Tune Bot - Worthwhile or Not?

The consistency thing is what sells me, too.

I can tune a drum by ear and make it sound "good." But, I can't dial in the same tones around the kit every time by myself. I just can't.

But with that tune bot, it's a piece of cake. I like having my kit sound the Same every time I sit down.
 
There’s one thing that has me puzzled! I find lugs that sound way off at times, but TuneBot says they are spot on. If I follow TuneBot the drum will sound amazing, but if I follow my ears, it sounds out of tune!

You won’t have that problem with Resotune.
 
I have been using the Tune Bot for years and it is a great tool.
Like any tool: some like it, some hate it, some don't need it (or think so).
It is great for quickly tuning your drums consistently.
Depending on the drums and the place where you are tuning, you can get weird readings which don't match with what your ears are hearing.
The filter button is pretty vital for that, without it I would like it a lot less.
Still, sometimes a tension rod keeps getting 'off' readings,
So be it, maybe a slight bend in the hoop or whatever, drums aren't designed to aerospace specifications.
If the other rods are in tune and the drum sounds OK, it is OK.
Also, changing the pitch at one rod with 1 Hz might cause the other rods to change as well (or even more) and you might not get the frequencies exactly the same at every rod.
No problem either, if it sounds OK, etc.
 
For someone who doesn't have the ears for tuning yet, this is an essential tool. Their customer service is nice, too.
 
Yup. Very tiny turns generate significant differences.

I always thought it would be great if we could have gear ratios like guitar tuners have - so the small turns translate to even smaller turns of the lug. That would make it easier and more precise.

You sort of can do that if you have the thread info. For example, a 1/4-20x1 1/2 screw translates to this: 1/4" diameter shaft, 20 threads per inch on a 1 1/2" shaft. Therefore 1 turn is equal to .05" change. As far as head tension goes per turn I have no idea. I'm sure someone could correlate the two mathematically, but that math is beyond me.

Also I tried to find the lug specs but could not, so the above example is just that, an example.
 
Nothing wil ever take away the need to use yourown ears and develop your own taste.

This is a tool and it offers a lot in regards to consistency, saving time, head changes, experimenting, save your favourite tunings, share tunings with others, try out your favourite drummers tunings and through all these experiences develop a more clear understanding of how things work to get the sound you want.

These days I guess I just turn until I like what I hear, but this does take the fear out of experimenting when you can easily return to what you had and liked.

It saves time when changing heads sinmply beause I know where I'm going. No going back and forth, comparing with other toms etc...

It is mostly ears and I know my toms and main snare really well.

It's proving itself most useful when exprimenting with the snares I don't use too much.
 
One thing I eventually figured out - at least for the toms, is - yeah, use the numerical values to get in the zone, but then switch over to tuning by note and dial in a note. I have found that yields the best results for the toms for me.
 
Just bought this thing and it works very well. Only thing is I have problems with snare recommended settings. I have like setup 375botton 240 top head and the snare is in my opinion way too tight. Need more of a rock sound and this is too tight. It sounds like the rimshot goes right in your small brains lol. But its obvius guys tune their snares way high. Senn some setups like 400bottom 350 top etc. Thats crazy. What do you guys tune your snares?
 
Still on the fence with this device? For the suggested 12,16 settings I find the pitch of the 12 is too high, I know I can find a lower pitch that works for me and save the settings. It just seems to be making the whole tuning process a science when it really should't be that complicated.

Lately I have been using the Evans key and using the top section to finger tighten each lug then turn each lug a half turn and drum sounds pretty damn good, just a bit of fine tuning and done.
 
Still on the fence with this device? For the suggested 12,16 settings I find the pitch of the 12 is too high, I know I can find a lower pitch that works for me and save the settings. It just seems to be making the whole tuning process a science when it really should't be that complicated.

Lately I have been using the Evans key and using the top section to finger tighten each lug then turn each lug a half turn and drum sounds pretty damn good, just a bit of fine tuning and done.

I got one a couple years ago. Initially I liked it, but then it got to be as you said, too much of a science. I also found it somewhat confusing at times. Sometimes a drum would tune easily and other times I was getting reading all over the place. IDK, maybe it was operator error. I've since gone back to tuning by ear and the Tunebot has been an expensive paperweight.
 
