Tuner...not Tuners

[Don Roon]

Hi
What tuner are you using to get your mandolin in tune? (Not the tuners at the top of the mandolin)
Thanks

[yankees1]

Snark

[Aaron Bohnen]

I've tried a lot of different tuners but can't say I love the Snarks. They run through batteries quick, they're not very bright and they seem to break at the stem too easily. And they don't always lock onto the note being played right away. Maybe I've had bad luck with them but overall I don't think they've been very good!

Overall I like the TC Electronic tuners best. The PolyTune can tune an entire guitar all at once - impressive! Doesn't work for a mandolin though, so the UniTune is a great choice for a bit less $.

Here's a link: Unitune at Sweetwater (https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/UniTuneClip--tc-electronic-unitune-clip-clip-on-chromatic-tuner). The Unitune is $24 or $21 if you buy three or more.

The Unitune is big and easy to see, but I wouldn't want to leave it on an instrument. For that I like the NS Micro ones best. There's a headstock version (https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/NSMicroClip2PK--daddario-planet-waves-pw-ct-12tp-ns-micro-tuner-2-pack) and a soundhole version (https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/NSMicroSH--daddario-planet-waves-pw-ct-15-ns-micro-soundhole-tuner). I don't find these to be as good as the TC Electronics tuners but they're really tiny - quite discreet and don't tend to fall off.

No financial interest on my part for any of the above.

Enjoy!

[Jill McAuley]

Another vote for the TC Electronics Polytune or Unitune here - I've been using them for a few years now for mandolin, tenor banjo and guitar and love 'em!

[pops1]

Unitune is the next best tuner to a Peterson. Best tuner I have found for size and accuracy.

[JeffD]

I love the Snark. I suspect many of the reported battery eating problems are due to the microphone not being turned off on when you put the thing away. It keeps working there in your mandolin case, displaying what notes it thinks are the sounds it hears. I suspect also that the not very bright complaint is related to the same thing, the battery being low.

I dunno. I have had several Snarks and they have been bright and even using them every day, I only change the battery once a year or less often. That said, my only complaint is that they are a little delicate. I have to be careful putting them on and taking them off. But with normal habit of care I have not had problems with them.

My favorite tuner is the Peterson StroboClip. I have an older one that I adore. It came in very handy one time when just after the last rehursal before the performance we were informed to tune to A=443.

[MontanaMatt]

Peterson Stroboclip, very accurate, has special micro tuning adjustments that can modify your tuning for different keys...making playing in B actually sound better, well the intonation, not the improvisation :))

[dhergert]

I'm using the D' Addario (formerly Planet Waves) Micro Tuners (https://www.daddario.com/products/accessories/tuners/micro-headstock-tuner/) on all of my stringed instruments. They're discrete, effective and compact, they offer a number of handy features, and I've never had any problems with them. They are available with dedicated mounts for a number of instruments, although their generic peghead mount "Chromatic Headstock Tuner" seems to work best for my mandolins and most of my other instruments.

[Don Roon]

THANKS EVERYONE !! Great info !!

[OneChordTrick]

Snarks here. Red and Black. Don't think I've changed the batter in either; I just remember to turn it off when I've tuned :)

[HoGo]

E.A.R.S. tuner. Mostly right version, but sometimes also left. They both seem to work equally for me. Pretty good for other instruments ranging from violin to piano as well.

[Bob Clark]

Snarks here. Red and Black. Don't think I've changed the batter in either; I just remember to turn it off when I've tuned :)

Another Snark fan here. I have a bunch of clip-ons and one non-clip-on (a Korg that works really well). Maybe I am easy to please but they all work just fine for me, even the really cheap ones.

The battery in my Snark works way beyond one year. It can be dim in outdoor light, but I can live with that. The socket on the neck broke ages ago, but a small dam made of masking tape, filled with epoxy putty quickly fixed that and it's better than new. The Snark is my favorite. My duo partner hand it back and forth, and he seems to like it just fine on his guitar, too.

