Peterson Strobostomp Stomp. Polytune too frequently holds on poly mode on E and B strings.
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TC Polytune - Best tuner for Bass?
- Thread starter Mark Ambler
- Start date
I think tc clip tuner is very good. Accurate, easy to use and keep with you. I have an old Turbo Tuner pedal and I estimate it still better. If I make something like precise intonation setup I'll use it. But I use the tc clip more because the TT is in my pedalboard.
I think the point is that with one strum you can immediately see which strings need tuning and which don't, not that you necessarily adjust all strings from a single strum. Which is very convenient in theory, but in practice I find the poly sensing can be a bit inaccurate so if I need to adjust a string I mute the others.
I bought a TC Polytine as they were released. The old, "big" (ha ha), original polytune. I bought it so long ago, I don't remember fer how much. It's fast. It's accurate. It can be seen anywhere. I've used mine to tune, as a cigarette holder, as a solder stand, as a hammer. It bears the scars to prove it. It handles a low B immediately, and batteries last a year or more. It lives on my rack at gigs, as I prefer my signal to be unimpaired. I believe in this product. I've used this one at a thousand dates or more. It never fails. I do wish it would calibrate a bit lower than 435. But other thsn that, I can't think of anything more I could ask for from a piece of gear. Love my tuner. And who ever woulda thot a tuner could mean so much to a player? Usually an afterthot, I love a tuner you can take for granted. The Polytune is among those.
I currently own and use a Digitech Hardwire HT-2 and I love it. Got it on a musician's friend closeout. That said, when I was packing pedals to go to India, I didn't include it in my top 3...the ones that got to come with. So, I need to get one here.
The TC polytune floor units are on my shortlist, along with Korg. They're cheap, supposedly good, and plentiful. No wonder there are so many for sale. In my opinion, the BMW M3 is an objectively better car than the Ford Focus. However guess which one is for sale more? Doesn't mean they're bad cars, quite the opposite. There's just a lot more to go around. For 98%of the population the Focus will do everything that they want to do, and do it well, for a fraction of the price of the M3.
Moral of the story? Get the polytune.
The TC polytune floor units are on my shortlist, along with Korg. They're cheap, supposedly good, and plentiful. No wonder there are so many for sale. In my opinion, the BMW M3 is an objectively better car than the Ford Focus. However guess which one is for sale more? Doesn't mean they're bad cars, quite the opposite. There's just a lot more to go around. For 98%of the population the Focus will do everything that they want to do, and do it well, for a fraction of the price of the M3.
Moral of the story? Get the polytune.
I have a white polytune floor unit (think its the original design) from 2012 and got myself a black clip on version in black in may.
I think both are great, i mainly use the clip on unit for when i'm practicing and the floor unit stays on pedal board for shows, best of both worlds IMHO.
As for the B-string being read properly I think it is, but obviously it depends on where you clip the tuner on. It also seems to work more reliably when the unit has been on for a minute or so, but it definitely works.
I think both are great, i mainly use the clip on unit for when i'm practicing and the floor unit stays on pedal board for shows, best of both worlds IMHO.
As for the B-string being read properly I think it is, but obviously it depends on where you clip the tuner on. It also seems to work more reliably when the unit has been on for a minute or so, but it definitely works.
People joining punk rock bands and selling the tuners thats why a lot of them on the market 
I used all kinds of clip on tuners and the polytune was the only one that worked as it should in a noisy room.
I used all kinds of clip on tuners and the polytune was the only one that worked as it should in a noisy room.
They are subtle, but it does make it sound better. I read about sweetening and its interesting to know whats going on.
I love my Polytune 3, it is much brighter and easier to read than my Korg Pitchblack and much faster to register.
A good trick if you have a compressor (that I've just re-setup now that I have one) is to put it in front of the tuner. Works really well to even out the tuning window.
However you do have to keep in mind that struck strings tend to start sharp and decay flat... so you dont want to abuse that too much... I've played w/ guys that tune deep into the decay and they often end up a little sharp in actual playing. On the other hand the guys who tune to a pick-pick-pick-pick can end up a little flat (used to be me and could never figure out why my tuning was off).
Both of those tuners are obv super highly regarded... obv I'd be fine to have one... But at some point there's diminishing returns on the perfection... the PT is already probably more accuracy than I can take advantage of...
PT3 is ambient-sensing? That prob leads some guys to call it dimmer I imagine if they don't realize that under a blaze of sun it'll brighten up.
If you like the TC Polytune clip but don't like the price, check out the TC Unitune (https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de...MI3-TqqZX25AIVjMDACh3LSAu9EAQYASABEgIz1_D_BwE)and save yourself a few clams. (Personally, I find the TC tuners — both pedal and clip — very good but the polytune feature useless and annoying for bass, especially 5-string bass. YMMV.)
But as I stated previously, the best tuner by far, in my opinion, is the Peterson Strobostomp (Peterson StroboStomp HD Pedal Tuner) — Turbo Tuner accuracy with a display you can read from the dressing room.
But as I stated previously, the best tuner by far, in my opinion, is the Peterson Strobostomp (Peterson StroboStomp HD Pedal Tuner) — Turbo Tuner accuracy with a display you can read from the dressing room.
I can't say it's better (never tried the TC) but I own 2 Pitchblack tuners, pretty impressed with them, although at practice and gigs I use the tuner in my B3.
- Feb 16, 2008
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- John K Custom Basses
i have a polytune2, a Peterson strobostomp classic and their new strobostompHD. IMO, the strobostomp HD is the best pedal tuner that i've ever owned & used. it has a very large and very accurate display that's easily visible in any lighting condition. can be set to buffered or true bypass and locks onto any note quickly.
Ya, I've had that happen a lot on short scale basses more than long, but definitely a factor. As for the comp, I have a couple but I don't use them. I try ever now and then but I just don't dig what it does, and I don't care enough about poly mode to set one up.
Turbo Tuner Mini on one board, Boss TU-3 on the other. The Turbo Tuner is definitely my favorite, but the TU-3 gets it done. Used to have a Korg Pitchblack and it did the job, as well. The Turbo Tuner lets me tune up fast and is dead on accurate.
I'd pick up a Strobostomp if I cared much about tuners. Frankly, I resent them taking up space on my board where a fun pedal could go
I'd pick up a Strobostomp if I cared much about tuners. Frankly, I resent them taking up space on my board where a fun pedal could go
Have you considered the Turbo Tuner mini?
