tuner pedals causing distortion

[George_Foster]

I've now tried four tuner pedal brands and they all distort my bass. I've put them at the beginning of the effects chain, at the end, and isolated was well. Without the tuner in the chain, no distortion. Anyone else experience this, and is there a fix? Thanks!

 

[Adamixoye]

My *hypothesis* is that all four tuners you tried are buffered, and perhaps you have a passive bass? This would change your impedance, possibly causing issues elsewhere.

I don't know the details of this as well as I might like, but that's the first thing I would consider.

 

[George_Foster]

Thanks for the input. bass is active. Tuners include a Donner Dt-1 and KLIQ Tiny Tune. I forget the other brands, having returned them long ago.

 

[theduke1]

Go to a Sonic Research Strobe tuner.
Question
Are you leaving the tuner on when playing!
Duke

 

[George_Foster]

These tuners I've tried mute when turned on. I will check out the Sonic. Have not tried that yet. thx.

 

[Smurf-o-Deth]

Out of curiosity: if you turn the volume down on your bass a bit, does this still occur?

 

[George_Foster]

The Sonic Research is too dim for me. At a recent gig the sun was too bright for me to see my clip-on tuner's readout so I want to replace it with a display bright enough in all circumstances.

 

[George_Foster]

Smurf, that is interesting. Will try it.

 

[George_Foster]

I tried turning down the volume on the bass (nice idea), and the same distortion through the tuner. just weird.

 

[Chrisk-K]

I've now tried four tuner pedal brands and they all distort my bass.

Then, the problem has nothing to do with a tuner pedal.

 

[Discount Bassy]

Have you tried playing the bass just through the tuner without the rest of the chain? I'm looking to eliminate the patch cable just past the tuner which would be eliminated when the tuner is removed.

I've played active and passive basses and a few different brands of tuners of my own over the years and a number of friend's various combinations of equipment/pedals and have never had or heard of this problem or anything remotely similar.

 

[George_Foster]

Yes, I isolated the latest pedal, a Donner Dt-1, and there was the distortion after maybe a couple minutes. Then I plugged in direct to my amp, no tuner, and no distortion anymore. Weirdest thing.

 

[George_Foster]

BTW, it's the same experience with a Fender Rumble as well as a Genzler Magellan 800.

 

[George_Foster]

I haven't tried plugging the tuner into the "tuner out" on the back of the Genzler. Guess I will.

 

[Mcabe]

I have never heard of a tuner causing distorting. How are you powering the tuner? Maybe there is something funky going on with the power to other pedals if you are daisy chaining it. If that is not it, then try a tuner that is true bypass.

 

[Aidenn7]

it's not tuner is the bass.. the signal from the bass is too hot.. tuners tune best at normal independence place the tuner at end.. what is your chain?? have you tried the Peterson strob hd.. it can be buffered or non buffered

 

[sawzalot]

The pedals cause distortion after a couple of minutes? Doubt it’s all these different pedals. I suspect the battery in your bass is going dead.

 

[jdjk7]

The pedals cause distortion after a couple of minutes? Doubt it’s all these different pedals. I suspect the battery in your bass is going dead.

Then it would be distorted even with no pedal, which OP has said is not the case.

I'm curious about the question of power source. I'd be concerned if OP is doing something like over-volting or under-volting the tuners, because my brief experiences with over-volting pedals led to effects that I could hear even when bypassed.

 

[Killing Floor]

One more reason to not use a tuner.
The guitar player is going to tell you you’ve out of tune anyway.

 

[sawzalot]

Then it would be distorted even with no pedal, which OP has said is not the case.

A quick battery or bass change would tell us, which I would definitely recommend. If the issue goes away with a different bass, then it’s the bass. If the issue remains after a battery change, then it’s not the battery.