Just How BAD Is The Line 6 Helix Tuner? | Peterson StroboPlus HDC vs Helix

[@dale7sail]

Had my Helix for over 5 years, never had an issue with the tuner, great video!

[@MrZerohour1967]

I see many comments already from Helix owners saying the never had an issue with the tuner and I too have had the same experience. As far as I'm concerned it works perfectly and in fact I'd go as far as to say it's an excellent tuner. I have seen the claims that very early FW may have had some problems, but I've been an owner since abut V2.5, 4 or 5 years ago, and it's never missed a beat. How anyone could still be claiming the tuner is still not good is beyond me. Great to see just how close it is to your Peterson.

[@capacitiveguitarresistance]

It is inaccurate as hell. I love the Helix but at this it does fail.

[@xman5b]

I'm flummoxed by the idea that Helix's tuner is bad. :-( I use Peterson strobe tuners and, just like you, Jason, I find the strobe mode on Helix incredibly good (certainly good enough for stage work) and I've used it to intonate guitars and find it VERY close to the Peterson tuners. Bizarre.

[@BeachJazzMusic]

I tested my Helix tuner with my Sonic Research Turbo Tuner ST-300 (the most accurate tuner on the market at .02 cents,) my Peterson App in my iPhone, my T.C. Electronics Polytune, my Peterson Strobo Clip and the tuner in my AxeFx III. The result was that they were all the same. I think that people don't understand how to use tuners. There are a lot of parameters to take into account when using a tuner. Not only that but you can tune your guitar and then move it and it will go out of tune or push the string too hard and it won't intonate properly. One thing that I really like about the Peterson iPhone tuner and the tuner in the AxeFx III is that it not only tells you what note you're tuning to but it also tells you what frequency you're at. For example low E on the guitar is 82.4 Hz. Another great thing about the Peterson iPhone app is that you can get add-ons that do a multitude of things such as give you a 3-D graph of the frequencies. If you decide to use your iPhone app I recommend getting the guitar chord adapter that goes into the iPhone so that you don't get any extraneous ambient noise from the room.

[@scottwhitlow8468]

I just realized I’m sitting here watching a guy tune his guitar on youtube….lol. Actually, this was a very interesting video and a good comparison! I’ve always wondered about the accuracy and this is good info to know (I also liked the extra tips you threw in there for tuning). Good job! 👍🏻

[@ADPMusic2211]

😂😂😂 I was thinking the same thing, i've always trusted my Helix LT Strobe tuner, never had any issues, never understood the complaints. The fact that Mr Sadites has had to "Teach" people how to tune correctly 😅

[@ministryinsong]

Thanks Jason, that is one impressive result for the Helix tuner. They looked absolutely on par. I'm really considering the HDC I’ve been getting into setting up my own guitars - and a couple of friends guitars - and I’ve accumulated some good music nomad and stew mac tools over the last year and I really want the accurate tuner to finish my kit. it’s just hard to drop £160.99 on a tuner, even though I know it’s quality, that’s the best price I’ve found in the UK so far. I was glad to hear you really like it and to be honest I was one of those people who couldn’t cope with the strobe tuning (didn’t fully understand it) although it’s the tech side of things that made me persevere and I think it’s brilliant now. Thanks for your videos I’ve not long got my Helix floor and haven’t got right into getting it programmed yet I will though and your channel is a big help. cheers.

[@ensignbarabus]

I've used the strobe tuner in my Helix Floor for several years and have never had issues with it. I was glad it was added to Helix Native.

[@planzed463]

Hey guys, a quick tip from a GenXer... when using digital tuners, roll the tone off the neck pickup & tune using that... try it 😉👍🏼 it might not jump around as much

[@Elassar72]

Thanks for taking the time to check it out! I also experimented that ALL tuners tend to work better with softer PUs. I.e. with my superstrat I tune by the central PU, and very soft picking (especially with floating bridges)

[@BelovedDefender]

I personally never understood the tuner comments on forums. I’ve used it thousands of times over 6 years and never had any complaints or issues with it. Always worked just as good as any other tuner I even used. But this is a cool video that you put together on the subject! Thanks for sharing.

