The Drumometer

[Markdude465]

I've seen lots of threads in which Tim Waterson and others have said something in favor of the drumometer, essentially claiming that it is the "only way" to measure one's progress (or something comparable), and even going so far as to say that it helps with accuracy. This seems to be, in my humble opinion, a rediculous notion. I quote the official drumometer website:

"The purpose of the Drumometer is to measure a drummer’s technical accuracy, hand or foot speed and offer a means to visualize his/her practice routine. Drumometer does this by counting the total number of strokes a drummer can play within a preset time (1 – 900 seconds)."

Let's say I want to test the accuracy of my 180bpm sixteenth notes. I'd set a metronome to that tempo and the drumometer to measure ten seconds of playing. In my first run, I might play sixteenth note singles as even as I could for around nine seconds, and then speed the heck up to around 260 for the last second, resulting in a stroke count of around 125ish. Then in the second run, I might wait five seconds and then get a buzz roll going as fast as I could, and at the end of ten seconds I'd end up with 120 by chance. Then I might flam for ten seconds, and then I might play 175 for five seconds and 185 for five seconds, etc. etc. etc.

In this hypothetical example, it's easy to see that the drumometer really has no system of determining wether the strokes played in a given interval were "even" or not. To rely on a final sum of strokes in a given ammount of time as indicitive of accuracy seems to me foolhardy at best.

The thing costs around a hundred-fifty bucks most places. For that price, you can get yourself a 733mhz computer, a trigger, and some basic freeware midi recording software, and you'll be able to observe the whole run, pointing out all the errors where they occured, etc. etc.

(I do hope I'm making sense... who sees my point? anybody?)

[DD_Timekeeper]

You're right, you can have a pc for that price... but probably when you want to carry it with you to practise somewhere, that's another story :)


I think it's an useful item in this sense: when you play singles at 180 bpm, you still can hear what you're doing, 200 the same, and also 220 probably... after that, you can demand to your ears the control of a regular flow, and let the Drumometer supply your ears for the accuracy...

This is why I've already bought it. :cool:

[pcannon]

I can see how this product would appeal to the more science based thinkers, I like how the Drumometer has pushed technique and speed to the limits. I have no gig where I need to play 350 doubles in 60 sec! I guess I would use it just to keep my rudiment speed up, by checking my singles/doubles/para/etc...w/hands & feet, not really for the 60 sec speed but for even stroke speed overall. The above idea seems much better, then you could SEE where you need work! Yes Markdude465, I agree!

[Derek Roddy]

I have a couple of drumometers........ it doesn't help with accuracy. I can set my metronome to say 200 and play along 16ths. should come up 800 everytime........doesn't. sometimes it's 803 or 809, 798, 760, 830 etc...it's not that the drumometer itself is not accurate......but, there isn't a trigger made that is. triggers work by vibration. vibrations aren't accurate. (for those who trigger.....how many times has your bass player set it off? or your snare drum, or stage vibration?)
this is why i think the wfd thing makes no sense. you have to remember that to get a trigger to respond correctly takes alot of tinkering. (I know guy's that have had triggers for months and months.....still can't get them to not double trigger or the thing doesn't trigger at all.
the wfd tears down and sets up (in a different place) everyday ( like on the warp tour) with a "stick on" trigger....the absolute worse type of trigger at that.
and then you have this factor..........( i heard this from the wfd guy's themselves)
a "contestant" will do a run..... and buzz through what should be single strokes, giving him a score of over 1000. the guy now runs around warp tour telling all his friends that he is one of the fastest, when in real life......he doesn't know the difference in playing "clean" single strokes and buzzing them up and having the drumometer count all that crap.
if anything.....the drumometer misleads people into thinking they are doing something they aren't.

[Derek Roddy]

The thing costs around a hundred-fifty bucks most places. For that price, you can get yourself a 733mhz computer, a trigger, and some basic freeware midi recording software, and you'll be able to observe the whole run, pointing out all the errors where they occured, etc. etc.

i've mentioned something of the sort to the founder of the drumometer years ago when i got my first one. makes much more sense to record the midi track via pro-tools and go back and manually count the notes. with the screen in front of you......you could then "see" a double count or where it didn't count at all. you could also "see" the distance between the notes, for accuracy. this makes much more sense than relying on something that just isn't accurate to begin with.

[Bostic]

I use my drumometer with the ekit triggers on the Axis pedals. Since it only has one input on it, I use a Y adaptor to plug in the two cables. With this setup it's usually a few beats off here and there. At 200 I'll get 803, 804, 807 etc. If I only use one foot at 150 it doesn't always get 300 and I know my right foot is spot on the 8th notes. Using either a stereo or mono Y adaptor doesn't seem to make a difference. The improving accuracy concept is something I thought might help but it hasn't all that much. Say I play 200 for a minute with a click going. Then turn off the click and play what I think is 200 without a click for a minute. Since it's usually off by a few beats here or there, it's more a general guideline than a true accuracy tool.

[Drumcanman]

I use my drumometer with the ekit triggers on the Axis pedals. Since it only has one input on it, I use a Y adaptor to plug in the two cables. With this setup it's usually a few beats off here and there. At 200 I'll get 803, 804, 807 etc. If I only use one foot at 150 it doesn't always get 300 and I know my right foot is spot on the 8th notes. Using either a stereo or mono Y adaptor doesn't seem to make a difference. The improving accuracy concept is something I thought might help but it hasn't all that much. Say I play 200 for a minute with a click going. Then turn off the click and play what I think is 200 without a click for a minute. Since it's usually off by a few beats here or there, it's more a general guideline than a true accuracy tool.
Working with the drumometer BOSTIC you Ran 880 playing at NAMM playing 220 16ths on your click in the finals yet the day before you ran over the drumometer will show you if you run over 880 you are rushing if you are under you are behind.
Check out my accuracy clips on my site 4 for triplets with one foot it took a few times to get right on 100,105 and 110 but it shows if you rush or slow down the drumometer will let you know.
The drumometer goes up to about 40 beats per second so that gives you a lot of notes to be off meaning 880 to 885 and you are still fairly accurate but the human ear could NOT hear it.
Nothing is perfect but the drum ometer is more portable and less expensive than dragging around a laptop and protools etc
Hope this helps clear things up a bit.
God Bless and drums Rule
Tim Waterson www.timwaterson.com

[STAVROPOULOS]

Guys,i have ''unburied'' this thread due to a question i've got:

Is there a way to put a drumometer to work on 2 bass drums?I mean,if someone has 1 drumometer and 2 bass drums,is there a way to measure th strokes achieved on both kicks????
Logic says no,but logic is not a very reliable partner!:)
Thanks!

[Fiery]

Just shift your eyes three replies above this one - Bostic already answered that.

[STAVROPOULOS]

Oooops!Thanks Fiery!:D

[dcdrmwthme]

essentially claiming that it is the "only way" to measure one's progress


I dont know how Buddy Rich, Tony Williams, Elvin Jones, and Vinnie Colaiuta managed to get so good without one...!