 Turbo Tuner Review & Comparison
Sign in to disble this ad
I wanted to share my impressions of the Sonic Research Turbo Tuner HT-200, for anyone considering a tuner. I have owned the Boss TU-2, a Planet Waves tuner, StroboStomp, StroboStomp2 and the new DigiTech HT-2.
Boss:
Well built as everyone knows, but it is an older model that has been eclipsed by more accurate tuners.
Planet Waves:
I forget the model number but this is the one that came about early 2007 and is kind of a smoke colored metal. It looked promising but in reality was a disappointment. The battery cover release is made out of a cheap plastic that breaks off. The accuracy is ok.
StroboStomp:
Very nice accurate tuner. But they all suffered from the display cover pealing off.
StroboStomp2:
I had one for over a year. Very accurate and well made. But the unit was not sealded and it collected dust under the display. The display is very easy to read but I find the bars distracting. The E & A string are represented by a different bar than the D & G string. Very accurate. Had a lot of features, that I didn't need (ie. DI) that priced it at $200.
DigiTech HT-2:
This tuner looked very promising. It is not as accurate as the StroboStomps but it is more accurate than the Boss. The battery changing process is poorly designed. I also found the tuning to not be as easy to do as I anticipated. Solidly built. It was also USA made (for now anyway).
Sonic Research HT-200 TurboTuner:
IMO, this is the Holy Grail of stompbox tuners. It is five times more accurate than the StroboStomps. You may ask why that matters from a practical perspective? With the StroboStomps I could rarely get the bands to stop moving. When they did I was at the .1 cent accuracy maximum. So when they moved slightly I was a little less accurate. It's also rare that I get the led ring to stop moving on the Turbo Tuner. But when I do I am accurate to .02 cent. So I feel comfortable that even with very slight movement that I have probably exceeded the StroboStomp's best. The tuner does have a few sweetenings but it is much more uncluttered and intuitive in usage. It is very well made. I would compare it to a Tech 21 in feel and a Maxon Series 9 in quality. It has an aluminum case. The display is well protected and seems to be very scratch resistant. It is dwarfed by the Peterson and Boss. It was the same width and length as a Phase 90, but thinner. It came very well packed and the finish was flawless. It is made in the USA and costs $130. I received it two days after I ordered it from Sonic Research. The display is very easy to use and everything is well sealed from dust. I haven't used it outside so I can't comment on its viewability in sunlight. I would suspect that no one can beat the StroboStomp for outside visibility. The only thing I would change is I wish it had a steel case versus aluminum. It is very lightweight and could get easily kicked around on the floor.
I thought my StroboStomp2 was as good as it gets. But I hated the dust issue. I also thought the fit and finish was so-so. But it was very accurate and couldn't be beat.........until I found the Turbo Tuner! It is fantastic.
__________________
MusicMan Sterling HS, MarkBass CMD 102P, MusicMan Silhouette HSH, Fender '65 Deluxe Reverb
Last edited by WarMan : 11-07-2008 at 08:56 AM.
| 
