Review Of The New Peterson StroboPlus HD Tuner

Greg Cutshaw · From: Corry, PA, USA

Click the link below to see my review of the new Peterson StroboPlus HD Tuner. I included a song recorded in my home studio with all the instruments tuned with the StroboPlus.

http://gregcutshaw.com/StroboPlusHD/StroboPlusHD.html

Greg

Dickie Whitley · Posted 9 Mar 2013 7:08 am

Looks like you got a good case with yours, mine came in a "tin can" with a written notice they were changing cases. I wonder if they'll offer that at a nominal fee to those of us with the "tin cans".

Great tuner regardless of the case.

Bill Miller · From: Gaspe, Quebec, Canada

Is USB the only way to recharge these tuners? Are there no removable batteries? If so, that would be an issue in my book. It would assume that the user is always handy to a USB connection which is not the case.

Dickie Whitley · Posted 9 Mar 2013 7:51 am

Bill, the one I ordered from Bobbe Seymour came with an AC adapter that hooks into the USB cable and plugs in like a wall wart to charge. I don't know if Greg mentioned that or if his didn't come with one.

I can put up pictures if you'd like.

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

Greg,
I just started using that tuner myself and really like it. I am also using the tempered tunings you mentioned.
Did you get that attachment bracket with yours?
I got mine from Bobbe Seymour along with the mounting bracket. But what I did is just re-use the bracket that I was using with my Boss tuner. The StroboPlus has a 1/4" threaded hole in the back and I used that to mount it to the little shelf that I bought off the Forum.

BTW: I was wondering if it had true bypass so I sent an e-mail to Peterson Tuners and almost immediately got an answer. They said that only the stomp box tuners have "true bypass" but the StroboPlus is totally transparent when put in line. So that's the way I'm going to try it. I hope to eliminate the A/B box I had to use with the Boss.

Greg Cutshaw · From: Corry, PA, USA

For $5 on Amazon you can get an AC charger with a removable cord that will also accept the Peterson cord. It's becoming the cheapest and most available charging port around. There was one update to download and I was able to do that quite easily. The new packaging does make it feel like you are getting a high quality package. This tuner, at this price point, is quite a good deal.

Greg

Dick Sexton · From: Greenville, Ohio

Good review and info Greg, thanks for doing that. I've used the Flip for a while now with my own offsets and the HD tuned some sharp from what I've been using. In our gig last night, I went back to the Flip for that reason. This morning I am going to tune up using my HD with the SE9 and PE9 settings and leave it on. I guess old guys don't like to change to quickly. Haha!

Superb playing, by the way. On all instruments...

Again, thanks for all you've done and do.

Greg Cutshaw · From: Corry, PA, USA

Dick, I had to tune the fiddle down ten cents on the Stroboflip, the bass guitar a bit less and the accoustic setting on the Flip just left he whole guitar out of tune. I agree the StroboPlus HD tunes sharper on some instruments but it seems like all the instruments are in tune with each other better now. I feel you get a more accurate tuning readout with a lower input level. You can actually see the strobe shift a bit when the signal starts to die down. I tune with a light touch on the string and the results have been great. Going from the original Korg WT/AT-12 to the StroboFlip was a huge leap forward. To me it seems that going from the Flip to the PlusHD is another huge leap forward especially considering the price point.

For all practical purposes any of these tuners works great as does the Sonic Research Turbo Tuner. The Plus HD is the best value of the lot though and has a lot of ergonomic advantages.

Greg

Dick Sexton · From: Greenville, Ohio

Thanks Greg... Just got my steel tuned up a couple hours ago. Sounds sweet!

Greg Cutshaw · From: Corry, PA, USA

Bill, here's a good example of a low cost USB charger ($2.02 + $4.99 shipping). These are actually somewhat cheaper and more compact than the 9 volt units we are used to purchasing. There's absolutely no need to have access to a computer USB port.

USB charger at Amazon

Greg

Greg Cutshaw · From: Corry, PA, USA

Updated the web page with some charger info.

Greg

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

I got my tuner from Bobbe Seymour and the charger came with it.

Greg Cutshaw · From: Corry, PA, USA

I think it makes sense to throw the AC brick in with the USB cord that is already included with the StroboPlus. In quantity, the AC to DC brick costs under $1.

Greg

Ivan Posa · From: Hamilton, New Zealand

I have just had my new StroPlus HD delivered to me by Paddy Long and have had a good session with it in use. I think it is an excellent tuner and is much more stable than either the Stroboflip or even the Stroborack. A great piece of kit for any Steel Guitarist.

Brett Barton · From: San Marcos, Texas

apparently i have no idea how to operate this thing...

Dick Sexton · From: Greenville, Ohio

This worked for me.

Power On/Off Button... Press and Hold for 2 to 3 seconds. Tuner should light up.

Press and click this round knob. Turn it until...>

You get SE9 here. Press it again to lock it in. This is the Newman settings.
Tune each of your open strings until they are on and the strob has stopped.
Press the round knob again, turn until it you read PE9, press again to lock in.
This is the Newman setting for your pedals and lever. Tune as above.

This the note you are tuning. It shows up when you pick a string. Pick lightly with a bare finger.

This is the strob you should be watching. Make it stop.

Again this is the On/Off switch pad. Press and hold 2 to 3 seconds until unit turns off.

There is more, but the book is somewhat vague. I hope this is a little helpful..

Note: What ever Settings Program, SE9 or PE9 is locked in when you turn the unit off,
will come up when you turn the unit back on.

Brett Barton · From: San Marcos, Texas

now that seems simple. I think I've been pushing too many buttons to begin with. I'll give this another shot when I get home this evening. thanks for your help.

Dick Sexton · From: Greenville, Ohio

Brett, Email me tomorrow if you have trouble. I'll walk you through as much as I've been able to figure out.
Note: I think the Newman settings are very good, at least for my tin ears...

Mitch Adelman · From: Pennsylvania, USA

Anyone try the Emmons preset on this tuner? Thats new preset for me. It also has a preset for the pedals. Wondering how it compares to the SE9 and 0E9 settings. Thanks

Dave Bertoncini · From: Sun City West, Arizona USA

The Universal 12 presets seem to work pretty well too...at least so far

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

I use the Emmons presets. I tune to 440, not to 442.5.

Mitch Adelman · From: Pennsylvania, USA

I hear no difference between the E0 and the Emmons settings both have E's at 0. Curious about the differences.

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

The E's would be the same, it's the other strings that are tempered.

Mitch Adelman · From: Pennsylvania, USA

I don't know if it matters but the Emmons preset has this for some pedals G# -11 A -7 C# -17 whereas the E0 has G# -13.7 A -5.9 and C# -15.9.Both E's at 0. They are very close and I hear little difference on my steel at least to my bad ears.

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

I've used the Newman settings for years. For a long time I had a slightly modified Newman setting (E's at Zero) that I used with a Strobe-o-Flip and with an ST122. I tried the pre-programmed Emmons that is in an ST122a and didn't like it at all. I tried the Newman (with the E's at +9.8 cents) and it sounded right on, and now I'm a "convert".

I got one of the new StrobOPlusHD and have tried the factory Newman but have programmed my own since I have a couple of knee lever changes that Newman has never had.

I like the StrobOPlusHD over the ST122a as the display is larger, clearer and more stable. The accuracy seems to be identical, as I've tuned with one then checked with the other and they agree. Programming on a PC with the StrobOPlusHD is another advantage, for me.

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