SABINE ZIP-1000 - Chromatic Autotuner Manual

INTRODUCTION

Your Sabine ZIP-1000 Chromatic AutoTuner provides an easy-to-use tuning display and advanced tuning algorithm. It automatically senses and displays the pitch of the string you are tuning, providing hands-free operation. The ZIP-1000 tunes all open string instruments and can be used to tune most musical instruments and voice.

FEATURES

• Chromatic - For instrument and voice. Perfect for standard & alternate tunings, and tuning with a capo.
• Easy-to-read LED display. Your ZIP Tuner replaces the delicate meter and needle display found on many tuners with a rugged solid-state LED array. The LED display provides the same continuous indication of tuning error by varying the LED blink rate. LEDs are much easier to read than meters, especially in the dark and from a distance.
• Grabs note fast, holds it longer. Your ZIP Tuner automatically senses the note you are playing and indicates which note you are closest to.
• Calibrate to other pitches. This feature is useful for tuning your guitar or bass to instruments that tune to pitches other than A=440, and for tuning to alternate scales.
• Use the built-in mic or the 1/4" jacks.
• 9-volt battery included.
• Two-year warranty.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR TUNING

1. PRESS THE POWER BUTTON TO TURN ON YOUR TUNER. Acoustic instrument tones are detected by a very sensitive internal microphone. Do not pluck loudly to tune, except in very noisy rooms. Plucking the string once per second with medium loudness usually gives the best results.
   Electronic instruments should be plugged into the tuner's input jack labeled "INST" with a standard guitar cord. The internal mic automatically disconnects so the tuner will not pick up extraneous background noise. You may connect your tuner's AMP jack to any amplifier's or P.A. system's input so you can tune as you play.
2. PLUCK THE STRING YOU WISH TO TUNE. Adjust the instrument's pitch until the desired NOTE INDICATOR light is lit. For example, if you wish to tune your D string, pluck the string and tune it until the D indicator light is lit. Pluck the string every second or so to keep the note fresh and to prevent it from fading flat. To eliminate extraneous overtones, mute the other strings after each pluck.
3. SLOWLY ADJUST THE INSTRUMENT'S PITCH UNTIL THE "IN TUNE" LIGHT IS LIT. Note that the SHARP and FLAT indicators blink rapidly when the note is far from being in tune and blink slower as the note approaches being in tune. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for the other notes until the entire instrument is tuned.

HOW TO RECALIBRATE YOUR DEVICE

Use the CALIBRATE function if you want to tune your guitar to an instrument that tunes to pitches other than A=440, or if you want to use alternate scales. For example, if you wish to recalibrate the tuner from standard A=440 Hz. to A=438 Hz., press the CALIBRATE button until the note indicator LED lights under 438. The tuner's scale is now shifted to that pitch. To return the tuner to standard A=440 Hz., turn the tuner off and then back on.

TUNING TIPS

Many musical instruments have peculiarities that cause annoying tuning problems. Most of these peculiarities are overcome by following these simple procedures:

1. Pluck one string at a time.
2. Pluck the instrument once per second to keep the note "fresh" while you are tuning. Notes go noticeably flat a second or two after being plucked. If tuning a higherpitched instrument (such as a mandolin), pluck a little faster; for a lower-pitched instrument (such as a bass), pluck slower.
3. Do not pluck loudly. Generally light to medium volumes provide purer tones that are easier for tuners to analyze.
4. Pluck the strings with the flesh of the thumb. Fingernails and flat picks add overtones and slow the tuning process.
5. Tune from a pitch that is flat up to the pitch you desire. This procedure removes any slack in the gears of the instrument's tuning heads. If you tune from SHARP to IN TUNE, the gears will slip as you play, and the instrument will go flat after a few minutes of playing.
6. If you have difficulty getting a note to register on the tuner, try touching the other strings lightly to stop their sympathetic vibrations. This will eliminate any extraneous overtones that may disturb the tuning.
7. Use good strings. (We recommend Sabine NitroStasis™ Premium Strings.) Old strings lose their uniformity and do not vibrate evenly. New strings stretch flat as you play.
8. All sources of friction cause tuning problems. For example, if the slot in an instrument's nut is too tight, the string will be pulled flat as it is played. A tight nut (or capo) will cause the string's pitch to change in steps rather than evenly.
9. Avoid pressure on the instrument while tuning. Even moderate pressure on the neck of a guitar will cause a noticeable change in pitch. Also, press the strings straight down to the fingerboard. Bending the strings sideways is very common, especially on difficult chords, but causes the strings to be pulled sharp.
10. A note for advanced fretted instrumentalists: Almostall fretted instruments, and most other instruments, are constructed to play an "even-tempered scale." Sabine tuners are also calibrated to this scale. The even-tempered scale places equal tonal spacing between all notes in the scale so that the musician will not have to retune to change keys. A disadvantage, however, is that the third note of the scale sounds a little sharp (14 cents, to be exact). For example, when playing in the key of G, the B note will sound sharp. If you tune the B string so that it sounds correct in an open G chord, other chords using the B string will sound out of tune. The musician may choose to optimize the tuning of a particular key or to use the even-tempered scale. Much depends on the musician's style, but generally it is best to tune exactly as your Sabine tuner indicates.

SPECIFICATIONS

Copyright 1999 Sabine, Inc.

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