Tunebot Studio

SeanMc

Junior Member
Hello Has anyone used the Tunebot studio? If so, please leave a few comments on what you liked or did not like.
Thank you.
 
I have the Tune Bot Studio...I like it a lot and I think it helps getting drums tuned quickly, though I also see where it supplements what my own ears are telling me as opposed to simply believing exactly what it is reading.
 
I have one. I use it a lot. I record the settings so I can get to them very quickly when needed. I use it to experiment with tunings. I also use it on gigs to check and tune to the room and on a long gig to check after a couple of 45 min sets. Takes me a couple of mins in the break to do. The onlything I don't like is the initial cost - but weighed up over a few years it's bugger all IMV.
 
I just got one; having some trouble getting readings from it. When you hit the drum the light should blink, right? Well, it does - and then it doesn't ... so it seems like the device goes to sleep - so I'm continually tapping trying to get a reading, and nothing. I'm using the "shipped with" batteries, and the charge life indicator looks good. I just don't know why it keep "sleeping" or "going dark" on me. Has this happened to anyone else? Thanks
 
I just got one; having some trouble getting readings from it. When you hit the drum the light should blink, right? Well, it does - and then it doesn't ... so it seems like the device goes to sleep - so I'm continually tapping trying to get a reading, and nothing. I'm using the "shipped with" batteries, and the charge life indicator looks good. I just don't know why it keep "sleeping" or "going dark" on me. Has this happened to anyone else? Thanks
Change the batteries regardless of what the display says. Fresh batteries make a huge difference.
 
I bought one as well a week or so ago. I've only used it once on my snare. It works pretty good, but I have yet to master it. I can't wait to have some time to mess with it more.
 
I bought one as well a week or so ago. I've only used it once on my snare. It works pretty good, but I have yet to master it. I can't wait to have some time to mess with it more.
Some quick tips:
  1. Dampen the head you're tuning with a dab of Moongel - like half a piece or less in the center of the head. That will help to eliminate some of the overtones that the bot picks up and allow it to focus on the individual lugs.
  2. Use the filter button to focus the bot when you know you're getting a good reading from the majority of lugs but one is acting up. Say five of six lugs say "147 Hz" and one says "225 Hz" - tap one that produces 147 Hz and hit the filter button then go back and check the outlier. You'll generally find it's plus or minus a couple of Hz from the others. Adjust as necessary then re-check the others.
  3. If you're getting weird readings from more than one lug, try moving the bot to another spot on the hoop.
  4. Use fresh batteries at all times. Weak batteries cause weird readings which leads to frustration.
  5. Tune up to notes/frequencies, not down. Better to bring a lug down and then back up to pitch rather than to try to lower and stop it at the frequency you want.
  6. Mute the opposite head from the one you're tuning. I rest toms on a carpet or upholstered furniture while tuning them. Mounted toms can be muted by placing a finger on the opposite. This is useful for tuning floor tom batter heads.
  7. Press down gently on tuned (finished) heads and then double-check the lugs before giving it your seal of approval. A couple of lugs might have dropped 1-2 Hz from the pressure of your fingers and bringing them back up to pitch results in a more stable and long lasting tuning.
  8. Round finished toms up/down to the nearest note once you have achieved the overall pitch you want from the drum, keeping in mind the intervals you selected for the kit. Say you're aiming for Perfect 4ths between toms in a 1-up 1-down configuration and each tom is a little sharp or flat from the target note (for example a 2nd octave C and 2nd octave F for that 1-up 1-down) then tweak each drum to hit the actual note for a more musical sounding kit overall.
  9. Experiment with the relationship between batter and resonant head. You might have always tuned the resonant higher than the batter - try reversing that to see what effect it has. Sometimes tuning both heads the same is the answer. You can dampen to taste afterwards.
  10. Be patient with the bot and with yourself. Like anything, it takes a bit of time to become skilled with it. Jobs that take 20 minutes now will take 5-10 minutes once you get the hang of it.
Hopefully one or more of these tips help. I think you'll become spoiled by having properly tuned drums. You'll become very aware of how "off" most drum kits sound once your ears get trained. It kills me how some people resist getting one of these. If only they knew!!
 
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I use mine just about every day. Yeah I know, use your ears. hahahahaha. My bass drum reso head is 51 inches away from my ears. (ported head) Unless I'm recording I have no idea what's coming out of the front of that drum. With an unported head you have a better idea. When I get a nice sound on playback I store the settings and check in every few days. Then I know what I'm getting.
 
Some quick tips:

This is a fantastic list! Over my time using the Tune Bot I've stumbled onto doing a lot of these things too, but I've never been motivated enough to post up such a detailed reference. Great stuff!

My one add-on tip is I often tune the tension rod 180* from where I tap as I go around the head. One thing using a Tune Bot has made me much more aware of is the effect of a head not being perfectly seated and centered on a drum. I think that's often why you can get wildly different readings from one particular tension rod; the imbalance is causing the head to throw off weird overtones that the Tune Bot is trying to make sense of.
 
This is a fantastic list! Over my time using the Tune Bot I've stumbled onto doing a lot of these things too, but I've never been motivated enough to post up such a detailed reference. Great stuff!

My one add-on tip is I often tune the tension rod 180* from where I tap as I go around the head. One thing using a Tune Bot has made me much more aware of is the effect of a head not being perfectly seated and centered on a drum. I think that's often why you can get wildly different readings from one particular tension rod; the imbalance is causing the head to throw off weird overtones that the Tune Bot is trying to make sense of.
Thanks!

Good point about the need to seat and evenly tension the heads. Gretsch toms with 5 lugs make this abundantly clear. You've got to get them even or they're real beasts to tune properly.
 
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Anyone ever try the Evans hydraulic heads with the Renowns? Getting some serious sustain/ring at low tuning - sound great but maybe not practical live/mic'd. Moongel does a good job cutting some of that down. TB is still proving flaky to me (inconsistent). Just curious about trying other heads and these hydraulics came to mind.
 
I’ve used mine a few years and the drums sound better with than without it for me.
The different tuning combinations between the batter and reso makes the drum sing.
I use a moon gel.
 
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