That's quite the improvement and I can categorically state now that since I had the original Stroboclip it has been, hands down, superbly accurate. The Peterson Stroboclip on the other hand suggests it can display accuracy to +/- 0.1 cent. I'd wager they can only display something more like 2-3 cents accuracy, if that. Some of those giveaway tuners I refer to are even worse as they use large blocks of colour to represent tuning rather than a 'needle' meaning that 'in tune' can actually cover an even larger range. They just can't be any more accurate because of how they display the readout and because of that, despite a needle turning green and registering being in tune, there is quite a bit of 'slack', either sharp or flat of the note you are at which would also register the same 'green' reading. That isn't a failing of the tuners themselves, but is actually down to the limitation of the LCD display in showing a readable needle on a screen. Regular clip on tuner makers are usually a little coy about how accurate their readouts are, but it seems to be accepted that something like a Snark will be accurate to no more than +/- 1 cent. In fact it's all about the display really, because by representing frequency in this way can be much more precise than a needle display ever can. To be clear though, this is NOT a mechanical strobe tuner and doesn't cost $1000 either! Instead, these use an LCD representation of the mechanical spinning wheels to do the same job. Incidentally, Peterson, the brand behind this 'clip on' still make mechanical strobe tuners if you have $1000 plus to spare! The technology was also used in a range of desk based mechanical strobe tuners which cost eye watering sums but were the staple of serious guitar techs for hyper accurate tuning measurements on the bench. For those who are not vinyl junkies, it's the science behind watching a spinning car or bicycle wheel and the wheel appearing to slow, or even go in reverse on tv - where the frequency refresh of the TV can sync with the rotation of the wheel. You adjust the speed of the platter and when the markings appeared to become still in a fast flickering light, you knew you were precisely at either 33 or 45rpm. It's the technology people of a certain vintage may recall on the edge of vinyl turntable platters. A strobe method of tuning uses a rotating disk marked with carefully placed segments which, when spun at certain frequencies, gives the appearance on the eye that the disk has become static. Firstly, not only do standard needle type tuners differ quite wildly in accuracy (and I have seen some woeful examples in the sort that come bundled with cheap Amazon ukes where you can even hear with your own ears that they are way off), but the needle type displays (Snarks etc) differ quite significantly from a strobe tuner too in the way they display the readout. They are all the same aren't they? You clip them on, you pluck a note and a needle registers the note. Anyway, this HD model is an update to my original Peterson strobe tuner which I reviewed as far back as 2012! I thought it was about time I upgraded to the newer model!īack to basics first. I have always tuned review instruments at the nut with a strobe tuner and so if you hear any notes out of tune when the ukulele is played, that is down to intonation issues arising from setup, poor build or strings not being fully settled due to the short turnaround I have on loaned instruments. First off, regular readers and viewers of the Got A Ukulele YouTube channel will know that I already use a Peterson tuner, and have been referring to it a lot in videos of late to try to quell the number of people who don't realise that intonation issues are different from the ukulele not being in tune at the nut.
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