Ok, I think I'm starting to understand my TuneBot Studio

PorkPieGuy

PorkPieGuy

Platinum Member
Even though I've been playing drums over 30 years now, I'm always learning what I can about tuning drums because there's still a lot of it that I find pretty mysterious and nonsensical. I had a little bit of time this past weekend to mess with my TuneBot. I bought it a few years ago, tried it a couple of times, and I put it away.

I decided to give it another shot, starting with my snare drums. My snares sound good, but I knew they could sound better. I kept reading all over the place to tune the bottom head to 400, and I watched a couple of short videos on how to use it.

I checked the bottom head on my snare, and it (and all of the others) were around the 250 range. I cranked them all to 400, and it immediately made an incredible difference. I then tuned the top heads using the TuneBot (they were all different due to different heads and depths), and they all sound so much better! Next, I want to try it with my toms, but I ran out of time.

I think I'm starting to see what all the fuss is about.
 
Timely post. I've been wondering about a Tunebot and was searching threads on here last night. I've been play over 50 years and I can make my drums sound great but I'm intrigued by the statements made about the Tunebot. I hate to spend $100 and find it’s something that I wouldn't use. I read on this forum about octaves and F#, A etc. but have no clue as to what that means to my ears. I think the Tunebot might help me understand what that means.
 
250?!? Wow, that's pretty low in my book. I'm usually in the 440 range and was just considering experimenting with tuning down to 400 just to try something new!

The Tune Bot is great because it allows you to log tunings you like so you can dial in your sound more quickly on new drums or maintain your preferred sound on what you already have.
 
I've been using the Tune-bot for a decade and it is a great tool.

Crank a snare reso up to 400 Hz and the fundamental to 195 Hz for a 14" for a medium tight sound.
You can go up or down from there. 205 Hz for a 13" and 215 Hz for a 12".
Note the values you like your snare and toms (or store them in the Tune-bot) to quickly dial them back in.

The Tune-bot is great to do a quick check if my drums have not detuned after transport (temperature / humidity changes) or a recent head swap.
 
Cool!
I'm inspired to to give the Tune Bot a shot someday. I hope I would get some practical use out of it.
 
Glad you're finding some usefulness for it, Martin!

I love my Tunebot. I don't rely on it, because I have put a lot of time into learning to tune already. However, I really like having an accurate reference point and means of comparison.

It's so much more meaningful to say, "My snare is tuned with the reso at 400 and a fundamental of 198," than to say, "I have my snare tuned medium tight."
 
I will add, using the Tunebot has taught me some very interesting things.

For example, shell material matters. I have two snares of the same dimensions, one wood and one brass, and when the heads are tuned to the same lug frequency, the fundamental is different. Same with depths.

The one that really surprised me was that head construction can change the fundamental, too. If I tune the same drum to the same lug frequencies, but swap out a P77 for an Ambassador, the fundamental changes.

Also, you can tune two snares to the same fundamental, and the pitch will seem different with snares engaged, or when you hit a rimshot.

So much fun!
 
Looks like the TuneBot Studio tuner is hard to find new at the present time. Everywhere I looked either has them listed as "sold out" or on backorder.
 
I just ordered a used one.
 
Maybe I’ll try mine again. I’ll admit, I’m a gadget guy so I bought one. But so far it’s been mostly collecting dust.
 
Rob G. said:
Maybe I’ll try mine again. I’ll admit, I’m a gadget guy so I bought one. But so far it’s been mostly collecting dust.
Click to expand...
There are an awful lot of people that really like their tunebot. So I think it might be worth a second try.
 
The Tune-bot site is a great resource for tuning and suggestions for tunings-I like their calculator. I don't have a Tune-bot but I may one day. I always liked fiddling and tuning by ear but I can't hear pitch well or anything for that matter very well. So right now it's a Drum dial and the iDrum pitch app which also has a great tuning tutorial and section on drum physics (Oh no!! in my best Mr. Bill voice). I like the Drum dial to clear the heads get even tension across the head-also I've done it so much for any head (1 ply or 2ply) I know ball park tension that will get me close. When the drum dial or pitch app fades I'll go Tunebot, but for now the suffices. Still the Tune-bot tuning section and suggestions are my go to when trying out tunings. I never thought about losing my hearing as a youth and the problems associated with it-but I as I imagine a large fraction of drummers are well aware by now-I like technology can hear a note/pitch I can't discriminate well now. Anyways I see a Tunebot likely in my future.
 
Stroman said:
I will add, using the Tunebot has taught me some very interesting things.

For example, shell material matters.
Click to expand...

Isn't that the truth! I find that my steel-shelled drum wants to be tuned higher than my BB snares and my one wood snare.
 
Yea Ok I'm going to go "outside" here and emphasize

Knowing your brand of Drum

your Pearls, your Ludwigs, your Rogers, your InDies (?), your Gretsch., your Yamahas, ... and any other Make

Once familiar with the brand(s) you've chosen to own, I mean OWN,

You know where that drum lands
U Know what you're going to get out of them

It's not some abstract infinite
A brand is going to sound like that brand

and Once you know what that brand 'sounds' like
You're in. You know all the ranges within the size, brand to expect

I don't understand why anyone needs any meter but your self.
You're the meter dial. You're the Click track ( well one of) and evidently you're the.... hmm I forgot the third thing.
 
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Man, I felt this. Tuning always felt mysterious to me, too, even after years. Hitting 400 on the snare reso? Total lightbulb moment. Crazy how a small tweak can unlock the drum’s voice. Glad you gave the TuneBot another shot.
 
austinz said:
Tuning always felt mysterious to me
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I don't understand that at all.
Do you mean what and when you heard your favorite drummer play - on a clear not processed- record you didn't think or know how he or she got there sound wise?
Knowing what brand they played, knowing what sizes they played...

There''s a Rogers sound, there's a Ludwig sound, there's a Gretsch sound, there's a Slingerland sound, there's a Yamaha sound, there's a Noble & Cooley solid shell sound... every brand has a sound then you look at the dimension...In snare there's a brass and a wood sound...a solid shell and ply sound... There's an Avedis Zildjian sound a Paiste 2oo2 sound..
all discernible - on clear natural not highly processed recording - and replicable repeatable if you chose the identical and close to it, instruments

unless trying for some moonshot that's never been heard before
 
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