This gadget is for all you drummers out there (and musicians of any stripe, actually.) The Tama RW105 Rhythm Watch is an electronic metronome/timekeeper with lots of built-in functionality.

I’m a beginning drummer who’s basically a weekend hacker. Since I’m in my formative years, skin-bashing-wise, I’ve learned that the most important thing a drummer can do is keep proper time — it’s really why you’re there. You need to keep the band “tight”. And the only real way to develop a sense of the proper time (unless you’re Buddy Rich or Neal Peart, and are born with it) is to practice incessantly with a metronome.

The problem, as I’ve learned, is that most metronomes don’t do much more than click softly (too softly, in most cases, to be heard over the drums) and bounce a little red light back and forth. But, thanks to the wonders of electronic gadgetry, the Tama can do much more that can help your drumming, whether you’re practicing or playing live.

First of all, it has a large digital display, as you can see at right. That’s good for seeing from a distance, or for those of us with old, weak eyes; no more squinting at the tiny numbers on a typical metronome.

It also has a big wheel to easily change the tempo settings — once again, making it simple to handle one of metronome’s most important duties.

There are separate volume controls for quarter notes, eighth notes and triplets, allowing you to separate out the different beats to help you build independence. And finally, this metronome is LOUD — loud enough to hear over the noise you’re making as your limbs are flying around, smashing drumheads.

It can do more than this, too, but that list by itself is enough to make it a must-demo for drummers.