October 2024: Fractal Audio's VP4 Virtual Pedalboard has been added to the wiki.
Difference between revisions of "Tuner"
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| − | = | + | =Display the tuner= |
| − | On the Home screen, press the soft-knob. | + | On the Home screen or in the editor, press the soft-knob. |
FM3 only: hold the Tempo button. | FM3 only: hold the Tempo button. | ||
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=Tuner source= | =Tuner source= | ||
| − | ; Axe-Fx III, FM9, FM3 : Let you choose the input to which the Tuner listens | + | ; Axe-Fx III, FM9, FM3 : Let you choose the input to which the Tuner listens. You can also select ALL inputs. |
| − | ; Axe-Fx II : Detects signals at the front input of the Axe-Fx II, at Input 1 at the rear and in the SPDIF signal. This cannot be changed. If | + | ; Axe-Fx II : Detects signals at the front input of the Axe-Fx II, at Input 1 at the rear and in the SPDIF signal. This cannot be changed. If INPUT 1 MODE is set to LEFT ONLY in the Setup menu, the Tuner picks up the source signal at the rear left input only. If it is set to SUM L+R, the Tuner picks up the source signal at the left and right rear input. |
; AX8 : Detects signals at the front input. | ; AX8 : Detects signals at the front input. | ||
; FX8 : Detects signals at the PRE input. You can change the Global Detector to POST input, which you'll want to do when using the FX8 in a POST-only setup. | ; FX8 : Detects signals at the PRE input. You can change the Global Detector to POST input, which you'll want to do when using the FX8 in a POST-only setup. | ||
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=Flats and sharps= | =Flats and sharps= | ||
| − | The | + | The DISPLAY MODE parameter lets you switch between displaying all flats, all sharps or a mixture of sharps/flats for the displayed note name. |
=How to tune= | =How to tune= | ||
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=Downtuned guitars= | =Downtuned guitars= | ||
| − | The | + | The DOWNTUNE parameter allows simplified tuning when tuning down one to four semitones. The display will read the <q>natural</q> name of the note, i.e. if tuning down one semitone an Eb will read E. In addition any blocks that utilize pitch information will also be transposed accordingly. |
=Sweetened tuning= | =Sweetened tuning= | ||
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| − | =Fractal | + | =Fractal Audio quotes= |
Some of the quotes below may refer to older tuner algorithms. | Some of the quotes below may refer to older tuner algorithms. | ||
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Fractal Audio's [[FC-6 and FC-12 foot controllers]] provide a dedicated Tuner action and screen. | Fractal Audio's [[FC-6 and FC-12 foot controllers]] provide a dedicated Tuner action and screen. | ||
| − | == | + | ==External switch== |
| − | Scroll to the | + | Scroll to the TUNER CC in the Setup menu and hit Enter. Click the switch on the footswitch that you want to assign the Tuner to. Or configure it manually by assigning the Tuner MIDI CC to a switch on a MIDI controller. An external switch can also engage the Tuner. |
==MIDI CC== | ==MIDI CC== | ||
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The default MIDI CC for the Tuner is 15 on the Axe-Fx II, AX8 and FX8. Keep it like this to avoid issues. | The default MIDI CC for the Tuner is 15 on the Axe-Fx II, AX8 and FX8. Keep it like this to avoid issues. | ||
| − | The Axe-Fx III, FM9 and FM3 let you set the | + | The Axe-Fx III, FM9 and FM3 let you set the CC manually in the Setup menu. |
==3rd-party MIDI controllers== | ==3rd-party MIDI controllers== | ||
Latest revision as of 08:23, 7 November 2024
Contents
Display the tuner
On the Home screen or in the editor, press the soft-knob.
FM3 only: hold the Tempo button.
Mini tuners
The Axe-Fx III, FM9, FM3 and VP4 display mini-tuners at several places.
Tuner source
- Axe-Fx III, FM9, FM3
- Let you choose the input to which the Tuner listens. You can also select ALL inputs.
- Axe-Fx II
- Detects signals at the front input of the Axe-Fx II, at Input 1 at the rear and in the SPDIF signal. This cannot be changed. If INPUT 1 MODE is set to LEFT ONLY in the Setup menu, the Tuner picks up the source signal at the rear left input only. If it is set to SUM L+R, the Tuner picks up the source signal at the left and right rear input.
- AX8
- Detects signals at the front input.
- FX8
- Detects signals at the PRE input. You can change the Global Detector to POST input, which you'll want to do when using the FX8 in a POST-only setup.
Muted tuning
The signal can be muted when the Tuner is engaged.
You can choose between muting the input or output. Muting the input allows delay and reverb trails to ring out when engaging the Tuner.
Muting only applies to the analog outputs. [1]
Tuner on heel down
The Axe-Fx III, FM9 and FM3 can automatically display the tuner when an expression pedal is at the heel down
position, i.e. the value is less than 5%. The best use is to combine this with the pedal as a volume pedal, because, when you set your expression pedal to the heel down position, the tuner will automatically display.
Find the setting for this in Setup > MIDI/Remote > Other.
Flats and sharps
The DISPLAY MODE parameter lets you switch between displaying all flats, all sharps or a mixture of sharps/flats for the displayed note name.
How to tune
Use the neck pickup, hit the string with your thump, turn down Tone. This will decrease the impact of transients and harmonics.
FRACTAL AUDIO QUOTES
[2] With any tuner the rule of thumb is to use the neck pickup. The "fullest volume" is not necessary.
