How to Make an Electronic Metronome

In this Instructables we will build and Electronic Metronome using simple electronic components found in any Electronic store and tools that you probablle already have.
Before we start making one, lets answer some basic questions like:

1. What is a Metronome and what does it do?
-A Metronome is a device that produces regular ticks (beats).

2. Who invented the Metronome?
-The mechanical Metronome was invented by Dietrich Nikolaus Winkel in Amsterdam in 1812. Johann Mälzel copied several of Winkel's construction ideas and received the patent for the portable Metronome in 1816.

3. What types of Metronomes are there?
   a) Mechanical Metronomes
   b) Electronic Metronomes ( the one we will be making)
   c) Software Metronomes

4. Who uses Metronomes?
-Metronomes are used by musicians when practicing in order to maintain a constant tempo.

5. How is tempo measured?
-Tempo is measured in beats per minute (BPM). Metronomes can be set to variable tempi, usually ranging from 40 to 208 BPM.

6. Why would I want a Metronome?
- If you are a proud owner of an instrument, any kind ( guitar, piano, tuba, trumpet, violine...) you have to have a Metronome in the home. If you don't own any instruments you can use it to make your self fall asleep. 

If you decided to build your own Metronome, then lets head to the next step and see what we need for this project!

Step 1 Components

The components that we need for our Metronome are:

1.  2 x  LED  ( I used blue ones, but you can use any colour you want)

2.  2 x 22uF 16V polarised capacitor

3.  LM 555 Timer Chip
 
4.  8 pin chip holder (optional, but I suggest that you use it anyway)

5.   250K ohm Potentiometer

6.  3 x 1K ohm Resistors

7.  Proto-board ( dots ) (The size of my board is 5cm X 9cm)

8.  9 V Battery clip

9.  8 Ohm Speaker   ( Picture 1 and 2)

10.  Some thin wire. I suggest you use solid wire for this project ( Picture 3)

11. 9V Battery

All of these components can be bought in you local Electronic shop. Here are some online stores where you can buy all of these components and much much more!
www.farnell.com/
ba.rs-online.com/web/
www.conrad-international.com/
www.allelectronics.com/index.php


Lets move on to the next step and see what Tools we need!

Comments

[lonenome]

Thanks for the help the nice detailed pics really helped make this project move along. Is there any reason why u did not put this in a case ? I would think the speaker would benefit from a en closer.

[etgalim]

Hi :) Great project. THX. I'm working an a simple design interaction project and I was wondering if someone can help modifying the circuit for my needs. (This circuit is as close as it gets to what I need) I need the metronome to work as a audible clock making the "TIC TOK" sound in a one sec. intervals. and every one hour (3600 sec. or 3600 TIC and TOKs) a LED should work for one min. (60 TICTOKs) and be turned off. The 2 LEDs in this projects are not needed. Can it be done with this circuit? Thanks all, ET

[moabs21]

Thanks for the tutorial, man. This is my first test:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgB-Ih9jVt0

Later I will make a project box.

[axeman3d]

Hello, I have a question, can I use 22uF 50v polarized capacitors instead of the 16v?

[MROHM]

Why Not??? Beats running to the store everytime you need a part!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[callwizard]

Thanks a lot for this tutorial...am a noob @ this electronic, still u made me understand how this has to be done.compared to other metronome tutorial this one is more understandable..but a small suggestion.you could have also added how to make this work using a switch...anyways thanks.

[Jorgitsss]

I build that but I hear very slowly, How can we increase the volume of the Speaker

[comodore]

Did you try putting a fresh battery? Are you sure that you bought the right speaker?

[Jorgitsss]

yes, try new battery, new speaker... new all ... and the desing is the problem i found this layout and solve my problem thanks for responds * R1= 100 K ohms//R2,R4= 10 K omhs//R3= 1 K omhs * Pot:1 M ohms *:C1=1 micro F/ 16 V or more C2=10 micro F/16 V///C3, C4=100 micro F/16 V. * TR1=2N2904 TR2=2N2219 * 555

[MROHM]

Nice design here!! The 2 transistors should give plenty of punch to the speaker.

