Update!: this thread is OLD, please get the latest version of metroo at: http://forum.pdpatchrepo.info/topic/8768/metroo-a-swiss-army-knife-bpm-metro
Thanks!

This is a metro object that has plus and minus buttons for quick interaction.

In the same manner as with the basic metro, you can also type a value, or slide the number box up and down as always...anything you like. It's robust.

• plus and minus buttons: each time you click one of these it's a 5 bpm step faster or lower, respectively. You can change the step easily inside (see the 2nd picture). (Also: carefully configured responsiveness as well as colour signalling when clicked).
• on/off button.
• status: shown by a blinking bang.
• and it has an outlet, of course!

The engine room:

Download:
metroo.pd

Tip: remember that, for calling the object, it's just an extra "o".

If you like it, tell me how it's doing.

Great Landon! But I hope you don't mind if I make a suggestion (you probably realized I am always full of suggestions!): I think that it would be nice to also add the two classic [metro] inlets (on/off and time interval). This would make your object more useful, since the user can work with it by either clicking around or also algorithmically. But that's just one idea.

Take care,
Gilberto

Hi, I did a quick 'n dirty hack
metroo2.pd

Hi, bang!

I can't look at your hack now, but I will, as soon as I can! I only have a few minutes for a quick post.

I've been working on a on another version, according to gsagostinho's useful suggestion!

Would any of you please become [metroo]'s tester?

Since gsagostinho's suggestion is keeping standard characteristics, test if it really behaves that way, and beyond.

I don't want to say much, just try to see if it really does the classic stuff plus the extra functionality...a classic on steroids!

Maybe we can have several nice variations, and learn a bit from our own mistakes.

I'm really curious about that quick 'n dirty hack. But that will have to wait, a few hours, hopefully.

In the meantime, let's see if you can destroy/test them. Thanks in advance!

Download [metroo] (not finished yet, of course):
metroo.pd

Some pics:

Hi Landon,

Here are my comments:

• your new version is looking good!
• the [stop( message gives me an error unpack: type mismatch and it doesn't stop the metro
• I love the idea you can send ms in the left inlet via the packed messages [1 <ms>( and bpm to the right, very handy
• I would change the colour of the [bng] you have inside your object. Since this bang is dark yellow (beige in English?!) and it becomes white when blinking, it is the opposite of a regular [bng] (which gets darker when flashing), and your [bng] also flashes faster than the default 250ms. All this combined gives the illusion that any [bng] connected to your object is flashing delayed! Obviously it is not delayed at all, but the impression is there nonetheless.

Thanks again for sharing it, and take care!
Gilberto

Hi @bang

I did a quick 'n dirty hack

Although the functionality you added is nice, I am actually not very fond of the fixed 4 beat structure incorporated into a metro object. What if my piece has a 3 beat structure? Or 7 beat structure? Or what if it changed changes all the time? Or what if I just don't want a sequence counter there?

Thus I wouldn't incorporate this in a metro object, but actually I would create a flexible counter-like object. The easiest way I can think of would be to create several objects named beatCounterN (for N between 2 and 9 let's say), and then the user could chose the one that suits him better. So this way, when the user creates a [beatCounter7] and connect it to a metro, it will output a 7 beat structure. I also would add N inlets in these objects, so that it can be used as a sequencer as well, making them a nice addition to pd rather than a simple eye-candy

Take care!
Gilberto

@bang That's a nice hack.

Initially, I couldn't see much of it because it appeared empty, completely white. So I resized x and y, and saw it properly...mysterious.

I'll look at it later, so that I can learn a bit about that kind of tools. I've never done one of those bpm tap things. I had some fun with this one. It was really nice of you to share it. It seems you'll become my "hack guru"!

@gsagostinho Great! Thanks for your feedback.

You're right about mismatch. The problem was that [unpack] received things it didn't have a method for. It was a tricky problem. So I created a message-diversity manager, based on [route], in the so called "selector mode".

There you can see that, now, metroo can do the same as Pd's metro.

"float" is for incoming numbers such as 0 and 1, and nonzero numbers, e.g. 77 or 101,...Pd's metro accepts nonzero numbers...and they act like a 1! So metroo has to do the same.

Then if you throw metroo a [banana(, it tells you it has no method for it! Well...that's what the rightmost reject outlet is useful for. So, now, metro and metroo behave alike.

I think this version is the clone we were dreaming of. Besides, I've followed your advice on the colour and flashing of the bang object. Now, it's a standard bang.

Other things to notice, just in case sbdy wants to give it a try, and find some bug:

1. [metroo] accepts creation arguments. Type [metroo 120] and it should appear at that tempo. However, if you don't specify a tempo, it defaults to 100bpm. It remembers your creation argument/tempo, but it doesn't remember your latest adjustment. As always, if you want it to remember your latest tempo, use [loadbang] plus the corresponding message, connected to metroo's right inlet:

   [loadbang]
   |
   [130(
   

2. I've added a little ON/OFF number box. With this, you can start and stop metroo without using other objects.

3. Now, the flashing bang can also be used "manually" for sending out bangs, even while it's active. Lots of uses for this.

4. You can slide the bpm number box as well as the ms number box.

5. The minimum bpm is 10. This is because slower bpm values have really large beats...and it can be very confusing if you change the bpm and nothing happens during a whole minute! So its limit is 10 bpm.

Download:
metroo.pd

Landon, it is looking really great now! Thank you so much for sharing it!

Take care,
Gilberto

Thanks, Gilberto!

In the next few days, I'm going to update the initial post with all necessary details, if the forum allows me to do it.

Have a nice day.

Hi Landon,

If I may suggest, I think that it would be better if you simply renamed this thread as [OLD] metroo (metro with plus & minus buttons) or something like this and then create a new post with the current version. This is because although I understand the need of cleaning up, I also think that a lot people may come across these posts in the future and they may find their answers exactly when people are discussing how to do and create and improve stuff. What do you think?

Take care,
Gilberto

Wonderful! I didn't know I could rename the thread. You're sthg unique Gilberto!

@LandonPD hahaha thanks

Update!: this thread is OLD, please get the latest version of metroo at: http://forum.pdpatchrepo.info/topic/8768/metroo-a-swiss-army-knife-bpm-metro
Thanks!