Peterson StroboPlus Tuning question...

[Larry Otis]

I just got one of these. I searched the forum but I couldn't find a clear answer. In the pedal steel section you have SE9,SP9,OE9,OP9,EM9,EP9 selections for E9. What is the difference? I play an extended E9 12 string Sho Bud. Thanks for any help. I'm still pretty new so a lot of stuff is just beginning to get into focus. I bought this to help with the tempered tuning.

[Mark van Allen]

Larry, if I'm not mistaken, on the new StroboPlus those represent three different sets of offsets or "sweeteners" as Peterson calls them. SE9 would be the standard Newman-derived sweetener, (I think with Es referenced to 442 HZ), OE9 would be the same basic offsets but referenced to Es at 440 HZ, and EM9 the sweetener based on Buddy Emmons "closer to straight up" settings. In each case you tune the strings open on the first setting (i.e: SE9, then move to the second setting (SP9) to tune the pedals and levers. I would try starting with the SE9 and SP9 settings for your guitar, and see how that works out. Some people further compensate specific notes in addition. There are a number of past threads about this, and hopefully someone will chime in if I'm steering you wrong.

[Jack Stoner]

I have a PDF file of the actual settings, that I got from Peterson.

Send me an e-mail and I'll send a copy to anyone that wants it.

[Don Sulesky]

I bought a new Strobo Plus figuring it would be better than my Strobo Flip.
It was so confusing to me on day 1 and even with some explanations that I packed it up in the original box and haven't touched it since.
My strobe Flip set at 442.5 works perfect for me.
I've heard others have done the same and gone back to their other tuners.
New does not always mean it's better.

[Jack Stoner]

The switch that is on the new Peterson tuner to switch between settings is a joke. The rest of the tuner is great, along the on-line programming method, but whoever came up with that switch should be fired. A majority of the time when I try to switch between my E9th and C6th programs I wind up in some other mode or start changing other parameters. (are you reading this, Peterson?).

As Don mentioned some going back to other tuners. I like the new Peterson, but I'm seriously considering going back to my Sonic Research ST122a (which has the same settings). Its more "user friendly" and not a hassle to switch between, for example E9th and C6th.

[Howard Smith]

Peterson is Made In China......Plastic *&^%$ in my opinion.

Check out the Sonic Research Strobe Tuner if you want a real tuner that works perfectly. Made in the USA, and all Aluminum. I paid around 169 bucks for mine.

Here's the link
http://www.turbo-tuner.com/

[Mark Draycott]

The switch that is on the new Peterson tuner to switch between settings is a joke. The rest of the tuner is great, along the on-line programming method, but whoever came up with that switch should be fired. A majority of the time when I try to switch between my E9th and C6th programs I wind up in some other mode or start changing other parameters. (are you reading this, Peterson?).

As Don mentioned some going back to other tuners. I like the new Peterson, but I'm seriously considering going back to my Sonic Research ST122a (which has the same settings). Its more "user friendly" and not a hassle to switch between, for example E9th and C6th.

Hi Jack, I noticed that if you push the large button in, then rotate it, you can switch between presets real easy. I was having some issues also, until I noticed this worked for me.

[George McLellan]

I received an answer from Peterson Tuners and my problem solved.

Geo

[Jack Stoner]

Mark, that large round switch is what I was talking about. Peterson contacted me this afternoon and said I should be setting up the Preset switch for my tuning sets (E9th, C6th and one C6th KL). That procedure is clunky too, but with some "dumb luck" I got the Presets set (Page 9 in the manual). However, it is fluky too as selecting one of the presets does not immediately select the program, you select one of the presets and then have to wait a couple of seconds while it loads. They should have also made the Preset selections an on-line programmable function.

I like the large and stable display and the on-line programming, but the selection procedures either the "Preset" or using the round multifunction swich are both cumbersome at best.

[Larry Otis]

I tried the Newman settings and something is not right. It just sounds out of tune to me. Usually I tune with a Boss needle tuner straight up then adjust and tweak by ear until I get what works for me. This stuff can make ya crazy!

[Greg Cutshaw]

I've had no trouble with useability of the Peterson HD tuner in the studio. It's accurate and all the instruments blend well when recorded together except the fiddle which I have to set 5 cents low (easy to do) to compensate for the difference between plucked and bowed tuning. Switching presets is straight forward for my applications. I tried the Turbo tuner for 2 weeks and found that it was great but I preferred the large readout, USB functions, price and stability of the Peterson HD.

Now out on a gig, I think the Peterson HD has major useability problems. You can't see what the buttons are for in a dimly lit stage area as there's no lit up button labels or screen soft labels. Very annoying but not a deal breaker for me.

Greg

[Erv Niehaus]

I gave the tuner a try but lately have gone back to my old Boss needle tuner. I guess it's a case of teaching old dogs new tricks.

[Ken Metcalf]

I couldn't find a clear answer. In the pedal steel section you have SE9,SP9,OE9,OP9,EM9,EP9 selections for E9. What is the difference?

SE9 is with Es slightly sharp presumably for tuning Es with pedals up.
OE9 is with Es at A440 strait up presumably for tuning Es with pedals down
SP9 is for tuning the pedals and levers in SE9 etc.
The idea is to set and save the SP and OP or any of the tunings to your preference.
I messed with this quite a bit and went back to using OE9 on gigs and fine tuning at home by ear.
It is a good system but takes some patience to get a grip on it.. plus you need to have an idea of what you prefer.
Note U12 and P12
I really like this tuner and use a Strob-o-rack on most gigs.


