128 instrument limit could be solved by allowing a second bank of midi instruments to be loaded and triggered. And, if you can do that, I can already envision people needing a third or fourth bank.

The rest - There are a number of good requests in the Features Requests section that would improve functionality. Things like volume control over accent hits, a fade out/fade in feature, the ability to copy and paste multiple instruments from one drum kit into a new drum kit, a loudness methodology to help balance output levels from kits, and so on.

Finally, thanks for listening. The pedal I have has already exceeded my expectations, but I could always use a little MORE.

Take advantage of those sale days in the library too. I got a great deal on the Ludwig and Jazz Brushes kits, along with the gig essentials, swing, and jazz brush beats. My opinion could change, but I think I have anything I would need beat and tone-wise on the BB now. Save for maybe a with-bass kit down the road, or course!

I think there is a danger that BB tries to be too many things for too many people and then succeeds at none of them.

personally I don’t need another device to do backing tracks. I have my iPad, home studio and can record whatever I want and I can use BB in all of that too just like any oother instrument if I so desire, or take the drum samples and midi from BBM and reuse in my DAW that way. What I needed the most was something less rigid than a backing track and honestly can say BB has changed my life! It means I can change parts around add extra choruses etc on the fly, which is pretty awesome and as piano player I hate having to use my hands for anything other than playing the notes, my hands know where they are going and having to press stuf mid-song just sort of unbalances me! So I ve the BB

…now the MIDI control and feedback could be improved I think to aid live performance, I find it a little awkward double-tapping the pedal to stop things and holding down for transitions, would like to be able to use single tap foot switch for that. Also would like to see the core kits and rhythm sections continue to expand

Whatever functions are added I think it’s important singular sound stick to their vision of the original product.
If from this forum they get any idea for additional products to go alongside BB or extension devices (like remote screen or control app) then great :slight_smile:

My 2p worth any way!

I love the Beat Buddy. As a new user, I’m still trying to figure out the best use for me. Having multiple switches/pedals would be great so you can jump from Part A to Part C. That’d be the only major change I’d suggest. Other then that, I’m pretty happy with the whole thing.

Maybe a Beatbuddy and a Rhythmbuddy?

I think the ability to copy songs to a separate folder in BBM and then change the kits associated with it, the tempo, take away or change intros, outros, and fills is when of the most gig friendly and convenient use of BB. I was having a hard time with songs that started with a guitar intro and trying to start the song at a certain point in order for both to land on the one. Now I can simply start the song on the one if I chose to. It’s so simple, yet extremely flexible.

I find that the ability to edit songs (one press being my preference) that the songs are my creations. When I play with my 4 piece band, we generally stick with the same format for nearly every song. an extra solo isn’t out of the question though. I am staunchly apposed to calling the BB a karaoke pedal. the amount of work and actual musical and vocal input using it is so far and away unlike karaoke. The Bass and now other instrumentation are an evolution in the possibilities.

I went though a phase where I was using a guitar synth to add the extra dimension to the sound of the performance. Piano, synth sounds etc, is that really any different than adding it into the midi on the BB? I am still playing guitar and singing without lyrics in front of me. No chord charts. If I were to step off stage and let the BB run without me, there would be no discernible identity as a complete song, with very few exceptions. I turn the other instruments down to the point that they are there, but not possibly something that could stand alone. To say that the mission of the pedal has been compromised, is wrong. It still has the original functionality. If I were unable to use the hacked features, I would have probably abandoned it and not recommended it to several people.

Look at the Fender Bassman amp. it became a guitar amp because it lent itself to another purpose as a guitar amp. Fender didn’t buck it. They embraced it and sustained it’s legend. Beat Buddy has yet to embrace it’s new versatility and unfortunately I sit with a Manager version and no recent updates to get rid of the stupid bugs. Starting to get a bit upset about that. HELLO?

I think there needs to be a bit more recognition by Singular sound for the extremely hard work that members do for no compensation. the OP is the red headed stepchild that they would be lost without yet there is no appreciation, (that I’ve seen or felt) for the hundreds of hours a lot of us put in. I could contribute more but I have lost the lovin feelin. I will share with anyone I have made connections with on a one on one basis. My suggestion: Own the versatility and recognize the OP movement. Make it a legitimate feature and advertise it. The Swiss army knife would have tanked it they only offered a knife and a toothpick, UPDATES! Appreciate those who crank out work for the benefit of the other members of this forum and Singular Sound.

I’m a new user, so take what I say with a grain of salt. I’ve only been practicing with the BeatBuddy less than a week, but I am already starting to worry about it sounding too much like a backing track, even though I have been using different beats, drum kits, and tempos, along with trying to master when to hit the foot switch for a fill. Its already made me sound more like I know what I am doing when I play the guitar, but I’ve noticed I have changed my playing style because the BeatBuddy does a fabulous job of keeping the beat. I worry a bit about it becoming a crutch, but I suppose the same could be said about using a real drummer to keep the beat. I think the challenge is to use the BeatBuddy as another interactive instrument, not a backing track, as one of the members who plays the bass said in a post I read.

Since I play mostly cover songs, I favor simple beats with some accents, unless the song has a signature beat. I am sure I will have a different view once I play it in a live setting.

my 2 Cents worth …
I was playing live w the BB w a bass player when it first came out ,( from an old Alesis Sr18, BT’s & midi’s )
using the stock BB beats trying to find songs that will match them, was quite a learning curve in itself.

The BB intros were too busy, … until C Spencers ‘Beat builder’ helped bring in simple intro’s & fills …etc :wink:
the evolution of the forum ( Stu, Aashideacon ) contributions of potentials was impressive to say the least,
adding bass & chord wavs to tunes, stretching them out for the right reasons,
… who wouldn’t want one more solo or ch when the dance floor is full,
…as opposed to scrambling for the next 3-4 min. tune :wink:

Mine is 'working ’ for me just fine, I play w another guitar player, so the variety of styles increases.
… now that I can edit my own songs, I am happy to share in this group.
(If they turn out alright … I have made considerably more that have been discarded for not being up to par.)

ps) …if I do jam w drummers these days …
I’ve noticed I’m playing closer ‘with’ them time wise, & the bass players seem to lock in tighter. :wink:
I can ‘Bank’ on that mu$ical interaction. :wink:

It has helped make me a better musician.