Sabine STX-1500, STX-1100 User Manual

STX1100 & STX1500

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Chromatic AutoTuners

9-

ON/OFF SWITCH
MUSIC STAND CLIPS

FUNCTION (1500)
CALIBRATE (1100)

WWW.SABINE.COM

AMPLIFIER OUTPUT

Outstanding Features

Chromatic Scale - Full Range

The STX automatically senses all 12 notes in the musical scale. It tunes all
open strings, from the five-string bass to the mandolin and violin, and can
be used to tune all musical instruments and voice.

Automatic Note Sensing

The STX automatically determines and displays which musical note is be­ing played. The hands-free operation of this tuner allows the musician to
monitor the pitch while playing.

Automatic Calibration

The STX can be Calibrated to match the pitch of any reference instrument
with the touch of a button.

Automatic Battery Monitoring

The STX monitors the voltage of the battery and automatically displays a
warning when the battery is low.

Automatic Sleep Mode Battery Saver

If there is no tone for 15 minutes, the tuner will turn itself off automatically.

Easy-to-Read Display

The STX replaces the delicate meter and needle display with a rugged solid­state LED array. The LED display provides the same continuous indication
of tuning error by varying the LED blink rate. But LEDs are much easier to
read, especially in the dark or at a distance. Additionally, LEDs do not intro­duce angle-of-view errors.

Quartz Accuracy

A highly stable quartz crystal resonator assures that the Sabine AutoTuner
is much more accurate than the human ear (+/- one cent.)

Music Stand and Amplifier Mounts

The STX has two stainless steel clips built into the case top so the tuner can
be easily mounted on a music stand. Also included are two reusable cable
ties for mounting the tuner to an amplifier.

9 Volt DC Adaptor

Most 9-volt DC adaptors can be used with the STX. If the adaptor has a
polarity switch, set the center pin of the DC adaptor jack to negative (barrel:

2.5mm inside diameter).

STX1500 Features

Manual Calibration

The STX1500 can be calibrated to any of 12 precise frequencies – many
more than available on other tuners.

Tone Generator

Generate a reference tone through an amplifier for tuning by ear.

Tranposes to Any Key

Transpose to any key – a special advantage for many band and orchestra
musicians.

VOLT ADAPTER INPUT

INSTRUMENT INPUT

IN TUNE INDICATORS

FUNCTION

INDICATORS

(1500 ONLY)

NOTE

INDICATORS

MICROPHONE

SABINE

®

Instructions For Tuning

1. Slide The ON/OFF Switch To ON. Wait two seconds for the green light
to start blinking. The green light will blink once per second to indicate that
the unit is on and ready.

Acoustic instrument tones are detected by a very sensitive internal micro­phone. It is generally not advantageous to play loudly, except in very noisy
rooms. Medium loudness usually gives the best results.

Electronic instruments should be connected with a standard cord with a ¼­inch phone jack to the input labeled INSTRUMENT. The internal mic is au­tomatically disconnected when an electronic instrument is connected so
that the tuner will not pick up extraneous room noise. You may connect the
tuner’s AMPLIFIER jack to any amplifier’s or P.A. system’s input so that you
can tune as you play.

2. Play a single tone that you wish to tune. Adjust the instrument’s pitch
until the desired Note Indicator light is lit. For example, if you wish to tune
a D string on a guitar, pluck the string and tune it until the “D” note indicator
light is lit. Pluck the string every second or so to keep the note “fresh” and to
prevent the note from fading flat.

3. Slowly adjust the instrument’s pitch until the green “IN TUNE” light
is lit. Note that the SHARP and FLAT indicators blink rapidly when the tone

is far from being in tune and blink slower and slower as the tone approaches
being IN TUNE. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for the other notes until the entire
instrument is tuned.

Note: The STX has contrasting red and green note indicator LEDs. The
green LEDs indicate the six standard guitar notes (E,A,D,G,B,E).

How To Use The Special Features

Automatic Battery Monitoring

The STX monitors the voltage of its battery automatically. If the voltage gets
low, the "In Tune" indicator light (green) will stop blinking and the "Flat"
(amber) and "Sharp" (red) indicator lights will blink simultaneously. The tuner
will then tune accurately for about 10 more hours.

Automatic SLEEP MODE Battery Saver

The STX will turn itself off if it does not hear a tone for 15 minutes to help
prevent the battery from discharging unnecessarily. To turn the tuner back
on from sleep mode, simply move the power switch to OFF and then back
ON. Note: A very small amount of current will be drawn from the battery in
sleep mode, so it is best to turn the tuner off with the power switch.

