Peterson Strobe Question

Nathan Emerson · Post by **Nathan Emerson** » 10 Feb 2015 7:35 pm

I bought a Peterson Strobe Tuner.
Was told the sweeteners "just knows" what strings and pedals I am tuning and changes to 440 or 439 etc (Jeffran tuning). Doesn't seem that way. Any tips?

What am I missing?

Open Strings
Tune the first string F#4
Tune the second string to D#4
Tune the third string to G#4
Tune the fourth string to E4
Tune the fifth string to B3
Tune the sixth string to G#3
Tune the seventh string to F#3
Tune the eighth string to E3
Tune the ninth string to D3
Tune the tenth string to B2

Feeling I just wasted a lot of money on something that will take more time to tune a pedal steel and have a silly learning curve that could be spent on practicing

Dave Meis · Post by **Dave Meis** » 10 Feb 2015 7:49 pm

Not a lot of info in your post, but there are several 'sweetened' tunings on the Petersen tuner.. just select the one you want (I use the SE9) and tune till the wheel stops turning. I use the SE9 to tune the strings open AND all the pedals/levers and it sounds good on my guitar. There are separate settings for the raises and lowers if you want them.. like the SP9..but there's others. Hope this helps. dave

John Scanlon · Post by **John Scanlon** » 10 Feb 2015 7:49 pm

Can't speak for everyone, but mine has saved me a ton of time. If you aren't into it, it'll be easy to sell on here for a good price.

Are you using the two separate sweetened timings, one for open strings, and one for levers/pedals?

Nathan Emerson · Post by **Nathan Emerson** » 10 Feb 2015 8:01 pm

I understand its for fine tuning but what does the numbers mean? ie: F#4

My question is, "Does it really know which string I am tuning, or do I have to tell it? If so how?"

Nathan Emerson · Post by **Nathan Emerson** » 10 Feb 2015 8:03 pm

Any help is appreciated. I really want to understand the sweeteners. So I haven't used it much -because I don't understand it.

Dave Meis · Post by **Dave Meis** » 10 Feb 2015 8:19 pm

The numbers after the note (4,3 ect.) is the octave that it's tuning.. don't worry about that..if you're in the wrong octave, the string is laying on the fretboard or it's in 2 pieces. Try going guitar, tuner, vol. pe., amp. You can leave the volume off and tune the strings by plucking them LIGHTLY with a bare fingertip near the p/u. Adjust the key until the 'strobe' stops turning, then on to the next. I use the SE9 setting...just be SURE that the 'sweetener' you want is what's showing on the screen. there's others as well. That is set with the 'preset' knob, and turning the wheel to the setting you want. They can then be set as numbered 'presets' so you don't have to scroll through them every time. Did you get the book with it? dave

Dave Meis · Post by **Dave Meis** » 10 Feb 2015 8:20 pm

Also, you don't tell it the note..it tells you!

dave

Jim Palenscar · Post by **Jim Palenscar** » 11 Feb 2015 7:49 am

The good folks at Peterson have quite a nice video on YouTube about it- check it out~

Nathan Emerson · Post by **Nathan Emerson** » 11 Feb 2015 9:12 am

Does it know which string I am tuning? Jeffran changes from 442 >> 439 across different strings. Seems to me the "sweetener" is staying at 440?

Hal Braun · Post by **Hal Braun** » 11 Feb 2015 9:21 am

Nathan, as people have stated.. you have to tell it what sweetened tuning you want to use.. (if you just turn it on new.. it does not default to Sweetened.. your directions will tell you how to pick.. you can pick sweetened tunings for many instruments an keys.. ie E9, C6, guitar, dadgad, others.

Once you pick the sweetened tuning you want.. it will not tell you how it is correcting them per se.. just tune the string until you see the correct pitch (lets say G# (which will show up as Ab).. then tune till the "wheel" stops turning one way or the other.

It will then be correctly tuned to that tuning.. if you pick the default "i just turned it on" tuning..it will be "440" If you picked a sweetened tuning, it will be at whatever they think that is..

I suggest a thorough read of your owner manual, or internet search of Peterson's website and get your answers from the folks that made it.. they also have contact information and a QA section..

Jim Palenscar · Post by **Jim Palenscar** » 11 Feb 2015 9:22 am

The programming of the tuner enables the programmer to input the desired offset and have the tuner then display it as "straight up" or to many folks "440" which it is not- just programmed to display it that way- which is what the folks at Peterson have done with all of the pre-programmed settings. You can check this yourself by programming the tuner to a sweetened tuning ie.- SE9 and- then switch to the "Equal" setting and see that it no longer displays as if it is tuned "straight up".

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 11 Feb 2015 9:40 am

Here is my combined Newman E9th - both opens and pedals/knee levers. I have sent this tuning to many on the forum. (I have a similar program for C6th).

Dick Wood · Post by **Dick Wood** » 11 Feb 2015 1:48 pm

I use the SE9 and have no problems with the bands I work with. One exception is the F#'s as they will be slightly sharp with pedals down but that can be corrected with rods that drop those strings just a little.

