All user reviews for the Peterson StroboStomp Virtual Strobe Tuner / Active DI

My had a somewhat long history with Peterson. I originally found an old Peterson lunch box style tuner really cheap. I purchased it with the intention of reselling it, but after using it for a while I realized that my guitar sounded out of tune when using a normal tuner. I sold it anyway and regretted it. I ended up buying a Peterson 490 rack mount tuner with the proceeds. I used it for a few years despite its huge size. Once Peterson released their VS-1 hand held tuner, I replaced the huge and expensive 490 with that. I was happy with its functionality, however it was clunky for a guitar player (which I knew probably wasn't their target market anyway). I ended up dropping it off my amp and breaking the screen. I emailed them to get it fixed and I asked why they didn't make a ruggedized floor model for guitar players (also a rack mount version for rack users). They thought the idea was interesting and asked for more information. Some time later this pedal was released.

So, it's basically the same functionality as the VS-1, which is similar to that of the 490 or any standard strobe tuner except it's digital. Being digital, it allows for a lot of other functions that a physical strobe tuner simply cannot provide. Tuning via the strobe takes a little while to get used to, but I don't think anyone would have a real issue with it. It tends to be sensitive, so it will take you longer to tune up, but that's the point.

It is fairly rugged and I've never had an issue with it. I know that some people have had issues with the jacks, which had been addressed on the second silver model. Sometimes it has a hard time registering the notes, but that can usually be fixed by adjusting the volume of the instrument.

If you play a lot of chords and find them sounding off or if you like to set up and intonate your own guitars, a strobe tuner is a must.

This is supposedly Peterson's first take at making their amazing tuner in a pedal form. Why haven't they thought of this sooner? I don't know, maybe they have but just took forever to make it happen?
The strobostomp also includes the infamous buzz feiten tuning system for those who have guitars equipped for buzz feiten. Though I personally never used a guitar that required it. The LED could be brighter, well, it could always be brighter, especially for stage. There never seems to be a pedal company that makes the LED bright enough, it’s as if they’re scared it’ll be too bright. But on stage, there literally is no such thing as too bright! The brighter the better! Always! Always! Always!
Anyhow, it's got 99.9% of all the same features you'd find in a regular strobe tuner from Peterson. So you know it's good, but the main complaint I had with this is of course the plastic jacks and the overall built quality. It’s definitely not like a boss pedal and not tough. I've had it crap out on me twice and had the plastic jacks replaced. I've also heard and read of many of the same or similar stories.
Overall it's a decent tuner in terms of tuning. The functionality part is great too if one knows how to read strobes, most players couldn't care less. But whatever floats your boat. In the end however, I wouldn't call this a roadworthy and reliable tuner for your board. Plastic jacks is a huge problem and I don't know why Peterson decided to go that route, they've finally come out with the Strobostomp 2 which is an improved version with metal jacks and more solid body construction.

Features: 1/4" input and output
balanced XLR direct output
9 volt power input and separate jack that passes power through
strobe tuning accurate to +/- .1 cent
true bypass stomp switch
22 preset temperaments/Sweetened tunings
supports buzz feiten, capo, and drop tunings

When I first got this tuner I loved it. Having gone from a Boss tu-2 and Korg rack mount it was nice to have the accuracy of the rack but in the form factor of the Boss. The tuner is very accurate and allowed me to learn how to do my own set-ups/intonation and tt actually probably paid for itself in that regard. Unfortunately after about 3 months it just started flaking out. I started getting odd screen problems where it would fade or not come on at all. It was not a constant thing so I dealt with it and just toggled the bypass switch a few times whenever it happened. This seemed to work for a while but then the bypass switch started flaking out, probably from the repeated stomps to get the screen going. I still dealt with it since I loved the accuracy. The last straw when I finally removed it from my board was when the jacks started getting loose and the pedal would randomly cut out. I would lose all signal which is a no go for live shows. The jacks were cheap plastic that you would find on low end gear.

I replaced it with a pitch black tuner and the strobostomp now sits on my bench strictly for repair work.
I'm kind of unsure how to rate it as it's great for intonations but is just not built as strong as a 100$+ tuner should be. I cannot imagine anyone trusting one of these on the road as it's a problem waiting to happen. I heard they fixed these issues with the v2 by using a better casing and metal jacks but it seems those have been discontinued.. Thank you for leaving the original purchasers behind, peterson.

For a long time now, Peterson has led the market as the source for accurate tuning, producing strobe tuners in many forms. The Strobostomp provides Peterson’s virtual strobe tuning in pedal format, for those wanting the extreme accuracy the units provide at their feet.

The Strobostomp provides +/- 0.1 cent accuracy, which is nearly 30 times the accuracy of your standard tuner, such as the Boss TU-2. The tuner is also programmable for custom tunings of your choice, and also offers ‘sweetened’ tunings, with Peterson pre-programmed offsets to make the guitar sound more in tune across the range. You will find numerous of these for specific applications. Those that are curious and venturous can even program their own offsets and use them.

The digital display on the Peterson is very well lit, which makes it very easy to see on a dark stage. Outside, in bright sunlight though, the display becomes much harder to see. The unit is built with plastic casing and jacks. Though I never had a problem with this, as I am quite careful with my pedals, others complained of these being a failure point in the unit, which is part of the reason for the unit’s V-II iteration.

For recording/setup use, where the utmost accuracy is necessary, I highly recommend this tuner. For live use, on the other hand, I found the accuracy a bit of a hindrance, as the additional accuracy was not entirely necessary, and made tuning take a bit longer. If you only need a tuner on the board for live use, you can get away with a cheaper alternative, such as the Korg Pitchblack.

I've been using this model for a few months now, and I'm enjoying it a lot. It claims to be more accurate than the traditional needle-style or LED digital tuners, and I'd have to say that I agree. It definitely feels easier to use than the old school handheld ones that I had before (Korg is a typical manufacturer of those). I've also had better luck with this then with the Boss pedal tuner I have. The display is really easy to read, even though it might not look it at first glance. It also can be set to work with different tunings, such as Drop-D, and can also be set to deal with tempered tunings and custom tunings of your choice. This also features a D.I. out, which I haven't used quite as much since I have other DIs, but it's not a bad one by any means. I wouldn't buy the pedal just for the DI, though, as its a bit pricey. I also never really DI an Electric Guitar, so unless you're running an acoustic through a pickup, using an acoustic electric, or playing bass, the DI is almost never used.
I was surprised at how clear and obvious the screen for the Strobostomp is. Usually playing in the sun makes it impossible to read a tuner but that is not the case with this one. I was also pretty amazed at how it indicates that there's a problem with intonation. It has allowed me to know exactly when to change strings, and it's good to know that there's something wrong with the guitar if it's time to get an intonation adjustment. It is kind of a pain to get used to if you're trying to make custom tunings. The manual is definitely something you will need if you plan on using it in this manner. However, for those who seriously need a lot from a tuner, this is a great purchase. It's pretty pricey, but worth it if you can afford it. In this economy, however, it's tough to justify spending all this money on a tuner; make sure you need it really badly before you buy it. I doubt I would make the same choice again but that's simply because I don't have a job at the moment, and could really use the cash!