Gear Review: BeatBox by rhythmo
Building Beats Content Assistant & DJ Ebony Anderson-Brown, aka FLWRSHRK, reviews DIY MIDI controller and drum machine kit from BeatBox by rhythmo.
BeatBox by rhythmo is a DIY MIDI controller, or an electronic drum machine kit, made of cardboard and arcade buttons that come in different color schemes; the OG, Bubblegum, and Technics. The DIY kit, priced at $159.99 (USD) before tax, comes with everything needed for assembly including an on-board amplifier, speakers, and battery pack.
“Harness your inner inventor by discovering new modifications and customising it to show off your personality. Disrupt your doubts about learning an instrument. With the BeatBox, you are a musician. Go produce, then go perform!”
At first, I was intimidated by all the wires and couldn’t believe I’d be able to assemble the drum machine kit on my own. However, the creators of BeatBox said anyone ages 8 and older could put it together, so I eventually put my stubby fingers to work.
It took me approximately an hour and a half to assemble the DIY MIDI controller. I’ll be honest, I was a bit impatient and skipped a couple of steps which resulted in me making a mistake. Luckily I was able to undo what I did wrong (the x/y and parameter buttons were facing in the opposite direction) and piece it together after referring back to the instructions manual that’s available on their website.
Once you're done building your cardboard electronic drum machine kit, you can instantly start making music with their mobile app RhythmoLab with a compatible device. Unfortunately, the RhythmoLab app is still very much in development and only available when you purchase a BeatBox by rhythmo.
One software you can use to practice your skills is Melodics. BeatBox actually partnered with the music education software company to provide users with free tutorials on how to create and perform songs on the device.
I had a lot of fun using Melodics - the lessons on the application are very similar to rhythm games like Guitar Hero, Rock Band, and Piano Tiles. What I appreciated most about BeatBox was building the drum machine kit from scratch. It got me interested in wanting to learn more about the inside of the instruments we use to create the different sounds we love hearing.
Another DAW software that’s compatible with BeatBox is Ableton. If you don’t already have the German application installed on your computer, you can get started with a free trial when you visit their website.
I highly recommend supporting BeatBox by rhythmo and purchasing your own DIY MIDI controller if you’re interested in learning how to build your own. You can also visit our Toolbox to discover free beat-making software you can access from your laptop, smartphone, tablet.