9-volt DC ADAPTOR

Most 9-volt DC adaptors can be used with the
STX. If the adaptor has a polarity switch, set
the center pin of the DC adaptor jack to nega­tive (barrel: 2.5mm inside diameter).

Music Stand Clips

The STX mounts easily to the bed of a music
stand so that you can monitor your pitch while
you play.If your stand has a sharp or ragged
edge, a strip of tape along the edge will pre­vent scratching the top of your tuner.

The clips will easily accommodate a thin piece
of metal like a music stand, but they will be
permanently bent if you try to jam them over
something thicker, such as the handle of a
guitar amp.

NOTE: BENT CLIPS ARE NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY.

Automatic Calibration

Most tuners on the market will allow the user to calibrate only a few Hertz
from standard A = 440Hz. They prove to be almost useless if the user
wishes to tune to an instrument that is more than a few Hertz out of tune.
However, the STX can be calibrated to match any instrument by simply
touching a button.

Example: If you wish to tune a guitar so that it will be in tune with a certain
piano, simply play any note on the piano, and wait a moment for the note to
register on the tuner’s display. Then touch the FUNCTION button on the tuner.
Instantly the green IN-TUNE light will go on, indicating that the tuner now
considers the piano to be in perfect tune. Now if you tune your instrument to
the tuner, your instrument will be in tune with the piano. To return the tuner to
standard A=440Hz, simply move the power switch to OFF and then back ON.
The tuner always resets its internal scale to A=440Hz when it is turned on.

Manual Calibration (STX1500 only)

Most other tuners on the market allow the user to manually calibrate to a
very limited number of pitches. However, the STX1500 can be calibrated to
any of 12 precise pitches. This feature will be especially useful for tuning
instruments that use open tunings, such as banjos, dulcimers, Irish harps,
pedal-steel and bottleneck guitars, etc., or any time you may wish to tune to
a “natural scale” rather than an “even-tempered scale.”

Example: If you wish to calibrate the tuner from standard A = 440Hz to A =
438Hz, press the FUNCTION button and hold until the top row of LEDs
(MANUAL/FLAT, TONE OUT/IN TUNE and TRANSPOSE/SHARP) light in
sequence. Release the FUNCTION button when only the (MANUAL) LED is
lit. The bottom row of LEDs will begin to light in sequence. (Each LED rep­resents 1 Hertz.) Press the FUNCTION button when the LED correspond­ing to 438Hz lights. The tuner’s scale is now shifted flat from A = 440Hz to A
= 438Hz. Please note the manual calibration scale is referenced in Hertz
and in ¢. NOTE: there are 100¢ between any two adjacent notes in the
musical scale, and one Hertz is equal to one vibration per second. To return
the tuner to standard A = 440Hz, simply turn the power switch to OFF and
then back ON.

Tone Generator (STX1500 only)

The STX1500 will generate any reference tone over a two-octave range so
that you may tune by ear.

Example: First, plug the tuner into an amplifier. If you wish to hear a “C”
note, press the function button for three seconds until the MANUAL/FLAT,
TONE OUT/IN TUNE and TRANSPOSE/SHARP LEDs light in sequence.
Press the FUNCTION button when the TONE OUT LED is lit. Now the “A”
LED on the bottom will light and an “A” will sound through the amplifier.
Each time you press the FUNCTION button, the pitch will raise one-half
tone. Press the FUNCTION button three times to generate a “C” note. You
may stop the tone generator simply by turning the tuner OFF and back ON.
You may play your electric instrument through the tuner while in TONE mode.
You will hear your instrument and the reference pitch at the same time so
that you can match the tones precisely. The volume control on your instru­ment will act as the volume control of the tone generator also.

Transpose (STX1500 only)

The STX1500 can be transposed to any key. This is especially useful if you
are using a fretted instrument with a capo or if your instrument is not tuned
in the key of “C” such as a B-Flat trumpet or E-Flat Alto Sax.

Example: If you wish to transpose the tuner for use with a B-Flat trumpet,
press the function button for three seconds until the MANUAL/FLAT, TONE
OUT/IN TUNE and TRANSPOSE/SHARP LEDs begin to light in sequence.
Next, press the function button again when the LED that corresponds to
TRANSPOSE is lit. Now, the twelve note indicator LEDs will light in se­quence. Press the function button when “A#” (which is the same as B-Flat)
is lit. The tuner’s internal scale is now shifted down one-half step so that a
“C” played on the trumpet will register “C” on the tuner, not B-Flat as before
transposing. To return to standard “C” tuning, simply slide the power switch
to OFF and then back ON.