Gary Sill · Post by **Gary Sill** » 11 Feb 2015 2:29 pm

This is for someone wanting to learn how to use the tuner and use the SE9 and SP9 settings in the tuner to get your E9 in tune.

Then I show you how to easily tune the C6 neck using the SE6 and SP6 Jeff Newman settings.

Any questions call 217 433 7455

This course is on my website:

www.sillmusicsupply.com

Nathan Emerson · Post by **Nathan Emerson** » 11 Feb 2015 7:02 pm

I used the SE9 settings and matched it against my old tuner and everything matched to 440. Idk maybe the old owner changed it?

Not worried about it. I will just have to wait and sit down with a real person who has the same one.

Thanks everyone for you input. This is a great place. I'm gonna go practice!

John Scanlon · Post by **John Scanlon** » 11 Feb 2015 8:58 pm

Nathan Emerson wrote:I understand its for fine tuning but what does the numbers mean? ie: F#4

My question is, "Does it really know which string I am tuning, or do I have to tell it? If so how?"

Yes, as Dave mentioned, those numbers indicate octave and are accepted parlance throughout western music, regardless of what instrument you play. Middle C, for example, is C4. The higher the number, the higher the octave. It's a more specific method of naming notes - instead of just saying E, which could lead to the question, "which one?", you're indicating exactly what register that E is in when you say E4 or E5.

So it is true that it "knows" which string you're playing, at least in a way (and safely assuming you're playing open strings) because, for example, you can't achieve a note as low as B2 on the fifth string (or any other string) in a standard E9 tuning. The lowest the 5th string will go in an E9 tuning is B3. Technically, you could achieve a B3 on strings 6-10 with your bar at higher frets, e.g., 3rd fret on string 6 up through the 12th fret on string 10, but since you tune with open strings and you're not using alternate tunings (or else you wouldn't be using a sweetened E9 tuning), when it hears a B3, it knows it's the open 5th string.

The same is true on a standard guitar and its tuner - unless you're using alternate tunings, of course -- when you pluck the third string, it "knows" it's a G, but when you pluck the 6th one, it "knows" it's an E.

The sweetened part is that it is programmed to make certain notes at certain octaves slightly higher or lower, measured in cents, than "straight up 440."

Will Cowell · Post by **Will Cowell** » 12 Feb 2015 2:40 am

Nathan, it doesn't "know" which string you are tuning, and it doesn't need to. When you play a note, any note, it tells you what note is being played, including which octave. When the wheel stops turning the string is correctly tuned TO THAT NOTE as per the sweetener.

But it's up to you to choose what note you tune each string to. If you want to tune string 1 to G instead of F#, go ahead. It will help you do that accurately.

In practice, you know which pitch you are looking for, on each string in turn. So I don't see where there is a problem here.

The sweetener operates by helping you set each string to a (pre-determined) compromise pitch so that various combinations of notes played together do not produce ugly beats or discordant "partials" - harmonics and intermodulation products. This is more pleasing to the ear than setting each string to the "theoretically correct" pitch.

The base pitch chosen (440, 441 etc) simply sets the reference pitch that the sweetener is based upon. HTH!

Gary Cooper · Post by **Gary Cooper** » 12 Feb 2015 6:16 am

I bought a Peterson Strobe HD two months ago. I had a question about the 'cents' function. I sent Peterson an email asking for clarification. They did not respond.

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 12 Feb 2015 6:27 am

That is not the norm for Peterson. They usually respond and are very customer friendly. They have a facebook page and I've got help from them there when I first got mine and had questions. They have some youtube videos on how to setup and do things with the tuner.

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 12 Feb 2015 9:14 am

no one has mentioned that....your steel needs to be sort of tuned to begin with.
if your e string is more than halfway sharp towards f, the tuner is going to see that string as an f. so the strings need to be within the realm of the note they're supposed to be tuned to.

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 12 Feb 2015 9:39 am

You have to know the string note when tuning or what Chris mentioned could happen.

For example the 4th string which, open is E. If you are tuning that and you see the tuner display F you know you have tuned it too high.

Alan Bidmade · Post by **Alan Bidmade** » 12 Feb 2015 11:31 am

Nathan - learn to use your Peterson tuner - it is your greatest ally in learning to play pedal steel guitar. The time you spend now will save you lots of time in the long run, because your playing will be in tune, will sound much better and you will not lose heart because your steel sounds out of tune. Less tuning 'on the fly' will save you playing time. Check the tutorial. Download the various pedal steel tunings, try them all, choose the one that sounds best and stick to it!
Good luck - it is worth the effort!

John Cadeau · Post by **John Cadeau** » 12 Feb 2015 12:37 pm

I tune all my strings right to pitch. If it's good enough for The Big E, it's good enough for me. Not only that, I'm complimented quite frequently by other musicians and audience people on how well my steel is tuned.

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 12 Feb 2015 1:37 pm

probably not good advice for a beginner.

everyone should really consider who is asking questions and don't confuse them with 'super coolness' or 'too wordsiness' and 'unnecessary technical crap'.

John Booth · Post by **John Booth** » 12 Feb 2015 2:01 pm

I get very good results tuning with SE9 open and SP9 for all pedals and levers. Makes a great diff over straight 440

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