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BEAT BUGTM BB2 patented
YOU'VE NEVER SEEN AN ANIMAL LIKE THIS!!!
PLEASE READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY AND COMPLETELY!
BEAT BUG IS A METRONOME AND A METER MONITOR (OR DIGITAL 'SPEEDOMETER') THAT PROVIDES AN INSTANTANEOUS EVALUATION OF EVERY INTERVAL IT HEARS. IT DIVIDES THE INTERVAL BETWEEN ANY TWO CONSECUTIVE DRUM BEATS INTO A MINUTE, THEN DISPLAYS BEATS PER MINUTE (bpm). IT IS NOT AN AVERAGING CIRCUIT.
You are your own boss. What freedom! What Flexibility! What a relief! There's no more panic about being out of sync with that stupid, annoying click. Just play and it follows you, letting you know how you're doing every step of the way. The most obvious use for BEAT BUG is to monitor how fast a drummer hits the snare drum during the verse of a song. A standard rock/shuffle 2, 4 'back-beat' in 4/4 time is the perfect application. But, it can be used in other time signatures just as easily. It's much easier to use than a regular metronome.
USE: Let's say your snare drum is that thing inside of an imaginary metronome that does the clicking. It then follows that the faster you hit the snare, or click, the higher the number must be that this metronome will display or communicate to the outside world. And the slower you click, the lower that number will be in terms of bpm.
You are the clicker inside of your new BEAT BUG, and making it continually display the same number is the name of the game. So, if you play a standard rock song in 4/4 time at a tempo of 120 bpm, then the 2,4 'back-beat' will yield a rate displayed on the BEAT BUG of 60 bpm; since only half of the quarter-notes are being played at regular intervals. Likewise, if only the 3 is being played in 3/4 time at a tempo of 120 bpm, a rate of 40 bpm will be displayed.
Irregular patterns can also be monitored as long as its a repeating pattern and there's a rest in the pattern long enough for the display to be read. It doesn't necessarily matter what that number is. (To do the math every time would drive you nuts!) What matters is that the same number keeps coming up at the same spot in that pattern. You'll get accustomed to this as time goes on and you familiarize yourself with BEAT BUG's amazing flexibility. It's this flexibility that makes your BEAT BUG a versatile and valuable tool.
Live, studio, and practice applications are no problem for BEAT BUG. In fact, you may even prefer BEAT BUG over an ordinary metronome in all situations. You'll find that it's fun to work with since you won't be bothered by that flam you hear when straying from a regular metronome. You'll begin to look at BEAT BUG as your friend, not as 'the enemy' like ordinary metronomes.
MOUNTING: BEAT BUG can be attached anywhere on your kit with the supplied hook & loop strips, or just laid next to you on a table top. In any case, your BEAT BUG should be within reach so you can make tempo and sensitivity adjustments. The sensor should be mounted opposite you on your snare drum, red side down, well out to the rim. It should lay flat on the drum head and be held in place with the supplied retainer clip. You'll need to remove a tension rod and insert it through the loop in the clip so that the it reaches over the rim and holds down on the sensor. Bend the clip until it dimples the foam on the sensor. Never let it contact the sensor! Next, tape the mini-jack to the outside of the rim and connect it to the BEAT BUG with the supplied patch cord. Plug the power supply into any 115 volt/AC wall outlet and connect it to the bottom of your BEAT BUG. The numbers should light. Use surge protection whenever possible. Now you're ready to play!
TECHNIQUE: You should not make any adjustments in your playing technique. Just play as you normally would and let BEAT BUG do the work for you. It is sensitive enough to pick up (hear) a moderately light stick stroke; an accented brush stroke; and can easily hear a 'cross-stick' click. Extra loud full-swing snare hits are no problem. The decimals will light when a beat is heard, and the display will update when they extinguish.
FILLS: As soon as you break meter and play a fill, BEAT BUG will follow you. Disregard the numbers while playing fills. Until you return to the 'back-beat', its best to look away while filling. You'll then need to play two 'back-beats' to re-establish the interval.
