Review Guitarplayer USA

The BeatBuddy is the monster smash hit that I never saw coming. Don’t ever ask me if your song is a “sure thing,” or if your favorite sports team will go on to wear championship rings. But let’s jettison the marketing stats and look at the form and function. As a musical device, the BeatBuddy is still pretty monstrous. The stompbox configuration is genius for anyone wanting a compact drum machine on their pedalboard, and the chassis and treadle are gig tough. I stomped all over that sucker and never had a fail.

All the information you need is readily at hand: song name, song style, time signature, the part being played, the current drum set, volume, and tempo, and a moving bar shows where the beat is in the measure. For spontaneous types, changes on the fly are a breeze— just tap in a tempo, twist a knob for Volume, Drum Set, or Tempo, or push a button (to scroll through menus). An optional footswitch can take some of the punishment away from the pedal itself and also expand your parameter options. The included BeatBuddy Manager software gives you access to updates and user content, and lets you create your own songs using MIDI files, as well as your own drum kits utilizing WAV files. A headphone jack (and dedicated Volume knob) is great for auditioning songs and drum kits before you hit the stage

Man, I so missed the boat on this one. The BeatBuddy is an awesome groove tool for all musicians. And it fits into a coat pocket.