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Location: Yucaipa, California | I'm having trouble with my other guitarist not keeping solid timing.... he and his family have played alone for years and have developed their own sense of timing that fluctuates during the course of the songs.
They have never used a metronome and I suggested that they try one to understand consistant rhythm and to be able to indentify/match different rhythms.
Has anyone had any experience with the Alexis Drum Machine (or equal)? I have a metronome, but in a band setting it just gets lost, even when mic'd.
I thought a drum machine that I could run throught the PA would be the best bet for them being able to hear the "groove"...
...advice?
p.s. this would be for practice, not "gigs"....I do have a cheapo Casio keyboard with a "drum" machine, but it only has a faster/slower slider... no markings....
tim |
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Location: closely held secret | The Alesis is great, they've been around for years, so there's lots of them out there. You should be able to pick one up for under $100 easy. |
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Location: Toronto | Hey Tim, I have a Boss DR770 that is just fantastic, and can probably be picked up for 2 bills on ebay. I've also used the Zoom MRT3. The ZOOM is far cheaper, sounds fine, but is very limited compared to the DR770 (in presets, drum kits, and recording capabilities).
I like the Boss because it's also very easy to trigger and I can integrate it in my studio chain.
Dano |
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Location: Yucaipa, California | Thanks for the input guys!
I just ordered the Alesis for $149 w/ free footswitch and free shipping.... so, I guess I'm committed.... or should be... ;)
thanks again... I'll let you know how it goes.... anything to help the my other guitarist identify and return to the "groove"! |
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Location: closely held secret | It's a good machine, Tim. Great for basic stuff, has way more potential (midi control, ect.) than I ever had time to use. We've even used them occasionally for drum parts in church. |
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Location: NJ | Just beat him with the banjo (at the proper tempo).
He'll get it. |
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Location: Fayetteville, NC | :D :D :eek: :)
Now that's Funny!! |
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Location: south east Michigan | BrianT and I find the proper tempo to be tricky at times. Playing "Can't Get It Out Of My Head", we start our with the correct "etherial" tempo then, if we are not careful, speed up in the chorus. I came across a practice tape from about a year ago and we were playing "Mrs. Brown" like it was a funeral dirge.
Sometimes when a song is going really well...that's once in a great while...our enthusiasm will cause us to fall into a tempo death spiral. |
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Location: Churchville, NY USA | I'll put a vote in for the Zoom MRT-3b...solid inexpensive drum machine...sounds good...I used it for recording...run it through a tube preamp and directly into my soundcard...
Rasmuth Rock |
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Location: Yucaipa, California | Cliff,
I did beat him with the banjo.... didn't help... he still can't play Foggy Mountain Cripple Creek Deliverance! |
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Location: Cicero, NY | If you still have the energy to type, you didn't beat him long enough. Sorry but you'll have to go back and do it until you do it right.
We'll be here waiting for you... |
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Location: NJ | Tim;
Whatcha need to do is to stop and PLAY the banjo BETWEEN beatings. That'll "break" him in NO time.
Don't worry if it seems cruel & unusual . . just slip on a Rumsfeld mask and play dumb . . . |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub |  |
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Location: NJ | Tim;
Did'ya ever consider just getting a DRUMMER??
Pizzerias are FULL of 'em! . . . |
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Location: Madison, Wisconsin | I had the same problems when I started playing with our band. I had played for so many years by myself, I had no idea what it meant to keep the beat. I bought one of those really cheap, pocket sized metronomes that flashes and beeps if you want it to. I keep it on music stand and preactice with it from time to time with just the flash. It's made a world of differrence. |
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Location: Tennessee | I've had an Alesis SR-16 and it is very powerful ... you can set tempo to a wide range of beats-per-minute and it has some 50 different rhythms to choose from and stereo outputs to go to your PA. The footswitch option is also nice for starting and stopping during practice, or kicking off fills.
I find I also use my Pandora PX4 a lot which also has some great patterns, sounds good, and very flexible.
That said, it may be hard for your guitarist to adapt and keep time with the machine ... which brings up a whole other set of challenges. ;) |
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Location: Yucaipa, California | ...I'm gunna follow Clif's advice.... I'll aim my banjo at him and let 'er fly! |
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Drum Machine Advice?????
