Metronome

The metronome in Beats is handy If you’d like play along with your favourite instrument, but its main reason for existing is to double check you have the exact BPM of the song you’re listening to.

To increase the tempo, rotate the wheel clockwise. Rotating counter clockwise decreases the tempo. Tapping the centre play button starts and stops the metronome.

The << button temporarily slows down the metronome. This is handy when “pulling” the metronome back to get it in time with another song—a common technique used when DJs beatmix.

The >> button temporarily speeds up the metronome. This is handy when “pushing” the metronome forward to get it in time with another song—a common technique used when DJs beatmix.

Several sound sets and rhythms are available. These can be changed from the Settings tab.

Please note! The metronome sounds have been designed to play as loud as is possible. However, due to the nature of commercially available music, it’s usually not possible to hear the metronome over the top of music playing on the iPod. In a future release we hope to be able to lower the iPod’s volume, but that’s currently not possible.

If you don’t believe us when we say the click is as loud as possible, please take a look at the waveform:

Info on what was done: we tried several limiters and mastering plugins, and ultimately settled on using Logic’s in-built limiter and some vary careful editing to give it a couple of extra db. Attempts with the other plugins on hand resulted in audible distortion when pushed far enough to make a decent volume difference.

The iPhone and second generation iPod touch’s external speaker is the limiting factor—we’ve made the metronome in Beats as loud as is possible.