Question 1

What is Yames?

Accepted Answer

Yames is a free, open-source desktop metronome application designed for musicians. It features an always-on-top floating widget that stays visible over your DAW, sheet music, or browser while you practice.

Question 2

Is Yames free?

Accepted Answer

Yes, Yames is completely free and open-source. You can download it for macOS, Windows, and Linux at no cost.

Question 3

What platforms does Yames support?

Accepted Answer

Yames is available for macOS (Apple Silicon and Intel), Windows, and Linux. It is a native desktop application built with Rust and Tauri for optimal performance.

Question 4

What makes Yames different from other metronomes?

Accepted Answer

Yames is designed so your hands never leave the instrument. It supports MIDI footswitches and controllers for hands-free control, customizable keyboard shortcuts, and an always-on-top floating widget. It uses sub-millisecond precision timing, offers immersive Zen mode visuals, speed drill with multiple ramp strategies, preset management for exercises, and an AI-powered practice coach (coming soon) that gives live feedback and tracks your progress over time — all in a lightweight native app for macOS, Windows, and Linux.

Question 5

Does Yames work with my DAW?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Yames is designed to float on top of any application including DAWs like Ableton Live, Logic Pro, FL Studio, Pro Tools, and Reaper. It stays always-on-top so you can see the tempo while working in your DAW. You can also connect a MIDI controller to start, stop, and adjust BPM without leaving your DAW.

Question 6

Does Yames support MIDI controllers?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Yames has first-class support for MIDI controllers and footswitches. Connect any MIDI device and bind Control Change, Note On, or Program Change messages to actions like play/stop, BPM adjust, subdivision, and more. This is designed so you never have to take your hands off the instrument during practice. All bindings are fully customizable and persist across sessions.

Question 7

How accurate is Yames compared to online metronomes?

Accepted Answer

Yames uses a dedicated Rust audio thread with hybrid sleep and spin-wait timing, achieving sub-millisecond precision. Browser-based metronomes rely on JavaScript timers which can drift by 10-50ms. Yames delivers the accuracy professional musicians need for serious practice.

Question 8

What is Zen mode in Yames?

Accepted Answer

Zen mode is a fullscreen immersive visual experience that responds to the beat. It helps musicians enter a focused, meditative practice state with beautiful animations synchronized to the tempo.

Question 9

What is Drill mode in Yames?

Accepted Answer

Drill mode is a progressive BPM training feature. Set a start BPM, target BPM, and step size — Yames automatically increases the tempo at set intervals. Choose Linear (steady climb) or Zigzag (push and pull) ramp strategies. An Adaptive mode is coming soon, where the app automatically adjusts tempo based on your playing accuracy — pushing you when you're comfortable and backing off when you struggle.

Question 10

What is the Practice Coach in Yames?

Accepted Answer

The Practice Coach (coming soon) is an AI-powered companion that listens to your playing through your microphone and gives real-time feedback — without you needing to look at the screen. It uses audio notifications (chime or natural voice) during practice and provides a chat-like feed where you can read feedback and ask questions. It automatically detects whether you're doing grid exercises or playing freely, and adapts its feedback accordingly. At the end of a session, you get a detailed timeline report. Combined with preset management, you can track your progress on specific exercises over weeks and months. Everything runs locally on your machine — no internet required.

Question 11

Can I use Yames with a footswitch?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Any MIDI footswitch works with Yames. Map it to play/stop, BPM changes, or any other action. This is a core design principle — Yames is built so your hands never leave the instrument during practice. Footswitch bindings are set up in the hotkeys settings page.

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Changelog