[@BobPaulGuitar]

Awesome comparison using a real example, great job, again, Jason! Great and helpful content as always

[@ptortland]

After waatching you prior excellent video on "dialing in the Helix tuner," all of my issues with the Helix tuner were resolved. I LOVE the offset trick you showed! I still have an always-on Boss TU-3s, but that's only so I can quick-tune on the fly without cutting my signal. But the "dialed in" Helix tuner is my go-to.

[@bones2532]

Just what I was expecting before. Never had any problems with the Helix tuner. I prefer the traditional fine tuning mode over the strobe mode. You just have to get used to the fact that those lines in the display won't line up perfectly. Just try to get them as close as possible and you'll be ok.

[@imagoflyfishing9993]

Hi Jason, thanks for the tutorial. I exclusively use the strobe tuner with very fine picking & muting all strings on my floyd rose bridged guitars. Works great! Thanks for the tutorials I have a killer tone on my Helix thru the Headrush frfr 108 now too thanks to your basic tone setups. Hail from the prairies, Regina, SK!

[@renoutlaw8371]

For me the reason I prefer the external tuner has nothing to do with accuracy and reliability or the actual tuning function, like you said any problems I've had with that are probably user error (I'm terrible about being impatient and hitting the string again). I just like having that button be solely for tap tempo, and having the option to always see the tuner without muting my signal, and controlling volume with my volume pedal.

[@valendis]

So a few days ago I saw someone giving "unknown tips" for HXStomp, for context I sacrified my tap/tuner button for another regular button. There was a tip that said "if you press action and page right button at the same time, you get the tuner", I tried and yeah that works great. But then I wanted to compare the tuning of this vs my Korg Pitchblack that I use all the time... The process was the following: first I make sure I'm in tune on the korg and immediatly activate the helix tuner to check the tuning using 'fine' tuning... I was sharp on several strings,I then tuned using the helix and damn that tuning was great! I always thought there was something a bit off with the tuning of my chapman guitar but with the helix tuning I could play any chord, it sounded in tune! I'm keeping the helix tuner, selling the korg and replace the pedalboard space with a SD-1 (I use the stupor on the Helix) to free a switch

[@davehunter9052]

Great comparison video. As it happens I have the perterson (Strobostomp HD & their clip on equivalent) and the Helix..... and I can't say that I'd had any issues, but never done a back to back comparison between them. So it is great to see that they both appear to be (almost) identical. I think that the key is to ensure that you are using equivalent tunings (same pitch, sweetened options etc) and the appropriate and consistent light touch. I do know that there are often significant differences between other manufacturers units, as highlighted in some of the jam sessions I've played in, and my takeaway from that was to ensure that we all used the same (physical) unit. Certainly having an accurate tuner, has improved my 'musical' ear.

[@michaelfolsom6654]

I agree. I've always used strobe mode and never had a problem tuning.

[@ThomasVammenJensen]

Always used the Helix tuner. Never had an issue.

[@gonepickin990]

Thanks Jason. This has been an issue for me to. I don't like the Helix tuner so I bought the Peterson clip on. Works good on stage. I'll compare the Helix strobe to it and see what I like. I just have to get used to the strobe type tuner. Thanks again. Great video...again...

[@alanblakeguitarist]

Wow this really helps!! I never knew my Helix had a strobe tuner plus I hit my strings hard af! Thanks for this!!

[@Mooseboy08]

If you own an EBow, you can definitely use that to keep the string ringing while tuning. Works great.

[@kingz42]

The basics...this is where it all starts. New to your channel and really like it !

[@blakeoms]

I use every tuning mode on my pod go and it's honestly the best tuner I've ever used, even the strobe tuner is great, gonna buy a strobe tuner just because I can and I love using all the options I have available

[@toddkc3181]

I love the tuner in the Pod Go and Helix Native. I also have some Neural DSP plugins and cannot stand their tuner. Seems like a pretty subjective topic. Reatune is also great!

