In case any of you were wondering, I’m actually a drummer. Yep, since I was 8, and still going strong (as evidenced by the guitar playing on our YouTube videos). I love playing the guitar, and love reviewing pedals, as you know, but my first music love will always be percussion, and that’s part of what makes today’s pedal so exciting for me – the BeatBuddy Drum Machine pedal from Singular Sound.
First off, it looks and works like a regular guitar pedal, and with a similar size and shape, it easily can fit onto almost any pedalboard. Once you figure out the controls; i.e. Start, Stop, Fills, Hand Claps, Cymbals and Pause, the BeatBuddy is hours and hours (more like days and days) of endless fun and experimentation. The color-coated controls on the LED display lets you know what function is currently taking place, and the attachable expression pedal controls the cymbal crashes, hand claps and overall pausing of the drums, perfect for song breaks, break downs and more.
There are so many different drum set sounds available in the BeatBuddy that it would take forever to go through them all here, but the main genre sections are as follows: Blues, Brazilian, Brushed Beats, Country, Drum & Bass, Funk, Hip Hop, Jazz, Latin, Marching, Metal, Odd Time, Oldies, Pop, Punk, R&B, Rock, Reggae, Techno, Voice/Beatbox and World, plus there’s also a Metronome option for working on your basic rhythms. Within each genre you can choose a multitude of styles and tempos, something to fit any type of music that you’re playing, guaranteed. It’s also easy to set the tempo with the big, fat TAP button right in the center of the controls, making synching with any song a snap.
Another feature that really stretches the already endless possibilities of this mini marvel is the ability to customize it however you want. Using the supplied USB cord, plug it into your computer and let the fun begin. The downloadable application lets you go in and customize every drum sound on the pedal to your liking by choosing different drum sets, fills, accents and tempos. This app allows for you to get as detailed and specific as you want or need, on any of the genres and their sub-sections. Make no mistake, the BeatBuddy will fit into any type of playing scenario, and this app makes the customization that much easier.
I really believe that my drumming background made for an easier transition to guitar, especially in terms of being on the beat and my rhythm playing in general. Most guitarists are not also drummers, though, and the BeatBuddy is a perfect weapon to have in your practice or stage arsenal. Able to produce a TON of different beats, fills and flavors, it’s an exciting tool to use to help build your chops, but also be an integral part of your live setup, too! Thanks so much to Eli and everyone over at Singular Sound for sending this awesome piece of gear over to us to check out – if you’re looking for a great practice and stage tool to help build up both your chops and your audiences, look no further than the BeatBuddy.
Submitted by Mike B, Website
Demo Rock pedalboard by West Coast Pedalboard
