New BeatBuddy Firmware (3.2.0 "A New Look!")

I had requested that BB power on with the last tempo I was using. I’m VERY disappointed my request is not included in this latest firmware. Will you ever include this request? I think it’s a great one, because everytime I power on BB, I have to reach down and turn the knob on the floor to the last tempo I was working at. It’s VERY annoying.

If I understand your problem, when you power the pedal off the tempo goes back to a default. If so, the solution may be in the manual.
"Tip: To change the default tempo of a song, press and hold down
the tempo knob."I hope this helps.

Hi LeeMo,

No this doesn’t help. I don’t care what the default tempo of a song is. What I care about is the last tempo I was practicing at.

I don’t mind the tempo switching to a default tempo when I switch songs, but when I turn off BB and turn it back on, the same song I was working on is still there, but not the same tempo I left it at. Does that make sense?

If BB can remember the last song I was working on, why not remember the last tempo also?

It is really annoying to have to reset the tempo every time I turn BB back on to the last tempo I was playing at. Again, I don’t care what the default tempo is, I only care about the last tempo I was playing at which increases as I get better at playing the song I’m practicing at. I don’t want to set the default tempo for a song every time I can play it faster. I just want BB to remember the last tempo I was playing at. I know it can do it since it’s remembering the last song I was playing when I switched it off.

Thanks,

Kevin

But, if you did a press and hold just before you turned the power off, then the next time you powered up it should start there.

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Perhaps if there was greater demand for this setting, SS would include it in a future revision.

Hi LeeMo,

OK, I can try that, but I’m still bending over unnecessarily with a guitar around my neck. I don’t mind bending over when I need to change the tempo, but I do mind when I have to bend over with the guitar around my neck when a simple programming change would have avoided this one or more times a day.

Kevin

It shouldn’t take more than one request to see that my suggestion is a really good one and would work just fine for everyone who increases the tempo of a song as they practice it and get better at playing it.

Right now I have to bend over with a guitar around my neck unnecessarily one or more times a day when I turn BB on and a simple programming change would eliminate the need for this for everyone who practices with BB.

I don’t mind bending over to change the tempo, but it’s annoying to be resetting the temp each time to what it was before when I turn BB on. I shouldn’t have to be deciding each time whether I want to make my new tempo the default temp for a song because that’s two steps—change tempo, decide and hold the temp knob.

Hi LeeMo,

Maybe it is better the way it is. When I start a new practice session, chances are I can’t play as fast as I did previously when I was warmed up, so it would be better to default to the default tempo I set by pushing down the button as a baseline.

So, never mind my suggestion and thanks for yours. I think yours will work better.

Kevin

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A post was split to a new topic: Lost power during firmware update

The reason we didn’t do this is because it would conflict with the default tempo setting. But thank you for your suggestion!

Hi David,

No it wouldn’t conflict. The default tempo is what BB starts off at when you select a new song or turn it off and turn it back on.

My suggestion is to have BB only honor the default tempo when you switch songs. If all you do is turn BB off and back on later, BB starts off at the last temp you were working at. Handled this way, there is no conflict.

Right now when I’m learning a song, I have to speed the tempo up right after turning BB back on to where I was before. BB remembers the last song. Why not the last tempo?

Thanks,

Kevin

Because no one else is using it that way. Or at least no one else that I have seen. Plus what happens if the last song you were working on is also the first song in your set and you go to play live and instead of the default tempo that you expect it loads up at the tempo you accidentally switched it to when you accidentally spun the tempo knob to before you turned it off the last time?

That would be a conflict.

Interesting suggestion but not very practical really at least from my view. For your purposes just right down the tempo you were working at before you shut it off so you don’t forget.

Who accidentally spins the tempo knob before turning it off?

I wasn’t liking bending over frequently to tweak settings thus I elevated the the BB up onto a stand which is in easy reach for changing songs and tempos and use a footswitch for start, stops, fills, etc.

I constructed a small stand/table which works well to place the BB and a TC Helicon VLP pedal together, but I’ve seen suggestions for trays that mount to a mic stand also.

I had BB on the desk for a while till I learned how to use it. I don’t mind bending over to change the tempo, but I do mind bending over when I turn it on to set the tempo since to me this should be unnecessary. I’m hoping you guys will make BB power on with the last tempo being used.

Thanks, Kevin

Hey Kevin I understand your frustration but be glad your not bending over to pick up your drummer who fell off his drum stool after downing 5 more shots of Tequila.

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I dunno but I suppose it could happen. That is why there is a default tempo for each song in a project.

And just because we request a change for the next firmware update doesn’t mean they will get it in then or ever. It is a suggestion and that is all. SS has to weigh the value of suggested changes and decide when to implement or not at all.

A bunch of folks, myself included, would like to be able to set the tempo for each part within a song but that hasn’t been added yet either. I sure hope it will be though at some point.

Like you, I accept that I use the BB differently than most folks. I’m not using it for cover songs at all. I use it as a writing tool. You use the tempo to gradually practice up to your preferred tempo for playing a given song. I get it it and SS gets it too. They are the most responsive manufacturer to requests and changes that I have ever dealt with… but they can’t do everything that is suggested.

I hope your work around is working out for you. Cheers!

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Hi David,

Thanks for the encouragement. It actually does work well to set the default tempo. I can start from there and warm up and then reach down to speed up the tempo without feeling aggravated. It was just when the default tempo was high, I ALWAYS had to slow the temp down after turning BB on. That WAS annoying. The suggestion to just set the default tempo solves most of my annoyance.

Thanks for the suggestion and support! I’m not sophisticated enough to want different tempos within a song, but I hope you get that option!

Best wishes,

Kevin

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This firmware release doesn’t fix the problem with the BeatBuddy only sending CC part messages when Midi Output type is set to Midi-Out, and not when set to Midi-Merge. Also when it does transmit them it seems to ignore the Midi output channel, and always uses channel 1.

Hi @persist, love v3.2.0, but have a problem whereby the BeatBuddy keeps freezing (displaying something like: no SD card … or the like) when I step quickly up or down through the song list using the external BeatBuddy footswitch … I then have to stop & wait for a couple of seconds bfore the display comes back & I can carry on (slowly) stepping through my songlist - bug in 3.2.0?