An objective way to gauge sticking speed and accuracy.
The purpose of the Drumometer is to measure a drummer's technical accuracy, hand or foot speed and offer a means to visualize his or her practice routine. Drumometer does this by counting the total number of strokes a drummer can play within a preset time (1 to 900 seconds). The Drumometer is a wonderful practice motivator to develop a relaxed playing style, for developing endurance and great technique, and improving their sense of timing. The Drumometer is a useful teaching tool with a surprise benefit being the almost feverish addiction to practice that it causes as students can't seem to get enough.
The Drumometer is capable of measuring a drummer's speed on four primary devices:
1. By direct hook-up to the Drum-O-Pad (an internally triggered electronic drum pad),
2. By attaching the supplied Drum-O-Trigger to a tunable practice pad,
3. By direct hook-up to most electronic drums,
4. By attaching the supplied Drum-O-Trigger to a heavily dampened (muffled) drum.
The drum trigger or direct hook-up carries an electronic signal to the Drumometer. When the practice pad or drum is struck, the timer immediately starts counting down and the counter records each drum stroke or tap until the desired time has elapsed. When the timer reaches zero (00) the Drumometer stops, the Zero Tone Alert (ZAT) sounds through the internal speaker or optional headphones, and the number of strokes played is displayed. For a new attempt, press the red Reset button or tap the remote footswitch and the Drumometer resets the counter to zero (0000) and renews the desired time.
Some ask, "Why do I need a Drumometer to measure speed when I already have a metronome that tells me how fast I'm playing?" A metronome will tell you that you are executing a certain pattern at a certain tempo, but it won't tell you how accurately you are executing that pattern. The Drumometer will show you exactly how well that pattern is being executed. A metronome is an invaluable tool to develop timing, meter, and accuracy with subdivisions but it does not correct or gauge technical accuracy—the Drumometer does! Technical accuracy can only be corrected by creating consistent and relaxed strokes. The Drumometer enables you to correct your strokes immediately while you are playing to achieve the desired goal. So you get immediate feedback on your practice routine. The same principle holds true for double-strokes, other rudiments, or any pattern you might choose.
In 1999, Boo McAfee teamed with electrical engineer and drummer, Craig Alan, to develop the machine that many had said was impossible to build. In just 2 months Craig solved the problem of accurately counting drum strokes and built a working proto-type which was first publicly shown at the 1999 PASIC in Columbus, Ohio. Boo and Craig were surprised by the almost feverish addiction created by the Drumometer. The excitement generated by the Drumometer prototype was absolutely phenomenal.
The Drumometer was originally developed to detect a drummer's hand and foot speed, but quickly became a very useful teaching tool. As both pros and students began using the Drumometer, it became apparent there was a huge misconception concerning speed, power, stick locations, volume, finesse, control, muscle tension, larger muscle groups vs. smaller muscle groups, stick weight and size, consistency, rebound, and endurance. The Drumometer shows tangible evidence of these combinations that will not only produce speed, but also increase endurance, dexterity, and a more relaxed and comfortable playing style. In order to increase the effectiveness of the Drumometer, Model II has included many requested features.
