We all know guitarists love their pedals, but when I saw the BeatBuddy pedal, I knew it wasn’t just a great idea for guitarists, but for any musician needing an easily controllable beat.
(OK, I know founder David Packouz said just the same in his video, but I thought it first 😉 )
Anyway, BeatBuddy is a simple way for musicians to control a drum beat, including different verse and chorus, fills, intros and endings, all from a simple pedal and optional additional footswitch.
David said that he was looking for a solution that didn’t involve getting a live drummer but also didn’t rely on often the complicated operation of a drum machine. Plus, drum machines by default are often operated via small buttons which need at least one hand to operate – not great for guitarists, bassists, keyboardists – most instrumentalists in fact.
The BeatBuddy comes preloaded with 10+ unique drum sets and over 200 songs in various styles. These are all fully customisable in advance with associated PC software, ready to be used in a live or studio situation with just one or two foot taps.
Check out the video to see how versatile it is. I can imagine this easily fitting into a synth or keyboard players rig. Let’s face it, onboard rhythms and module drum machines aren’t always the easiest to control in a live situation. BeatBuddy offers a pretty easy way to control at least the foundations of rhythm, if you’re operating as a solo performer or have been given the responsibility for some or all of your band’s drumming/percussion needs.
BeatBuddy: The first guitar pedal drum machine from Singular Sound on Vimeo.
The campaign on Indiegogo has already more than double matched its $75k goal, and with good reason.
