I just recently got the Strobostomp mini and LOVE it...when setting intonation it is SO much more accurate than what I was using before....where it would tell me I was "in tune" and the Peterson would inform me, politely, that I most certainly wasn't....and when it was done, I could definitely hear the difference when I was playing high up on the fretboard. I love the display on the Peterson, as well, and I think the strobe tuners just appeal to me (reminds me of when I was in the high school band back in the 80s...we had a mechanical strobe tuner that we had to use before each rehearsal and performance)
I have the Stroboplus HDC and it’s a great tuner but like you said, it does a gazillion things…I use it mostly for set-ups…most of the time I just use the polytune…close enough for govmt work👍
Nice comparison. I think it kind of boils down to what you value more: higher resolution/easier-to-read screen or the polyphonic ability. It would be great to have a polyphonic version of the Peterson strobe tuner in a pedal form factor (or a better screen on the PolyTune), but for now, I guess we'll just have to buy both.
@@leafbelly I jumped on Polytune when it first came out in 2010, thinking the polyphonic thing would be a game changer. Looking back on more than a decade of PolyTune use on stage, studio, tech work, teaching, I basically never used polyphonic mode because it just wasn’t useful. “Your mileage may vary”, as they say.
@@DrKevGuitar I use the cilp-on version and really only use it live between songs to do a quick check. Otherwise, yeah, I don't really use the polyphonic function, but that display is really lacking.
I downloaded the neurotic Petersen Strobetuner app to my iphone. Apart from being an endlessly hyperaccurate readout, what would really help would be if the display changed to green when withing a cent of being in tune.
You can change the display speed in the app. Go left from the main screen and there is a slider near the top of the screen. I always have it turned down quite a lot.
My first pedal board tuner was a Peterson HD ive loved it ever sins and i had no second thought about the mini, ordered it on launch day, i just feel like the way Peterson shows your tuning on the display is better than ant thing els out there
@@Jonw8222 the HD is really nice with its' nice big screen you can almost tune across any stage, but I really love the mini, it can fit in the corner of any pedal board and has been on my board since it came out, you will never regret getting the mini exactly because you'll never not have room for it on your board and can always see what's happening on the screen because you can set up the screen in any colour and brightness so you don't get blinded on a dark stage or can't see it mid-day on a sun-baked stage
the main difference why I want Peterson is that calibration range -for Peterson it can be set within very wide range: A = 391 Hz to 490 Hz, whereas I have old Polytune (probably 1) which I remember cannot set to 430Hz. I can see in documentation now it has only: A4 = 435 to 445Hz
Pretty good video but what about some specific's like the drop tuning function of both...especially the polytune!...I have both pedals & have hade Peterson for years & think it's great...I recently purchased the Polytune 3 and it is very accurate but it 's either defective or I can't figure out how to use the drop tuning feature...on the Peterson if you want to tune down say 2 semitones you set it -2 drop & it displays the note as E but its really a D...which I like...but can't get the Polytune to do the same? Does it not do this or is something wrong?
honestly, I have no idea. I never used that feature on the PolyTune when I had it. If I had to figure it out I’d sit with a cuppa coffee and read the manual.
With the Peterson, the direction of movement (clockwise v anticlockwise) tells you which direction to turn the guitar tuner key! If the pattern moves clockwise (sharp) you turn the key clockwise to flatten the string, and vice versa.
What about the axe with a reverse headstock…… 😂 And I suppose it depends also on which way you wind the strings on. I use the tc poly, and it works out that turning the peg follows the same direction as the tuner. Turn to right, it moves right and vice versa. Whatever, Happy jamming!
@DrKevGuitar if i use display always on it still mutes the sound when the switch is pressed right? If so, is there somthing on the screen to let you know it's muted or not?
Dammit. I just got the bigger HD version because of the "sweetener" mode because I was told the mini didn't have it. I wanted the mini but had to have the sweetener. But it seems it DOES have that mode. Dang nabbit
@@DrKevGuitar I know for fact that after a few beverages I would start spinning out looking at that haha... I like the way the TC 'locks' and clearly displays when the note is nailed. If the Peterson did that I'd be inclined to sway towards it.
