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BeatBuddy
BeatBuddy pedal-style drum machine
ManufacturerSingular Sound
Dates2014 – present
Price$449
Technical specifications
HardwareDigital, LCD
Controls
Pedal controlPedal footswitch which recognizes single and double taps and holding the switch down
Input/output
InputsLeft and right mono 1/4"
OutputsLeft and right mono 1/4" + stereo headphone out
External controlMIDI Sync, USB port, footswitch

The BeatBuddy is a digital drum machine made by Singular Sound which is housed in the form of a stompbox unit. The floor-based format and pedal footswitch enables musicians (like guitar, bass and keyboard players, among others) to control the device "hands-free" while they are performing an instrument with their hands.

Singular Sound is a Miami-based brand. The firm first engineered and manufactured the device in 2014, after crowdfunding via Indiegogo. The BeatBuddy was intended to be a foot-controlled alternative to traditional tabletop, "hands-on" drum machines (as the Roland TR-909 or the Roger Linn's LinnDrum). Since its release in 2014, the BeatBuddy has garnered positive reviews from magazines like Guitar Player[1], Guitar World[2] and Sound On Sound,[3] and won the Best in Show award at the 2015 NAMM Show.[4]

Design and operation

BeatBuddy drum machine pedal and its optional double footswitch.

Although its design resembles an ordinary guitar effects pedal (like the Boss or DigiTech ones), the BeatBuddy is a drum machine and it does not make any audio effect or processing to the input signals. It has two 1/4" input jacks for instruments or audio devices, but the BeatBuddy can also work as a "standalone" device (that is, without anything plugged in), if required.[5] The input jacks are a convenience to allow performers to simplify their setup; with the "pass-through" inputs, an electric piano player, say, who is playing a one man band show can plug their piano into the BeatBuddy, then plug the BeatBuddy into a keyboard amplifier (without the pass-through feature, a performer would need a mixer).[5]

The BeatBuddy is foot-controlled to start and stop the drum machine, and to make fills (fill-in lines and accents) and transitions between beats while it is on. There are rotary knobs for adjusting volume, tempo and choice of drum set. Content navigation through menus is possible with four directional buttons and a central "tap" one, next to the LCD screen. [5] The LCD screen has a color display, and it uses different colors to indicate different status settings.[5]

References

  1. ^ Molenda, Michael. "Review: Singular Sound BeatBuddy". GuitarPlayer.com. Retrieved 2020-04-19.
  2. ^ January 2015, Paul Riario 30. "Review: Beatbuddy Drum Machine Pedal — Video". guitarworld. Retrieved 2020-04-19.((cite web)): CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ "Singular Sound BeatBuddy". www.soundonsound.com. Retrieved 2020-04-19.
  4. ^ Staff, G. P. "BeatBuddy Wins Best in Show at NAMM 2015". GuitarPlayer.com. Retrieved 2020-04-19.
  5. ^ a b c d "Beat Buddy User Manual". singularsound.com. Singular Sound. Retrieved 6 May 2021.

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