KICK OFF TEMPOS: Simply press and release the switch between the two knobs on top of your BEAT BUG. This engages an internal metronome that will flash the decimals at the displayed rate. Dial in the song tempo with the left knob. Faster = CW (R); Slower = CCW (L). (This is an analog oscillator with an infinite number of frequencies being monitored by a digital device that will only pick out certain frequencies. Consequently, if you dial in an "in-between" frequency, the display will bounce between two numbers. The same thing happens in monitor mode if you play an in-between tempo.) For slower tempos, dial in twice the tempo and mentally count every other beat. The metronome will stay engaged until you hit the drum. Triggering from the drum automatically disengages the metronome and returns BEAT BUG to the monitor mode. (TIP: Turning the sensitivity all the way off keeps BEAT BUG in the metronome mode.)
INVERSIONS: Any error or deviation from an established interval will automatically be inverted in the next interval played. For example: The established rate being played is 60 bpm. If you're a little early with a beat and hit a 63, then the very next display will be 57 even if you hit the beat 'dead-on'. This glitch will then disappear and , if you're metering well, will return to 60 on the second interval after the error. It's just the nature of the beast and should be considered a little incentive to avoid making mistakes. It's BEAT BUG's way of saying, "Well, ya screwed up! Let's get it right guy!!"
PERCENT OF ERROR: This unit listens for a beat 60 times every second. So, let's say you missed playing a beat 'right on' in an established interval by 1/60 of a second. If that interval is a long one, say 1.2 sec./50 bpm, then the 1/60 sec. you missed by is a small part of the total interval. This is a small percent of error and will be reflected by a one number change in the read-out. On the other hand, if the established interval is short, say 1/2 second/120bpm, then your percent of error is greater and you'll see a greater change(116/124) in the read-out. That's why it may seem easier to maintain a slower rate. So don't panic if you see a large fluctuation at faster tempos. You can be off by 5-10 numbers before it becomes noticeable to the ear at faster rates.
RANGE: BEAT BUG has an effective range from 14 to 400 bpm. This range covers 99% of all tempos you'll encounter. Metronome range: ~50 - 200 bpm.
WARRANTY: L.T. LUG LOCK will repair your BEAT BUG if a factory defect exists for a period of 1 year from the date of purchase. We are not responsible for damage caused by abuse or carelessness. Your BEAT BUG has limited built-in surge and over-voltage protection. Therefore, the manufacturer cannot be held responsible for damage caused by extreme supply voltage transients. We strongly urge the use of a device designed to prevent damage of this nature. Due to the sensor's extremely fragile nature, we can not warranty this component.
TIPS:
Don't watch your BEAT BUG too closely----especially during a live performance. You can pay too much attention to it and get lost, inhibit your creativity, and....look like a zombie. Glance at it occasionally, especially after a fill, to make sure you're still on tempo.
Use of any muffling device will naturally inhibit vibrations and reduce sensitivity. If your BEAT BUG is too sensitive for your style (reading too many ghost notes), simply reduce sensitivity with the right knob. Less sensitive = CCW (L); More sensitive = CW (R).
LEDs are very difficult to read in bright light. Try to shade them if bright lights are used. A red stage light gel taped over the display will help greatly.
Tape the power supply and patch cords to stands and drums so they stay out of the way and you don't trip over them. Leave enough slack so they don't unplug if something moves.
The sensor will break very easily. Be gentle, and remove it after every gig.
This kit contains: Beat Bug; AC adapter; sensor w/clip; patch cord; hook & loop strips; instructions.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Dimensions: 5" X 2.5" X 7/8" Weight: 4 ounces.
Power supply: 9 vdc @ 300 ma., 2.1mm - tip pos. connector. Display: 3 digits, .56" LEDs. 1 KHz scan rate.
Range: 14 - 400 bpm; Metronome: ~50 - 200 bpm. Resolution: 1/60 sec.
Accuracy: 1/90 sec.
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