Ludwig Metronome iPhone App Review

Aloha!

If you are a studio rat and squirrel yourself away practicing all day, you had better get yourself a metronome. You can spend anywhere between $9.99 and $160 to get a dedicated metronome, or…if you have an iPhone, iPod touch or iPad, you can download a free app that does the job just as well.

Lately I have been using the Ludwig Metronome app by Steinway Musical Instruments. Since when did Steinway buy Ludwig?

Anyway, the app downloaded quickly enough for me, and should work on any of the aforementioned Apple products as long as they are updated with at least iOS 4.2 or later. I used my iPhone initially, but have since put it on my iPad too. It seems to work about the same either way.

It took just a few seconds to figure out how to use it, and it does exactly what it is supposed to, which is help keep time. It makes the usual “tick, tick” noises, but it is customizable in a lot of other useful ways. It can be set up so that the downbeat has a different sound, and in one of nine different common time signatures (or none at all, hmm).

As you use the imaginary tempo wheel on the main screen to change the speed, the app will let you know the name of the time signature, and then the difference between allegro and presto becomes crystal clear.

You can set up the Ludwig Metronome app so that it flashes too (in one of seven colors) – and you can modify it so that it flashes on every beat, on just the downbeats, or on every beat with a different color downbeat. It can also be used with no flashes at all.

And the last thing in the function department is that you can tap in your own tempo (maybe for that Metallica song you are learning), and then hit the play icon so it will motor along at your selected speed. This is a surprisingly handy function when learning new music.

There are a few other fun features too, like the option of using new of vintage Ludwig logos, or selecting nifty Ludwig drum wraps as the decoration for your app. Of course there is a Ludwig dealer locater that is built in too – you have to expect that from a free app…

The Ludwig drum wrap is a stone cold awesome deal, and if you are looking for a metronome, you have nothing to lose by giving it a try. Check it out!

Mahalo