PRODUCT REVIEW

DIGITAL Metronomes

Like so many other products these days there is very nearly an arm full of options available to us from tuning forks, pitch pipes, chromatic, quartz, digital and of course the ear, should you be blessed with the ability to hear at pitch, all designed to make ones life easier, but do they?
I've spent the summer enjoying my guitar and at the same time comparing a variety of digital tuners. All of which relieve the frustration of keeping ones guitar in tune, especially, if like me you need that security blanket just to confirm that your original decision regarding pitch was correct.

Wittner - MT40

This is a really rather cute and slim, hand sized metronome, slim enough to put in your shirt pocket. The beep is quite high pitched but you can either render it silent by pressing the power button once, or there is an earphone jack socket. The LCD screen is a good size with a large diamond indicator that flashes either side of the setting number. The beat settings range from 0 to 7, duple quavers, triplet quavers and quadruple semi-quavers and there is also a tone note at A for 440 Hz pitch. Embossed on the back is a tempo range list from largo to prestissimo and the CR2032 lithium batter is included.

Seiko - DM50

Another very neat, handy sized metronome but this one is an actual clip that you can attach to your music stand or even use clip sheet music in place. It's very simple to use with clear instructions on how to change the tempo, beat and volume. There is a 4 step volume control on this one starting with silent mode, and the beat range is the same as the MT40. A CR2025 battery is included and can be replaced when the display becomes dim and the sound becomes weak. Visual indication of tempo is through one red light that flashes in the centre of the metronome. If you keep the power button depressed, the screen will change into a clock. There is no reference note on this unit to assist with tuning.

Seiko - DM100

This unit is slightly larger than the DM50 and MT40 but is still comfortable in the hand with a few rather useful extras. At the back of the unit you have either a pop-up stand allowing you to stand the metronome securely on a flat surface or alternatively there is a narrow slot for attaching it the ledge of a music stand. For this latter option I felt a little worried that it could easily be knocked off. The visual indication of tempo is by an arc of flashing LED lights and in sound it reminds me very much of the early tennis computer games but there is a volume control dial on this unit. One other feature that could be very useful is the 'Tap-in' switch. This allows you to tap in time to a piece of music you are listening to and the metronome will identify the tempo of the piece for you. You can select and sound the pitch of a note from A through to G#. 2 AAA batteries are included.

Intelli IMT-301

This metronome is also a tuner, thermo-hygro meter and reference pitch generator all rolled into one. The only thing I couldn't get it to do was phone a friend or pick out six winning lottery numbers. When you first switch it on you are given the room temperature and humidity percentage on the LCD panel. It's easy to flick between Celcius and Fahrenheit and to see the maximum or minimum figures for the best conditions to keep your guitar in. On the side of the unit is the Mode Selector which, when in the OFF position, sets the IMT-301 to this Thermo-Hygro meter mode. The next mode down is Metro which offers you two metronome options allowing you to switch easily between two different set ups. To change the temp, there is a setting dial in the middle of the unit that you roll up or down, similar to that on a computer mouse. Rhythm and beat are altered using the max / min buttons either side of the roller. As well as a single flashing LED indicator above the LCD panel for visualising the tempo, there is also a pendulum motion indicator on the display panel itself. The Tuner mode also has two options to choose from; chromatic tuning suitable for all instruments, including the voice (brilliant if your not sure of how your voice is pitching) and guitar tuning for the six strings of our very favourite instrument. To change from one to the other you simply press the Min button which is a toggle action between the two. There is also an input jack for electric instruments. The tuning range is 8 octaves if you think you're man enough! Finally you are now blessed with the Sound mode which is a reference pitch generator that offers 88 notes through the chromatic scale. To change the note you simply roll the Setting Dial in the centre and if you are really really musical, you can fine tune your thumb to roll out a tune. I tried the theme from Harry Potter but found it a bit too difficult, in fact sound wise if you closed your eyes you would think that they had re-invented the Stylophone (remember Rolf Harris, those were the days - or was that Mary Hopkins?)

Item	Power Source	Good Points	Not So Good Points	Cost
Wittner - MT40	CR2032 Battery	Very slim. Good sized LCD screen. Embossed tempo range to the rear of unit. Excellent value for money. Credit card sized. Simple to use.	No volume control. No free standing facility.	£18
Seiko DM50	CR2025 Battery	Cute handy clip on. 4 step volume control. Clips to music for security and ease of use. Can be used as a clock.	Visual tempo light quite small. No pitch reference note to assist tuning.	£14
Seiko DM100	2 AAA Batteries	Compact, easy to handle, good visibility and accuracy. Tap-in tempo function.	Fixing to music stand is not secure.	£27
Intelli IM-301	2 x CR2032 coin cell Batteries.	Multi function. Easy to understand. Free standing. Good volume level. Carry Case included. Good operating instructions.	Little bulky for travelling.	£40