A tiny strobe tuner you can see; even without glasses !

Jan Dunn · From: Union, NJ USA

I'm not an expert on ANYTHING pedal steel but I did come across something I'd like to share, primarily because this incident was the best customer service I ever got, and its a really neat tuner. Its called Turbo Tuner and I recommend you watch the video on their website www.turbo-tuner.com. I faxed them for help in setting up a Jeff Newman E9 tuning on a Saturday night and Sunday morning I got this e-mail reply. I post it in case anyone else decides the petersons are over-priced and takes the leap and buys one. The display is amazingly easy to read.

Notice it handles the different cent offsets for D# depending on if its open or a lever. I find that amazing. Here's the instructions I received. Its a long message and I apologize for subjecting those not interested in this to an annoyance. Problem is the E9 instructions aren't on the website or in the manual and there's no way of getting this info without asking the maker all over again(he'll gladly send you this in a PDF file).
I apologize that the formatting is lost in the pasting process.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuning a Pedal Steel Guitar
with the
Turbo Tuner ST-122
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
January 12, 2008
Latest m-d-y
1 E9 Chart #1 (Jeff Newman)
Below is the tuning chart for the Jeff Newman tuning with cents offsets.
Jeff Newman E9 Tuning Chart
Pedals Levers
String Note A B C D E F G X
1 F#4 +5.9 G4+5.9
2 D#4 -3.9 D4 -3.9
3 G#4 -3.9 A4 +3.9
4 E4 +9.8 F#4 -2 D#4+2.0 F4 -17.8
5 B3 +7.9 C#4 -5.9 C#4 -5.9 A#3+9.8
6 G#3 -3.9 A3 +3.9
7 F#3 +5.9 G3+5.9
8 E3 +9.8 D#3+2.0 F3 -17.8
9 D3 +5.9
10 B2 +7.9 C#3 -5.9 A#2+9.8
There are a number of ways to set up the Turbo Tuner to use these values. Probably the
most popular is to create two different "open tunings", one for the notes on the open
strings of the instrument, and a second one for the notes on the pedals and levers.
Open tunings are easily accessed using the Mode key on the front of the tuner. Pressing
the Mode key advances through the available tunings, and holding the Alt key while
pressing the mode button moves backwards. This makes it quick and easy to toggle
between the two different tunings.
You can also put all of the notes into a single tuning. This has the advantage of having all
the notes in a single tuning, but has a couple disadvantages that will be discussed later.
1.1 Separate Tuning Mode for Open Strings and Levers/Pedals
Suggested tuning method when using the Turbo Tuner:
1. Create an "open tuning" for the open strings of the instrument. You can name it
"E9 Open". The notes and offsets are shown in the table below.
2. Create an "open tuning" for the notes on the pedals and levers. This is shown
below as "E9 Pedl"
3. Use the MODE key and Alt-MODE keys to toggle between the two tunings.
The chart below shows the two open tunings as they would be programmed into the
Turbo Tuner.
If you run out of memory when entering these tunings, simply delete some of the built in
tunings that you don't need.
Notes in the "E9 Open" tuning are entered in order of the strings, so the display on the
Turbo Tuner will correspond to the string on the instrument. Generally speaking the
Pedal Steel Guitar Tuning January 12, 2008
file=.sam Page 2
notes should be entered from the highest to lowest, but the tuning shown has been tested
and works fine.
The notes in the Pedal tuning (E9 Pedl) are entered in order of the highest note first.
Jeff Newman E9 Tuning Using Two Separate Tunings on the Turbo Tuner
Notes on Open Strings
(Tuning name "E9 Open")
Notes on Pedals
(Tuning name "E9 Pedl")
String Note Cents
Offset
"String" Note Cents
Offset
1 F#4 5.9 1 A4 3.9 Pedal B
2 D#4 -3.9 2 G4 5.9 Lever G
3 G#4 -3.9 3 F#4 -2 Pedal C
4 E4 9.8 4 F4 -17.8 Lever F
5 B3 7.9 5 D#4 2 Lever D
6 G#3 -3.9 6 D4 -3.9 Lever E
7 F#3 5.9 7 C#4 -5.9 Pedal A /
Pedal C /
Lever E
8 E3 9.8 8 A#3 9.8 Lever X
9 D3 5.9 9 A3 3.9 Pedal B
10 B2 7.9 10 G3 5.9 Lever G
11 F3 -17.8 Lever F
12 D#3 2 Lever D
13 C#3 -5.9 Pedal A
14 A#2 9.8 Lever X
1.2 Single Tuning for All Notes
You can also put all of the notes in a single "open tuning" but there will be conflicts on
F#4 and D#4, and you will have to switch to Manual mode to select these notes because
the automatic mode cannot tell them apart (they are both F#4 or D#4 with different
offsets).
This method also means the string number shown on the Turbo Tuner display will not
match the string number of the instrument.
The notes are entered with the highest note first.
Pedal Steel Guitar Tuning January 12, 2008
file=.sam Page 3
Jeff Newman E9 All Notes on a Single Tuning
"String"
on ST122
String Note Note
Offset
1 3+B A4 3.9
2 3 G#4 -3.9
3 1+G G4 5.9
4 1 F#4 5.9
5 4+C F#4 -2
6 4+F F4 -17.8
7 4 E4 9.8
8 4+D D#4 2
9 2 D#4 -3.9
10 2+E D4 -3.9
11 5+A, 5+C ,2+E C#4 -5.9
12 5 B3 7.9
13 5+X A#3 9.8
14 6+B A3 3.9
15 6 G#3 -3.9
16 7+G G3 5.9
17 7 F#3 5.9
18 8+F F3 -17.8
19 8 E3 9.8
20 8+D D#3 2
21 10+A C#3 -5.9
22 9 D3 5.9
23 10 B2 7.9
24 10+X A#2 9.8
The Turbo Tuner will handle the notes will different offsets as long as they are in
different octaves. For example, the tuning above has three F#'s - F#4+5.9, F#4-2.0, and
F#3+5.9. It will handle the F#3 fine, but when playing an F#4, it will choose one of the
two values more or less at random. In actual practice, you would play the F#4 and let the
tuner select the note, then switch it to manual mode and use the Note+ or Note- key to
select the F# with the proper cents offset that you want to use.
The same holds true for the three different D#'s - D#4-3.9, D#4+2.0 and D#3+2.0.
Note there are two different D's: D4-3.9 and D3+5.9. The Turbo Tuner will have no
problem telling these apart because they are in different octaves.
Pedal Steel Guitar Tuning January 12, 2008
file=.sam Page 4

