Peterson StroboStomp Classic User Manual

Model VSS-C

TM

TM

Owners Manual

Congratulations on your purchase of the
Peterson Stomp Classic. Please take the time
to read through this manual and use the
tuner/DI as directed.

Power

Your new Stomp Classic pedal tuner is
powered by a 9V battery. To change or
access the battery, open the battery door by
pushing the latch (18) and carefully remove
the battery. For best results always use a high
quality Alkaline battery. A battery indicator
icon appears when power is getting low.
Alternately, use a regulated 9VDC adapter
connected to the Stomp Classic’s DC Input
jack. Please observe the correct polarity and
output capacity of your adapter, if unsure,
contact us:

WARNING: USING A WALL TRANSFORMER WITH
THE INCORRECT POLARITY OR VOLTAGE MAY
CAUSE PERMANENT DAMAGE TO THE TUNER!!

Functions

1. Pedalboard Lug

2. Mute Switch & Battery Compartment

3. Parameter - Button

4. Menu Button

5. Signal Output Socket

6. USB Input Socket

7. Mute Lamp

8. Pedalboard Lug

9. Active DI Attenuation Selector

10. Active DI XLR Output Socket

11. True Bypass/DI Selector Switch

12. Pedalboard Lug

13. Strobe Screen

14. Signal Input Socket

15. Program Button

16. Parameter + Button

17. Pedalboard Lug

18. Battery Release Latch

Setting up the Stomp Classic

The Peterson Stomp Classic can be set up in
three ways by means of a three position
switch to the left of the XLR jack socket.

Mode 1 –

100%True Bypass

In this position, the
instrument signal

enable silent tuning. When the tuner is
bypassed or unmuted, both the input and the
output are physically disconnected from the
tuner circuit and the tuner is switched off. This
allows the instrument signal to flow freely from
input to output without any physical or
electronic contact with the tuner’s internal
circuits.

Mode 2 –

flows through the
tuner circuits only
when muted by the
stomp switch to

Tuner Monitor

In this position, the

tuner and DI are
active at all times but
can both be muted to
enable silent tuning.

Strobe Newbie?

If you are new to strobe tuners, you will notice
that they are much more sensitive and
accurate than your previous tuner. You’ll need

to adjust your ―touch― when you pluck a string

to tune.
Initially, instead of a plectrum, use your finger
or thumb to gently pluck the string or simply
reduce the volume of your instrument, until
you become accustomed to tuning accurately.

Customizing your Classic Stomp

Using the Stomp Classic’s editor software at

www.StroboStompClassic.com you can

customize the features of the tuner to your
liking and update its firmware via its USB port.

What is a Sweetener™?

Unlike other tuners which offer no alternative
to Equal Temperament, Peterson Tuners
contain many choices of “Sweetness“, in other
words, several degrees of harmony or
consonance. The Sweetener feature is
exclusive to Peterson Tuners.

Choosing a Preset Sweetener

Press the M (Menu) button until the
Sweetener logo flashes on and off.

LC6: C6 settings for Lap Steel
DBO: Pure Major 3rds for open A, D and G

tunings for Dobro®** & slide guitar
DBH: Half-Tempered major 3rds for Open A,

D and G tunings for Dobro® & slide guitar
VLN: Perfect 5ths for 4 and 5 String electric
violin.

BJO: Sweetened tuning for Electric Banjo
MAN: Sweetened tuning for Electric Mandolin.
BSn:Bass notes are displayed as string

numbers, supports 4 & 5 string basses in
standard tuning BEADG=54321
GTn: Guitar notes are displayed as string
numbers, supports 5,6 & 7 string guitars in
standard tuning BEADGBE = 7654321

*Buzz Feiten Tuning System® is a registered trademark of Buzz Feiten Design.
**Dobro is a registered trademark of Gibson Guitar Corp.

Drop Tuning (Transposed Tuning)

Press the M (Menu) button until the
Drop/Capo Tuning parameter flashes on and
off.

When unmuted, the tuner screen remains on
and can still monitor the tuning. The built-in
Active DI produces a balanced signal at the
XLR socket in addition to the regular

unbalanced signal at the ¼― jack socket

output. This feature is suited to acoustic
guitarists and electric and acoustic bassists,
enabling simultaneous connection to an
acoustic combo/bass amplifier and/or mixing

Use the plus (+) or minus (-) buttons to
choose a drop...

console/recorder.

