practice aid choice.

soloman61 · #1 03-06-2007, 09:33 AM

Given the choice between these two general options, which is the best device for practice/training?

Tascam Bass Trainer CD-BT1 mkII or a Drum Machine/rhythm machine (any model comparably priced to the Tascam).

**WillPlay4Food** · #2 03-06-2007, 09:42 AM

Depends on what you want to get out of the device you buy.

The Tascam can speed up / slow down songs as well as shift the key a song is played up or down. These functions help when trying to learn specific songs. Also, if you were to get a CD of chord changes you could use the key shifting functions to get more mileage from a single CD.

If you're looking to practice to rhythms more complex than metronome clicks then you probably need to look into a drum machine.

There are other factors as well. Can the drum machine act as a headphone amp? The biggest plus going for the Tascam in my opinion was that in one package I got a machine that includes a tuner, metronome and headphone amp. It also allows me to slow down songs so I can learn it at my pace. This helps me when I want to transcribe a song as well.

If you do go for the Tascam though, make sure you get the power adapter. 4AA batteries last about 2 hours in it.

Sarbecue Boss · #3 03-06-2007, 12:33 PM

Get band in a box, it is a great practice tool, especially for walking over jazz charts

daffy · #4 03-06-2007, 03:34 PM

I have to say that with the huge amount of software around these days (both free and commercial), I just can't justify the need for a dedicated training gadget.

If you have a laptop or a desktop machine that is in a decent practice area, then I would just use that. If it doesn't have a line in or a mic input that will switch up, then get a little USB audio D/I.

I have used this setup for ages - at home, in hotels when I'm on the road, everywhere. I have my music, my backing tracks, a drum machine, a recorder/looper, a music notation tool, a tuner, some amp and piano/organ simulators, a metronome, some drum samples and my sheet music scanned into PDF.

I would even say buy a second hand laptop for this purpose instead of a dedicated machine.

soloman61 · #5 03-13-2007, 09:50 AM

Any more?

Thanks for the suggestions. Forgot about Band in a Box. A friend suggested that to me. The headphone amp feature sounds like a winner on the Tascam.

QORC · #6 03-13-2007, 09:57 AM

I have a Tascam. It's really helpful.

DJ-Jazzy-Jay · #7 03-17-2007, 03:10 AM

I use jam tracks at activebass.com, and I use metronomeonline.com, which is just a free online metronome.