Antolina · From: Dunkirk NY

WOW!! Just think... for all thse years I've been doing it all wrong. Whoa!

I'm sure this is good and some of the guys will swear by it. However, I use my Korg to tune using Newman's chart. If it was good enough for Jeff, it's (at this point) good enough for me. That gets me pretty darn close and I use my ears to tweak... if necessaary.

I'm gonna be watching this thread closely to see how well it's received. No doubt in my mind that Turbo Tuner will prove to be a boon.
_________________
The only thing better than doing what you love is having someone that loves you enough to let you do it.

Sho~Bud 6139 3+3
Marrs 3+4

RC Antolina

Charles Davidson · From: Phenix City Alabama, USA

My old Boss tu-12 works ok for me,of course that just my opinion.DYKBC.
_________________
Hard headed, opinionated old geezer. BAMA CHARLIE. GOD BLESS AMERICA. ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVIST. SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC !

Jan Dunn · From: Union, NJ USA

i get enough smart answers from the people I work with.

Antolina · From: Dunkirk NY

Jan,

Please don't personalize any remarks made. As I said, this thread is bound to bring some good responses. All you got were two opinions and they weren't "smart".

Lighten up.
_________________
The only thing better than doing what you love is having someone that loves you enough to let you do it.

Sho~Bud 6139 3+3
Marrs 3+4

RC Antolina

Marc Friedland · From: Fort Collins, CO

Jan,
I think it’s great that you found a useful product backed by a consumer-friendly company that’s willing to cater to the pedal steel community.
Thank you for taking the time to post all the information you acquired in your research about Turbo Tuner.
Even if only a small percentage of Forum steelers benefit from your leg-work, I’m sure they’ll be grateful to you.
Personally, I didn’t think I was looking for a new tuner, but since you find they’re so easy to view, I’ll probably look into them, to see if they might work for me.
Thanks,
Marc

Chuck Walker · From: Cody, Wyoming, USA

Jan, thanks for bringing this strobe tuner to our attention. Over the years I've looked at Precision Strobe Tuners PST-3 and this looks like a similar product at a lower price point and battery operated to boot. I just ordered one and appreciate your posting. From my perspective, that is what this Forum is all about. I'm always learning new things.

Len Amaral · From: Rehoboth,MA 02769

I like LED digital tuners as I can see the readouts clearly. I also use a Boss TU-12 tuner with the needle and use the Jeff Newman compensated tuning chart.

Tip: To dial in the settings on a digital LED tuner, I plug my steel into the TU-12 tuner then a wire from the output of the TU-12 into a digital tuner. Tune the guitar to the TU-12 then then mark the LED settings on the digital tuner. Basically using the TU-12 to calibrate and mark the settings of another tuner.

