A Drummer’s Review
By Harold Agosto
When I reflect on the drummers that inspired me to play drums, I find a few characteristics they have in common:
attitude
big sounds
cool grooves
most importantly solid tempo
I started playing drums at age 15, and I remember my teacher telling me to practice with a metronome. Unfortunately, there was a problem... it was not loud enough and there was no way to plug headphones.
From an educator standpoint teaching tempo is one of the most difficult concepts to teach, explaining that the speed of your playing has to be the consistent and you need to be able to notice when you are dragging or rushing. Inevitably, it is a long process to assimilate, but fortunately tools like Backbeater help dramatically.
“The speed of your playing has to be the consistent and you need to be able to notice when you are dragging or rushing”
Traditional metronomes rely on the musician to make the judgement if he/she is playing on time. The Backbeater app is clean and aesthetically pleasing. It has 5 built in sounds (hot dog is my favorite one), control for the sensor sensibility, tap/play tempo setting and other. Same controls are also shared in the Backbeater Tempo Circle app as well, which I will like to spend time with it since visually feels more comfortable to me.
The unboxing experience is very pleasing. Every component is clearly labeled and instructions with image are helpful as well. Inside the box you will find the sensor, clip, splitter and instruction manual. Each component is well constructed - the attachment clip is made out of metal and has 2 lips bend to help it secure in between the rod and the snare hoop. The sensor feels solid without any jiggling or loose parts. It has a very strong adhesive and it does not feel like it will give up at all.
One feature that impressed me is that the sensor's housing rotates to release tension of the already well constructed cable. The splitter shares the same quality construction and clearly labels where the sensor goes. The optional cellphone mount is small and non-invasive enough that could be left on the stand if you intend to gig with it and just like the other components of the Backbeater sensor is well constructed.