Korg is attempting to give drummers and percussionists a way of livening up the process of improving their timing skills with Beatlab Mini, a rhythm trainer.
On the one hand, it's a flexible metronome - as well as being able to select the time signature and BPM you can also choose from a wide range of click sounds - but it's the training function that's of most interest.
Hook up the supplied contact mic to your snare or practice pad and you'll get audible feedback on how well (or not so well) you're doing. You'll be told whether you're playing too fast, too slow, good, great, wonderful or perfect, with your scores and progress being logged.
This 'gamification' of the practice process could certainly have motivational benefits - you can adjust the trigger sensitivity to match your abilities and the devices you're practising with. Feedback can be heard via the built-in speaker or through headphones.
Beatlab Mini also comes with a Sound Out function for tuning your drums, and a timer/stopwatch.
Find out more about the Beatlab Mini on the Korg website. We'll bring you pricing and availability details when we have them.