Actually, most people never twig that the apparent direction of movement of the pattern (clockwise or anticlockwise) is the same direction that you need to move the guitar tuner key. For example, anti-clockwise (or counter-clockwise) apparent movement means the string is flat, so turn the guitar tuner key anti-clockwise to sharpen it.
"We get it close, and then we move on." This philosophy kind of undermines the need for the Strobostomp, period. As you said, guitars are imperfect instruments that will never be 100% in tune, so for me, it seems unnecessary to buy anything as fancy as the Strobostomp when a PolyTune (or any other tuner, for that matter) will get you there just the same.
No, I I think you missed a point or two. What I am saying is that we don't have to chase a perfectly stationary strobe pattern *to be better and more consistently in tune* than a "traditional" 1 cent accurate needle-style tuner. That applies just as equally to PolyTune in strobe mode as it does to StroboStomp, and I demonstrated they are equally accurate. Whether anyone needs Strobostomp is a question of needing the other features or not. In my case, the screen alone suits me better, and I like the extra customizing too.
Great comparison! I’m too at that age where vision has been compromised and your side-by-side contrast tells me which is the tuner for me (Peterson). Thanks, ordering one now!
I just recently got the Strobostomp mini and LOVE it...when setting intonation it is SO much more accurate than what I was using before....where it would tell me I was "in tune" and the Peterson would inform me, politely, that I most certainly wasn't....and when it was done, I could definitely hear the difference when I was playing high up on the fretboard.
I love the display on the Peterson, as well, and I think the strobe tuners just appeal to me (reminds me of when I was in the high school band back in the 80s...we had a mechanical strobe tuner that we had to use before each rehearsal and performance)
I was interested in the Peterson because of the visual, but didn't think about why. You sort of nailed it. It's just easier on the eyes.
Very helpful video. Thank you. 😊
You're welcome! Thank you of the comment!
I have the Stroboplus HDC and it’s a great tuner but like you said, it does a gazillion things…I use it mostly for set-ups…most of the time I just use the polytune…close enough for govmt work👍
Nice comparison.
I think it kind of boils down to what you value more: higher resolution/easier-to-read screen or the polyphonic ability. It would be great to have a polyphonic version of the Peterson strobe tuner in a pedal form factor (or a better screen on the PolyTune), but for now, I guess we'll just have to buy both.
@@leafbelly I jumped on Polytune when it first came out in 2010, thinking the polyphonic thing would be a game changer. Looking back on more than a decade of PolyTune use on stage, studio, tech work, teaching, I basically never used polyphonic mode because it just wasn’t useful. “Your mileage may vary”, as they say.
@@DrKevGuitar I use the cilp-on version and really only use it live between songs to do a quick check. Otherwise, yeah, I don't really use the polyphonic function, but that display is really lacking.
I downloaded the neurotic Petersen Strobetuner app to my iphone. Apart from being an endlessly hyperaccurate readout, what would really help would be if the display changed to green when withing a cent of being in tune.
You can change the display speed in the app. Go left from the main screen and there is a slider near the top of the screen. I always have it turned down quite a lot.
My first pedal board tuner was a Peterson HD ive loved it ever sins and i had no second thought about the mini, ordered it on launch day, i just feel like the way Peterson shows your tuning on the display is better than ant thing els out there
Do you prefer the HD or the mini?
@@Jonw8222 the HD is really nice with its' nice big screen you can almost tune across any stage, but I really love the mini, it can fit in the corner of any pedal board and has been on my board since it came out, you will never regret getting the mini exactly because you'll never not have room for it on your board and can always see what's happening on the screen because you can set up the screen in any colour and brightness so you don't get blinded on a dark stage or can't see it mid-day on a sun-baked stage
the main difference why I want Peterson is that calibration range -for Peterson it can be set within very wide range: A = 391 Hz to 490 Hz, whereas I have old Polytune (probably 1) which I remember cannot set to 430Hz. I can see in documentation now it has only: A4 = 435 to 445Hz
Pretty good video but what about some specific's like the drop tuning function of both...especially the polytune!...I have both pedals & have hade Peterson for years & think it's great...I recently purchased the Polytune 3 and it is very accurate but it 's either defective or I can't figure out how to use the drop tuning feature...on the Peterson if you want to tune down say 2 semitones you set it -2 drop & it displays the note as E but its really a D...which I like...but can't get the Polytune to do the same? Does it not do this or is something wrong?
honestly, I have no idea. I never used that feature on the PolyTune when I had it. If I had to figure it out I’d sit with a cuppa coffee and read the manual.