Dustin Rigsby · From: Parts Unknown, Ohio

Wow,thanks Jan! I will definately check into this. I believe that competition in the marketplace is the cornerstone of the free market economy.Maybe this will give the folks a Peterson something to knaw on !

Charles Davidson · From: Phenix City Alabama, USA

Jan,Sorry if I offended you,really did'nt mean to.DYKBC.
_________________
Hard headed, opinionated old geezer. BAMA CHARLIE. GOD BLESS AMERICA. ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVIST. SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC !

Dennis Lee · From: Forest Grove, Oregon, USA

Jan, I agree with your excitement. I have had my Turbo Tuner for about a week now. To me it does everything a Peterson does for less money. I have the Newman pre-sets dialed in on my unit. It simplified the tuning chore for me. Thanks for sharing!

Jerry Gleason · From: Eugene, Oregon, USA

Thanks for this timely post. I have been condidering a small strobe tuner. After spending some time on their website, and reading other reviews, this unit seems to have everything I would want at an attractive price. I'm glad to hear of the good customer service, and it's nice that's it's made in the US.

Jerry H. Moore · From: Newnan, GA, USA

Looks like a good one for low light, thats my problem a lot. I have the peterson strobo flip but the low light could be a problem. The price looks good, too!

Greg Cutshaw · From: Corry, PA, USA

Jan,

Great post!

I oculd always use more presets. Especially if different presets could be entered for the same note in different octaves and like you said for the same note with and without pedals. For the next generation tuner beyond this tuner and the Strobo, the manufacturer needs to sit down with us and understand our tuning needs. I tune my low C on C6 different than the upper C open notes. It would be great to have the tuner recognize each one of the C notes as a unique preset.

Greg

Jim Eaton · From: Santa Susana, Ca

I have been using one for about 9 months now and just love it! I have "ALL" the pedal, kl, and open notes in one "open tuning" for my 12stg Ext E9th.
You enter them from highest to lowest, you can have different values for things like 4 stg + c ped F# can be different from 1st st open F#, etc.
I can sit down, run through the open string notes, it automatically knows which string your picking, and then if a pedal of kl pull needs tuning, just hold the kl or ped and tune it via the nylon nut until the strobe is still and there ya go!
JE:-)>

Jim Palenscar · From: Oceanside, Calif, USA

The Turbo Tuner by default wants to assign the note to a string number. What you really need to do is to list all the notes that you want to tune in a high to low fashion- much like the above list- typically in an E9th setting that will be A4 (the highest note on an E9th tuning at the 3rd string with the B pedal) to string #1, G#4 to string #2, then on down the list- one note to one string as I recall, including whatever splits, half stops, etc. In my case I needed to delete a few presets as my universal tuning has about 36 notes, all in all, and the Turbo Tuner only had room for about 30 or so to free up memory. Depending on your method of tuning (straight up, temper tune, or a combination of both) you then have the option of assigning an offset to each note then entering it into the tuner.

Jan Dunn · From: Union, NJ USA

One day after I requested it, the turbo tuner folks came out with a sheet on entering the C6th tuning from Jeff Newman. Like I said, great customer service. E-mail support and they'll send you the E9 and C6 in one PDF file. If you send them any tuning chart, they'll make out an instruction sheet for creating it in their tuner.

But the visability of the display is the wow factor.

Greg Cutshaw · From: Corry, PA, USA

So there are about 30 presets per tuning and a number of tuning slots available? And am I correct in assuming that you select the note by name, then tune your guitar to it? If so this thing is pretty awesome. Agree the LED strobe is a big plus.

Any idea on how stable this tuner is on the low C6th C string or the low B string on a 5 stsring bass? The Peterson Strobo tuner is rock solid on very low strings, one of the reasons I like it a lot.

Greg

Antolina · From: Dunkirk NY

My original comment was based on what I felt may be it's complexities. However, hearing that these folks will give all that support, I'm about to rethink my position.

Thanks Jan
_________________
The only thing better than doing what you love is having someone that loves you enough to let you do it.

Sho~Bud 6139 3+3
Marrs 3+4

RC Antolina

Jan Dunn · From: Union, NJ USA

Greg,

Its supposed to be equally accurate for anything from C octave 0 to C octave 8. It has built ins for cello and 5 string bass. I think that's pretty low. As to your other question, there's an auto mode where once you've defined the note and offset for each string and pedal the tuner automatically recognizes the correct note when you play it. You don't have to ask for it except in the case of putting on a new string which will be totally out of tune and hard to guess about the intended tone. That's how the manual mode works.
I can't comment on the memory limitations as I don't know.

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