Tuning Tips

Most musical instruments have peculiarities that can cause annoying tun­ing problems. Fortunately, most of these peculiarities can be overcome by
following these simple procedures:

Fretted Instruments

1. Pluck the instrument once per second at normal volume while you are tuning.
Plucked strings go noticeably flat a few seconds after they have been plucked.

2. Tune stringed instruments from a pitch that is flat up to the pitch you desire. This
procedure removes any slack in the gears of the instrument’s tuning heads. If you
tune from SHARP to IN TUNE, the gears will slip as you play and the instrument will
go flat.

3. If you have difficulty getting a note to register on the tuner, try touching the other
strings lightly to stop their vibrations. This will eliminate any extraneous overtones
that may disturb the tuning.

4. Use good strings. Old strings tend to lose their uniformity and will not vibrate evenly.
Brand new strings stretch flat as you play.

5. All sources of friction will cause problems. For example, if the slot in an instrument’s
nut is too tight, the string will be pulled flat as it is played. A tight nut (or capo) will
cause the string’s pitch to change in steps rather than evenly.

6. Avoid pressure on the instrument while tuning. Even moderate pressure on the
neck of a guitar will cause a noticeable change in pitch. Also, press the strings
straight down to the fingerboard. Bending the strings sideways is very common,
especially on difficult chords, but causes the strings to be pulled sharp.

Note for advanced fretted instrumentalists:

All fretted instruments, and most other instruments, are constructed to play
an “even-tempered scale.” Sabine tuners are also calibrated to this scale.
The “even-tempered scale” places equal tonal spacing between all notes in
the scale so that the musician will not have to retune to change keys. A
disadvantage, however, is that the third note of the scale sounds a little
sharp (14 cents, to be exact). For example, when playing in the key of G, the
B will sound sharp. If you tune the B string so that it sounds correct in an
open G chord, other chords using the B string will sound out of tune. The
musician may choose to optimize the tuning for a particular key or to use
the “even-tempered scale.” Much depends on the musician’s style, but gen­erally it is best to tune exactly as your Sabine tuner indicates.

Wind Instruments, Voice & Instruments of The
Violin Family

Sabine tuners are excellent teaching aids for both beginning and advanced
musicians. During practice, the musician should clip the Sabine AutoTuner
to a music stand as illustrated in the drawing. Practice playing long, steady
tones and intervals. Try to keep the green IN TUNE light lit. Standing with
good posture will facilitate good breath and hand control. The visual feed­back from the tuner will greatly reduce the time needed to train your ear to
play or sing beautifully and in tune.

Contact Microphone (Optional)

The Sabine CM1 contact microphone makes tuning an acoustic instrument
as easy as tuning an electric guitar. It has a removable rubber suction cup
to stick the mic directly onto the instrument.
The CM1 is ideal for tuning an acoustic
guitar in a noisy room or for tuning
instruments that have very short
tones like banjos or mandolins.

Ask your dealer or send $20.95
to Sabine. (U.S. or Canada only.
Send $27.95 in other countries.)
The CM-1 comes with a 30-day
money back guarantee.

Specifications

Size: 3-3/4 x 3-3/4 x 1-3/8 inches
Weight: 6 oz
Battery: 9 Volt standard or alkaline
Scale: Even Tempered, 12 notes per octave, Chromatic
Range: 7-octave — tunes all open strings, from the five-string bass to the

mandolin and violin

Accuracy: +/- 1 cent (uses quartz crystal)
Accessories, Included: Battery, Cable Ties
Accessories, Optional: CM1 Contact Mike, TA1 9-volt DC Adaptor

LIMITED WARRANTY

If your STX1100 tuner fails because of a manufacturing defect within TWO
YEARS from the date of original purchase, please return, postage prepaid,
to SABINE for a replacement with a new or reconditioned product. This war­ranty does not cover damage caused by accident, misuse, or defective bat­teries. You must include your full name, address, proof of purchase and the
nature of the defect.

Damage caused by bending the music stand clips is Not Covered Under
Warranty.

This warranty is in lieu of all other warranties, expressed or implied. This
warranty gives you specific legal rights which vary from state to state. Appli­cable in the USA and Canada only.

®

SABINE

13301 NW US 441, Alachua, Florida 32615-8544 USA

Phone: [phone] FAX: [phone]

MADE IN THE USA

Register your Sabine products online at:

© 2002 Sabine, Inc.

www.Sabine.com

STX1100-STX1500-OpGuide-021031.pmd - hto