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Worlds First Drum Machine in Pedal Form!

#901
Yes, that was in response to you. I should add that I'm paraphrasing the e-mail as well as I can, it does seem like non-US goes straight from the logistics company (wherever that is) and are not required to pass through the US.

I was one of the earliest Indiegogo supporters, so I assume this info applies to people like me. I'm not sure where the cutoff was to not be included in this production run.
 
#902
Adamixoye said:
Yes, that was in response to you. I should add that I'm paraphrasing the e-mail as well as I can, it does seem like non-US goes straight from the logistics company (wherever that is) and are not required to pass through the US.

I was one of the earliest Indiegogo supporters, so I assume this info applies to people like me. I'm not sure where the cutoff was to not be included in this production run.
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Thanks for that.

I figured if I posted here we might turn up some dates of people who HAVE got emails and people who HAVEN'T.

I believe the non-US shipping was outlined on their website, and matches your paraphrasing :)
 
#905
Had to write Beat Buddy about a minor thing; Eli (brother of David) told me BB's are still en route to US, should be here (in the country) in a couple of days.
 
#908
I would rather start having fun on the pedal and wait on the software to unlock its full capabilities than experiment with the software but have no way to use the beats...
 
#909
Of course, we all want the pedal, it's just a matter of transit time though. I would like to hear something about the software though. I'm getting the feeling it's going to be a hold-up of sorts. (especially for us mac users)
 
#911
Pudge Fish said:
How does the idea of "it'll get here when it does" apply to hardware but not software?
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Because in the eyes of many, software is "the easy part."
It doesn't require shipping - it's a download.
It doesn't have to clear customs.
It doesn't need a fancy box.
There are no 'manufactured parts' nor long-lead-time components.
It's just - ya know - make up some stuff and ta da...
(Been writing software and firmware for 40 years - heard it all...)

While "software makes hardware happen" the reality is - the pedal will (we all hope...) do _something_ without the software, while the software by itself is nothing more than pretty pictures on a screen without the hardware.

Properly done software is a _lot_ harder than most people not in the industry imagine. While I know this is true to some extent of _every_ profession, it's hard to get a handle on exactly what goes into making a commercial software product without some exposure to the field.

And nothing lights a fire under already overworked developers like "the hardware is SHIPPING!" ...
 
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#913
I also think some people keep forgetting what the software will and won't do. It won't program beats. It will only turn MIDI file beats into Beat Buddy compatible songs. A better use of your time would be to program your beats in the software of your choice (e.g., GarageBand).

This is simultaneously an argument for why the software should already be in our hands, and also for why "just playing with it" probably won't be that useful.
 
#914
Adamixoye said:
...A better use of your time would be to program your beats in the software of your choice (e.g., GarageBand).
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OK - let's follow through on that train of thought. I don't have a beat-generating software of my choice. I bought into the BeatBuddy concept and I have no regrets. I'm OK with what it will and won't do.

But I don't currently have a favorite solution for what it won't do. I happen to be a PC guy by occupational hazard.
I've got FL Studio, originally on the strength of people suggesting it for making drum loops for practice.
I've heard other names bandied about in the thread, and I know nothing about any of them.
Say, for the sake of argument, that I wanted to make some BB-compatible beats for 12-bar blues and just as a f'rinstance, Tull's version of Bourée, which features several tempo changes and breaks.

Can I do what needs doing with FL Studio? (Believe me, I will be consulting the Help, just not tonight...)
What's the _simplest_ way of getting basic stuff done, with the understanding that I'm not afraid to upgrade to something more capable later, even if there is a cost associated?

Seriously asking for suggestions here - this is new territory for me and I am willing to learn.
 
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#915
ArtechnikA said:
OK - let's follow through on that train of thought. I don't have a beat-generating software of my choice. I bought into the BeatBuddy concept and I have no regrets. I'm OK with what it will and won't do.

But I don't currently have a favorite solution for what it won't do. I happen to be a PC guy by occupational hazard.
I've got FL Studio, originally on the strength of people suggesting it for making drum loops for practice.
I've heard other names bandied about in the thread, and I know nothing about any of them.
Say, for the sake of argument, that I wanted to make some BB-compatible beats for 12-bar blues and just as a f'rinstance, Tull's version of Bourée, which features several tempo changes and breaks.