Electric guitar players can ―tap― the DI signal
using an XLR to ¼― adapter to power a

second amp, or record a dry signal for later
processing.

Mode 3 –

Active DI

Use the plus (+) and minus (-) buttons to
choose a Sweetener.

In this position, the
Classic Stomp is
transformed into a
muteable DI with the
tuner screen becoming
active only when the

pedal is muted. Your Peterson Stomp Classic
is shipped in this default mode.

...or capo setting.

Getting Started

For normal operation, the tuner can be used
out of the box; no special adjustment is
needed to use with anything from a 10 string
bass to an electric mandolin. After installing
the battery, simply activate the Stomp Classic
by inserting a guitar cable into the input jack of
the tuner, then connect the tuner output jack
to the input of an amplifier. Use the Stomp
Footswitch (2) to mute the instrument’s signal
and proceed to tune.
The display will scroll counter-clockwise to
indicate a flat note and clockwise to indicate a
sharp note. When finished, use the stomp
switch to return to playing.

Reading the Virtual Strobe Display

Your new Stomp Classic pedal tuner’s display

features two strobe bands. Underneath the
Strobe Screen, the note name is displayed as
a large letter along with the octave from which
it is derived which is displayed as a number,
E2,A2,D3,G3,B3,E4 for guitar and B0, E1,
A1,D2,G2 for bass.
To tune, carefully adjust the tuning peg of your
instrument until the display is immobile or

―caged―. If the note you are tuning is too

sharp, the bars will drift to the right, if flat they
will move to the left..

Factory Default Settings

The choices are:
EQU: Standard Non-Sweetened tuning
suitable for regular or alternate tunings
GTR: Peterson Exclusive Sweetened™ tuning
for guitar. Suitable for EADGBE
ACU: Peterson Exclusive Sweetened tuning
for acoustic guitar in standard tuning.
DAD: Peterson Exclusive Sweetened tuning
for acoustic guitar in modal DADGAD tuning
G12: Peterson Exclusive Sweetened tuning
for 12 String guitars.
BRT: Peterson Exclusive Sweetened tuning
for Baritone guitar.
7ST: Peterson Exclusive Sweetened tuning
for 7 String guitars.
BAS: Peterson Exclusive Sweetened tuning
for bass guitar when playing with piano.
BFE: Optimized Peterson settings for Electric
Guitars equipped with the Buzz Feiten Tuning
System®*.
BFB: Optimized Peterson settings for Electric
Bass Guitars equipped with the Buzz Feiten
Tuning System®.
BFA: Optimized Peterson settings for
Acoustic Guitars equipped with the Buzz
Feiten Tuning System®.
BF12: Optimized Peterson settings for 12
String Guitars equipped with the Buzz Feiten
Tuning System®.
SE9: Optimized Peterson settings for E9

tuning on pedal steel guitar (Sharp E’s)

Your Stomp Classic Pedal Tuner was shipped
with the following factory default settings:
True Bypass OFF
DI (Balanced Line Out) ON
Concert Pitch A=440Hz
Preset Sweetener Equal Temperament
Drop-Tune/Capo Tune 0 (OFF)

SC6: Optimized Peterson settings for C6
tuning on pedal steel guitar
0E9: Optimized Peterson settings for E9

tuning on pedal steel guitar (E’s at 00.0 cents)
U12: Optimized Peterson settings for
Universal tuning on 12 string pedal steel guitar
LA6: A6 settings for Lap Steel.

The available settings are:
0= No Drop/No Capo

-1 to -6 = One to six half steps down
+1 to +5 = One to five half steps up

Changing Concert Pitch Reference

Press the MENU button until the Concert A
parameter flashes on and off.

To adjust the Concert Pitch to a value other
than A=440Hz, press the arrow buttons until
the desired value is displayed.

The Stomp Classic can be calibrated from
A=390Hz to A=490Hz in 1Hz increments.

Factory Default Reset

To clear all user settings and return to the
factory default values, press and hold down
the P button for 3 seconds

The word, def, will show briefly after which the
tuner returns to factory default.

