Agree that there's a learning curve, but it's not all that steep.
![[DFO] Drum Forum](https://www.drumforum.org/styles/drumforum/xenforo/logo.png){kind=logo}
Help Me Choose: Drum Dial or TuneBot
- Thread starter Derrick
- Start date
It’s very confusing to use a TuneBot and there aren’t any good videos on how to use it.
Check this product out by Professor Rob Toulson called the iDrumTune Pro: https://www.idrumtune.com/
This app is priced extremely well (Google Play = $9.99 | App Store = $8.99) and is feature rich (Pitch tuning mode; Lug mode allows you to select the number of lugs, then it holds a prime frequency and displays the difference between all the other lugs; Reso head tuning mode; Has a spectrum analysis mode; Stores multiple kits, so you can save your favorite head/tuning combos on mulitiple kits; has a built in guide etc...).
There is also a ton of info on how to use the app correctly and about the science of the drum too. So why carry another tool when you've already got the smartphone at hand!
Here's a YT vid describing the features:
This app is priced extremely well (Google Play = $9.99 | App Store = $8.99) and is feature rich (Pitch tuning mode; Lug mode allows you to select the number of lugs, then it holds a prime frequency and displays the difference between all the other lugs; Reso head tuning mode; Has a spectrum analysis mode; Stores multiple kits, so you can save your favorite head/tuning combos on mulitiple kits; has a built in guide etc...).
There is also a ton of info on how to use the app correctly and about the science of the drum too. So why carry another tool when you've already got the smartphone at hand!
Here's a YT vid describing the features:
DamnSingerAlsoDrums
DFO Master
I'm a guitar player too and drums tuning used to confuse me to no end because of the over abundance of overtones that make it very hard at first to focus on wich note you have to listen to while trying to tune lugs all to the same pitch.
It has been said already but I concur that the tunebot can be a good tool to help you get ballpark. Although it has its quirks and you should definitely watch a thorough explanatory video before attempting to tune with it. No matter what you do, you have to make sure you put a moongel/drumdot or your finger (very lightly) in the center of your head and that the opposite head is fully muted, or else, the fundamental pitch will be picked up by the drumbot instead of the lug pitch. And that can get frutrating to no end.
Once the mode of operation was understood, I successfully tuned with it maybe 10 to 15 times. After that, I got a pretty good idea of what to shoot for, so I've sorta tossed it aside. And I now get some better, more musical (to me) and faster results using my ears.
Ymmv
It has been said already but I concur that the tunebot can be a good tool to help you get ballpark. Although it has its quirks and you should definitely watch a thorough explanatory video before attempting to tune with it. No matter what you do, you have to make sure you put a moongel/drumdot or your finger (very lightly) in the center of your head and that the opposite head is fully muted, or else, the fundamental pitch will be picked up by the drumbot instead of the lug pitch. And that can get frutrating to no end.
Once the mode of operation was understood, I successfully tuned with it maybe 10 to 15 times. After that, I got a pretty good idea of what to shoot for, so I've sorta tossed it aside. And I now get some better, more musical (to me) and faster results using my ears.
Ymmv
NathanielMela
Active Member
I regularly use a drum dial and do not advocate its use for anyone trying to tune a drum. I do head changes daily and it’s really just a good reference to make sure I’m in the same ballpark night to night, as your ear is too susceptible to environmental factors.
I tune by feel and ear mostly but do have a drum dial. I basically have my numbers per drum for each kit on a spreadsheet and when I change heads get the tension close and then tweak by ear. Also, if you need to change heads “quietly” in a pinch you can get close with drum dial.
However, I haven’t used tunebot so can’t really compare.
However, I haven’t used tunebot so can’t really compare.
cochlea
DFO Veteran
For those of you praising the results of the Tunebot, which model do you prefer, Studio or Gig?
- Joined
- Oct 8, 2012
- Messages
- 3,066
- Reaction score
- 1,715
I’ve been thinking about getting the Studio Tune Bot tuner just to see what they’re all about and have posted in other drum tuner threads the same.
I’ve been reading about the iDrumTunepro and eventually will succumb to such. : )
DanRH
Old guy, getting younger
Me? The dial. No one’s ever accused me of having a badly tuned kit. I just don’t have the patience for the TB when I can quickly get it to where I want to where I need to be tuning wise. I have a TB. Maybe I’ll work with it some more…
notINtheband
DFO Veteran
This exactly.
I used my drum dial for years before getting a tune-bot.
Now I only use the tune-bot.
