Cycles: Metronome
Detailed App Info:
Application Description
*****
"Must-buy."
"My new favorite metronome."
"Easy to generate really interesting poly-rhythms and odd time cycles."
"Marvelled at how clear its display makes any breakdown of subdivisions."
"Almost like you can make a new sounding beat by cleverly (or randomly) arranging the clicks and following a pattern."
"The thing that really makes this app stand out for me is the ability to have different, randomly chosen subdivisions drop out every cycle."
*****
Cycles has been designed as a simple, powerful, intuitive metronome catering to the needs of professional musicians. The arrangement section in Cycles has been designed to simply and easily enable the user to practice entire arrangements, including those with meter changes. In addition, Cycle’s unique beat subtraction feature has been designed to improve the user's time by optionally removing subdivisions at random according to a percentage set by the user, creating a metronome with evolving variations in place of what is normally a static rhythmic reference.
Cycles adopts the visual analogy of orbiting circles, inspired by Solkattu, the South Indian study of rhythm - the center circle illuminates at the start of the measure, the second row of circles illuminate at each successive beat, and the third row of circles illuminate at each successive subdivision. Much work was done on the illumination animation itself, which combined with the wood background, makes for a subtle and organic look suitable for extended use.
Cycles features an interface designed for easy one-hand use of all major features. The arrangement feature and settings panel are made accessible from two buttons on the bottom menu, and take the user to pages which are clearly and simply laid out with a minimum of clutter.
Features:
+ Clean interface. Number of beats and subdivisions are clearly adjustable from the main screen. Classy wood panel background hosts old school flash bulb technology to illuminate active beats and subdivisions.
+ Subtractive functionality: the user can set the probability of subtraction for beats and subdivisions, which resets each measure.
+ Metronome settings can be easily named, saved, and combined into arrangements.
+ Sections within arrangements store the following info - bars, beat and subdivision accents and mutes, number of beats and subs, and multiplier.
+ Independent volumes for downbeat, beat, and subdivisions. Independent volume for accents, up to a 6.0 db boost.
+ Touching a beat or subdivision once accents it, touching it again mutes it.
+ Draggable BPM slider, as well as buttons to increment/decrement tempo by 1.
+ Audio engine written from the ground up for sample accurate timing.
+ The click sound was designed for clarity and listenability.
+ Ability to hide or show bottom menubar by touch.
+ Multiplier at upper left allows for easy programming of double or half time signatures.
+ Play/Stop at top right
"Cycles is quite possibly the most beautiful and musical metronome I've ever used (on or off the iPhone!). It unlocks worlds of rhythmical possibilities in its subdivisions that other metronomes merely fantasize about! Then it presents this all in a visually and aurally stunning way. The real clave sound cuts like a knife through most accompaniment and the sumptuous woodgrain is a deceivingly nice touch — ensconced as it is in glass and metal!" - Jason Shanks
*****
Responses to comments/requests:
@Tburgueso: Thanks, and will implement backgrounding next revision.
@Emilio: Could this be when a button is selected in the middle of the beat? If a different behavior please email us at our site, www.zerobrainz.com.
"Must-buy."
"My new favorite metronome."
"Easy to generate really interesting poly-rhythms and odd time cycles."
"Marvelled at how clear its display makes any breakdown of subdivisions."
"Almost like you can make a new sounding beat by cleverly (or randomly) arranging the clicks and following a pattern."
"The thing that really makes this app stand out for me is the ability to have different, randomly chosen subdivisions drop out every cycle."
*****
Cycles has been designed as a simple, powerful, intuitive metronome catering to the needs of professional musicians. The arrangement section in Cycles has been designed to simply and easily enable the user to practice entire arrangements, including those with meter changes. In addition, Cycle’s unique beat subtraction feature has been designed to improve the user's time by optionally removing subdivisions at random according to a percentage set by the user, creating a metronome with evolving variations in place of what is normally a static rhythmic reference.
Cycles adopts the visual analogy of orbiting circles, inspired by Solkattu, the South Indian study of rhythm - the center circle illuminates at the start of the measure, the second row of circles illuminate at each successive beat, and the third row of circles illuminate at each successive subdivision. Much work was done on the illumination animation itself, which combined with the wood background, makes for a subtle and organic look suitable for extended use.
Cycles features an interface designed for easy one-hand use of all major features. The arrangement feature and settings panel are made accessible from two buttons on the bottom menu, and take the user to pages which are clearly and simply laid out with a minimum of clutter.
Features:
+ Clean interface. Number of beats and subdivisions are clearly adjustable from the main screen. Classy wood panel background hosts old school flash bulb technology to illuminate active beats and subdivisions.
+ Subtractive functionality: the user can set the probability of subtraction for beats and subdivisions, which resets each measure.
+ Metronome settings can be easily named, saved, and combined into arrangements.
+ Sections within arrangements store the following info - bars, beat and subdivision accents and mutes, number of beats and subs, and multiplier.
+ Independent volumes for downbeat, beat, and subdivisions. Independent volume for accents, up to a 6.0 db boost.
+ Touching a beat or subdivision once accents it, touching it again mutes it.
+ Draggable BPM slider, as well as buttons to increment/decrement tempo by 1.
+ Audio engine written from the ground up for sample accurate timing.
+ The click sound was designed for clarity and listenability.
+ Ability to hide or show bottom menubar by touch.
+ Multiplier at upper left allows for easy programming of double or half time signatures.
+ Play/Stop at top right
"Cycles is quite possibly the most beautiful and musical metronome I've ever used (on or off the iPhone!). It unlocks worlds of rhythmical possibilities in its subdivisions that other metronomes merely fantasize about! Then it presents this all in a visually and aurally stunning way. The real clave sound cuts like a knife through most accompaniment and the sumptuous woodgrain is a deceivingly nice touch — ensconced as it is in glass and metal!" - Jason Shanks
*****
Responses to comments/requests:
@Tburgueso: Thanks, and will implement backgrounding next revision.
@Emilio: Could this be when a button is selected in the middle of the beat? If a different behavior please email us at our site, www.zerobrainz.com.
Requirements
Your mobile device must have at least 3.99 MB of space to download and install Cycles: Metronome app. Cycles: Metronome is available on iTunes for $1.99
If you have any problems with installation or in-app purchase, found bugs, questions, comments about this application, you can visit the official website of Zero Brainz Michael Dillon at http://zerobrainz.com/cycles.
Copyright © 2011 Zero Brainz
