Suggestions For A Very High Contrast, Very Bright Non-LCD Tuner

**Bryan R. Tyler** · #1 10-07-2006, 06:04 AM

I just had to sell my new Strobostomp because the display on it did not have enough contrast for me to easily see when standing up. It also had an LCD screen, so whenever you moved slightly away from right over it, the degree of contrast lessened. I'm legally blind and high color and value contrast is key to me seeing something.

I had been using the tuner on my GT-6B as it was pretty easy to see being bright green LEDs on a black background with fairly large letters, but I've taken it out of my rig. I'm also not a fan of how it tracked, so the Boss TU-2 is not one of the tuners I want.

It doesn't have to be footswitchable (I'm attaching it to my Switchbone which has a tuner on/off switch) nor does it need an output. Just really accurate, high value and color contrast LEDs, and the LEDs should be as big as possible.

Thanks!!

KPJ · #2 10-07-2006, 06:17 AM

A Korg DT-3 has bright lights to show the tuning, with yellow being on and red flat and sharp. The note names are displayed linearly across the bottom and are highlighted by red lights. The printing, howevever, is very small and you may have difficulty reading the note names.

The Korg DT-10 has the same sharp/on/flat display as the DT-3 but the notes are displayed in an inch or so tall window in red LEDs with a small red dot denoting sharp. The color contrasr is nice, as the casing is brushed aluminum and the screens are black. Both are very accurate, reliable tuners. I have had my DT-3 for almost ten years and it has survived numerous falls and spills and keeps on going.

I believe they use the same circuitry as the DTR tuners, just in tabletop(DT-3) and pedal(DT-10) form.

Hope this helps.

KPJ · #3 10-07-2006, 06:20 AM

PS: both can be calibrated, with the DT-3 having the benefit of being able to calibrate it to an audible pitch or manually. The DT-10 can only be calibrated manually.

**Bryan R. Tyler** · #4 10-07-2006, 09:35 AM

Thanks, Kevin.

I also just saw the Planet Waves chromatic tuner online, which seems to have a large readout and high color/value contrast....can anyone attest to how easy it is to see this pedal whilst standing, and if a half-blind guy could see it?

Philbiker · #5 10-07-2006, 09:46 AM

Guess you don't sweat lines or not on a fretless, huh?

I have a Rocktron tuner that I bought from JiveJong, it's nice and has bright LEDs. Like most LED tuners it's tough to read in daylight, but most of the time it's fine. The "in tune" LED is much larger and brighter than the "sharp/flat" LEDs and the note LEDs so when you get in tune YOU KNOW IT!

barthanatos · #6 10-07-2006, 10:57 AM

Just about any rackmounted tuner seems like it would work for you.

**David Wilson** · #7 10-07-2006, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bryan R. Tyler

Thanks, Kevin.

I also just saw the Planet Waves chromatic tuner online, which seems to have a large readout and high color/value contrast....can anyone attest to how easy it is to see this pedal whilst standing, and if a half-blind guy could see it?

Bryan,
it's not as bright/easy to read as (say) the Boss TU-2

**Bryan R. Tyler** · #8 10-07-2006, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Philbiker

Guess you don't sweat lines or not on a fretless, huh?

Actually I always use lines- and side dots right under the lines, and one bass I had made with bright red LEDs for side dots.....I need all the help I can get

the way my vision works is that the visual acuity depreciates much, much quicker with distance than normal folks. A couple centimeters from my eye and it's not that much worse than normal, a foot away is pretty bad and I'll need heavy glasses (+9) and bifocals to be able to read, and fifty feet away I'll see almost no detail at all.

Quote:

Originally Posted by barthanatos

Just about any rackmounted tuner seems like it would work for you.

Avoiding rack stuff as my rack's full and I'd rather not have to get a whole other rack just to fit in a tuner.

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidmwilson

Bryan,
it's not as bright/easy to read as (say) the Boss TU-2

Hmmm...I may have to live with the somewhat whackadoo tracking if there's not many options a lot better than that

**Bryan R. Tyler** · #9 10-07-2006, 01:56 PM

These have quite a big display- don't know how bright their LEDs are in real life though..

BaldBass · #10 10-07-2006, 02:18 PM

sabine makes a couple that should work for you also including the new one that sticks on your bass and has the led (red yellow green led's)

**Bryan R. Tyler** · #11 10-07-2006, 03:26 PM

I'd like to avoid any of the stick-on, Intellitouch-style tuners. But this one:

has promise- there's a gap in my rack setup that's 1 3/4" high and 4" wide- nothing's small enough as far as rack gear goes to fit in there. This tuner is 1 3/8" x 3 3/4" wide- pretty much a perfect fit when adding in heavy-duty velco tape and maybe a thin layer of foam to either side.

It's got the right specs and seems to be bright- anyone know how well it handles a low B?

Brad Maestas · #12 10-07-2006, 04:24 PM

My original Peterson VS-1 is actually still quite bright and contrasty despite years of constant use and abuse. The viewing angle is quite good and the contrast is adjustable for better viewing at extreme angles. It's obviously much larger than the Strobostomp but I don't mind at all. Since I normally use the VS-1 up on an amp or on a table, I can get it up much closer to my eyes. Only downer is that it doesn't track the low B very well, even in low-freq mode.

Another strobe-type that comes to mind is the Precision Strobe Tuner. A buddy of mine has one and it's BRIGHT! It can actually be distracting in dark rooms. While the strobe section on the outside is easy to read, the lights in the middle of the unit which indicate pitch are harder to read from afar and might not be what you're looking for. I suppose if you used it for a while you'd get used to the location of the lights and their respective indications and it wouldn't be hard to use. Unlike the VS-1 it tracks the low B quite well.

http://www.precisionstrobe.com/

BaldBass · #13 10-07-2006, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bryan R. Tyler

I'd like to avoid any of the stick-on, Intellitouch-style tuners. But this one:

has promise- there's a gap in my rack setup that's 1 3/4" high and 4" wide- nothing's small enough as far as rack gear goes to fit in there. This tuner is 1 3/8" x 3 3/4" wide- pretty much a perfect fit when adding in heavy-duty velco tape and maybe a thin layer of foam to either side.

It's got the right specs and seems to be bright- anyone know how well it handles a low B?

It will handle a low B just fine

**Bryan R. Tyler** · #14 10-07-2006, 10:49 PM

Just realized the Sabine's input is on the side, not the back, so it would be just a tiny bit too long to fit into my available rack section with a RA plug in it

**Bryan R. Tyler** · #15 10-08-2006, 07:07 AM

I'm going to stay away from the same color/contrast/LCD screen that gave me trouble for now. Thanks anyways Josh

**Bryan R. Tyler** · #16 10-12-2006, 07:27 PM

Picked up the Chromatic Waves tuner- the spaces for the the LEDs are really large, very bright, and very red and green

I can't really make out the letter of the note I'm tuning to whilst standing, but that's not necessary as I know the note I'm trying to tune to. I have no idea how accurate it is

, but it's very easy for me to see.