Presets

It is possible to store up to 9 preset
combinations of Sweetener, Hz value and
Drop value, which can be later recalled by
pressing the P button.

Creating Presets

Pressing and holding the plus (+) button
for 2.0 seconds adds the current altered
settings (all 3, even if only one is altered) to a
"Preset List" as long as a matching preset is
not already on the list .

Deleting Presets

Pressing and holding the minus (-) button
for 2.0 seconds removes the current
settings (only if a preset matching your current

screen settings exists in the
preset list.)

instrument (e.g.
active bass guitar),
adjust the attenuation
switch from 0dB to ­10dB or -20dB
depending on signal
strength. If the

instrument‘s output level is high, setting the

attenuation switch too high will result in
distortion from the DI output.

NOTE: The Classic’s active DI works only when
selected using the three position mode switch.
Disconnect XLR cable from DI output when the
tuner is switched to True Bypass operation.

Mounting the Stomp Classic on a
Pedalboard

The Stomp Classic comes with its own
mounting hardware, which is strong, neat,
secure and much more effective than the

Recalling Presets

To recall or view the presets one by one press
the P button repeatedly.

usual fastening methods. Each corner of the

Stomp Classic’s base features a metal lug

which, when rotated 90° out from the tuner
enclosure, can be screwed to the pedalboard
floor, providing an unprecedented rock-solid
connection.

The Stomp Classic - Other Uses

Besides being the world’s most accurate pedal

tuner, the Stomp Classic’s active DI offers top
signal integrity over long cable runs, ideal for
high-end bass guitars, and electro-acoustic
instruments.
If you’re an electric guitarist, the DI can also
be used to connect to a recording device like a
mixing console/tape machine or Digital Audio
Workstation to record a dry guitar signal while
playing through the

¼― output to your amplifier. Later, you can

String Number Display

The StroboStomp Classic can display string
numbers instead of note names if so desired.
Selecting Sweetener GTn will cause the tuner
to display numbers 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 for notes E,
B, G, D, A, E and B for 5, 6 and 7-string
guitars while selecting BSn will cause the
tuner to display the numbers 1,2,3,4,5 and 6
for the notes C, G, D, A, E and B for 4, 5 and
6 string basses.

Programmable Sweeteners

Custom multi-octave Sweeteners can be
designed on your computer and up to 100 can
be downloaded into your Stomp Classic via its
USB port.

reamplify the dry signal by sending it
through your effects and amp while making
tonal adjustments to them in a manner not
possible to do while you’re playing.

Using the Stomp Classic as a DI

First, ensure that the Stomp Classic is in MON
or DI mode by using the selector switch.

Electro-Acoustic Guitar

Connect the Stomp Classic’s DI output to
your P.A. or live mixing console with a
balanced XLR cable. Connect your instrument
to the Stomp Classic’s input jack.

Electric Bass Guitar

Connect the Stomp Classic’s DI output to your
P.A. or live mixing console with a balanced
XLR cable. Connect the Stomp Classic’s ¼―
output jack to the input of your bass amp.
Connect your instrument to the Stomp
Classic’s input jack.

Using the Stomp Classic as an
intonation tool

To do this, download the free Classic Stomp
Editor to your computer at:

www.StroboStompClassic.com

Active DI

The Peterson Stomp Classic features a built-in
active DI. Besides running on a 9V battery or
a 9VDC power adapter, the DI will also run on
Phantom power from an external source
(mixing console etc.) if present. To activate
the DI, adjust the three position mode switch
to MON/DI or Active DI. Connect a shielded
XLR cable between the Active DI XLR output
socket and the device to be connected
(recording/PA console). The Stomp Classic is
shipped with the DI activated. In this position
the balanced XLR DI output and the

unbalanced ¼― jack output are both muted by

pressing the stomp switch. The tuner is no
longer ―True Bypass― when the DI is active.
The DI also features a Ground Lift switch for
the eliminating of possible ground loops
(hum).

To lift the DI signal ground, disconnect the
tuner from audio equipment and slide the
switch from GND to LIFT position. Reconnect
the tuner.

