Steel guitar tuners?

Ron Sodos · From: San Antonio, Texas USA

What kind of tuners do you guys use?

Brett Lanier · From: Madison, TN

Peterson Stroboplus HD when the room is loud. An E and a C tuning fork when I can hear myself.

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

I use the Android app Cleartune, with the Peterson adapter cable.
I don't like the very concept of the programmable tuners: a tuner that tells me that 17 cents flat is zero just kinda troubles me.
Back when I used a complex chart, I still left it in ET mode, and pointed the needle to the proper value.
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Randy Owens · From: West Central Indiana, USA

I like my Peterson Stroboflip.
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2003 Mullen Royal Precision, Walker Stereo Steel, Ampeg G-15, Telonics FP-100

Ron Sodos · From: San Antonio, Texas USA

Does it work with an Android tablet. The Peterson website says it works with ipads and iphones. Doesn't mention Android.

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

Android and Apple use the same TRRS assignment
When Peterson started marketing the cable, they had no app for Android.
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

Peterson Strobo-Flip. I do have the adapter that lane mentions and a tuner program on my phone as a backup.
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Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, NV400, NV112 . Playing for 54 years and still counting.

Ron Sodos · From: San Antonio, Texas USA

I watched a YouTube on the strobo flip.
The guy said he used the Newman presets. Is it easy to adjust the frequencies so custom settings. Also what about raises and lowers.

Paddy Long · From: Christchurch, New Zealand

Petersen HD, or my Stroborack depending on which rig I am playing through.
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14'Zumsteel Hybrid D10 9+9
08'Zumsteel Hybrid D10 9+9
94' Franklin Stereo D10 9+8
Telonics, Peterson, Steelers Choice, Benado, Lexicon, Red Dirt Cases.

Len Amaral · From: Rehoboth,MA 02769

I still use the Boss TU-12 tuner after all these years with the Jeff Newman compensated tuning chart.

Pete Burak · From: Portland, OR USA

TU-12 for the S12U. Smile

Carl Kilmer · From: East Central, Illinois

I've been using the Peterson Strobo-Flip for years and it's
been the best one I ever used. Never had any problem with it.
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aka "Lucky Kay"--Custom built Rittenberry SD10 3X5, Walker S/S, NV-112, and Hilton Pedal

Bruce Derr · From: Lee, New Hampshire, USA

For a long time I've used Seiko tuners, the SAT800 and some others, with a numeric Cents display that makes it easy to temper any string however much you want. Seikos are getting hard to find. I think the SAT501 is the current chromatic model.

I've never tried a programmable tuner. I did just pick up a Turbo Tuner but I haven't yet put in a custom tempered tuning for steel.

Keane Eng · From: Alberta, Canada

Peterson iStrobosoft app for iOS... because it lets me use my iPhone's giant screen, is super fast and digital, customizable, and most importantly, displays +\- cents.

Hooked up as follows...

Guitar > 3' cable > Y-cable splitter > Passive volume pedal with 1 x Input and 1 x Output

Other Y-cable splitter female jack > 2' 6" cable with 1MÎ© resistor added between Tip and cable centre lead inside one of the two plugs > Peterson Adapter Cable > Apple IPhone 4 > Peterson iStrobosoft app for iOS

I don't know of any difference between the iOS version and the Android version.

If you're thinking of making your own Peterson Adapter Cable like I did, the Peterson cable isn't just a simple mono 1/4" female to 4-conductor 3.5mm male adapter cable. The input is isolated from the Microphone output, and the input impedance is very small (~25kÎ©). All the power to you for making your own, but I elected to just buy Peterson's. The low input impedance is significant because it is low enough to cause an audible loading effect on a passive, shared guitar signal. If your signal going to your tuner is buffered, or is sent through a higher resistance than your guitar signal, then there should be no audible loading effect.

The 1MÎ© resistor has been discussed on the Forum, here:
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=173031

...It helps minimize the effect of loading due to passively splitting the guitar signal between the volume pedal and tuner. It effectively shares a tiny fraction of the guitar's output signal rather than an equal share, so that the effect on the guitar signal is negligible. A 500kÎ© resistor is not quite enough; you may still hear a loading effect. 2MÎ© is unnecessary, or rather, you risk not sending your tuner ample signal.

The Y-cable splitter allows me to use a volume pedal that doesn't have a dedicated Tuner output. The Tuner output on passive Ernie Ball volume pedals is just a tap directly off the Input signal, and will cause a loading effect and drop in volume and tone if connected to a tuner with a low input impedance. By having the 1MÎ© resistor as part of the cable instead of the volume pedal's Tuner output, I don't need to modify my volume pedal, or use the same/modified volume pedal all the time.

I haven't purchased any of the iStrobosoft Sweeteners, yet I still try to follow the Jeff Newmann tempered tuning system, and iStrobosoft's cents display feature allows me to.

My favourite part though, is using my iPhone's giant, fancy display for a tuner.

I think they have a newer or better one out now, but I use an IK Multimedia iKlip Mini to mount the iPhone right next to my right wrist, behind the guitar, at the top of the right-rear leg, angled directly at my face.

Apologies for all the gory detail, but maybe someone finds this useful.

Peterson Adapter Cable:
https://www.petersontuners.com/shop/item/Adaptor-Cable-for-Mobile-Devices

IK Multimedia iPhone mount:
http://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/iklipmini/

Dan Beller-McKenna · From: Durham, New Hampshire, USA

Sonic Research ST-200.

I used the Cleartune app on my phone for a few years. It works pretty well, but I had trouble with the adapter (bought multiple new ones, different brands, etc.) with my last two iPhones. I still have it for rehearsal or for my acoustic instruments in a pinch, but I couldn't trust it to pick up the signal through the adapter in a noisy gig environment. Also didn't know where to situate my phone if I left it plugged in.

I've never had one of the Petersons to compare to, but the Sonic Research works perfectly. I chose the larger floor/stomp version because I already have two things clipped to the leg of my steel. It runs in line from my volume pedal to my multi-stomp with no signal loss, and it allows for muted tuning at any time.

As on Cleartune, I use the Sid Hudson offsets.

Very happy with this set up.

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