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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
Peterson flip strobe tuner
Peterson flip strobe tuner
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Shredder
24 posts
Oct 28, 2009
6:44 PM
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Just got this strobe tuner delivered today after work never even seen one before. 1st impression is this isn't a toy, very well made.Well packaged nice lay out with clip on mic and a clamp on bracket to hold the tuner on mic stand or what ever you can clamp it on.
Quickly tried to tune my acustic guitar, DAMM! this thing is sensitive. I never could get all the wheels to stop spinning, 3 was the best I could do. Had to go to practice so now I'm back trying to learn to use it properly.
Any one out there have any quick tips on the best way to use is to tune my harps?
Mike
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jonsparrow
1248 posts
Oct 28, 2009
8:13 PM
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lol its hard to use with a harp. i have one, an i messed up a harp trying to tune it. but i was able to get them all stopped with a guitar.
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oldwailer
923 posts
Oct 28, 2009
8:53 PM
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I have the Peterson Strobosoft software--I am learning to use it as I go. Tuning a guitar is easy compared to a harp--if I blow a little harder or softer or with my mouth in a different shape, I get a different readout. The key is a very consistent embouchure and breath control to the max--I think learning to tune is making me a better player.
Sorry to say it, but it just takes practice--just like learning to play the little beasties--it's just a good thing the practice is so much fun!
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tookatooka
704 posts
Oct 29, 2009
4:22 AM
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This is something that I'm interested in too. I use the Seventh String online tuner, and I know what you mean about breath control etc when trying to tune a harp. I'm thinking along the lines of building some sort of breath force regulator so that you only get a constant controlled amount of air into the reed chamber. Not sure how I'll be able to do it yet but I'm mulling it over. I'll post if I come up with anything.
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barbequebob
4 posts
Oct 29, 2009
6:19 AM
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It is extremely important that you use the very LIGHTEST breath force that you can physically manage to get the most accurate tuning possible. Why? As you can see, the force of your breath can make very dramatic changes in the actual pitch of the note and for this reason, most harmonicas are never tuned to true A440 because in real playing breath, it will often be played much harder, and in the hands of a very poorly skilled player who tends to use far too much breath force, that A440 tuned harp can play as flat as A437, which is REALLY badly flat (at least 40 cents flat, and that's impossible not to notice because that's obviously waaaaaaaaaaay off), and so the vast majority of harps are actually tuned to A442-A443.
Breath control and breath force is probably the single most highly misunderstood as well as highly ignored subject when it comes to harp playing and it effects absolutely EVERYTHING you do when you play and it is very much the same when it comes to vocals as well.
As Oldwailer says, this does take tons of woodshedding because old bad habits that have been allowed to be heavily ingrained are never easy to eliminate, meaning hard work, but the tuning will be more accurate, but also your playing in terms of chops, tone, tonal variety, dexterity, everything will improve dramatically, far more than better gear ever will, and an added financial benefit is that you will be spending less money on harmonicas because the rate of blown out harps will decrease dramatically as the overall playing becomes considerably more focused.
Anyway, if the tuning is done with a very soft breath, when played harder, it will still be overall correct when played harder, BUT that will not be the case when done the other way around.
I use caps or bolds to emphasize important points and not for shouting so don't get alarmed.
Last Edited by on Oct 29, 2009 9:47 AM
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tookatooka
705 posts
Oct 29, 2009
6:29 AM
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Good advice thanks BBQbob. I got the impression that you are something of a Harp master but I don't know who you are behind that barbequebob handle. Can you enlighten those of us who don't know who you are please?
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sorin
97 posts
Oct 29, 2009
6:35 AM
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barbequebob
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barbequebob
5 posts
Oct 29, 2009
6:37 AM
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Here's my website: http://www.barbequebob.com. I've been around for over 30 years and have played with including time on the road with Louisiana Red, Sunnyland Slim, Luther "Guitar Junior" Johnson, and Jimmy Rogers. I have a CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte.
I feel very privileged to have seen one of the masters of tone and breath control in the late, great Big Walter Horton, who I saw numerous times in the 70's when he used play as often as 4 times a year here in the Boston, MA area. I can tell you that I learned more from watching him than to all the harp recordings that I've ever bought.
BTW, in the NY/NJ area, there is another harp player/slide guitarist who uses the name Barbeque Bob, whom I've never met personally, but first heard about from an old harp playiing friend in NYC named Danny Russo and also from another old friend, Steve Guyger, when I did a gig on the road with Jimmy Rogers at the old Union Square location of Tramps in NYC, and his site is http://www.bbq-bob.com.
Last Edited by on Oct 29, 2009 6:38 AM
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Tuckster
248 posts
Oct 29, 2009
7:29 AM
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Welcome to the forum,Bob. Glad to have you here.I urge all forum members to go to HarmonicaSpace and read the "Suzuki Manji" thread. I've learned more about tunings and harp differences by that thread than just about anywhere else. A very informative, knowledgeable man.