The Stomp Classic’s active DI also features a

signal attenuation pad for matching an

instrument signal’s output to the internal DI

input. For high output level signals from the

After deciding on string gauge, setting string
height (nut & bridge), neck relief—factors that

affect the instrument’s intonation

considerably—the individual string lengths
need to be adjusted. For this task, use Equal

temperament in the Stomp Classic’s

Sweetener menu (EQU).

• Lower the pickups away from the
strings to avoid "doubling" and
electromagnetic pull.

• Lay the guitar flat on a bench to
adjust it, but always check the intonation with
the instrument in the playing position, as the
readings will be visibly (and later audibly)
different. You should always aim to freeze or
"cage" the image on the Strobe Tuner display;
the less movement the more accurate the
results.

Where setting the intonation is concerned, an
often-used technique is the 12th fret &
flageolet comparison method. In this method,
the flageolet or "harmonic" over the 12th fret is
compared to the fretted string at the 12th fret,
and saddle position is adjusted as follows:

• If the fretted note is flat compared to
the flageolet note, move the bridge saddle
forward to shorten the string.

• If the fretted note is sharp compared
to the flageolet note, move the bridge saddle
back to lengthen the string.

• Adjust until both fretted note and
flageolet are identical in pitch.

While this is a common system, it is not
always the most satisfactory.
One popular alternative is to adjust each string
so that it is in tune at two points an octave
apart from each other on the fret board using
a strobe tuner. Using the 5th and 17th fret as
an example:

• Tune a string at the 5th fret.

• Check the string at the 17th.

If sharp, move the saddle back, thus
lengthening the string. If flat, shorten the string
by moving the saddle forward. Remember to
fret the string using the pressure that you
would normally apply while playing.

• Keep repeating this process until
each string is in tune as much as possible at
both the 5th and 17th frets.

This method takes time, and has to be
repeated if you change string gauges, but if
properly executed, yields very satisfactory
results.
Now, before you play music with a lot of 5ths
on your guitar (e.g. power chords), tune the
instrument using the GTR, BAS, P5TH or
G5TH setting, depending on which model of
strobe tuner you own, otherwise use the EQU
(default) setting to tune your guitar.

The methods above are within anybody's
reach, all you need are your ears and your
Peterson strobe tuner!

Technical Specifications

Size: 5.25― x 3.25― x 2.25―
Weight: 1lb. including battery
Power: 9VDC 80mA (Nominal)
Detection Accuracy 0.1 cent (1/10th cent)
Display Resolution 0.1 cent (1/10th cent)
Calibration: A=390Hz to A=490Hz
Temperaments: 23 preset Sweeteners
Programmability: Via USB Port

Input: ¼― jack
Outputs: ¼― jack (unbalanced)

XLR (balanced)
Tuning Range: 8Hz to 8000Hz

Warranty

We warrant this product to be free of defects
in materials or workmanship for a period of
THREE years after delivery to the original
purchaser. Our obligation under this warranty
is limited to the replacement or repair of any
part or parts which prove upon our
examination to be defective.

This warranty does not apply to damage
resulting from transportation, misuse, abuse,
or alteration. The complete unit must be
returned to our factory, transportation charges
prepaid. In order to speed the return of the
unit to you, it is recommended that for all
repairs, other than those required as a result
of shipping damage, you deal directly with our
factory. In case of damage in shipment, a
claim should be filed with the carrier.
The above warranty is contingent upon
registration within 10 days of the date of
receipt of the product by the original
purchaser. The warranty conveys specific
legal rights to the purchaser, other rights vary
from state to state and internationally.
Register on-line at:

http://www.petersontuners.com/warranty

Join the Stomp Classic Users Forum at:

http://www.petersontuners.com/forum

peterson

Electro-Musical Products, Inc.

11601 S. Mayfield Ave.

Alsip, IL 60803 USA

www.petersontuners.com

www.StroboStompClassic.com

™ “Stomp Classic“,“Strobotuner“, “Sweetener“ and the linear &
concentric strobe patterns are trademarks of:
Peterson Electro-Musical Products, Inc.- U.S. Patent # 6,580,024

PETERSON VSS-C STOMP CLASSIC
– ENGLISH V. 10.10
© 2010 Peterson Electro-Musical Products, Inc. USA