Basic Strobo Flip Tuner Programming

Dick Sexton · From: Greenville, Ohio

I had a forum friend email me, asking a Strobo Flip related question. I realized from his question, that there was a need for a simple explanation of The Strobo Flip Programing function. The following is my first try: Please read through it before you start...

Basically:
How To Program A Strobo Flip Tuner,
With your IN TUNE E9th (Or C6th) steel guitar offset settings…

1. Tune your steel guitar. By ear, by harmonics or any other numerous available methods.
When you are absolutely sure that your steel is in tune. Continue…

2. Next, with your Strobo Flip Tuner connected to your steel, and after you read this, you are going to turn your Strobo FlipTurner on, by pressing the on button and then pressing the TMPR/SWT button.

3. Next, use the half moon arrow pads in the left center of the tuner, up or down to find the SWT:EQUAL mode. Then allow the tuner to cycle to the tune page. (It does it automatically)

4. Now, pick the 1st string open and adjust the up/down arrows until the STROB stops. Read the offset number at the lower right of the screen. Write that number in your offset chart next to the 1st string F# open position. Note: it will be a positive or negative number such as -05.0 cents. It will be your number for your steels 1st string, when your steel is in tune.

5. Next, pick the 2nd string open and adjust the up/down arrows until the STROB stops. Read the offset number at the lower right of the screen. Write that number in your offset chart next to the 2nd string D# open position. Note: it will be a positive or negative number such as -05.0 cents. It will be your number for your steels 2nd string, when your steel is in tune.

6. Next, pick the 3rd string open adjust the up/down arrows until the STROB stops. Read the offset number at the lower right of the screen. Write that number in your offset chart next to the 3rd string G# open position. Note: it will be a positive or negative number such as -05.0 cents. It will be your number for your steels 3rd string, when your steel is in tune.

7. Next, pick the 4th string open adjust the up/down arrows until the STROB stops. Read the offset number at the lower right of the screen. Write that number in your offset chart next to the 4th string G# open position. Note: it will be a positive or negative number such as -05.0 cents. It will be your number for your steels 4th string, when your steel is in tune.

Continue to each string open, then each change for each string until you have written down the offsets for every change of your “in tune” steel. Don’t miss any. This procedure is very important if you want the end result to be usable. When your done. Again check the tuning on your steel making sure it is in tune. THEN>>>

While still in the SWT:EQUAL mode. Check each and every one of your strings open and each and every change on every string "as above" using the UP/DOWN arrow pads to stop the STROB, verify that the offsets you have written down the first time, are the ones you get on the Strobo Flip this time. If you find any that are slightly different, adjust your offset chart reading to the new offset if needed. We are now ready to go on to the next part of the tuning process.

Basically:
Programming your Strobo Flip Tuner with your offsets.

1. With your offset chart in front of you.

2. With your Strobo Flip Tuner disconnected to from your steel, and after you have read this, you are going to hold the TMPR/SWT Prog button down as you turn your Strobo FlipTurner on. This will put you in the Program Mode First Page.

3. Next, use the half moon arrow pads in the left center of the tuner, up or down to select the programmable memory slot T-1, or the memory slot you will enter the offsets into. I suggest you use T-1 first to get use to this process. Notice the small arrow between the S-1 and T-1 that changes using the arrow pads. Select T-1.

4. Next, press the TMPR/SWT Prog button again. This puts you in the Actual Program Mode. Using your offset chart, and the arrow pads enter the offset for the note indicated (“C” is the first note that comes up). When that notes offset is entered, or if you do not have that note to tune on your steel, press the TMPR/SWT Prog button again and it will advance to the next note. Enter that notes offset or if you do not have that note to tune on you steel, press the TMPR/SWT Prog button to advance to the next note. And so on.

5. When you have entered offsets for all of the notes you need to, pressing the TMPR/SWT Prog button again will save your entries. The Strobo Flip will again ask you if you want to save your entries. This time, Save them by pressing the SAVE button on the key pad. Note: When you are on the final SAVE page, pressing the TMPR/SWT Prog button again, will take you back around to all of the notes so you can check and verify all of your inputs. Then you can save them.

6. At this point, all of your offsets, have been programmed in to memory slot T-1.

Setting your Strobo Flip to power up in the T-1 screen where your offsets are programmed.

