I’m so excited to announce the public beta release of what I’m calling Band Settings 2.0! 
What’s new
This is a big update, more than seven months in the making! Some of my favorite upgrades include:
-
Fully automatic bass runs and leading notes that you can enable and customize (guitar only for now)
-
New rhythm pattern adjustment settings built for exploration and discovery versus anything highly technical – just drag the slider(s) to make the strumming lighter or heavier, busier or more spacious, etc.
-
A revamped syncopated strumming pattern (i.e. “D DU UDU”) that is more configurable and works better in more situations
-
Improved rhythm pattern visualizations that mirror what you hear as you customize the settings
-
New options for adjusting the amount of sustain and backbeat emphasis in dampened strums (for jazz/swing genres)
-
Ability to have the standup bass “pedal” the root note only instead of alternating root and fifth
All this (and much more) can be found in a redesigned band settings menu that is easier to navigate and just looks nicer, all thanks to Tyler’s meticulous design work:
For more on this beta release, see the full release notes (which includes a list of known issues and shortcomings).
And for more background on the development of this update, including why we went back to the drawing board several months into development, see this email to our Backstage Pass holders. (There’s a signup form for that newsletter here; it’s free!)
How to start using these new features
This new update is currently in “beta”, meaning it’s mostly complete and ready to be made publicly available for testing.
If you’re on an iPhone or iPad, download the SM Beta iOS app through TestFlight.
For everyone else, go to beta.strummachine.com in any web browser.
In either case, you’ll log in with your existing Strum Machine account (which may happen automatically in the web browser). All your songs/lists/settings will be there, and anything you do in the beta version will be persisted when it comes out of beta.
What do you think?
As always, please let us know about any issues you encounter, or if you have any feedback or suggestions for improvement. There’s a “Beta Feedback” button right inside the Band Settings menu to make this super easy for you. You can also email us through the Help menu or reply to this forum thread. Thanks!
