So, what's the consensus on the TC Polytune?

[Rich_S]

So, the Polytune has been out for a year or so, and I'm wondering what the consensus is on the technology. Does it work as advertised? Worthwhile improvement over old one-at-a-time tuners?

Anybody tried the new Korg Pitchblack Poly?

As you may have guessed, I'm looking for a tuner. I'm going to put my 25-year-old Boss TU-12H out to pasture (i.e. use it for the acoustic) and replace it with something more modern. Something with up-to-date features such as, for example, a friggin' footswitch.

The obvious choices are a plain ol' Pitchblack ($89), maybe its cousin "poly" (price T.B.D.), and the TC Polytune ($99).

[PRSfan nym 1985]

Re: So, what's the consensus on the TC Polytune?

do a search we've been talking at nauseum about new tuners. Personally I use a Polytune the only other tuner I'd consider would be the Turbotune.

I don't really care for the Pitchblack displays at all.

The polytune works as advertised but it's most accurate when used in the one string at a time mode. My only other tuners at the moment are a rackmounted Peterson (which smokes it but it's like 5x the price) and a Korg GT-12.

[wahwah]

Re: So, what's the consensus on the TC Polytune?

I haven't owned a Polytune, but I've heard from a couple of buddies who own them that they stopped using the poly feature live once the novelty wore off and ended up just tuning one string at a time anyway. I'm sure for others, there'll be no turning back and they'll want to get a reference on all 6 strings at once.

Just to throw another option into the mix, I recently got a Sonic Research ST-200 Turbo Tuner to replace the old A/B switch and Boss TU-12 that I've had for what seems like a century. Great little true strobe tuner, small footprint, true bypass, programmable with custom settings, very accurate and only uses power when it's engaged, so a battery can last a very long time, freeing up a spot on a power brick. It's a good thing. http://www.turbo-tuner.com/




Cheers...................................... wahwah

[PRSfan nym 1985]

Re: So, what's the consensus on the TC Polytune?

I don't always use poly mode on mine, it's nice to have, but I use a 12 string and 2-3 of my guitars are tuned to alternate tunings (usually one in open D and one in open G).

On those guitars the poly mode is kinda useless and that's like half my guitars.

[o.p-i.v]

Re: So, what's the consensus on the TC Polytune?

i like it a lot, does everything i expected to and has other cool stuff besides polyphonic like how it automatically adjusts screen brightness. Get one, better than a tu 3

[Van Noord]

Re: So, what's the consensus on the TC Polytune?

Love mine but never use the poly feature....

[FuseG4]

Re: So, what's the consensus on the TC Polytune?

I've used them before. I didn't use the poly mode much but I like that the tuner reads the note quickly and accurately and has a great display.

I sometimes want to ditch my tuner and get a polytune.

[HamerPlyr]

Re: So, what's the consensus on the TC Polytune?

Just to throw another option into the mix, I recently got a Sonic Research ST-200 Turbo Tuner to replace the old A/B switch and Boss TU-12 that I've had for what seems like a century. Great little true strobe tuner, small footprint, true bypass, programmable with custom settings, very accurate and only uses power when it's engaged, so a battery can last a very long time, freeing up a spot on a power brick. It's a good thing. http://www.turbo-tuner.com/

I second that. My experience with the Turbo Tuner has been the same. Very accurate, easy to read strobe, small footprint, true bypass.

[everdrone]

Re: So, what's the consensus on the TC Polytune?

I have a polytuner, it is alright, I agree with above

[viewaskew2k5]

Re: So, what's the consensus on the TC Polytune?

I like mine. I've never been fussy with tuners but if it broke, i'd get another. Helps me get to Open G quicker

[lex666]

Re: So, what's the consensus on the TC Polytune?

I've got the Polytune as well as a TU2 and a Hardwire Poly tuner.

I keep going back to the Polytune. The display alone is the best of the 3. I'll admit I don't use the Poly mode much as most of my guitars are in different tunings and poly mode won't work and I'm too lazy to change the settings so I often tune 1 string at a time. Plus, its kind of a habit to tune 1 string at a time...

Check out Hardwire's poly tuner. It has a really big display with lots of LED's. I really like this tuner, but found the dots in poly mode to be somewhat small to read unlike the TC. When tuning 1 string at a time tho, the display is HUGE and awesome looking.

[LoFiBrian]

Re: So, what's the consensus on the TC Polytune?

I love my pitchblack. I bought it prior to the polytunes release. it has a display that works in all lighting and its bypass works in my rig. Also the ability to daisy chain effects from it is cool.

I'm currently using a voltage doubler cable to use 2-9v outputs on my fueltank jr. to run my barber HG'er at 18v. but that left one less 9v connector. So I just run my SUF muff off the extension 9v on the pitchblack since it has the least current draw.

also the footprint fits perfectly on my brim pedaltrain.

there is a new poly pitchblack coming out and I see some new pitchblacks on ebay for $55-$60 new and b-stock. the poly modes are kind of a novelty if you consider most players who use alternate tunings or they just plain have been tuning a string at a time for years.

the new polytune mini looks cool.

The only thing that could get me to upgrade would be a strobe tuner that has all that my PB has.

FYI: I just bought a Korg pitchclip for $12 shipped on amazon. no more old grey korg handheld i bought when i was 15 to use when setting up guitars!

[ErikH]

Re: So, what's the consensus on the TC Polytune?

I love the Polytone. I use the Poly feature all the time live. In between sets I'll tune one string at a time but in between songs, for a quick check, the Poly feature wins, hands down. We run a lot of songs together and keep the down time in between songs to a minimum. I can check and make sure I'm in tune in half the time using it than by going string by string.

[everdrone]

Re: So, what's the consensus on the TC Polytune?

I downtune my guitars in c# standard (like black sabbath) and need to read the manual most likely, but anyway -

how do you adjust polytune poly feature for diff tunings? or is it automatic? hmm...

[Tor]

Re: So, what's the consensus on the TC Polytune?

Turbo tuner for me, thanks. Now I can intonate the guitars with the tuner I use for gigging as well.