BeatBuddy

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BeatBuddy is a pedal-style digital drum machine made by Singular Sound in Miami. Available since 2014 and priced around $449, it’s built as a stompbox so musicians can control drums with their feet while playing other instruments. It was created as a hands-free alternative to traditional tabletop drum machines and does not process audio from input signals.

The device has two 1/4" inputs for instruments or audio devices, plus left/right outputs and a stereo headphone jack. It can run standalone or pass audio through to an amplifier. You start/stop the drum patterns, trigger fills, and make transitions with a footswitch that recognizes singles, doubles, and hold. There are knobs for volume, tempo, and drum set selection, and you navigate menus with four directional buttons and a center tap button beside a color LCD. External control is possible via MIDI Sync, USB, and a footswitch. BeatBuddy has earned positive reviews from Guitar Player, Guitar World, and Sound On Sound, and it won NAMM’s Best in Show in 2015.