Hey guys! I hope you can help me! I have read every forum post related and watched every youtube video and I can’t make my OnSong app that is Synced with my BeatBuddy through a Midi dongle to change time signatures. It changes tempo fine but it keeps playing everything in 4/4. I’ve checked all my settings on my Midi Settings in OneSong many times (and the setting Time Signature is also checked). Is there a work around? I’m I forgetting something? I have a rehearsal tonight and this is driving me insane. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
I thought the time signature was dictated by the part itself. Shouldn’t it just change to the appropriate time signature when the part changes? I have a 6/4 part in a few songs where the rest is in 4/4 and it always hits the right time signature for the part that’s playing. I don’t use OnSong, but I also don’t see a reason why you’d need to be using OnSong to tell the BB what time signature to use.
The BeatBuddy doesn’t respond to Time Signature Midi messages. As the josborn777 says, the time signature is integral to each BeatBuddy part. The BB does output Time Signature Midi messages though, to communicate that to other devices.
So does that mean I can only play songs in 4/4 or whatever is set on the BB time signature option? I know in OnSong you can send written SYSEX text as MIDI: to a device with Time Signature changes. Does that mean it won’t change even in response to these types of messages? Oh my! I invested so much to buy a beatbuddy! OnSong metronome is terrible! It fluctuates and sometimes it gets stuck and it doesen’t change. BeatBuddy was my last hope!
It should change but it doesn’t change. I have 6 songs for my set tonight, 5 are in 4/4 and one is in 3/4, it plays the right tempo in each song but in the 3/4 it plays the tempo in 4/4.
I think you’re misunderstanding how the BeatBuddy works. For each song you want to play, you need to select a song in the BeatBuddy, This song is a collection of parts and fills. The BeatBuddy comes with a selection of songs in different styles, e.g. Blues, Rock, etc. The majority of those songs are in 4/4. If you want to play a song in 3/4 you need to select a song that is 3/4. There aren’t many in the default BB setup, there is a Waltz in the World styles, and I think something in the Jazz styles. For more interesting 3/4 stuff you’ll need to buy the 3/4 beats pack from the Singular Sound website.
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I got what you’re saying, but what I really need from BB now is to sync the metronome part to OnSong through the Midi Dongle which, from what was said here, is possible but not with the time signature part of the tempo. I tried syncing each song on OnSong to a song on BB, but I don’t want it to play groove as I’m playing a groove on my drumset (yes, I’m a drummer), I only need the click. Unfortunately OnSong never really cared that their metronome is terrible and I don’t have time to learn a new software, that’s why I bought BB and a MIDI dongle which, for me, was a huge investment. Anyways, thanks for the help.
It seems to be quite an expensive way to get a click! However the BeatBuddy has a folder of songs called Metronome. Select the Metronome 3/4 song for 3/4 and the Metronome 4/4 song for 4/4. Set up OnSong to select the relevant one for each song using the Bank Select and Program Change MIDI messages. This is on page 32 of BB manual (for Firmware 3.9.0)
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Maybe this is too basic for your discussion, and I’m sure you know this, but just to be clear (and for the folks that don’t understand it), the tempo (beat value) would be the same for a song in 3/4 as it is in 4/4 (a quarter note is one beat at whatever beats per minute you set the BB to). The only difference is in measure length; 3/4 having 3 beats per measure and 4/4 having 4 beats per measure.
Like Tim said, the tempo (BPM) can be whatever you want, but if you want the beats (parts) and fills to be in time with your song, you have to choose a BB song that’s already in 3/4 time, or create your own. I agree with him in that I don’t believe the BB can receive time signature MIDI messages to change a 4/4 song to 3/4 for example. It can only send time signature MIDI messages via MIDI Out (according to the MIDI command spreadsheet).
I’ll try that, thanks! It is not just about getting a click, it is being able to direct a band in a gig by changing clicks, backing tracks, and cues without letting go of drumsticks or getting feet off drum pedals. The quest is to integrate a click to a gear.
Sounds like you need a brain-MIDI interface 
! What are you using to play your backing tracks and cues? It sounds like the ideal would be a laptop, running Ableton or some free DAW, which would run your click, backing and cues. You could control the start from OnSong, or from a MIDI pad controller which you could hit with stick. I’ve seen videos of drummers using pad controllers with small squares of wood taped over a group of pads to give a bigger area to hit.
It took me a few years to figure it out, but now I have a system that works like a charm (except for the dang click 
). I’ve used Ableton in the past with Launchpad and I can tell you it is not ideal for drummers. Too much equipment to carry, too much work to do. OnSong is great, I can focus on the music, specially with the AirTurn Tap (is what I use to control the whole thing). The only left piece is really to have a reliable click which should not be a problem if OnSong worked on their metronome.
Finally got it (after your suggestion)! So cool to see this working! Thank you so much Tim!
Glad to have been of help!
So does that mean I can only play songs in 4/4 or whatever is set on the BB time signature option? I know in OnSong you can send written SYSEX text as MIDI: to a device with Time Signature changes. Does that mean it won’t change even in response to these types of messages? Oh my! I invested so much to buy a beatbuddy! OnSong metronome is terrible! It fluctuates and sometimes it gets stuck and it doesen’t change. BeatBuddy was my last hope!
See my reply of the 20th May if all you want to do is use the BB as an expensive metronome.
Think of the BeatBuddy as a player of MIDI clips. MIDI clips have the time signature baked in. You need to select a clip that has a time signature suitable for your song by sending Bank Select and Program Change messages from OnSong.
Tim’s solution worked for me, but you have to make sure you add 3 commands to every song. One to stop the click from the previous song (STOP), one to switch to a song that is in 3/4 (PROGRAM) and one to start the new song (START). I’m thinking of creating an Youtube video so that other people will have access too. The fact is that the OnSong metronome is the worst I have ever seen in my 34 years of drumming. It embarassed me so many times I can’t even count (Slows down during a song, freezes, doesn’t switch tempo as you switch songs, etc). Beat buddy came to the rescue, in this complicated and expensive way, but it is solid, I’ve been using it for a month and no issues so far, and it allows me to keep using OnSong.