[Jess L.]

What tuner are you using

I use both of these brands:

1. Peterson StroboClip Hd. I have two identical ones now, because I lost the first one, but liked it well enough to eventually buy an identical replacement. (Then, predictably, the "lost" one turned up - funny how that works, the best way to find a misplaced item is to buy another one, then voila, the first one magically reappears.) Anyway, at least for me, the StroboClip HD is *not* hard to use like previous Peterson tuners I'd seen around in years past, I'd tried one of those older ones once and couldn't figure out how to read the darn thing, it was jumping all over, even though my friend was telling me that it was a fine tuner and that I should get one. I stalled, for years... and years... until the StroboClip HD came out. The StroboClip HD seems easy to read, and very accurate. EXCEPTION: For me anyway, the StroboClip HD becomes kinda useless if there's extra-loud background noise, in which case I prefer the tuner below:


2. TC Polytune, used in one-string-at-a-time mode for GDAE stuff. I have not had occasion to try the alternative Unitune model (the Unitune wasn't available yet, when I first bought the Polytune). I was thinking I also had two/duplicate Polytunes at one point in time, but I only seem to have one of 'em now. I only use it for really noisy situations. The rest of the time I prefer the Peterson.

I'm not overly thrilled about the clip mechanism on either one of those brands, but I've gotten accustomed to them so it's no big deal. They do have certain advantages. At least they're sturdy. :whistling:

I just realized something: any *one* of those tuners actually cost *more* than my mandolin. :))

[yankees1]

I love the Snark. I suspect many of the reported battery eating problems are due to the microphone not being turned off on when you put the thing away. It keeps working there in your mandolin case, displaying what notes it thinks are the sounds it hears. I suspect also that the not very bright complaint is related to the same thing, the battery being low.

I dunno. I have had several Snarks and they have been bright and even using them every day, I only change the battery once a year or less often. That said, my only complaint is that they are a little delicate. I have to be careful putting them on and taking them off. But with normal habit of care I have not had problems with them.

My favorite tuner is the Peterson StroboClip. I have an older one that I adore. It came in very handy one time when just after the last rehursal before the performance we were informed to tune to A=443.

Use my Snark daily and battery lasts a LONG time ! Up to a year !

[Roger Adams]

I'm using the D' Addario (formerly Planet Waves) Micro Tuners (https://www.daddario.com/products/accessories/tuners/micro-headstock-tuner/) on all of my stringed instruments. They're discrete, effective and compact, they offer a number of handy features, and I've never had any problems with them. They are available with dedicated mounts for a number of instruments, although their generic peghead mount "Chromatic Headstock Tuner" seems to work best for my mandolins and most of my other instruments.

This!

[Polecat]

E.A.R.S. tuner. Mostly right version, but sometimes also left. They both seem to work equally for me. Pretty good for other instruments ranging from violin to piano as well.

+1

Electronic tuners have their place (loud environment, in front of an audience when it has to go quick, etc.), but if one abandons the basic skills required to hear whether one is in tune or not, a whole aspect of what it means to play music goes out of the window.

When necessary, I use a black snark.

[Doug Brock]

I have accumulated lots of tuners over the decades. My current favorite clip on is the Stroboclip HD. I also have the TC Polytune but just don't care for it when compared to the Stroboclip. I have a couple of Snarks including the Super Tight but don't like their tuning at all - my instruments just don't sound right even though the Snarks say they're in tune. In a quiet environment, I use the Stroboclip or the Peterson strobe app on my iPhone or iPad.

I do like the D'Addario Micro Tuners for general band use and have several of them. It's funny - I told a group I'm playing with that I'm MUCH less picky on my tuning after spending the past year playing with them! Sort of joking, but the reality is that each person has his own tuner and each person has an instrument with tuning compromises, including how hard they're pressing strings and how hard they're hitting those strings. At home, I'm very picky about my tuning. With the band, I can tolerate more error (though I can't stand not having the two strings in a course on my mando out of tune. Big difference in tone quality when the pair isn't tuned well.).

