The Peterson SC-1 StroboClip Tuner: The Ideal Tuner for Violin

Peterson SC-1 StroboClip Tuner

Introduction:  The Peterson SC-1 StroboClip is the smallest multi-temperament clip-on tuner available today.  Thanks to Peterson's unique virtual strobe technology, it is also the most flexible and accurate portable tuner I have ever tested.

About Temperament: If you have used an electronic tuner to tune a violin one string at a time, you may have noticed that the open strings, when played together, are not in tune with each other.  This is because most modern electronic tuners rely on equal temperament -- which creates perfect octaves but sacrifices the accuracy of the other intervals.  Orchestral stringed instruments such as the violin are tuned in fifths, an interval that can never be made perfect using a traditional electronic tuner that relies on equal temperament.

Peterson Mechanical Strobe 5000-II ($4,800)

About Strobes:  Stroboscopic (Strobe) tuners are the most accurate type of tuner available and can often be calibrated for many tunings and temperaments.  However, traditional mechanical strobe tuners are also heavy and quite expensive.

Enter the Peterson SC-1 StroboClip Tuner, a virtual strobe with the same fundamental advantages of the mechanical strobe, but at an affordable price and highly portable size.

Metal Case

Features:  The Peterson StroboClip offers the same accuracy (1/10 cent) as Peterson's mechanical strobes, along with 28 alternate temperaments including presets for violin, viola, and cello.  It weighs only 1.6 ounces.  It is encased in a brushed aluminum shell for durability, and comes with a padded metal carrying case lined with form-fitting foam, for added protection.  The clip uses soft, rubber pads to protect your instrument's finish.  It comes programmed with 28 sweetener/temperament presets.  A battery saving auto sleep function is an added nice touch.

Fit and Finish:  The StroboClip feels sturdy in the hand.  Its brushed aluminum case is attractive and professional-looking.  The unit sports the highest quality clip I've seen in any clip-on tuner.  The tuner's face rotates easily in two planes;  the joints proved resistant to bending or breaking.  The buttons are rubberized for better grip and are seemlessly integrated.

Clip with Rubber Pads

Usability:  Because the StroboClip seems to need a secure attachment to the instrument to give accurate readings, I experimented with a few different options for placement.  My first choice was to attach it to one of the pegs.  However, I was also able to secure it to the pegbox between the pegs on a full size violin.  Once in place, the clip felt very secure and its rubber pads did their job protecting the violin's finish.

Stroboclip attached to pegbox

Reading a virtual strobe proved much easier than I had expected.  Simply, if the two rows of box patterns above the note name are moving to the right, the note is sharp.  If the movement is left, the note is flat.  When a note is in tune, the rows stay in place or shift back and forth only slightly.

Response time proved very quick; this tuner kept up with note changes played at a fast pace better than any tuner I have used.  To test precision, we compared the Stroboclip's readings to the output of a mechanical strobe costing over $2,000. The results appeared to be identical.  Further, the 1/10 cent accuracy (equivalent to 1/1000 of a semitone) makes this tuner useful even to advanced players striving to perfect their intonation in every register.

And, best of all, tuning the four strings of the violin separately yielded perfect fifths between the open strings -- a first in my experience with portable electronic tuners.  In fact, the results were as good as those produced by a trained ear.

Stroboclip attached to peg

Conclusion:  Most beginning violin students rely on tuners to tune each string separately.  Learning to hear intervals and to play two strings at once, necessary for tuning in fifths from just one reference pitch, takes time to master.  Traditional electronic tuners by other manufacturers yield a violin that is never truly in tune with itself.  The Peterson StroboClip SC-1 produces perfect fifths even when each string is tuned separately.  For this reason alone it is the ideal tuner for the beginning violin student.  Advanced players will enjoy the quick response, impressive accuracy, sweetened tunings, and temperament built for strings, as well as the unit's professional look and sturdy, compact form factor.

About Peterson Tuners:  Peterson has been manufacturing tuners since 1948 and has a reputation among musicians for quality and innovation.

Price:  The StroboClip SC-1 retails for $89.99.