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The tuner pedal "killswitch" benefit

#61
JimmyM said:
Totally the case in my band. Can't tell you how many times I've been trying to switch between electric and upright and the drummer starts counting the tune off even when it's obvious I'm not ready. I almost quit playing upright with them because of it.
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I've found that's the case with most bands.

My position on stage, is to the drummer's left, standing just ahead of the line of the kick drum. Band leader (rhythm guitar) is in front of me, female singer is center stage, and lead guitar is stage right.

I switch between fretted 6, fretless 5 and EUB multiple times a set. I've gotten so used to being 'left behind' that I'm literally still fretting the resolution while I'm hanging up one bass, and grabbing the next one...

As for tuners, I have one built into my ME20B that I use, but I also own 2 Snarks. When they are on the headstock, I've got them turned backwards, so that the face of the tuner is hidden by the headstock. I also have them in colors that match my basses. All you see is the back of the clip, and their colors camouflage them.
 
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#62
I feel for you guys... my band is pretty respectful... I play one bass tuned beadg and then tune up one to ceadg, guitarist plays drop b with the digitech drop so switches instantly to drop c... even when it takes me slightly longer to switch they wait. I did have fretless tuned to ceadg but was easier to tune one string than swap basses and then reset outputs etc.
 
#64
well, I got the polytune clip and it works much better than any clip tuner I've used. It track the low B quickly and easily, and in a noisy environment. Cost under $30 used (well, new, but open box) on ebay.

I can't see wanting to add a pedal tuner to my (crowded) board any time soon.
 
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#67
oldrocker said:
Maybe I have an older model but I can't see the display playing outside in sunlight with my Korg Pitch-black.

Currently looking for a new pedal tuner I can use outside in bright light.
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hmmm...mine's about 6 yrs old... the main reason I switched to the Korg from my Boss tuner was that the Boss display completely washed out in sunlight on an outdoor
gig. Newer PBs should have the same type display...mine is a large Red LED and is much easier to see in daylight than the Boss.
 
#68
oldrocker said:
Maybe I have an older model but I can't see the display playing outside in sunlight with my Korg Pitch-black.

Currently looking for a new pedal tuner I can use outside in bright light.
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Me neither. It's fairly bright for indoors but outside in the Florida summer sun, it disappears. I use a little TC Polytune Mini now. Nary a problem seeing it.
 
#71
c3powil said:
I was discussing with some guitarists at practice yesterday about how I need a few seconds of silence on stage so that I can tune before we start our set. I use a planet waves clip on style tuner that will not work properly in a noisy environment. They told me to look into getting a pedal tuner because they don't have that problem, and pedal tuners also have the added bones of acting as a killswitch.

I have heard others espouse this "benefit" before, as well, but I don't quite get it. Why is a killswitch a cool feature in a pedal when I have a volume knob right on my bass?


I did order a polytune clip on tuner, which I expect will be much easier to use and much more mobile than a pedal style tuner.
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Your first paragraph answered your own question...
 
#73
Pedal tuner/mutes are great pieces of gear. In addition to silent tuning during shows, it's great for habitual noodlers like myself in practice. I don't noodle in shows but I'm always doing it at practice. I don't smoke anymore so I need to keep one or two bad habits, right? I just mute between songs now so I can carry on with my ways.
 
#74
oldrocker said:
Yep, mine has a large Red display. I cannot see it at all in the sun. May be due to my red/green color blindness but it's useless to me outdoors. I have to use my cheap handheld korg tuner for outdoor shows.
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Uh-oh...the Polytune's colors are red and green. They made one with blue and white LED's called the Polytune Blacklight, but I don't think they make it anymore.
 
#75
JimmyM said:
Uh-oh...the Polytune's colors are red and green...
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I think it will be OK. At our last show the guitar player and I were comparing our tuner pedals. His is a Polytune 2 mini. The Polytune was much brighter than my Pitchblack. I could see the Polytune, my Pitchblack not so much.

I don't need the mini size and I like the option of using a battery so I ordered the Polytune 2 today.
 
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#76
I used to switch back and forth between clip on and pedal tuners. I always let out a little bit of a sigh using a clip on because if the environment wasn't ideal tuning took so much longer than it should. Also, I personally feel that a killswitch, either through a mute or an A/B box or a dedicated pedal, is essential. Having that backup in case something goes wrong is just good practice. That being said, I'm all pedal all the time now and I even have a small battery board that I take whenever I'm playing lighter but don't want to deal with things at my feet, such as a tuner, DI and EQ pedal. Pedalboards don't have to be effects, but can serve the purpose of utility.
 
#77
oldrocker said:
I think it will be OK. At our last show the guitar player and I were comparing our tuner pedals. His is a Polytune 2 mini. The Polytune was much brighter than my Pitchblack. I could see the Polytune, my Pitchblack not so much.

I don't need the mini size and I like the option of using a battery so I ordered the Polytune 2 today.
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Just to report back. I played my first show since getting my Polytune 2. Outdoors, bright sunny day, no clouds, no shade.

I had no trouble seeing the display. I'm very happy with the Polytune.
 
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#78
Convenience.

It'll take you longer to turn down and back up on a volume knob than it'll take you to stomp two times on a pedal.

Plus the fact that some do not utilize there bass at full power, which means it would be difficult for them to get back to the exact same setting, same goes for those who have a 2 pickups or more bass with individual volume controls if they don't happen to use all pickups at the same volume.
 
#79
NoiseNinja said:
Convenience.

It'll take you longer to turn down and back up on a volume knob than it'll take you to stomp two times on a pedal.
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You think? I don't know that there's much difference in time saved. Plus I have to walk up to my board by my mic and then walk to back where my amp is. Which I'd probably have to do anyway, but I've been caught short so many times by our drummer that the walk up to the board makes a difference whether I can get up and running in time to start the next song.

Plus the fact that some do not utilize there bass at full power, which means it would be difficult for them to get back to the exact same setting, same goes for those who have a 2 pickups or more bass with individual volume controls if they don't happen to use all pickups at the same volume.
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That's a legit point. I've done it before. One of the things that soured me on switching basses in the middle of a show. I'd always forget and jack my volume setting :D
 

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