[comodore]

I am really glad someone took my desine and iproved it! My hat goes to you Jorg! :) So everything works fine now? :)

[Hector_27]

(removed by author or community request)

[Guitar_slave]

 You can use NE 555, LM 556, NE 556... 
It's strange...that IC is very popular and you can find it almost everywhere :D

Vladjar

[MROHM]

The 555 timer(Born 1970) is 40 years old this year and still found in countless applications! You can purchase these guys almost anywhere. There is also a CMOS version(Low power application) of these guys too.(for portable or outdoor use)

[MROHM]

Awesome!! Our old friend the 555 timer is yet another application! Another Fun project to build.

[resol31]

Is the third pin of the potentiometer ever used? -did I miss something?

[Lenny24]

Yeah, they are. But in most cases, a Pot is used as a variable resistor, which only has 2 Pins.

[suchit_mehrotra]

I made as above and it is pretty good.There is a bit of problem .That volume level of the beat is low and practicing it wit a guitar makes the low sound difficult to hear.

[noob_for_life]

This is great.  Clean.  Straightforward.  Accessible.  And I really like your explanations.

My son and I were thinking about making a metronome which would have his drum teacher's voice yelling "COUNT!"  This looks like a good start.  Would you (or someone) please suggest enhancements so we could add our own sounds?

Thanks!

[comodore]

Well, a few ideas come to my mind and the first is that you buy a voice record/playback circuit or pull it out of a toy... You basically use the metronome schematic as a switch that switches on the record/playback circuit. Here is an example of a toy that has a record/playback circuit... I bought a couple of these toys and they are pretty easy to hack and mode... http://www.getlofi.com/?p=1152 Good luck ! Please don,t hesitate to PM me and ask if you have any more questions or some suggestions! Thanks! :)

[rravenn]

im trying to do it and make it work but the intervals between beat are too long i don't know whats wrong with it can you help me how to fix it?

[comodore]

You probably got the wrong potentiometer or didn't connect it in the right way...
Try playing with the potentiometer and get back to me!  :)
Good luck!

[thewizard42]

I made one in my electronics class exactly like this :D 

[comodore]

Great!
Ah, I wish I had electronic classes!  :)

[thewizard42]

Yea its a technical school so i picked if for my shop. 

[TSC]

Sweet I wish I could build this !!!!!!!

[luudvig]

I built it and it works geat! =D

[oliboy_48]

what if i want to connect an earphone output...how and where will i place it?..i'm planning on using it for my drum playing...thanks..

[comodore]

You would connect it to the same two wires where you connect the speaker.....afterall, an ear phone is like a small speaker.... now I can't really tell you witch value but you would probably need to put in a resistor.... Depends on the earphone.....

I would need to look into it and tell you if any other extra components are needed!

Keep in touch!

[oliboy_48]

ok...thanks a lot...

[vignesh1230]

or you can wire a 3.5mm headphone jack where the speaker is supposed to be. Means you can plug in a headphone and dont have to wreck a really good headphone for one purpose ^.^ hole i helped

[comodore]

even better  idea!  :)

[stexmetalac07]

gari svetli mi samo 1 dioda i do konstantno znaci ne treperi ili neki trip nego samo svetli i nista :P pomoc?

[comodore]

hmmm...
Meni se jednom to desilo....metronom sam pravi puno puta.... i nikako nisam mogao da skontam u cemu je problem.......sve sam proverio...... na kraju sam odustao i napravio novi...
Proveri da ti kondenzatori stoje kako treba.... takodje proveri da nije 555 chip falican.....  to je to sto mogu da ti dam od saveta....

[stexmetalac07]

 kontam da mi je pregoreo 555 timer posto nisam koristio postolje a nemam lemilicu za podesavanje temperature tako da sam kupio novi 555 i postolje i sve skinuo sad moram opet da radim.. :P

[comodore]

Good Luck!

[stexmetalac07]

 eee, hvala brate na step-by-stepu mnogo je pomoglo :) uspeo sam konacno :D

[Guitar_slave]

napravio Radi kao zmaj!Brzica 

[comodore]

<3

[fatfoohy]

is there any way that i could use a 200k potentiometer as opposed to the 250k? even it resulted in limited functionality