If you’ve been involved with a marching band or drum corps for a while then you’ve probably been handed the metronome and Long Ranger to run during a rehearsal. Now, more importantly, if the show tempo every changed abruptly you’ve had to turn the dial at just the right moment and hope that it only moved one notch over. If it moved two notches over you’d skip a programmed tempo and possibly mess up the ensemble, you might also have switched it too soon and caused a hiccup. Well there is a device that can change all of that! This Dr. Beat Memory Switch works with the Boss DB90 metronome and allows you to change programs at just the push of a button. You can change up and down and even start or stop the metronome all from a small device that fits right in your hand. Check out the creator’s introductory video below, credit to former Blue Devils drum major Andrew Rogers who built this device and has tested it and put it through its paces at several DCI drum corps and top BOA bands.
Andrew’s explanation of the DB90 and his product is very well said, he also shows just how effective the device can be. After working with Andrew we added some options to a customized switch that is even more powerful. Below is an image of the customized device that includes a Start/Stop function button as well as two mid-length instrument cables that allow for mobility without having the unit plugged directly into the metronome.
As you can see in the images above, the switch has an extra button the front as well as 1/4″ instrument cables to allow for handheld use. There is also a convenient clip on the back to attach it to a music stand so you don’t have to hold it the entire time. The original switch only uses one active 1/4″ stereo jack because that is all that’s needed to change programs forward or backward on the DB90. Originally intended for use with a footswitch on a guitar pedalboard, the stereo jack can change programs even if the program option is not selected on the Dr. Beat. A mono jack can also advance programs but it cannot go the other way and backpedal through programs. The secondary 1/4″ jack in the original device was just for stability while plugged into the DB-90. The customized device, shown in the images above, uses two active 1/4″ jacks that allow for the changing of the program as well as the ability to start or stop the metronome. It can still be plugged directly into the Dr. Beat, but it can also work through the use of two instrument cable extensions (as long as they are plugged into the correct terminals, color-coded white and black in the images above).
Overall this is incredibly useful and a must have for anyone who has to run the metronome during rehearsal. Contact Andrew through the address in the description of the YouTube video above to see if he can build you a switch for your ensemble. Supplies may be limited so contact him right away!
