Cherub WRW-106 iRhythm Metronome Review

I bought a Cherub WRW-106 Metronome early this year, and even if this review has been around for quite a while in the Pinoydrums e-group, it’s my pleasure to repost this and share my two-cents. I see a tech blog as one of the most suitable venues for such. No introduction or words are required to explain how important metronomes are for drummers.

If you want more information on the WRW-106, visit
http://www.cherubtechnology.com/echugui/chugui_detail.php?newsid=75

I hope you will find this useful and help you in making an important purchase.

The Cherub WRW-106 is a professional grade metronome, up to the ranks of the Tama RhythmWatch. In the package you will find a free carrying bag, manual and a gift card. Its features include:

1. Tempo range of 30-280BPM
2. Voice counting
3. TAP mode
4. 6 Sound Generators
5. Plays 22 kinds of notes
6. 31 programmable tempos
7. 7 volume knobs
8. 9 various timbre accents
9. LEDs
10. Display backlight

Unsurprisingly, the WRW-106 has all the other features you can expect from professional grade metronomes, such as individually adjustable volume levels, adjust accents, lengthen/shorten bars, and also has a timer, which beeps at every minute. What made me interested in this metronome is its relatively low price tag, its six sound generators, the TAP mode and voice counting. The WRW-106 is sold at a retail of P3,800 at Lyric. This is a good deal, compared to the Tama RhythmWatch’s hefty ~P5000 price. Secondly, the six sound generators are unprecedented. The WRW-106 can produce 6 different sounds at one go: quarter notes, eighth notes, accents, 2 set notes and voice. The TAP mode is useful to measure your own tempos. Tap it to a certain tempo, and the metronome will determine what tempo you are running. Very useful, in my opinion. Lastly, the voice counting is a unique feature. You can set the WRW-106 to “speak,” “one-two-three….” It can speak up to 6. The voice, however, is only limited to quarter notes.

The WRW-106 also Standard and Advanced modes. The standard mode allows you to switch modes from Metro1, Metro2, Metro3, TAP mode and your presets. Metros 1 to 3 have preset accent timbres. In Advanced mode, you get to select between 9 different timbres.

AESTHETICS

At a glance, the WRW-106 looks intimidating. But further tinkering of the device led that the 6 knobs on the bottom are all volume knobs. The two big dials are the timer and tempo dials. The buttons in the middle switch the settings of the metronome. The three rectangular buttons switched the accented beats, the mode of the metronome and the last one is used to program and to turn the display light on and off. The two arrow buttons are context-sensitive. In Normal mode, they allow you to select programmed tempos. In advanced mode it allows you to select various timbres. Lastly, the two switches allow you to assign different notes to 2 sound generators. You can choose only one type of note out of 3 per sound generator.
The on/off switch is found on the metronome’s right, as well as the voice activation button, DC input and the Wah pedal remote. On its left is a jack for headphones, a jack for stereo plugs, and the Normal/Advanced switch.

Two LED lights blink green on unaccented notes and red for accented. The LCD display is reasonably big enough and has orange lights for dark scenarios.

DOWNSIDES

No metronome is perfect, and the WRW-106 is not an exception.

First, the buttons and knobs, and the body itself lack rigidity. They all have a slightly cheap feel to it and doesn’t look to be designed for rugged use (but I may be wrong). Second, the central interface is somewhat crowded. There are a lot of buttons and knobs for its small form factor. If you are playing live or in the middle of recording and you have to change your settings, you might have to take extra care that you don’t accidentally touch the other buttons or knobs. The printing is also small, so it can be difficult to see
what you are setting unless you get in close or squint.

The unaccented beeps of the metronome lack clarity. The beeps sound a little muffled. This might be a problem unless set very loud or is routed to earphones. However, this may not be a hindrance for long
since one can easily get used to its beeping and adapt. The accented notes are clear enough.

It is strange also that the WRW-106 supports DC power, but does not have a DC adaptor itself. Be careful in choosing the right aftermarket adaptor with the right voltage!

Lastly, its user manual is not neatly documented. You will be able to find errors in grammar and spelling. It does not look good, but certainly does not affect how the metronome functions.

It is also worth noting that 193BPM is incorrectly played by the metronome. It is too slow. Fellow drummers in the e-group confirms this. According to them, there is also another tempo setting that the metronome does not play properly. However, they don’t remember which one.

FINAL WORDS

In spite of the mainly aesthetic and superficial problems, and the erronous manual, the Cherub WRW-106 is overall a very good metronome. Very good value for a good price. If you are looking for an alternative to the Tama RhythmWatch, the WRW-106 will not let you down.

AUTHOR’S OPINION

The WRW-106′s main selling point is its pure VALUE, VALUE and more VALUE. It is packed with features for a low price. This metronome is an excellent buy for those without regular income, lives on
allowances, for example, or is simply looking for an alternative. Here in the Philippines, good equipment is hard to find, and most of us are stuck with the Tama RhythmWatch as our professional metronome
of choice. And the fact that the RhythmWatch is at the ~P5,000 range and the WRW-106 is only at P3,800 makes the WRW-106 very attractive. It has all the features that the RhythmWatch has and even more.