[albino]

Peterson Stroboclip. Best tuner I’ve ever had but the TC Clip-on is great too. Not as well built though.

[JeffD]

There are many cool tuning apps available. Seeing as I always have my cell phone with me, this really works in a pinch.

[MontanaMatt]

E.A.R.S. tuner. Mostly right version, but sometimes also left. They both seem to work equally for me. Pretty good for other instruments ranging from violin to piano as well.

Bologna (English idiom for incredulity). No way in a gig setting I would take to time to get a bass, banjo, guitar, and mandolin in tune with each other, with crowd noise and beer involved. I can't stand micro-tonal dissidence, and am not going for low-if retro sound.
It works in a orchestra setting since the dissident notes are covered by vibrato. It works to tune a piano in a quiet room, and takes a ton of time. Of course each instrument can be ear tuned, but you can also go for a walk without your shoes on...?:disbelief:

[Cobalt]

Speaking of tuner apps, I tried a few, my current favourite is the A4tune Guitar and Violin Tuner (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.a4tune). I thought using an app was just a gimmick, but it suits me really well - in a quiet environment. Set to violin mode.

[Eric Platt]

Have most of them. At home, Peterson HD. When playing out with others either TC Electronics or Snark. I find the black Snarks work well for mandolin.

I always final tune pairs by ear.

Sometimes will haul out the Lorg Sledgehammer Pro. I like it, but it seems to have a tough time latching on to mandolin notes. Works better on guitar. (Or nyckelharpa. Mikkel of Väsen uses one.)

[derbex]

I have a Snark Supertight, it's a bit more accurate than the 4 for a fiver straight from China ones I used before, but it doesn't lock on to a string very well. If I want more accuracy I use the phone and the Sound Corset app.

[Tim Griffin]

Pano Tuner App in my iPhone

[Beanzy]

I use the black Snark tuners on the bowed instruments. I have some red ones but I've found them more power hungry even though I never use the mic.
Anyway the black ones are good enough for most needs,
For the mandolin and mandoloncello I've recently been using the D'Addario micro tuner& am impressed with how that copes in noisy environments (If it's quiet usually just do an A then set the rest from the 7th fret)

A few weeks back I began using out the "Tuner Lite" application by Piascore on my iPhone. (it's a free version)
That's been great so far for home use. I might try using it with a clip on mic to see if it works well in a gig situation.

[Markus]

I can't stand not having the two strings in a course on my mando out of tune. Big difference in tone quality when the pair isn't tuned well.

I completely agree and have not found any tuner that doesn't require a slight final adjustment to each pair by ear. It absolutely drives me crazy when I see someone tune both strings to their tuner and leave it there - each pair of strings not in perfect tune with each other, each pair in a different manner.

I really like the Stroboclip and am mostly content when using a Snark - but as I have a piezo in my mandolin I vastly prefer using a pedal tuner. Faster, more accurate, requires less time pair-matching, and in contexts where pair-matching by ear is impossible my strobe pedal tuner [turbo tuner st200] gets me results I am content with, even amplified.

I wasn't so picky about pair matching until I listened to a recording of my band where I didn't do a good job of it. Now that I'm plugging in more often, it cuts through in a bad way up the neck if they're not matched well. Maybe I'm more picky than most about this, but when they're nicely paired my instrument just sings with such great tone.

[Johnny60]

Used a blue snark for years, but got a TC Polytune clip for my birthday, and the Snark hasn’t seen any action since then. The TC is great! Highly visible screen, very accurate, and no “hunting” for the note.

[Cobalt]

Have to agree, I'm fussy about each pair being in unison. Even if both are off by a small amount, but are together, it still sounds better to me than even a tiny difference in each pair. It does affect my playing and choice of strings too. I find lighter gauge strings are much easier to generate a difference between the pair when pressing the strings down on the fretboard. With practice that can be resolved (mostly) but it does mean I have to be much more aware and cautious depending on which mandolin I happen to be playing at the time. Heavier strings on the other hand tend to give out the same note without much difficulty.

