The Metronome

[Hugh Tyros 4]

Setting up the 'defaults' for the Metronome

There are situations when you will need to use the METRONOME.  This could be when switching from a FreePlay STYLE to a Normal Style; or when creating a PART in a STYLE; or creating a MULTI PAD.  ie. Any situation where you need to play the notes 'to a beat'.  The Metronome puts out a beat, and you hear it, but the sound of the Metronome is not recorded.  It is just there to help you 'keep to the beat'.

Basically, if you want to use the Metronome to help you 'keep to the beat', you can't use it when playing 'live' .. as everyone will hear it!  If you are using the Metronome to help you get a recording perfectly 'on the beat' then using it will be fine .. as the metronome is not picked up by the in-built recorder.

You can check out  your Settings for the METRONOME by pressing it and listening to what you've got.



You need to hear the 'beat', with a 'BELL' sound emphasising the first beat of the bar.  If you haven't got that, the Metronome 'defaults' are in MENU, FUNCTION, UTILITY .. and the CONFIG 1 Tab.  The quickest way to get to that is to press the DIRECT ACCESS button followed by the METRONOME button.  The DIRECT ACCESS route is the quickest way to get to any of the 'set-up' pages.





Pressing the METRONOME button after seeing the message above gets you to the Display Page where the Metronome is.

To get to the page showing the METRONOME, move down to "2" on the left.  This is how the METRONOME should be set up.  VOLUME = 127; SOUND = BELL ON.  You will see the TIME SIGNATURE displayed in the third box.



I always use the METRONOME when recording a MULTI PAD.  While the rhythm is going I hum the tune I am playing in my head in order to play the little Multipad 'counter-note' melodies in the right place.  The Metronome 'beat' is not recorded into the Multipad.

When creating a PART in a STYLE to replace an existing one it isn't really necessary to use the Metronome as the Style itself has it's own 'rhythm' with drums/guitars etc. which you can hear.  But adding the METRONOME to the mix can just make that beat a little bit stronger for you to follow it.

I thought that Freeplay STYLES didn't have a rhythm associated with them .. but they do!  You can't hear any rhythm, but the Freeplay STYLE does follow beats in bars.  If you only use a Freeplay STYLE then this isn't a problem.  But if you want to 'mix' a Freeplay STYLE with a normal one that has a rhythm .. this is where things come unstuck.  When you bring the normal Style in it won't start until the first beat of the bar the Freeplay Style is doing.  By having the METRONOME 'ON' you can play the Freeplay Style bit 'to the beat' .. and change the REGISTRATION enabling the normal Style to come in on the first beat of the bar.

Here's one where I do have a mixture of a FreePlay Style and a normal one.

Feelings
https://audio.com/hugh-ar/audio/feelings-t4
 
I had the METRONOME playing all the way through this so I could get the changes in the right place.  Of course that didn't come out in the recording.  If I played this to you 'live', either you would hear the METRONOME sounding all the way through; or if I turned it OFF .. then, when I did that run up with the strings the rhythm would be all over the place when it came in.

Hugh

Edit (by Hugh): Images are now LINKED to a new 'cloud' storage.  Text has not been edited.