learn2turn - Posted - 01/22/2025:  15:25:24

Note to self: don't leave tuner in open case on floor with dog in room.

So, what's everyone's' favorite tuner?

 

DougD - Posted - 01/22/2025:  15:34:50

Hope that was the only battery.
I have several old handheld and clip on tuners, (I still like my handheld Korg the best) but I'm more likely to use a tuner app on my phone or tablet.
I came up before the invention of small electronic tuners, so I'm even more likely to use my ears.

alaskafiddler - Posted - 01/22/2025:  17:19:01

 That's my favorite for A440 reference. Pretty indestructible, and no battery never to go dead.

For electronic devices, I somehow have acquired a collection, from the old Seiko needle tuner, to clip-ons... but mostly just reach for phone app.

On phone I use either PanoTuner, or Tuner Lite (imitates needle tuner), Peterson Strobe tuner, or sometimes like the Tuner T1 (interesting center line display over time).

Edited by - alaskafiddler on 01/22/2025 17:28:57

NCnotes - Posted - 01/22/2025:  19:22:27

I use the “Tuner Lite” app too, the needle is familiar to me from the ways the older tuners work…and it’s free…



My flute friend uses the “Tonal Energy” tuning app that gives you a big smiley face when you play in tune…it’s even got confetti if you play in tune long enough!**It also has a metronome, recorder, allows you to customize temperaments, etc (guess who is the more serious player here LOL).



However Alaska Fiddler’s tuner is probably the most dog-proof!

I carry one of those too in my case. :-)

**Yea...so we sit there before session playing one long note together and trying to get the big green smiley face to show up on her phone, then the confetti...then we cheer...this is what music geeks think is fun...

Edited by - NCnotes on 01/22/2025 19:25:51

wrench13 - Posted - 01/22/2025:  20:41:04

Peterson strobe type clip on. Love it. Strobes take a bit of getting used to but man accurate to tiny %.

learn2turn - Posted - 01/23/2025:  07:33:19

I looked at the Peterson Strobes. Didn't want to drop the $$ on the clip-on but I bought the Android app for $9.99. Definitely like it. Super easy to use. I can just leave my phone next to my fiddle on my lap and pluck and get a very clear reading. Of course it's so precise that it always drifts up or down a cent or two. My $7 clip-in, it turns green when it's "close enough for rock&roll" and I know I'm done. But, I do think I like using the Peterson Strobe on my phone better.

Brian Wood - Posted - 01/23/2025:  08:19:18

D'Addario. I've tried lots of others, including Peterson.

farmerjones - Posted - 01/23/2025:  16:38:36

I have an Intellitouch tuner old enough to vote. It's advantage is for a loud environment.
I also, have a ProGuitar tuner app. Obviously set to violin. An advantage to the app., if one of your pegs slips drastically, one can touch a string on the display to get a tone to get close to.

The Violin Beautiful - Posted - 01/23/2025:  18:11:44

To be honest, most of the time I don’t bother with a tuner. Working on violins all day long and playing forever, my relative pitch is pretty good, and I only need the A anyway. I do like my tuning fork, and I used to have one in my case that came in a little green velvet pouch that had once belonged to my grandfather’s teacher.

Because I like to rotate instruments so they’re not sitting unplayed too much, I tend not to leave anything in my cases anymore—I choose a case that fits the occasion just as I do the instrument and bow. As a result, I don’t like to have to transfer items in the pockets around all the time, so in the last decade I’ve just kept a basic tuner app on my phone that’s good enough if I ever want it.

I’ve ended up with several tuners over the years that were in the cases of violins that I acquired, but I don’t use any of them.