Peterson StroboFlip User Manual

peterson

StroboFlipTM OWNER’S

MANUAL

© 2006 Peterson Electro-Musical Products, Inc.

11601 S. Mayfield Avenue, Alsip IL 60803-2476 USA

1-708-388-3311

www.PetersonTuners.com

6-2006

2

3

peterson

Getting Started

4

Power

5

Brief Description of Features

5

TP Pickup Tuning

6

Pitch Holder

7

Changing the Settings

8

Concert A reference

9

Drop Tune/Transpose

10

Temperaments

11

Sweeteners

12

Key Control

13

Drop-Tuning Control

14

Temperament Root Control

15

Temperament Base Note

16

Cent/Hz Control

17

Auto/Manual Note Detection Control

19

Auto-Power-Off

20

A Word about Temperaments

21

A Word about Sweeteners

23

Setting Guitar & Bass Intonation

27

Tuning Guitars

28

Tuning Pedal Steel Guitars

29

Tuning Lap Steel Guitars

29

Tuning Dobro® or Resonator Guitars

29

Tuning Violin, Viola or Cello

30

Tuning Early Music Instruments

30

Tuning Brass & Woodwind Instruments

30

Tuning Bagpipes

30

Tuning Acoustic Instruments in General

31

Tuning to Another Instrument

31

Programming Your Own Temperaments

31

Concert A Audio Reference Signal

35

Tips to Keep Your Instrument in Tune & Offsets

35

Just Intonation Tables & FAQ

36

Warranty

39

Technical Specifications

39

VS-F STROBOFLIP

Contents Page

4

peterson

Signal

Thru

Signal

IN

5VDC

IN

Strobe

Screen

Protective

Flip-Top Screen

Enclosure

Increment

Control

Menu

Buttons

Reference

Tone Out

Built-In

Mic

VS-F StroboFlip Instruction Manual

Congratulations on your purchase of the Peterson
StroboFlip! As the latest product utilizing peterson’s
visionary Virtual Strobe Technology™, the concept
behind this tuner is a true marriage of peterson’s
unsurpassed Rotating Strobe-Disc Tuning Technology
with the latest advances in analog, digital, and display
technologies available today.

Getting Started

5

VS-F StroboFlip

TM

Power

Your new StroboFlipTM is powered by 3 AA batteries. To
change or access the batteries, press and carefully
remove the battery access door on the underside of the
tuner.
The StroboFlip 5V Adapter (item # 171500) allows you to
power the StroboFlip from an AC source.
It is designed to work with any voltage standard such as
100V, 120V, 220V or 240V without adjustment. Owners
who are residents of the UK, Republic of Ireland,
Australia, New Zealand, Israel & Africa may need to
acquire a plug adapter. The correct DC polarity is as
follows:

A Brief Description of the Features

The Peterson StroboFlip is a compact hand-held tuner
with an accuracy of 1/10th of one cent (1/1000th of one
semitone or half step). It is also a programmable tuner,
allowing you to program up to eight of your own
tempered tunings as well as giving you access to 33
other preset temperaments and SweetenersTM.

StroboFlip – Basic Use:

You can use your StroboFlip right out of the box.
Just lift the screen to a viewable angle, press the ON
button and- using the built-in mic or plugging your
instrument into the “INPUT” jack - play a note.
The resulting strobe image flows upwards to indicate
that the note is sharp and downwards to indicate that the
note is flat. The note is in tune when the image is
immobile.

A “” sign to the left of the Virtual Strobe

means you’re “way too sharp” and a “” sign means
you’re “way too flat”.

TM

image

6

If you wish to try out some of the StroboFlip’s exclusive

tuning presets, press the TMPR/SWT button & use the
 arrow buttons to select the various presets. For a
description of these settings, see Page 14.

TP Tuning Pickup

Use the clip-on tuning pickup to improve signal transfer
from instrument to tuner in noisy environments.

Simply attach the pickup to the instrument by clipping it
onto the bridge, headstock, bell or lead pipe of the
instrument to be tuned.

7

Pitch Holder TM

Use the mounting clamp to attach the tuner to a mic
stand, music stand, rack case or workspace shelf to
keep the tuner safely within easy reach.