[@NeZversSounds]

For years I've been using the Line 6 free tuner that comes from Pod Farm 2 free effects. It has been my favorite tuner, much more stable than most tuners. My technique to tune a bass guitar or extended range guitar low strings is with 12th fret natural harmonic because it has a higher note (easier to pick up) and less bent pitch from picking.

[@alfredodark6480]

In normal playing you don't really play that gently, I prefer to hit the string with a more average strength and aim for the best tuning average as the vibrations decay and pitch decreases. I find slightly sharp to be more dissonant than slightly flat. Also I like to check tuning at the 7th fret to check the intonation.

[@samanthamargerison3806]

I'm a fairly long term user of Peterson tuners, I find them to be like Marmite ... you love or hate them! (I know my Stroboclip HD is safe at band practice as my peers hate it!). In my quest for a minimal pedalboard size, I recently purchased an HX Stomp (v3.15) and was delighted to see it had strobe mode and more delighted to find it was pretty darn good! My Strobostomp HD is now up for sale as I do not need it anymore.

[@paullayfield8484]

Hi. I am interested in your logic of playing very softly with your thumb and allowing the string to settle into tune. Surely that means it will never be completely in tune whilst you are playing unless you are playing long soft notes with your thumb. My approach has been to tune with pick, if I am using a pick, and play a note every second or so with my average pick intensity, because that is more like I would play in the real world. It would be interesting to tune that way and record a clean part where your digging in slightly to get some crunch and then playing the same lines with a very soft thumb and play it back through something like melodyne to see the difference in pitch of all the notes. I understand that the string needs to settle a bit but I think tuning at a pick intensity similar to how you play normally seems to ease my logical mind more. lol Thanks for all you input Jason, I have learnt a lot from your videos.

[@DerekMarshall]

This is a great video! I always tune a harmonic on 12 and picked near the neck pickup with only the neck pickup on. Stroboplus looks great.

[@jlbaxe]

I like the Strobe tuner. I used to have the Peterson rack tuner. It would be nice to have the polytune feature like the TC polytune 3

[@Twirlyhead]

I have no problems with the tuner on my Helix. I also use it for intonation. It is excellent in my opinion.

[@kidamazed]

When I was younger I had tons of problems with tuners, but I've come to realise that there are so many things that come into play. Some great points are made by Jason how to think when tuning. I would take it one step further and say that it doesn't matter if you tune everything to perfection if you can't master how you play. How hard do you hit that string and how deep do you push it onto the fretboard? I tune, and intonate, my guitar so that it will suit the way I play. If tuned dead center you most often will get the notes a bit sharp when playing. Learn the imperfect instrument, a.k.a. the guitar. Therein lies the mystery. All the great new technology will do everything close to perfect, that is not the problem.

[@JHSmithmusic]

I use it all the time for restringing guitars! I have found the strobe mode to be the most accurate/fastest personally, but I've never had an issue with it really

[@themodernguitarist]

I remember the Helix tuner used to be REALLY bad years and years ago. But after going back to it recently with the Stomp XL, I took my Turbo Tuner off my board because the Helix Strobe tuner is just as good. Line 6 has been pretty good when it comes to constructive criticism.

[@everettguy7070]

I never have any major issue with tuner. On fine tuner when you get it close and it might jump around last se ond, I think its picking up string resonate. Definitely good enough to gig with...if your playing areanas your going to use a different tuner than anyways so no huge complaint by me. I do need to try that strob tuner...its like a fine, fine tuner...lol. super cool there is the option.

[@onefourteen]

I use the HX Stomp on my pedalboard and use that as my tuner. Works perfectly fine for me.

[@VincentPeer]

I feel like the helix tuner takes just a hair longer to respond to changes than the Petersen. And I think that is what causes some players to feel like it’s not tuning correctly. But I switched to strobe mode a couple of years ago and never looked back. Looking at this video, it feels like the Petersen still responds a little faster. But the helix tuner is definitely accurate and useable. Been trusting it since I upgraded from the Hd500.

