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Yeah, you press the rhythm button and it lights up. Then Press the left big black button to start the drums and the right big button to stop the drums.
I agree that you need to read the manual to be able to use it. However I don’t think it’s insanely complicated to get going using preset patches etc. Diving into changing the effects can get complicated for sure.

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Get a tuner for sure. Next, focus on learning to play the instrument proficiently without all the gadgetry (pedals, etc. ).
The next thing is to get a DAI so you can record yourself and listen to the playback. This is the best way to become more proficient.
ProTIP: pedals don’t improve your playing.

All the other needs will come to you as you go along.

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Also, if you get a DAI (Digital Audio Interface), you can add effects in your audio software if you want to add some effects. For example Reaper has lots of free plugins you can use for distortion and all this stuff pedals do.

If you are anything like me, you will want some pedals later on anyway, but basically, none are required.

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This has been mentioned but bears repeating. Depending on your living situation, a decent set of headphones may be a necessity. It is for me, allowing me to play/practice whenever I want without disturbing the neighbors or my wife watching TV in the next room.

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I should have mentioned that I have all the basics. Tuners, stands, cables, several different metronome apps (and a stand alone actual metronome), I’m all set there. Although I’d spend a sh*tload of money for a straight cable that doesn’t curl up. That said, I do not have a gigbag, so I’ll have to look into one of those.

I was originally thinking things more like the e-bow or the Zoom B1 FOUR or compressor/overdrive pedals or DAI. Of those, I’m most intrigued by the Zoom and DAI, so I’ll have to take a look into those.

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There’s a whole DAI thread:

This demos all the inbuilt sounds. Doesn’t show the drum tracks though.

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You should check out their iPhone app. Like their pedal tuners, but with a much better display :slight_smile:

Plus, less than $30 including the cable.

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I’ll back this up. The Zoom units are probably the best value in gear.

Though the BDI-21 is pretty solid too (for preamp/DI’s).

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I bought the cable and app too. Don’t use it that often sadly but good to have as backup!

Those Strobo tuner pedal are really nice tho. Sweetened tunings is really interesting but for me it was a bit too much features. I keep going back to my Korg GA-1. :see_no_evil:

+1 for the BDI-21

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Yeah the strobostomps are great looking pedals. I really like the strobe tuner UIs; just easy to use to tune.

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I was having a lot of trouble with the app/cable, maybe a bad cable?
I was feeling like it was less accurate than my polytune.
That said I am wondering in a tuner to tuner shootout which one(s) are actually the most accurate. The polytune seems less accurate than a strobe, but more accurate than the app/cable. There is a built in tuner in the zoom and my Berg amp, which are super easy to use. Wondering if that means less accurate. Really only care about that level of accuracy for intonation, but still would like to know. Eyeing the new Peterson strobe tuner for my workbench and upstairs/outside/travel.

Just to complicate things the Polytune has a button press sequence that puts it into strobe mode.

I’ve kind of curious about this term “strobe.” I wonder what that means. These devices don’t have a spinning wheel and a strobe light. So how do they calculate the tone? Do they use a frequency counter and then display the result in classic strobe format? In that case it’s just a UX preference. Or do they actually track the spinning strobe graphic lines to memory positions and then write them to the display “illuminating them” when the strobe trigger would happen?

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Oh right i forgot. Ill try it just for grins

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From Sweetwater: "Most electronic tuners work by using a microprocessor to analyze the average period of the waveform of a vibrating string, and using LEDs to indicate whether the pitch of the string is higher, lower, or directly equal to the specified desired pitch for that string.

Strobe tuners, on the other hand, are effectively stroboscopes; a mechanical spinning disk with a strobe pattern is backlit by an array of lights (usually LEDs) that flash at a rate related to the frequency of the audio being analyzed. When the speed of the disk matches the rate of the flashing lights, the strobe pattern “freezes,” or stops moving, indicating the pitch is in tune.
Strobe tuners are often hailed as the most accurate type of tuner, with precision as high as 1/10th of a cent. Virtual versions of strobe tuners are also available, which can also be quite accurate."

I know you already know this @DaveT but I still found it interesting to post… So I’m kinda guessing the pedal ones are virtual or they might use an internal wheel which output is displayed in the interface. I tried the pedal once and it was super accurate. :man_shrugging:

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In the case of the PolyTune 3…

Lightning-fast chromatic tuner
offers 0.5 cent accuracy

Ultra-precise strobe tuner gives you

±0.02 cent accuracy for ultimate
tuning performance

So, there is something different going on in each mode, had no idea.
That said, they don’t talk about it anywhere I can find it.

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This is such obvious marketing bullshit it almost hurts.

To be clear: yes, I think they are lying.

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I’m guessing FFT, since the Petersons also have spectrum mode.

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I tried the strobe mode. Graphic is terrible. If it is more accurate you’d never be able to see it so….fail.

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Lol best remark I have seen today :joy:

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