SE9: Peterson E9 Pedal Steel Sweetener 1 SE9
SP9: Peterson E9 Pedal and Lever Offsets for SE9
SC6: Peterson C6 Pedal Steel Sweetener
SP6: Peterson Pedal & Lever Offsets for SC6
OE9: Peterson E9 Pedal Steel Sweetener OE9
OP9: Peterson Pedal & Lever for 0E9
EM9: Peterson Emmons Style E9 Pedal Steel Sweetener
EP9: Peterson Emmons Style E9 Pedals & Levers
EM6: Peterson Emmons C6 Pedal Steel Sweetener
EP6: Peterson Emmons C6 Pedals & Levers
U12: Peterson Universal Pedal Steel Sweetener
P12: Peterson Pedal & Lever for Universal Pedal Steel

[Dan Hatfield]

I don't mean to beat a dead horse, but the answer is very simple: Forget the programs that come with the tuner and do your own programming. Get your steel in as perfect tune as possible, then punch it in to your tuner; done, end of story. You never have to worry about it again. Quit griping about the factory programs -- in all likelihood they won't work for you, they sure didn't for me. Just punch in your own and you will be happy for the rest of your life.

[Lane Gray]

What Dan said. All guitars have differing amounts of cabinet drop, and MORE IMPORTANT, we all have differing ideas on what tempering sounds best to our ears. Tune your Es and Cs (if you got 'em) to a tuner set to ET/normal and tune by ear from there. Using standard ET setting, write down your individual values (in other words, how far off that C# is from what the tuner wants to see) and program them in as your presets.
My Cleartune has both Zum and MSA E9 and C6, and my Bb6 values. I've not dialed in the new B6 (I missed my open Es: still like Reece's tunings, but it had to move).

[Gary Reed]

I was trying to create a User Preset in Cleartone for just the pedals and levers. All I have is the Hz values and Cleartone wants the Offset (cents) value.
I have the same issue with the Peterson Flip Strobe. User definable presets want the Cents. Can't seem to activate the Hz option for programing.

Is there a chart that transposes Hz to Cents?

[Lane Gray]

The problem is that with the logarithmic progression of the scale, cents vary from 440-441 is smaller than from 439-440. Cents follows that logarithmic curve. You can get CLOSE by using 4 cents per Hz.

[Ken Metcalf]

I just got one of these. I searched the forum but I couldn't find a clear answer.

That's because there is no clear answer.
It is something that must be learned and I suggest getting PSG lessons for advice on this as it is not a 2+2=4 situation
We guitar players are used to getting a ten dollar tuner and forget about it.
A Peterson helps but there is still a learning curve
The most basic part of the learning curve is If you tune strait up to a guitar tuner your steel will sound out of tune by itself but with a band it will sound better.
If you tune by ear it will sound good by itself but will be out with a piano.
You will need to find out what works with your band and your particular instrument.
Anyone claiming to have an absolute answer for you is at least partially wrong as this has been argued for 1000s of years with no resolution except that "E.T." is a gentleman agreement that we all agree to be out of tune the same amount. Most steelers do not like E.T. or tuning to a guitar tuner but some do. Practice is the key.

Best Wishes

[Jack Stoner]

Back in the 80's when the Korg WT-12 came out, I bought one. My first electronic tuner. I tuned everything to "0". Everyone kept telling me I was out of tune. I got the Jeff Newman tuning chart (the original chart referenced to 440, not the later 442.5 chart) and started using that with my Emmons D-10 PP. No one ever told me I was out of tune after using the Newman chart.

I later used a modified Newman chart, referenced at 440 (or "zero") for many years. Last year I tried the Newman referenced to 442.5 and all of a sudden everthing sounded right (I had tried the 442.5 before and didn't like it). I've been using the Newman 442.5 ever since.

I have everything programmed into one 1 program for my StrobeOPlusHD for my E9th - opens, pedals and knee levers. except the 4th string F# raise. I also have the C6th, everything except the 3rd string C to B, on one program. The two changes, one for E9th and one for C6th, are in a separate program.

There is a share function on my Peterson file. I can share these with anyone that wants them, but your e-mail address must be registered with Peterson. It has to be one program at a time, the Peterson share function will not share all of them at one time.

I also have my programs in MSWord (.doc) files if anyone wants them.

Edited to correct and clarify items.

[Gary Reed]

Very thoughtful Jack!
Many thanks
Email sent

[Robert Cates]

Come on everyone
I thought that this tuning problem was solved with this new Peterson tuner. Did you all not see the post from David Hartley that said that the tuning problems are over?
Have you all not heard David play on u-tube?
O ye of little faith.
You have eyes but you do not see
You have ears but you do not hear

I'm going with David on this one
Regards Bob

[Scott Duckworth]

I use a Seiko SAT800 and a miniaturized excel sheet of my tunings (Emmmons). The tuner reads in cents.

[Jack Stoner]

A tuner pre-programmed with the Steel settings or one that can be programmed with a users settings makes life much easier. A tuner with a chart for programming works, but going to a tuner such as the Peterson or the Sonic Research ST122a is like going from the "dark ages" to 2013.

[Howard Smith]

Amen Jack.....Since I purchased the Sonic Research 122A...I tune up in less than a minute on top, and tune the pedals and knees about once a month. I can't imagine going back to using the Boss tuner and referring to the tuning chart again. You made a great analogy.