The drum dial can give me the exact same readings on different lugs (say, 72), and yet each lug will be a slightly different pitch. It gets you into the general area, but nothing dials that pitch on, down to the hertz, like a tune-bot.
Take the time to learn the filter feature and you will use it every time you tune a drum, with complete success.
I don’t tune my drums without it now, and so enjoy the repeatability and accuracy of it, I actually look forward to drum tuning and do so before every gig.
You can't beat the price on the iDrumTune Pro and the feature sets appears to make it way more user friendly. For instance, the "Lug Mode" slider lets you determine the number of lugs on a given drum and after aquiring the first lug's frequency in the top postion, subsequent lug's differences are held in sequence on the display. And the "Presets" allows you to store and name multiple kits and name the drum in the kit - this is really useful not only for one kit but certainly if you have several kits - especially if you want to store different batter/reso head combinations.
Well, So far I wasn't reading a whole lot in these thread replies about why the Tube-Bot seems to be preferred by most and the better choice... this comment however might just have won me over on the choice between the two.
OK, this begs the question... How do you use it properly? Are the instructions not adequate that come with it? Are they poorly written? What should I do to be sure I am using it properly?
shuffle
DFO Star
I use the Dial,and get t rods at a tension I like then use my ears to fine tune.
Never have used a Tunebot.
DamnSingerAlsoDrums
DFO Master
Well it wasn't as easy and intuitive as I thought at first and the instructions were somewhat unclear, to me at least. And judging by the number of threads and posts asking how to decipher the Tune-bot, I guess I wasn't alone. But there are detailed videos on how to go about it on YT such as the one from Mike Johnston posted above. But you know how it goes: you may probably get the weirdo issue they didn't discuss in the vid you just watched...
trynberg
Well-Known Member
The instructions that came with my Studio version are adequate, but you learn some things actually using it. The key thing is to use the filter and range functions if needed (this is extremely important on snare-side heads).
Once you get practice and use the two-drum key method, I can tune up a drum perfectly (both batter and resonant heads) with itself AND the rest of the kit in less than 5 minutes. I tune before every gig and then occasionally a maintenance tuning if it's been a while between gigs. With regular tuning, I could probably tune each drum perfectly in 1-2 minutes (as they wouldn't have drifted as far).
It helps to use the Tune-bot phone app with the Tune-bot. But I find certain recommendations to be very poor -- for example, the idea that you should have snare-side heads set to near 400 Hz even with medium batter head tuning does not work for me on any of my snare drums. I tune my snare-side heads much lower. This is where I think some people conflate the idea of using the Tune-bot with only using the "recommended" settings. That is silly. The Tune-bot is just a tool and can get you very consistent and reliable results much quicker than using your ear, no matter what settings you end up using.
Whichever one is cheaper
drums1225
Very well Known Member
I have both the Drum Dial and the Tune-Bot Studio. To be honest, I can tune quite well and MUCH more quickly by ear (and feel) than by using either device. What they both do best is allow me to recall previous tunings quickly and accurately when changing heads. Since I got the Tune-Bot, I don't use the Drum Dial at all anymore. Maybe because I spent $100 on the Tune-bot and feel the need to justify the spend, but it if I'm going all "scientific" while tuning, pitch/frequency readings mean more than a tension figure.
I've never cared to tune to actual notes or fixed intervals between batter and reso, but the Tune-bot kind of operates on this premise. I mean, sure, you can just tune to some in-between note, but as someone who also plays guitar, it feels wrong to ignore the "in tune" indicator, so I go with the flow. Anyway, if I had to choose one of the two devices, it would be the Tune-Bot.
I've never cared to tune to actual notes or fixed intervals between batter and reso, but the Tune-bot kind of operates on this premise. I mean, sure, you can just tune to some in-between note, but as someone who also plays guitar, it feels wrong to ignore the "in tune" indicator, so I go with the flow. Anyway, if I had to choose one of the two devices, it would be the Tune-Bot.
I'm still using the first one; not sure the model. Studio and Gig came out later in life.
sherm
I'm assuming all models have the filter settings. At home or in a quite environment during a normal tuning session I'll have the filter OFF until a particular lug finds the target reading. At that point I'll turn on the filter. Then continue to tune till all lugs are the same.
While at a gig setting with background noises when a drum needs tweaking the I normally have the filter ON from the beginning.
This seem to work pretty good for me.
sherm
While at a gig setting with background noises when a drum needs tweaking the I normally have the filter ON from the beginning.
This seem to work pretty good for me.
sherm