I use the Polytune mini 3 in a gigging live band, I also have a Peterson StroboClip HD but for quick live tuning I like the Polytune.
Cool! Most important thing is that we each find out what works best for us.
With the Peterson, the direction of movement (clockwise v anticlockwise) tells you which direction to turn the guitar tuner key! If the pattern moves clockwise (sharp) you turn the key clockwise to flatten the string, and vice versa.
What about the axe with a reverse headstock…… 😂
And I suppose it depends also on which way you wind the strings on.
I use the tc poly, and it works out that turning the peg follows the same direction as the tuner.
Turn to right, it moves right and vice versa.
Whatever,
Happy jamming!
@@drumnotdrum9262 Maybe there should be an option to reverse the (apparent) direction of rotation. Something to suggest to Petersons, perhaps?
@ look out for the mk2😂
On the peterson, is it posible to use two colors if you leave the display always on blue, then red when muted?
No, that’s not possible, but it would be an awesome feature if it were.
@DrKevGuitar if i use display always on it still mutes the sound when the switch is pressed right? If so, is there somthing on the screen to let you know it's muted or not?
Is this Strobe Tuner as accurate as the most expensive Peterson mechanical tuners?
Yes. According to the specifications listed on the Peterson website, all their products are accurate to +/- 0.1 cent.
Try the Polytune 3 - I believe the display has been improved.
Dammit. I just got the bigger HD version because of the "sweetener" mode because I was told the mini didn't have it. I wanted the mini but had to have the sweetener. But it seems it DOES have that mode. Dang nabbit
Thanks man. You just helped me make up my mind for which tuner to buy. The peterson wins. Just ordered it. 🍻🍻🍻🤘🤘🤘
Awesome! I hope it works out for you. It might take a while to get used to compared to whatever you had before but I’m still very happy with mine.
had the HD. monster size.
Mini with top jacks and no battery is a deal breaker.
Screen protector. 😢😢😢
The Peterson display is far less intuitive IMO
It takes a little time to get used to but I've been using strobe-style tuners for so long now that won't used needle-style tuners any more.
@@DrKevGuitar I know for fact that after a few beverages I would start spinning out looking at that haha...
I like the way the TC 'locks' and clearly displays when the note is nailed. If the Peterson did that I'd be inclined to sway towards it.
Actually, most people never twig that the apparent direction of movement of the pattern (clockwise or anticlockwise) is the same direction that you need to move the guitar tuner key. For example, anti-clockwise (or counter-clockwise) apparent movement means the string is flat, so turn the guitar tuner key anti-clockwise to sharpen it.
"We get it close, and then we move on."
This philosophy kind of undermines the need for the Strobostomp, period.
As you said, guitars are imperfect instruments that will never be 100% in tune, so for me, it seems unnecessary to buy anything as fancy as the Strobostomp when a PolyTune (or any other tuner, for that matter) will get you there just the same.
No, I I think you missed a point or two. What I am saying is that we don't have to chase a perfectly stationary strobe pattern *to be better and more consistently in tune* than a "traditional" 1 cent accurate needle-style tuner. That applies just as equally to PolyTune in strobe mode as it does to StroboStomp, and I demonstrated they are equally accurate. Whether anyone needs Strobostomp is a question of needing the other features or not. In my case, the screen alone suits me better, and I like the extra customizing too.
@@DrKevGuitar Nah I get it, to each their own! The comparison was helpful either way.
Great comparison! I’m too at that age where vision has been compromised and your side-by-side contrast tells me which is the tuner for me (Peterson). Thanks, ordering one now!