Wittner Quartz Metronome
- Choose from LIGHT only or combination of LIGHT and SOUND indicators
- A440 tone generation for tuning
- Portable – Uses 9V Battery for take-anywhere use
Wittner’s most popular quartz metronome just got better. This metronome now comes with a better speaker with bigger sound. This allows the metronome to be used even with piano. This metronome features large dial for tempo selection from 40 to 208 beats/min (the dial accurately clicks into position).
Rating: 
(out of 6 reviews)
List Price: $ 27.95
Price: $ 17.99
Review by Victor H. Agresti for Wittner Quartz Metronome
Rating:
Wittner MT50 Pocket Metronome
Flick the switch on the right side, and it starts instantly. Slide the switch up for blinking LED and sound, off is the middle position, and down is for LED only. Turn the center knob to select the desired tempo. Use the included ear plug to better hear the sound while making music. Takes one 9v battery. Includes built-in stand.
Pros:
- Will fit in many shirt pockets – is about the size of a pack of cigarettes. Weighs only a few ounces, so there is no burden to carry it in your gig bag or instrument case.
- Takes no more than a couple of seconds to select a tempo of 40 to 208. Knurled knob is just right for sure control.
- Tuning note is a perfect A 440 according to my new Korg tuner.
- Clicking of beat sound is an OK volume when there’s no music being played.
- Handy wire stand to hold unit in near-vertical position on a flat surface.
- Wearing ear-piece provides reasonably audible sound. I can hear it while playing my trumpet, for example.
Cons:
- The blinking LED is too faint to be of much use. Set it on your music stand while playing, and unless you have terrific peripheral vision or the unit is within inches of your sight line, you probably won’t see the light. Other brands have much brighter LEDs.
- The beat sound, although OK, is not as loud as other pocket metronomes my fellow musicians use. It’s OK for small group tempo setting, but insufficiently loud to demonstrate tempo to a large band.
- The ear-piece is useful while practicing on your own, but the volume could be a bit higher (and yes, my hearing is just fine). In any case, my antique wooden metronome with the swinging pendulum is much easier to follow, at least for me.
- Basic, no frills device. A volume and brightness control would have been a big help. There are no beat (4/4, 2/4, 3/4 etc., where beat 1 is louder) choices. It doesn’t shut off by itself.
Summary:
I bought it mostly to set the tempo for small groups I’m in, before we start a piece. For that, it works fine. However, having a weak LED and so-so beat sound, are pretty basic weaknesses. I wouldn’t buy this one again.
Review by Omega Fan for Wittner Quartz Metronome
Rating:
Over the last 50 years, I have had many metronomes. Everything from the old Seth Thomas wooden key wound, to the Wittner Mini-Taktell plastic key wound and the Super-Mini Taktel, and the Franz electric, and the Seiko quartz. They are all good, but time marches on, and the new Seiko has a volume control. It would be my choice, but the numbers are small and low contrast (very hard for my aging eyes to see). The Wittner MT50 pocket metronome has a strong enough beat to compete successfully with any of the above, it’s loud enough to use at the piano, and the numbers are easy to read. I’ve never had a metronome with a volume control, but it sure would be a nice addition.
Review by Johnny Guitar for Wittner Quartz Metronome
Rating:
I prefer this very much to the electronic metronomes. This is my favorite metronome yet.It’s simplicity of 1 switch and 1 dial make it fast to adjust and easy to use, and that is the key. Instead of futzing around with buttons to change timing signatures and BPM rates, you click the dial a notch and proceed with your next practice item.
The beat is a wood block sound, that works for me. It is louder than my electronic metronomes. Has an earpiece but I don’t use that. Has a blinking LED – I have no issue seeing that contrary to other reviews here.
I agree with everyone else that a volume control would be nice. That is the only reason I rated it 4 instead of 5.
I have other metronomes with timing siguatures that make the beat louder or different sound on a specific beat but frankly, I like this better.
Review by Dapper Dan for Wittner Quartz Metronome
Rating:
No bells, no whistles, no volume control (it’s fairly loud –some may want to lay it face down on a pillow, although the volume is just right for me). This metronome by Wittner does exactly what a metronome is supposed to do, and it’s simple to use — just turn the dial directly to the beats-per-minute you want. At first I thought it unwise to order such a low priced item (relative to some of the other metronomes), thinking instead I should pay more for some other brand in hopes of getting something more likely to “keep on working” (like the Ever-ready bunny). I’m very glad, however, that I went with this Wittner. It seems very well made, has little if anything to quit working because of only one (manually controlled) moving part (the dial) — other than the metal leg that handily lifts out to act as a stand on which to tilt the metronome back at about a 50 degree angle. The blinking light on the face of the instrument, however, is as another reviewer mentioned — too dim to be of much use unless you are nearby and looking right at it. As far as rating the Wittner, I give the unit four stars only, not because of the not-so-bright light, but because the sound the metronome emits is similar to that of two wooden blocks “clacking” together, and I would have preferred the “clicking” sound of the old metronomes of the past with which I was familiar as a young boy when I started out on the piano fifty years ago. Otherwise, it seems to be a five star item.
Review by D. Hsu for Wittner Quartz Metronome
Rating:
Easy to use and the sound is very similar to the mechenical Wittner metronome, i.e., no piercing sound!
Unlike aother reviewer, this metronome is almost too loud for me. I put it upside down on a dish towel to reduce its volume since I do not use the flash light setting.
Would have been 5 stars if this had a volume adjustment function.
Overall, very pleased with this purchase.