Downtuned guitars
The DOWNTUNE parameter allows simplified tuning when tuning down one to four semitones. The display will read the natural
name of the note, i.e. if tuning down one semitone an Eb will read E. In addition any blocks that utilize pitch information will also be transposed accordingly.
Sweetened tuning
Use the offsets below in the Tuner configuration for Peterson GTR Sweetened tuning, from the Gear Page's Strobostomp users: Do you tune your Guitar in EQU mode or GTR sweetened tuning ?
discussion:
Note |
Cent offset |
|---|---|
| E1 | -2.3 |
| B2 | -2.1 |
| G3 | -0.4 |
| D4 | 0 |
| A5 | 0 |
| E6 | -2.3 |
Fractal Audio quotes
Some of the quotes below may refer to older tuner algorithms.
FRACTAL AUDIO QUOTES
[3] The strobe tuner and bar tuner use different algorithms. The bar tuner measures the average period of the waveform. The strobe tuner works like, well, a strobe tuner. It "demodulates" the signal with a quadrature oscillator. This effectively measures the fundamental ONLY. The frequency of the fundamental will not necessarily match that of the overall waveform.
So it's like having two tuners, a traditional tuner and a strobe tuner running simultaneously and, just as with separate physical tuners, the results may not necessarily be the same.
A guitar string is not perfect. The resonances of the overtones aren't always perfect integer multiples of the fundamental. This is exacerbated by the pickups which pull on the strings and cause the overtones to be off (in extreme cases causing the dreaded "stratitis").
Which measurement is correct? That's up to you decide. Some people prefer the sound of the strings being tuned to the frequency of the overall waveform. Others prefer the results of a strobe tuner.
[4] The needle is a correlation tuner. The strobe tuner downconverts the signal to baseband and then displays the I/Q vectors as a strobe tuner simulation. Zero-crossing tuners are inaccurate.
If your strings are old the needle tuner will differ from the strobe tuner because the strobe tuner only displays the fundamental. When your strings get old the harmonics become out-of-tune with the fundamental.
[5] The needle tuner is not designed to tune that high. It's designed to tune open strings. Use the strobe tuner for intonation.
[6] The tuner was optimized for open strings. It was never intended for use as an intonation tool. For that you should always use a high-quality, dedicated strobe tuner.
[7] The strobe tuner in the Axe-Fx uses a different algorithm and is limited only by the accuracy of the crystal oscillator. So even if 0.6 cents is somehow not accurate enough you can use the strobe tuner.
[8] Intonation is checked at the 12th fret. The error at the 12th fret is 0.6 cents. And that's only on the high E string. The strobe tuner is accurate to 0.0001 cents for any note.
Firmware 27 and later for the Axe-Fx III:
FRACTAL AUDIO QUOTES
[9] The tuner is reference quality now.
Remote control
FC-6 and FC-12 foot controllers
Fractal Audio's FC-6 and FC-12 foot controllers provide a dedicated Tuner action and screen.
External switch
Scroll to the TUNER CC in the Setup menu and hit Enter. Click the switch on the footswitch that you want to assign the Tuner to. Or configure it manually by assigning the Tuner MIDI CC to a switch on a MIDI controller. An external switch can also engage the Tuner.
MIDI CC
The default MIDI CC for the Tuner is 15 on the Axe-Fx II, AX8 and FX8. Keep it like this to avoid issues.
The Axe-Fx III, FM9 and FM3 let you set the CC manually in the Setup menu.
3rd-party MIDI controllers
Certain MIDI foot controllers, like the Gordius, RJM and Liquid-Foot, can show a graphical tuner display that syncs with the Fractal Audio device. This requires that you:
- Enable real-time MIDI SysEx communication on the Axe-Fx II (Setup) by setting it to
Tuner
orAll
. - Use a suitable cable connection which allows full bi-directional MIDI communications.
To work with the Axe-Fx III, FM9 or FM3, these controllers must either implement Fractal Audio's proprietary communications protocol for those devices and act as a client, or use real-time MIDI SysEx communication (PDF).
MFC-101
The MFC-101 MIDI foot controller has a dedicated Tuner command for the Axe-Fx II, when it's running in Axe-Fx Mode.
You can also program the MFC-101 to turn on the Tuner by pressing a preset
switch:
- In Edit > MIDI, set IntCC00 to CC15.
- In Edit > Preset, scroll to the designated preset and set IntCC01 to On.
Troubleshooting
Slow tuner
The tuner display may be a little slow right after powering up the device.
FRACTAL AUDIO QUOTES
[10] There are background tasks that run after boot. The tuner GUI thread can get starved if you are using a preset with high CPU usage during this period.
Flickering Axe-Fx II display
PREVIOUS GENERATIONS
[11] Display flickering on the tuner is normal. Some do it more than other. It's just the nature of the display. The display uses a ping-pong buffer. One page is updated while the other is displayed. Then the pages are switched. Some flickering can occur during the page switch. The reason it is noticeable more on the tuner is that the display is updated more frequently.
Wrong tuner information when sample rate is not 48kHz
If the device is connected to a DAW which is not set to a 48kHz clock (Sample rate), the tuner settings may be off.
FRACTAL AUDIO QUOTES
[12] The Axe-Fx requires a 48 kHz clock. Anything else will screw up the calculations.
Tuner won't appear or Waiting for tuner...
message
If the tuner won't appear after pressing the Tuner switch, verify that the Tuner menu is set to display the first tab page.
Also, for third-party MIDI controllers, SEND REALTIME SYSEX must be enabled in the Setup menu, and the Axe-Fx II, AX8 or FX8 MIDI CC must be set to its default.
