Consensus on Tuning

[Tet]

Hi all,

Been debating with a couple of mates, and we can't find a general consensus, so I'm going to ask anyone with a minute or so to tell me:

[b]Where do you prefer your tuning/tuner pedal/device to be, in your effects chain?[/b]

Front, or back? Or maybe even stuck in the middle... Anyone?

[Cat Burrito]

When I do use effects it's always been plug the instrument into the tuner

[Al Heeley]

tuner first to ensure purest signal, but since my head has separate out for tuner its easier to put it there out of the way of any pedal train or amplified signal path

[Finbar]

I have it in the tuner out of my volume pedal, which is first in my pedalboard's chain after my wireless. I always leave it on, and just dip the volume pedal down when I want to tune. Handy.

[TomTFS]

Wherever it fits nicest. I learnt not to care about such things. As long as all the effects before it are off when you're tuning it shouldn't matter.

[zigmondo]

I'm a bit old-school myself: I have a top E tuning-fork about me person: I just hit something with it then hold against the instrument's body for resonance, then bring up the guitar neck against my ear, feeling the interference beats as I press the tuning-fork base against it. Honest...and it even works live as long as the gig's not too loud!

[Mog]

I take a line from the second output of a stereo chorus which is usually around 5th or 6th in the chain. Its always on so I can just glance at it mid song if needs be.

[bobbass4k]

I have it first, but i've been thinking about i lately that it'd actually make more sense last. Surely you want to be tuning at the last possible stage before it goes to the amp? As that's the signal you're actually hearing (or closest to it). Don't suppose the attenuation from pedals makes much pitch difference, as long as they're good bypass. Just thinkin' out loud.

[Chris2112]

I use the tuning line out of my amp head to ensure the cleanest possible signal goes through into the preamp. However, I'm not really one for effects!

[thisnameistaken]

It's first, it's always first for me. I think you get used to where your tuner is in your chain and you just keep it there because it's a fundamental thing.

But of course I think first is best and that's why mine is first and here are my justifications:

1) I can tune the signal straight from my guitar.
2) I don't have to bypass other effects to tune my guitar.
3) I can tune after songs have finished while delays are still going apeshit.

If I could think of three reasons why it would be better to have my tuner last then maybe I would change it.

[JimBobTTD]

I have mine (Korg Pitchblack) last so I can mute any extra noise from distortion pedals (although my whole rig is really quiet, even in a poorly earthed rehearsal space). If I were to get delays like the post above, I might consider moving it.

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

I hold my SOS tuner over the 12th fret, i.e. the node of the first harmonic. It doesn't work anywhere else.

[Truckstop]

I have a roadie that takes care of all that rubbish for me.

Truckstop

[Doddy]

Mine goes out of the tuner out on my volume pedal which is first in the chain. That way it's always on and I can just bring the volume down for silent tuning.

[xgsjx]

I tune with a separate tuner prior to playing (usually with Guitar toolkit or Polytune on the phone) & then if I need to tune during the gig I do it by ear (via harmonics if between songs).

Edit to say, if I was using a pedal it would probably go first or from a separate out. But if no fx are applied then I doubt it makes any odds.

Edited November 27, 2010 by xgsjx

[Lozz196]

Way I see it, I want the clearest strongest signal possible into the tuner, so instrument - tuner - any other effects - amp.
.

[AndyTravis]

Have it in line after my Radial Big Shot I/O instrument selector box, it has a 'tuner out' on it, but it just means another cable, and it's neater when 'in line'.

Edited November 27, 2010 by AndyTravis

[Wilco]

[quote name='JimBobTTD' post='1038527' date='Nov 27 2010, 07:25 AM']I have mine (Korg Pitchblack) last so I can mute any extra noise from distortion pedals (although my whole rig is really quiet, even in a poorly earthed rehearsal space). If I were to get delays like the post above, I might consider moving it.[/quote]

Ditto: I have a Korg Pitchblack to & it also sits last in my effects chain. All my pedals are true bypass, so it gets a good signal & mutes all but one of my pedals if I need it to. (Bass Big Muff Pi sits between instrument & amp, whereas all my other pedals go via the effects loop).

Edited November 27, 2010 by Wilco

[Tet]

[quote name='Truckstop' post='1038736' date='Nov 27 2010, 12:58 PM']I have a roadie that takes care of all that rubbish for me.

Truckstop[/quote]

Hahahahaha, +1
NICE.

[Bottle]

If I'm using the full rig, then either my TU-2 first in the chain for muting, or my TU-80 hanging out of the heads' tuner-out. If I have my practice amp, then I have no real choice apart from TU-80 on the pre-out.

Seems to work for me

Ian

[LiamPodmore]

I have a tuner ontop of my amp which i use between sets usually, if i sound like im a tad out i'll either use the one built into my amp or have a quick check in one of our tuning breaks (3 different tunings means lots of onstage tuning, for the guitarists anyway, i just got lazy and got a 5 string) so mine isnt in my signal chain at all. Infact my signal chain just goes Bass - Amp usually, i love not being able to afford anything.

Liam

Edited November 27, 2010 by LiamPodmore

[ThomBassmonkey]

Bass -> Amp -> tuner out.

If I were using a pedal tuner and FX, it'd be bass -> tuner -> FX -> amp. Anything that has the possibility of changing the pitch of your bass (which is almost any effect, one way or another) could potentially make you knock your bass seriously out of tune if it's before the tuner. If your tuner's first on your pedal board, it's only hearing what you're actually playing.

[mcnach]

[quote name='Tet' post='1038366' date='Nov 26 2010, 10:21 PM']Hi all,

Been debating with a couple of mates, and we can't find a general consensus, so I'm going to ask anyone with a minute or so to tell me:

[b]Where do you prefer your tuning/tuner pedal/device to be, in your effects chain?[/b]

Front, or back? Or maybe even stuck in the middle... Anyone?

[/quote]


Always tuner first.

[zero9]

Once I tuned my headless Status it won't go out of tune again... ...(ever!)...

[fatback]

Gave up using a plugin tuner when I discovered the ones you clip onto the headstock. I tune before even plugging in. No more messing about muting.

I never need to retune during a gig (good old yammy ), but if I want to check and can't be bothered clipping the tuner back on, I use harmonics.

Edited December 1, 2010 by fatback