With Strobo turned on, press the TMPR/SWT Prog button and use the up/down arrow pads to find T-1. If you find only S-1, press the TMPR/SWT Prog button again to get to the T-1. Once you are in the T-1 mode, press the SAVE button on the keypad. It will ask if your sure, press Save again. Your Strobo Flip will now Power Up in the T-1 mode where your offsets are programmed.

MORE GOOD INFO: Since the Strobo Flip will not allow you to store more then one offset for the same note and that could be necessary for some steels. I suggest multiples be stored in another memory slot, such as T-2.

I’ve tried to cover everything I needed here. But no one is perfect… Questions/corrections or comments please.

I hope this is useful to someone...

One last note: Until you press the save button, nothing you do will be saved. This should be encouraging to some. And because of this fact I was able to practice the above process to write this procedure. Turning off the Strobo Flip at any point, will take you back to the beginning with nothing saved and the Strobo as it was before you started this process.

Dick Sexton · From: Greenville, Ohio

CrowBear Schmitt · From: Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France

Greg Wisecup · From: Troy, Ohio

That made my head hurt! Very useful for Stroboflip owners. Way to go Dick!
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Ben Lawson · From: Brooksville Florida

Thanks Dick, I needed that.

Earnest Bovine · From: Los Angeles CA USA

Basic (and Advanced) Boss Tuner programming:

1. Move "Power" switch from "Off" to "On".

Dick Sexton · From: Greenville, Ohio

CrowBear... Working on it. Sure hope it's useful...

Greg... Take two aspirins, email me in the morning...

Ben... Great to hear that. We got to keep on, keeping on.

Earnest... When I got my Strobo, thinking it was the be all end all, I threw my Korg T10 in the nearest trash receptacle. I sure miss that beat up piece of crayola. Must have dropped it a 100 times, trying to balance it on my knee and get in tune. Had a 3X5 card with my offsets(Newman Settings). Once you got power to it and zeroed the meter, worked like a champ. Your absolutely right though, sometimes simpler is best. And usually cheaper. But if you've got a Strobo Flip... This might help.

David Hartley · Posted 12 Apr 2010 11:51 pm **I dont really understand ?**

Why set your own tempremant when its got a perfectly set E9th Sweetened one already programmed? Ive tuned a lot of steels and all the raises and lowers using the preset and I never had to tweak any strings after tuning? If after tuning, you play it and use your bar over different frets and you sound out of tune, surely its your bar position or to much pressure placed upon it with your hand? Or your fretboard not exactly in the right place or your eye/angle etc? Just my opinion. We all know steels, (well all the ones I have played) have a little cab drop and other slight detunes etc, but the SWT E9th does compensate for this, (I think).. I wouldnt be without one, In fact, I am getting the software version for the iMac very soon to.

David

Ray McCarthy · From: New Hampshire, USA

The only problem I have with the SWTE9th is the E-lowers. I find I have to raise them 12 cents from the preset to get them to sound right to my ears. Everything else seems fine.

Dick Sexton · From: Greenville, Ohio

David, thanks for your input on this...

I've used the Jeff Newman presets for years. They were in the book I got from Mr. Tom Bradshaw with my Korg T10 tuner. They worked on the steel I had at the time. And I have just gone back to using them and on the steel I have now, they work just fine. But they didn't work to well, on the steel I had between those two and programming my own offsets into my Strobo Flip I thought was needed for that steel.

I think, in a high percentage of instances, the Newman (SWT:OE9th) presets will work just fine. They are now working for me. One of the things I like about them is, they seem to be very forgiving to my ear, meaning, tune up and sound good.

Ray... The Strobo Flip is a great tool for this kind of situation. You could tune up your steel using the SWT:OE9th function, then make any adjustments to that tuning you might need(by ear or however). Then get your offsets as stated in the original post above and save them in one of the programmable slots. Wala, the best of both worlds.

The Strobo Flip is a great tool, but, I do wish it had a function where by, I could pick a string and press a button and that strings note would be instantly programmed in to the programmable slot.

Damien Odell · From: Springwood, New South Wales, Australia

Dick,

Thanks for that, I found it very informative. I generally use the E9 sweetened presets on the stroboflip, however the main problem that I find with my guitars is that the F# raise on the 4th string always needs tweaking in order to take beats out of the minor chord with B/C down, and to a lesser extent I tweak the B-C# on the 5th string.

Your instructions are much more thorough than the user manual...

Damien

Dick Sexton · From: Greenville, Ohio

Damien,

I hope others also find this, somewhat clarifying. I too, had trouble understanding the manual. I believe most would, but of course not all. Glad it was of some help.

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