Attach the Pitch HolderTM to the StroboFlipTM by inserting
the screw into the camera-style socket in the base of the
StroboFlip and tighten.

8

Changing the settings on your StroboFlip

Below the Strobe screen, in the body of the tuner, there
are power off & on buttons and five “Menu” buttons.

By pressing each button in turn, you can see the various
options offered by the StroboFlip
The screens are as follows:

TM

.

Temperament/SweetenerTM - Choice of 42 (default is Equal
Temperament)

Root - Choice of 12 (default is C). Available only if a
temperament is chosen

Drop-Tune + Capo/Key Transpose – Choice of 12 (Factory
default is 0 or C)

Cent Control – Range of +/- 50 cents in 0.1-cent increments
Concert A Reference – 390Hz to 490Hz (Factory default is

A=440)
Auto/Manual Note Detection (Factory default is Auto)
Auto Power Off- 2 to 35 minutes or Disable (default is

Disable)
Temperament Base – A or C (default is A)
Save - Press the save button to save a particular parameter.

9

Two larger “Value” buttons marked with  signs are
located next to the Menu buttons

To change a setting or a parameter of a preset on the
tuner, press the relevant Menu button and use the 
“Value” buttons to change that particular parameter.

Concert A Reference Range: 390Hz to 490Hz

adjustable in 0.5Hz increments. Press the “Hz” button

and use the t buttons to adjust the Hertz value. To save
the setting as your default, press the Save button.

10

Drop-Tune/Transpose – Unlimited

Drop/Transpose any SweetenerTM to any key. Press the
“DROP/KEY” button and use the  buttons to adjust the
Note Name/Drop Tune value. To save the setting as
your default, press the Save button.

11

Temperaments

PRESET

TYPE

PRESET

TYPE

EQU

Equal

KLN

Kellner

JMA

Just Major

YNG

Young

JMI

Just Minor

VAL

Vallotti

4MT

Meantone ¼

RAM

Rameau

6MT

Meantone1/6

T-1

User Programmable Temperament

PYT

Pythagorean

T-2

User Programmable Temperament

WRK

Werckmeister III

T-3

User Programmable Temperament

KRN

Kirnberger III

T-4

User Programmable Temperament

There are 16 temperaments (including 4 which are user­programmable) in your StroboFlip.

TEMPERAMENTS (All 12 notes are altered in pitch)

Press the TMPR/SWT button and use the  buttons to
choose the desired temperament and press the ¢/Hz

button to exit the menu thereby activating the chosen
Temperament.

12

SweetenersTM

PRESET

TYPE

PRESET

TYPE

EQU

Equal Temperament

BF12

Buzz Feiten 12 String Octave

GTR

Sweetened Guitar

SE9

E9 Steel Guitar (Sharp E’s)

ACU

Sweetened Acoustic

SC6

C6 Steel Guitar

DADGAD

Sweetened DADGAD

OE9

E9 Steel Guitar (E’s 00.0 cent)

G12

12 String Standard

DBO

Perfect Thirds for Dobro

G12

12 String Octave

DB

Half Tempered Thirds for Dobro

BAS

Sweetened Bass

VLN

Perfect 5ths for Violin

BFE

Buzz Feiten Electric

VLA

Perfect 5ths for Viola

BFIN

BFTS Electric Intonatipn

CLO

Perfect 5ths for Cello

BFB

Buzz Feiten Bass

T-1

User Programmable Sweetener

BFBIN

BFTS Bass Intonation

T-2

User Programmable Sweetener

BFA

Buzz Feiten Acoustic

T-3

User Programmable Sweetener

BF12

Buzz Feiten 12 String Std.

T-4

User Programmable Sweetener

◑

There are 18 Sweeteners and 7 Buzz Feiten Tuning
System® settings in your StroboFlip, including 4 which
are user-programmable.

SWEETENERS (Some or all notes are altered in pitch)

Press the TMPR/SWT button again to access the
Sweeteners, again using the  buttons to select one

and press the ¢/Hz button to exit the menu thereby
activating the chosen Sweetener.
The tuner will remember whether you used the
temperament or SweetenerTM menu last and will default
to that menu automatically.