Soundbrenner Pulse: Gimmick or Godsend?

When you were seven years old, what bothered you more? Getting shoved by your older sibling or the infamous "I'm not touching you?" The mind game of not being touched made me feel like I was in a CIA black site. Metronomes historically use visual and audio cues to improve our sense of time and sometimes negatively affect my concentration. I found the novelty of keeping time through touch enticing. I am constantly a foot-tapper during a gig or swaying my entire body awkwardly to keep the beat through a measure. When I decided to take the leap and try out the Sound Brenner Pulse, I had no idea how I would react, adjust, or get annoyed. I can pleasantly say it provided me with a constant unconscious reminder of the downbeat (and everything in-between).

Soundbrenner is a German startup that creates wearables. These devices vibrate against your body to keep the beat, but it doesn't stop there. Their tech lives up to the complexities that you imagine would come with syncing a device to an app to the point where you may take it for granted. Let's break it down.

Out of the box

The Pulse is neat. A two-inch diameter disk encased in plastic. The bottom is textured, giving a feel of quality that counters the smooth face of the device. Thicker than a poker chip with enough weight to it to spark your curiosity. The translucent outline grabs your attention, and I quickly discovered it makes a satisfying clicking sound to correspond with the BPM's as you rotate the face. The pulse comes with a small smooth-to-the-touch watch band and a much larger one that you can use to wrap around your leg or bicep in case you feel the need to keep your wrists free. The strap securely encloses the Pulse into place and is easy enough to swap out. The box also includes a bright green 24-inch power cable that magnetically connects to the Pulse for charging. I looked online to buy a longer cord and couldn't find options other than a replacement directly from the website. After a few hours of charge (2.5 hours), the Pulse turns green to indicate it is full.

On its own, the Pulse has a few easy-to-learn functions. You can tap out a tempo using two fingers on the face. Three steady taps will lead to a continuous beat. This function works well and outperforms any metronome (app or external device) I have had in the past. From there, you can turn the dial to adjust the speed. Three quick two-finger taps will stop the beat in its tracks. For this model, there is no indication of BMP or battery life on the wearable. It's bare-bones, and that was what drew me to it. I wanted something simple, and considering the cost of the higher-end models, I can live with the limited features. These work both effectively and intuitively.

The App

The app is what impressed me. On its own, it functions like other metronome apps with the ability to subdivide and offer a clear screen flash to go with an audible click. The subdivision and time signatures cover just about every possibility you could think of, and it also offers a "song duration" option. Meaning you can have a tempo working for a precise number of bars or length of time. I love this feature when focusing on scale warm-ups. I'll use it during scale patterns and work on them until the "song" ends. Once the Pulse syncs with the app, it hits its stride.

The Pulse options and customization, when paired with the app, feel limitless. The wearable offers five different colors to light up each beat. Nine different buzzing levels alter the duration and intensity of the metered buzz. You can also use these in combination with the colors for up to three vibrating levels to keep your time. The customization is both fun and effective. Think a heavy, hard-hitting duration for the big beat and a brief buzz for off beats. If creating complex meters for practicing songs is something that interests you, Soundbrenner's subscription may be for you. For 7.99 a month or 59.99 a year, you can save an unlimited amount of tempo tracks into a song library and or setlist library. Without the subscription, you can save up to ten songs and two setlists.

What I found most impressive was the connectivity between the pulse and the app. I've used the Pulse hundreds of hours and up to 2:30 hours at a time and have never once lost connectivity. More importantly, the visuals on my phone perfectly sync up with the vibration from the pulse and the blinking of the light. Using blue tooth, I often experience a delay between the device and phone, or after prolonged use, I notice a slight delay develop. The tech is impressive and reliable, and it keeps me constantly using it as my go-to metronome.

Feeling the beat

It was different. The vibration took some adjustment. Finding the right vibration took experimentation, and I quickly realized less is more. I found using the Pulse in a short, abrupt setting to be the most beneficial, and what blew my mind was how transparent my perspective of time became. When we practice music, our ears engage in what we are playing; it is easy to "fudge the time." Catching up to the click or completely ignoring it, but when the Pulse is vibrating right against the bone of your wrist, I feel constantly reminded where the tempo is if I begin to drift from it. The ads say, "the vibration helps you internalize the beat," and that is not a gimmick. The Pulse is a compelling reminder for where the tempo is without constantly clicking in your ear or needing to use your peripheral vision while reading music to check and see if the beat is lining up with your playing. Feeling the time helps carry the weight and allows me to focus on practice. It's also nice to be able to quickly slow or speed up the tempo right at your wrist.

Additional Features

I'll admit, I don't use the Pulse to its full features. The pulse can link to foot pedals, connect to midi and other programs like Ableton. The most enticing use that I have been unable to try out is the ability to integrate multiple Soundbrenner devices to a single metronome. I constantly thought about coaching a sax quartet where every player has a Pulse. Able to increase the tempos or add subdivisions with strong and weak beats, knowing everyone could accurately internalize them and be honest about the time. I also like the idea of knowing there is no sound delay with these wearables. They vibrate as one, with no sound decay or vague misunderstanding of when the click meets their ears. Hopefully, at some point, I can convince a quartet or other chamber group to invest in Soundbrenner and see how it holds up in a group setting.

Caveats

The Pulse is my favorite metronome, but there are a few things I am disappointed in. The charging wire is short, and I can't find anything on their website offering a longer length. You can buy a replacement cable for $19, but I want something that doesn't lead to my wearable having to rest on the floor. I was able to speak to a rep at Soundbrenner, and they indicated there aren't currently any plans on developing a longer charging cable. Also, after over two hours of charging, you only get about 7 hours of use (varies heavily on the vibration and speed you use). If you play 3-plus hours a day and use fast subdivision counting like me, you'll need to charge a few times a week. I would probably care less about charging it regularly if I wasn't constantly reminded how short the charging cable is.

Final Thoughts

I love my Soundbrenner Pulse. It isn't some cheap piece of tech; it's built to last and has actual functionality. The Pulse is available on their website for $119, you can catch it on a sale closer to 100 dollars, but I have noticed fewer deals lately. The Pulse has given me a different perspective on my sense of time and is a fun and unique way to continue to grow as a musician. Check out my IG to see me using my Soundbrenner in practice sessions or this video right here, where I incorporate it into one of my scale exercises. Be sure to give your opinion on the Soundbrenner Pulse in the comments below, and if you found this article to be helpful, give it a share.

Note:

I am not affiliated with Soundbrenner and am not being paid by the site or have any affiliate links. I simply enjoy this unique metronome.