The Peterson StroboCLIP HD is a premium clip-on tuner that delivers unparalleled accuracy, making it a worthwhile investment for discerning musicians. This review delves into its performance, exploring its strengths and weaknesses across a range of instruments. We examine its user-friendliness, the innovative Sweet N' mode for guitar tuning, and its overall reliability in achieving perfect pitch.While the StroboCLIP HD's price point is high, its exceptional accuracy, particularly for guitars, justifies the cost. We'll detail our experience using the tuner on various instruments, including a detailed look at its performance with a five-string upright bass, highlighting both its successes and where it encountered some limitations. Ultimately, this review assesses whether the StroboCLIP HD lives up to its reputation as a top-tier tuning solution for professional musicians.
Pros And Cons
- Sweetener mode compensates for guitar tuning inconsistencies, resulting in chords sounding well.
- Highly accurate, trusted for intonation setting on various instruments.
- Works well with a variety of instruments.
- Can be tricky to use initially, requiring user guide consultation.
- Expensive.
- Had difficulty recognizing the E string and sometimes the low B string on a 5-string bass, requiring use of B5n setting which still had issues with string recognition.
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Initial Impressions and Setup
The Peterson StroboCLIP HD isn't cheap, but the price wasn't a deterrent. I purchased it to test its performance, curious about its capabilities.
Initially, the tuner felt a bit tricky to navigate. However, a quick read through the user guide cleared up any confusion, making it straightforward to use.
The intuitive interface and clear display make it easy to tune various instruments.
The Revolutionary Sweet N Mode
What truly impressed me was the 'Sweet N' mode for guitar tuning. This feature addresses the inherent challenge of perfectly tuning a guitar due to its unequal temperament.
The Sweet N mode cleverly compensates for the tuning discrepancies between strings, ensuring the guitar plays in tune across all chords. This is a game changer for guitarists who demand precise intonation.
I found this mode extremely beneficial, producing accurate tuning and making a noticeable difference in the overall sound quality.
Accuracy and Reliability
This tuner's accuracy is exceptional. I verified its readings against a tuning fork and a tone generator, confirming its perfect pitch.
This is the first clip-on tuner, besides a professional Peterson bench model, that I've completely trusted to set the intonation on my high-end instruments.
Its precision makes it ideal for musicians who need absolute accuracy in their tuning.
Challenges with Multi-stringed Instruments
While it excels with standard instruments, the StroboCLIP HD encountered some difficulties with my five-string upright bass.
It struggled to recognize the high E string consistently, sometimes defaulting to an A or entering sleep mode. Tuning the low B string was also slower than expected.
Even the Sweet N mode, while helpful, didn't completely solve the recognition issues with the high E and G strings.
Overall Conclusion
Despite some challenges with less common instrument configurations, the Peterson StroboCLIP HD is a fantastic tuner for the majority of instruments.
Its accuracy, especially with guitars, is unparalleled, and the Sweet N mode is a remarkable feature. The price point reflects its premium quality.
For musicians who prioritize precise intonation and reliable tuning, the StroboCLIP HD's benefits significantly outweigh its limitations. It is a worthy investment.