I would offer one more bit of advice. Use it as a tool to get close. But learn to tweak with your ears. In time you will hear the sounds at each lug and put the Tune-Bot away. I have the Evans Torque key, one third the price of the Tune Bot. And it gets real close but still needs tweaking. There are too many variables in my mind to trust something electronic rather than my ear.
 
For me it's reallyjust that when I change heads and I can work on one drum at a time and get it in the ballpark.

I do tune to notes, I know what they are and I keep my tuning pretty much the same. My 10" is somewhere between D and E for the most part and then my 12", 14" and 16" go in 4ths below that.

Snare may go a bit lower, but the starting point is you basic A batter over C reso.
 
What do you guys tune your snares?

Ive had my TuneBot for a while now and like it quite a bit. Love it when I’m tuning my snares to the exact same tone when playing around with heads and tuning etc. it really helps me to understand the qualities of each well and removing any doubt regarding similar tuning. For toms, it’s been awesome to play with the different resonant settings, while maintaining the same note overall. Just really helps dial in what I like for feel and differences in attack, etc. I may tune the 14 with tighter reso looser batter and the exact opposite on the 16. They both still sound like they are on the same set, but with slightly different characteristics. It’s really tough to do this by guesswork only.

So to the question of where I tune my snare. I like tuning the batter to a particular feel. Every time I do this and throw the TuneBot on it I’m almost always at 308. I then play with the reso a bit to get a lower or higher tuning. Not sure where that ever sits. I only ever tap it for evenness. I don’t get much sympathetic buzz or choke the drum. Tuning sounds closer to what you hear on Toto recordings, but not quite as dry. This said, my snares all sounds a bit more dry with UV1s than Ambassadors, so I guess it’s tough to really answer your question. Tuning to 308 would sound so different with different heads!
 
Just bought this thing and it works very well. Only thing is I have problems with snare recommended settings. I have like setup 375botton 240 top head and the snare is in my opinion way too tight. Need more of a rock sound and this is too tight. It sounds like the rimshot goes right in your small brains lol. But its obvius guys tune their snares way high. Senn some setups like 400bottom 350 top etc. Thats crazy. What do you guys tune your snares?

I usually run about 280 top, 350 bottom. going up to 400 bottom does seem like way too much.

I personally love my tunebot. I use the calculator app, select max resonance, and pitch adjust -2. The other thing I find, if I just put in a 12 and 16, it suggests the 12 be tuned really high. I don't know if its a glitch, but if you add a 10" too, (even if you don't have one) it gives much better numbers that sound really great.

Also, don't forget to sit the drum on a pillow so the opposite head is muted. I just sit my drum on the couch next to me. And use the Filter button when you get a tone in the ballpark you are aiming for. Works like a charm for me.
 
I use the tune bot every time I play. Some times just to check the snare and weekly to touch up the entire kit.

For snares that are 6.5 and deeper I usually run around 260 top and 360 - 380 bottom. 4 and 5 inch snares get cranked a bit higher. 280- 300 over 380- 400.

Some times much lower. I like some clang on snares like sissy strut, On the high register some ping like 311.
 
100% worthwhile.

Anyone who says it's not, well good for you and go use your ears. But to anyone asking, you probibly need it.

It's done wonders for training my ears, and also getting things PERFECT in the studio.. and also to try tunings I wouldn't otherwise do.
 
I never used mine on snare or bass. I can tune those to my liking pretty quick. Don't want to start screwing with that at my age��
 
I was using it dedicatley and everytime I'd tune to the numbers given, I would end up with so much sustain that it was unbearable. I'd post videos and most would say " They're tuned way to high" I gave up on it and went back to my ears.
 
I was using it dedicatley and everytime I'd tune to the numbers given, I would end up with so much sustain that it was unbearable. I'd post videos and most would say " They're tuned way to high" I gave up on it and went back to my ears.



You are aware there are like 5 levels of resonance, and you can go up or down in pitch for every drum with the tuning calculator online? hahaha

If you click max resonance and a high pitch I could definitely see that being the case.
 
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