I did once borrow (briefly) a friend's mandolin, and each pair was tuned wildly apart. I couldn't decide whether it was carelessness, inability to hear it, or perhaps a deliberate choice. I didn't dare ask. But I did have to tune all of them before I could begin to play.

[Markus]

I did once borrow (briefly) a friend's mandolin, and each pair was tuned wildly apart. I couldn't decide whether it was carelessness, inability to hear it, or perhaps a deliberate choice. I didn't dare ask. But I did have to tune all of them before I could begin to play.

Some people like that sound, I think. I've heard this described as wet vs dry tuning - one of them being perfectly synched pairs and the other choosing for intentional variance.

There's a number of threads about that if you search on wet dry tuning, this one came to mind:

https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-77694.html

This one https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-134589.html discusses people's methods of getting to perfect synched pairs, I seem to follow the same general pattern - tune one to pitch with tuner, tune other to just under pitch with tuner and then tune it up to match by ear.

When it's impossible to work by ear my strobe pedal tuner can get remarkably close, just a nudge off perfect.

[pops1]

I also like my strings in tune. I am usually able to do it with the tuner, but it takes a while of finicky tuning.

[MontanaMatt]

I had my band all switch to Peterson stroboclip, our sound got way better. When we play in B, and the guitar capos 4, I tune my mando to capo 4 and it sounds great.

[Paul Brett]

I have a Peterson strobovlip, a polytune, a blue headstock snark, a planet waves micro tuner and the planet waves sound hole tuner on my guitar. The Stroboclip is by far the best and most accurate. My first stroboclip developed a faulty power button and Peterson replaced it immediately without question, were extremely helpful during the short procedure, excellent customer service.

[JeffD]

+1

Electronic tuners have their place (loud environment, in front of an audience when it has to go quick, etc.), but if one abandons the basic skills required to hear whether one is in tune or not, a whole aspect of what it means to play music goes out of the window.

When necessary, I use a black snark.

I know I used to feel that way. When I first started using an electronic tuner i wondered if i was substituting eyes for ears. My experience is, first of all, that no tuner is accurate enough to avoid the requirement to touch up the strings by ear afterwards, especially in the old days. So getting the final unisons right has always been an ear task for me. But more to Polecat's point, I wonder if having the digital standard, and everyone tuning more accurately, increases our awareness of being in tune, and we have become perhaps less patient with what in the past might have been small benign strays from perfect. Has social music perhaps improved as a result?

Bands and orchestras and official music has always had electronic tuners available. My high school band tuned up to this several times a year and before every performance.

181691

[Cobalt]

One thing which has been made easier with the advent of readily-available electronic tuners, is the ability to join in a jam at the drop of a hat. These days I just take my seat, pick up my mandolin, and start to play. In years gone by, there was a fair chance that the entire ensemble was tuned to some arbitrary pitch, or indeed several different pitches. Thank goodness for tuners!

[Don Roon]

Hi Everyone
Thanks for all the input and knowledge shared. I bought the TC Electronics Polytune.

Thanks again !

[J Mangio]

Snark /Black

[Rob Roy]

TC Unitune- fast, nails the pitch instantly. Bright, easily seen in any lighting (including bright sunlight). Accurate, when you tune both strings in a pair, they're in tune with each other. Pricey but durable, Snarks became throw away items for me.

[mandroid]

For Many Years I used an A = 440 tuning fork, it's base touching the bridge.. made it louder,
once I got The A string Right , I tuned the rest relative to It.



:whistling:

[zedmando]

Snark
I've tried fancier & more expensive ones (& cheaper ones)--but they work the best in my experience

[Mike Arakelian]

I use a Peterson Stroboclip and am very happy with it. I also use an app called PitchLab that I have downloaded to my IPad that is great for alternate tunings and for all sorts of stringed instruments.

[soliver]

I'm a fan of the D'Addario micro tune... I have one that lives on each of my 2 instruments.