Can I do what needs doing with FL Studio? (Believe me, I will be consulting the Help, just not tonight...)
What's the _simplest_ way of getting basic stuff done, with the understanding that I'm not afraid to upgrade to something more capable later, even if there is a cost associated?

Seriously asking for suggestions here - this is new territory for me and I am willing to learn.
Click to expand...
While I am guilty of derailing this very thread, that's a massive area, and perhaps one worth starting a thread about :) maybe title it "midi sequencer for pc suggestions (for drum loops).

Sorry to hear you misunderstood about the software. They were pretty clear upfront that you'd have to program the beats externally. The software is more like a 'manager' than anything else, by the sounds of it.

This is actually a good thing, because A) they don't have to reinvent the wheel and B) they won't turn off customers who find half-baked, proprietary software incredibly annoying. E.g., realistically any midi sequencer they would make would always come second (or third, etc) to software by companies who's entire product line is sequencers/daws. If you had to program beats in bb software, I'm sure many people with some sequencer experience would find several irritating flaws!

To close my rant, I haven't had any experience with FL studio, but I'm sure it can do what you want. Basically any daw, right down to the dodgy free ones (garageband - oooh, hope that stings ;) ) CAN do this, it's more a matter of how painful (or efficient, for the optimists) it will be :D

Have a mess around with it now, see what you can get!
 
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#917
I'm going to try GarageBand first and see how it goes. I mean, the thing is, they don't have to SOUND good with GarageBand's kits, because Beat Buddy is supplying the drum kits. I realize this answer doesn't help PC users. If anyone else has any Mac suggestions, I'd love to hear them too. Eventually I might upgrade to something else, as necessary.
 
#918
ArtechnikA said:
Because in the eyes of many, software is "the easy part."

Properly done software is a _lot_ harder than most people not in the industry imagine. While I know this is true to some extent of _every_ profession, it's hard to get a handle on exactly what goes into making a commercial software product without some exposure to the field.

And nothing lights a fire under already overworked developers like "the hardware is SHIPPING!" ...
Click to expand...

That's what I was getting at. Software development can be extremely trying (several pervasive OS / environments exist nowadays) and I can only assume they recently nailed down the firmware to allow final dev / testing. But people constantly saying "Yea, but I want the software" just seems odd. I've never bought a pedal thinking "I can't wait to plug my computer into this!".... no sir. I want to plug my bass into a working pedal and jam. Yearning for software (like I need more audio software :P) seems an odd priority. Like a cart before the horse. Sure you can load it up and get prepped, but it aint moving without the horse. The horse, on the other hand, will do a great deal on it's own plus make use of the cart... (a bit derivative, I know)

The fact that David and Co have created a new device that we want, from scratch, is brilliant. I'm just stoked to know they are making solid progress and I look forward to seeing what BeatBuddy is capable of.
 
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#919
Moley13 said:
Sorry to hear you misunderstood about the software. They were pretty clear upfront that you'd have to program the beats externally.
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Not a misunderstanding, more a lack of understanding. Yes, they were always clear about it, I simply didn't understand what that meant.

And let me be clear - I'm not upset in the least, nor feeling misled. Like I said - I bought into the concept of what it is, because I believe it's sound and useful. I agree the way it works and what it doesn't do (external programming) is good. So it's all good.

But that said, I still need a way to accomplish the stuff that it doesn't do, and I'm still a bit clueless on what that is, exactly. Fine, it's more stuff I've gotta learn. I like the learning process or I'da never taken up the bass! I'm just asking for some guidance from those that already know this stuff. I'm not even sure of some of the terms of what I've got to learn... I'm expecting that when the BB software becomes available it will turn on some lights, because I'll then know what it's expecting as an input. Once I know what I need, I can head down the path of making it happen.

Is there a book? Should I pick up a copy of one of the Electronic Musician magazines? Is there a 'MIDI for Dummies' book ? Off to Amazon...
 
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#920
If there is a book let us know, please...

I've hit "Youtube" for info on making beats, which has turned out to be a pain so far. I can do it but it is time consuming for this novice. I'm now on to using the midi out on my Vdrums to record beats. I have the hardware and am going to mess with that this weekend, hopefully. But I have the advantage of owning the equipment already and of being a pretty good drummer at one time...
 

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