YAMAHA metronome black MP-90BK

Made out of high quality plastic and has a very nice and LOUD mechanical click and bell that you'll be able to hear over heavy piano or guitar playing. Perhaps at the risk of annoying anyone in adjacent rooms. Perfect metronome for people not looking to spend hundreds on a wooden one.

I bought this over other metronomes when I read a review saying it was quite loud. I teach violin and a metronome to expose beginning/intermediate students to practicing with them. Its loudness means it can be clearly heard while the student is playing alone or if I am playing with them. I had two much quieter metronomes I used with students before buying this one and they had trouble hearing and focusing on the quieter ones. I was afraid they wouldn’t like the loudness of this one but they seem to like it and find it helpful. Full disclosure- For my personal practice I do have one that is not quite as loud. I recommend this for teachers or for personal practice if you like a very strong sounding metronome.

Although the body feels kind of thin (it's plastic, not wood) and not particularly sturdy, this is an excellent metronome. It is LOUD and very mechanical sounding. I actually prefer that, rather than something that might sound more musical. Well worth the money.

Nice crisp pleasing tone, Not fancy, but pleasing and practical - Yamaha. Took a long time to get to me but worth it.There's something pleasing about having a physical metronome as opposed to digital - I've used both - sometimes it's just fun as you're working up a piece to use a physical metronome. I suspect this one is the best bang for buck on physical metronomes.When practicing guitar, I'll certainly run a digital metronome inline at night via a Vox Amplug or my Yamaha THR, depending on how big a setup I want. (why don't they build a metronome into these products!??!?) It IS nice to have something quiet to practice through. But during the day, with the various options within easy reach, I tend to reach for this metronome.Yamaha keeps making good things. I look around and realize how much Yamaha stuff I actually have. ...and I have a Yamaha SLG200NW silent guitar on the way right now! (classical guitarists - that particular model is the one you'd want, at least as of this review in jan 2019) I'm psyched! Anyway, great metronome - and the packaging was fantastic too.

The Yamaha MP-90 mechanical metronome has, in my eyes, arguably the most sophisticated and well sculpted form factor among all similar products on the market. The width at the top and that at the bottom are in perfect proportion. The flat top, which lowers the overall height and makes the top wider, gives the metronome a more elegant look. The corners of the body below the removable cover are rounded to a tasteful degree. The scale of tempo is much wider than those on most other similar products, which not only makes setting tempo much easier, but also enhances the aesthetics of the metronome.Regrettably, my appreciation of this product ends at its appearance. After I took it out of the box, the first downside point that grabbed my attention is the materials it is made of. As other reviewers have pointed out, this metronome is remarkably light. It’s obvious that the body is made of plastic. But the shell is not the only plastic part. I opened the bottom cover and found that only the bell and the counter weight at the bottom of the pendulum shaft are made of metal. All the cogs and axes of the movement are made of plastic. Some invisible parts, such as the spring, must be metal. The mostly plastic movement casts a big question mark in my mind about the durability of this mechanic instrument.Determined by the materials, the workmanship of this metronome is quite mediocre. Switching the beat selector feels loose and uncertain. When winding the spring, the whole movement inside the body is shaking, as if it is not firmly fixed to the body.The metronome Yamaha MP-90 is inaccurate. I measured it against a digital metronome and found it starting quite well but going off beat after a short while. The beats, however, are reasonably even in their own right at all tempos. Regardless of its inaccuracy, it is still usable as a training tool. After all, music performance is not a precise science. If you can flow this metronome, you will be able to keep tempo and beat in performances of any ensemble.Power reserve is another downside of this metronome. In my test, a fully wound spring lasted only 24 minutes at 90 bpm. That’s less than half of power reserve of some other mechanical metronomes.Telling by some earlier reviews, this product sold at this web page for $45 in 2017, and “less than $50” in 2018. When I placed my order on June 20, 2020, I paid $56.98. Before delivery reached my door, the list price raised to $59.98. The price hikes bespeak the popularity of this product.All in all, I am generally unsatisfied with the Yamaha MP-90. But I still decide to retain it for two reasons: its aesthetics and the fact that I cannot find a compelling alternative on the market. If a metronome comes with the same form factor of the Yamaha MP-90, but is made of a well polished wooden body and a metal movement with a more precise beat selector as well as greater power reserve, I am willing to pay five times of the current price.If the appearance of this metronome does not make that much of a difference to you, you would be much better off to choose a model with a metal movement for half of the price.

At first glance, the packaging is plain, but well thought out. Small packaging parts prevents physical movements to the mechanical movements during transit. Unpacking was intuitive. Other companies, take note: the entire user experience matters!Needless to say, time is kept accurately with a loud beat. This particular model has an optional bell chime to mark subdivisions of 2, 3, 4, or 6.While made well, there are annoyances. The mechanical spring tension is heavier than the entire metronome, making one-handed cranking impossible. The plastic dust cover is also a bit tight, making it difficult to remove. Further, the three raised feet are bare plastic, which makes finding ground a bit uneasy.However, this metronome looks good while doing the job. The understated, matte black finish disappears into the background while keeping time. Even though there could be more power in the reserve (about 45 minutes at 60 bpm), it's arguably a nice reminder for the musician to take a break.For an at-home metronome under $50, this one's hard to beat.