Beatnik RA1200P Rhythmic Analyzer

First off - this thing is built - that is - is build to beat on - literally. The base is a heavy plastic with so much ribbing and rubber feet it is as good any any ordinary practice pad I have seen. Let's just say it is not going to "walk off the table". And there are plenty of features. So often is the case that a product falls short on features because of bad software. I'm only a drum novice - but I do write software - and this product is well thought out. And it is hard! That is, I believe it will challenge just about anyone. Because I'm a novice drummer - you should read other reviews to get a better understanding how well this prepares you for playing in a band or other types of musical groups. All I'm saying is that there is no way anyone will be able to master what this thing dishes out in, say, a few months. Rather, you will probably be learning on this for a long time. And after that, you will be using it just to freshen up and see where you are at.

I have been drumming on an acoustic kit for about a year and wanted a way to practice increasing tempo that would measure accuracy electronically. I got my Beatnik a couple of weeks ago and have been using it every chance I get. I basically love it. Plusses:1. It does exactly what I hoped it would and it is about as fun as something that lacks the pizazz of playing alongside a real song can have. It is pretty addictive, actually.2. It is simple enough to use and provides direct, immediate, useful feedback.3. Physically, the unit seems very solid, with a nice heavy feel to it. I am expecting it to last a while.4. The instructions are short and to the point.Well, nothing is perfect, here are my negatives:1. The AC adapter is sold separately! WTF?2. In 'Novice' (Low Skill) mode, at a mere 40 BPM, it is, for me at least, impossible to get a perfect score. I finally settled on 97% being good enough. OK, OK, I am a crappy drummer. But this is novice mode at a very low tempo with no 'complications' like accents. I am not THAT bad! I mean to say, I think their definition of 'Low Skill' is a little harsh ;)3. In 'Groove' mode, I have the opposite problem: I can get perfect scores in 'Expert' mode, no problem. Yes, I understand that they measure different things. It doesn't seem quite right that the degree of difficulty is so different, though.4. Every 10-15 minutes the unit makes a very loud scratch noise (kind of like a needle being pulled across an old-style LP, if you know what that is...) for no apparent reason. No, I am not moving the jack or doing anything like that. It seems like some random electronic flaw. Not a big deal, though.5. The number of modes and views and analyzers is a bit overcomplicated for a casual user guy like me; I'd be fine with just one of each. I found out after I bought this unit that the company sells a scaled down version directly, but their products are much, much cheaper through Amazon.To sum up: if you're interested in improving accuracy, I'd recommend it, for sure.

The buttons are really inconsistent. Sometimes they work, sometimes not. Either I got a lemon, or don't waste your money. Unreliable tools are really frustrating.

The lcd screen was messed up so I requested to send it back. Overall it feels poorly constructed. I would be a buyer at $60 if it was in working condition when I received it. I'm not requesting a replacement, because of the build quality.

My 4th grader has always struggled with attention and focus. The awful pediatrician was quick to prescribe Ritalin and other medications, but we sought alternative treatment with occupational therapy (developing core muscle strength) and with 15 sessions of Interactive Metronome. You can read up on IM on the internet yourself; IM has helped many people with developing timing precision for doing sports as well as improving ADHD symptoms. After 15 sessions of IM for my child, I really wanted to maintain the practice of beating to a drumbeat of 54 beats per minute. 54 bpm is what Interactive Metronome's program uses. It is just long enough between beats that one can't so easily predict the coming of the next beat without a lot of repetition to internalize the rhythm. Anyhow, the IM sessions has established rhythm and focus and concentration in my son.We are keeping up the therapy regiment at home with this Beatnik RA1200p Rhythmic Analyzer. It is what I have found that best mimics what Interactive Metronome does. On this instrument, one can set the quarter note to 54 bpm. I also set the Analyzer=Dynamic, Views=History2, Skill=L. We bought a pair of drum sticks. On the History2 view, one gets instant live visual feedback for whether he is hitting the drum ahead or behind the metronome. The visual feedback is what we are after. Unfortunately, unlike the Interactive Metronome setup, there is no audio feedback. But we will just have to live without it. IM charges $600 for the machine and $200 for the license (if I am not mistaken).For those interested in mimicking our at-home therapy without paying $100 per session for some IM therapy, this is what we do:1) Game of Balance Discs: Buy two Altus Athletic Core Balance Disc (from Amazon) and a water noodle. Set the two balance discs about 5 feet apart. Have two contestants, each standing on a disc on carpet, try to tug or push or whack with the water noodle to get the other guy to fall off the disc. The name of the game is to stay on the disc longer than your opponent. Holding the water noodle is not necessarily an advantage. This is a really fun game.2) Get on a swing with the stomach on the seat. Then swing and twist on the swing. This is very important for those whose attention and focus problems is related to a poor connection between the brain and the vestibular senses. How can you tell if you have this problem? If you or your child can read in the car or go on spinning rides at an amusement park without getting sick. How it was explained to me is that if you have this vestibular-brain problem, the brain is constantly seeking motion stimulation, and you would wound up with a fidgety child and ADHD symptoms. Ritalin is not going to solve the root cause of this vestibular-brain connection.3) Play ball. Throw, catch, bat, swing. Whatever. Ball skills reinforce the Interactive Metronome timing and rhythm. Typical ADHD child has problem with sports.4) Use the Beatnik Rhythmic Analyzer at the setting described above. Set a timer for 10-20 minutes. At Interactive Metronome therapy sessions, the child did up to 25 minutes for the longest stretch of tapping to 54 bpm. At IM therapy sessions, the therapist had used a combination of hand and feet tapping to work on physical coordination. Obviously that can't be done with the Beatnik. However, one can get creative with just drumming with only right hand, only left hand, or both hands. One can also drum with some repetitive toe-tapping or heel-tapping sequence. If you really want to get very advanced, drum with one hand, and use the other hand to do a non-drum related activity on the side like rearranging pieces on a chess board. Try that for a real brain coordination workout.Beatnik is a good enough alternative to IM At-Home package (which I think is overpriced). I really think that the Interactive Metronome founder can develop an app for the iPhone/iPad. It would be so much cheaper and his impact on the world of ADHD patients would be so much greater. An app can't be that hard to develop as an iphone has a gyroscope and can be shaken like handbell to register a beat. Alternatively, Interactive Metronome can also partner with Wii or other motion sensitive game consoles. Just limiting people to expensive therapies would limit IM's impact on helping those afflicted with ADHD and ADHD-like symptoms.I hope that this review is useful to some people who are seeking help for their ADHD family members or friends. I know for sure that my son needs ongoing at-home therapy like I described in Steps 1-4. He does regress when he doesn't do those steps at least 2 times a week. He is definitely a much more focused child. He can do homework with less assistance, and he is becoming an avid reader, not just comic books. A development psychologist told me that an ADHD child cannot plow through a thick book like Harry Potter stuff.We have an improving situation. Hope yours will be, too. The cost on ADHD is too great on our society. I will soon be setting up a blog to share more with what I have learned in our battle against attention/focus impairment.