Last Edited by on Oct 29, 2009 7:29 AM
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tookatooka
706 posts
Oct 29, 2009
7:42 AM
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Wow! Welcome to the forum Bob. Seems we get all the big players here. Looking forward to hearing some more of your wise words.
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Shredder
26 posts
Oct 30, 2009
3:46 PM
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Thank's for the replys fellow Harp Heads. I have 2 more dumb questions.
1- When I tune to equal temperment on my Golden melodies is it just what it imply's , no cents + or - just tune it to the note it is?
2- On the tuner screen to the bottom Right of the note there is a 2 or a 3 and some times a 5 . What do these numbers represent, it's not stated in the manuel.
Mike
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tookatooka
718 posts
Oct 30, 2009
3:56 PM
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Could it be the octave number?
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jonsparrow
1253 posts
Oct 30, 2009
4:20 PM
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iv noticed that the manual sucks. theres alot of things not stated in there.
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barbequebob
15 posts
Oct 31, 2009
11:17 AM
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Shredder, let me answer those questions in order, and trust me, they'e not dumb at all, as the dumbest question is the one you should've asked, but didn't.
Equal temperament means that each note has been dived equally in a somewhat arbitrarily way by 100 cents or semitones apart (they can also be referred to as microtones and certain genre types like Indian music and even blues for that matter uses that a lot and that's where most Western instruments can't cut the mustard doing that stuff).
On the Peterson Tuner manual, it tells you right off the bat, and this is also true for just about ever tuning device ever made that the default tuning is Equal Temperament, and so 0 cents is in tune based on that standard. Other temperaments have been used on many instruments over the years and equal came about sometime during the 1700's as a way to be able to play in all keys, but when it was invented, unlike the various just intonations and mean tunings (this can be an extremely complex subject on its own) have clearer, smoother chords that have no beating in it at all, and so this was devised as a sort of a comprimise, knowing that the trade off was going to be a rougher sounding chord, and on certain instruments, this would become extremely noticeable and harmonicas and melodicas are two of those.
Now, if it is equal temperament tuning you want, leave it as it is and don't sweat it.
As far as those numbers are concerned, it is for what octave and when I check ed the manual for the V-SAM, it says it right there. The manuals are all downloadable on the Peterson website in a PDF format for free.
When you see something like -2 or +3, on most non strobe type tuners, that' usually gonna be meaning, based on the defaut setting of ET, 2 cents flat or 3 cents sharp respectively, etc.
On the Peterson website, there's a forum there where you can have any questions answered and you should take advantage of it.
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
Last Edited by on Oct 31, 2009 11:54 AM
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Shredder
30 posts
Oct 31, 2009
12:16 PM
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Thanks' Bob, I just needed some one to spell it out for me. My manuel may have the number subject explained in it but I didn't see it, but that dosen't mean it's not in there.
Another thanks' for the other reply's that were made.
Mike
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oldwailer
929 posts
Oct 31, 2009
4:33 PM
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When I got my StroboSoft package--I started right out just tuning by watching the charts and getting it to a -12 of whatever. This is the hard way. I don't know about the flip strobe, but the stobosoft version I have is programmable, meaning that you can program any temperament you want into it--then you just set up the base key and tune to 0 for each note.
I found this out by writing to the company--a guy named John Norris wrote back to me and gave me all the current Hohner temperments for the various models. Unfortunately, I also had to spend some time studying the documentation.
It was tedious, but I went through and programmed each one into my program. Now, if I want a pre-war MB 7-limit I just choose the title of the tuning--set the key of the harp--then tune to 0 as close as I can.
Of course, there is ART involved here--just tuning straight will give you a pretty nice sound--but if you get Richard Sleigh's book and learn how to "stretch the ocataves," it sounds even better.
Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a way to program an octave stretch into the software, since each note is only addressed once, every C has to have the same offset. There just doesn't seem to be a mechanical way around the woodshedding part if you want to get the best possible result.
I didn't know if it is OK to post Mr. Norris' email to me here--but here is how to get in touch--he was very quick to get back to me--and his information has helped me. . .
John Norris
Peterson Electro-Musical Products, Inc.
11601 S. Mayfield Ave.
Alsip, IL 60803
Phone:1-708-388-3311
Fax:1-708-3883341
E-Mail jnorris@petersontuners.com
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barbequebob
19 posts
Oct 31, 2009
5:50 PM
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Before you try to copy & paste it, make sure you get his permission first. Stretch tuning is commonly used with pianos where each octave higher or lower than middle C is tuned 2 cents sharper and then the octave following that is subsequently another 2 cents sharper and so on.....
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
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