Peterson phone app

[Sarhog]

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

Guitar "Tuna" (eugh) takes ages to find and load whereas picking up a clip on checking tuning during the applause, seems far more straight forward.

Am I missing something?

My use case for apps is for times when I don’t have my tuner. For instance, in a Guitar Center, or at a buddy’s house and he breaks out a guitar. I rarely use an app when my clip on tuner is available.

[JayBee1404]

Phone apps may be OK for tuning in your home, but they are completely useless in a performance, session, jam, or song/tune circle, background noise blows the app’s mind.

I use my phone to make calls, send SMS messages and emails.
I use a clip-on or pedal tuner to tune my guitars.

The right tool for the job in hand - always, and every time!

[Moldstar]

Originally Posted by ljguitar

Hi jjbigfly…
For me it's a mono-tasker. It does ONE THiNG I need it to, and does it well.

I use it on my iPad when setting intonation on guitars. Peterson strobes are very erratic and they respond/react too quickly for day to day use.

But the necessary precision when setting octaves (both harmonic and fretted) with the Peterson Strobe tuners (on the iPad) when I finally achieve the perfect point of in-tuneness it is very obvious with the Peterson. Everything stops moving and it locks it in.

Peterson tuner's algorithm for guitars because of the instant response is out of date compared to the T.C. Electronics tuners (and others) because of the oversensitivity and too-quick responsiveness.

The T.C. Electronics Uni-tune tuners are accurate to ¹⁄₂₀₀₀ of a half step, and as you tweak they ease you up to it gently. That's important to me.

If I were a piano tuner, I'd own the Peterson strobe (the multi-hundred dollar one). They are designed well.

But, I'm a guitar player who often needs to tweak pitches mid-song in the middle of a band (because I bend a lot). I also run capos on/off through a set multiple times. I don't have time to hook my guitar up to a phone (in the middle of a song in the middle of a band). Tuners like the Peterson app and clip ons are too sensitive to play publically with other noise around.

My opinions based on my experience…

I love my TC headstock tuner for the things you mentioned. I think it's the best headstock tuner for sale today, in terms of ease of use and accuracy. I find the Snarks and their ilk to be really innaccurate, and their displays leave a lot to be desired.

[Silly Moustache]

Originally Posted by Moldstar

I love my TC headstock tuner for the things you mentioned. I think it's the best headstock tuner for sale today, in terms of ease of use and accuracy. I find the Snarks and their ilk to be really inaccurate, and their displays leave a lot to be desired.

Agreed, and and my thanks to those on here who have kindly sent me some when unavailable in the UK, and when I lost one at a charity concert.

[Moldstar]

Originally Posted by robey

The Doppler effect? That’s a new one. Been a bit since HS physics, but I’m pretty sure the Doppler effect relies on the sound source and/or listener moving.

Think about it - If I’m playing in a group and we’ve all tuned to the same app, we’re not suddenly out of tune depending on how far someone is from another person.

Anyway, love my Peterson phone app. And clip on. And stomp.

"The Doppler effect (also Doppler shift) is the change in the frequency of a wave in relation to an observer who is moving relative to the source of the wave."

Anytime you have a wave, you can have Doppler. Light is both a particle and a wave. However, Doppler effect only is functional if one of the parties is moving. You'd have to have like a quarter mile long practice room, one of the bandmembers would need to be moving pretty fast, lol.

[Misifus]

Yes, keep in mind the difference between precision and accuracy. IMO, the Peterson’s show great precision and apparent accuracy, but they tend to show little stability. As has been said, for accurately gauging intonation, the Peterson is what I’d choose. However, for day-to-day onstage tuning, my Snark is much handier. It is probably not as accurate, but it settles quite readily, and thus is more useful.

I’m not disputing the accuracy of the Peterson, I expect the actually frequency of the strings does vary as the Peterson shows, but the Snark in damping the response, is a lot easier to use.

[Wardo]

I have one of the older Peterson strobes on my pedalboard. It’s the large boxy one and I really like it.

I had one of the older Peterson clip on tuners but the clip broke.

I have the app on my iPhone mainly for if I’m stuck somewhere without a tuner. I find that the app is a little bit inaccurate but it doesn’t much matter because I usually tweak some of the strings by ear anyway. The inaccuracy could be something to do with my phone as it is quite old.

I find that the small De Addario headstock clip on tuners are really good and as always I still need to tweak usually the B a little bit by ear.

And, as mentioned above the Phone app tuner doesn’t work well in a noisy environment. However, it is useful to have on your phone if yer stuck without a tuner but that is about it.

[Bowie]

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

When I first got my current smartphone I downloaded (uploaded?) a couple of tuning apps.

I don't really understand the advantage over a clip on ?

I use the TC Electrinics Unitune which are a tad large to keep on the headstock but otherwise quick and easy to use, whereas picking up a smartphone in front of an audience, looking for an app, really doesn't look great and must be slower.

Guitar "Tuna" (eugh) takes ages to find and load whereas picking up a clip on checking tuning during the applause, seems far more straight forward.

Am I missing something?

I don't think anyone is using phones in a live setting but, at home, my phone app pulls up pretty much instantly and is much preferred (for me) over a clip on tuner. The app allows greater precision because of the screen size vs a clip-on and I feel I get a better result. I don't send my guitars out of tune easily though and haven't had to tune during a performance ever.

In a live setting I might use a clip on but I wouldn't leave it on the whole time as I just hate the look of them. But, I haven't ever needed to tune during a set so it's not really an issue I've faced.

[Purfle Haze]

Originally Posted by rschultz

The Airyware tuner is the best iphone tuner I know of.

I agree! I have the Peterson iStrobosoft app, and it is finicky. The Airyware tuner has a better interface and damping. And in includes the (bogus) JT tuning that Peterson charges extra for, and promotes as a secret sauce. It's inexpensive vs. Peterson, although they are both inexpensive in the scheme of things. So, whatever gives you the confidence that you're in tune (if not your ears), use that.

All that said, TC Unitune clip-on is better and quicker/easier.

Good luck!