[@PieterJordaanWillem]

Would love to see the polyphonic mode measured against the polytune for instance. Great video thanks

[@andrewbettis4247]

Technique and dynamics when tuning? who knew?😁 cheers

[@davidspingler6337]

I tune and intonate my guitars with no issues with the strobe on the Helix 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@Pey10_littleton]

I didn't even know that the there were options for the tuner to be changed. How does one access this 'strobe' tuner on Helix floor?

[@Terrible_Peril]

I a/b'd against a Peterson when I bought my HX Stomp. Going with a smaller all-in-one sort of Swiss army knife pedal was not a decision I took lightly. I am very pleased with the tuning response with any stringed instrument I've plugged in. As one could imagine, it struggles with vocals since it's not made for the human voice.

[@brendantwemlow4360]

The issue I have is not it's accuracy. The issue is when you pluck a string it doesn't register until you move the tuning peg. Also it has issues picking up the next string you pluck if the previous string is still ringing a bit.

[@WarrenPostma]

You palm mute when you tune.

[@LeeJoRo]

I've used the coarse setting on the HX stomp for a while, but it never sounded right so I had my boss chromatic tuner plugged in next to it (better results). I'll try the strobe setting now I understand it more. Thankyou

[@Roland-Bach]

Hi Jason. I think you should compare them with the TC Electronics Polytune 3 too. They are all three same good ?

[@HowardFrischer]

A trick i learned a long time back is to oll the tone off and or neck pickup

[@marksifuentes1002]

I am frustrated with the course and the fine tuner. I never tried the strobe because I didn't understand it but this is encouraging.

[@peterjhamm]

On how hard and how much you hit the strings. I really disagree. If you play super hard, and tune by hitting the string really soft, you will play out of tune. And if you always tune by hitting the string SUPER soft, and even if you play with medium intensity, you might sound out of tune. YMMV, of course... And if you hit the string once, and it takes 25 seconds to get it in tune... and then hit the string again, it'll be sharp. I hit the string once every few seconds. But I've found the accuracy of the Helix Tuner to be great.

[@tdover74]

I’ve used the helix tuner ever since I got the unit and always used the strobe setting mostly because it was an all in one deal , kind of a Swiss Army knife if you will and out of all the shows I played live I’ve never had any issues with it . I agree some have trouble using it but is it the tuner the setting or the user? I think it’s a user problem but that is my humble opinion ! Thanks for the great video and the info 👍

[@jaykuchera5058]

I use the first harmonic on the thicker strings. seems to increase note recognition. comment? (great job BTW)

[@Jack-yr6ul]

i’ve used a snark, logics built in tuner, and my helix tuner at the same time and they’re all synced and work perfect- don’t know at all what you’re talking about

[@adambendorf1572]

great comparison!

[@ktownson]

If you’re playing with a keyboard in your band, get a compensated nut like Earvana. Will make a huge difference as opposed to just playing with other guitars.

[@curefan28]

More tuning tips.. Roll off the tone knob so it isn't picking up as many higher end harmonics which can confuse the tuner, mute all the other strings when you play so you don't get any resonance with the other strings.

[@ShreddingFinn]

I've always had a hankering for a tuner pedal vs the stomp, but if this is as accurate as anything I'm going to get, I'm not sure of the advantage. Only possible is running it out from my VP so when I mute the pedal I can tune. I find I have to tune to 12 fret harmonics alot on the heavy strings

[@capacitiveguitarresistance]

TC Electronics make the best tuners. Literally 5x better than Peterson when it comes to accuracy. Will the helix tuner work for tuning and doing shows? Absolutely, no problem. Would I use it to adjust my intonation? Absolutely not. I have and every time it was subpar. I just use a polytune now. Been watching your videos for awhile you have been an asset to the Helix community. Thanks for that.

[@monteself6826]

I recently bought a Peterson strobe stomp, because of the name and wanted more accuracy, then after getting my Helix I was like... I don't even need my stomp anymore, maybe if I decide to not take my Helix to a gig for some off the wall reason ...

[@WarrenPostma]

I have used Helix Floor, Stomp, and PodGo, and even old PodXT Lives, and Line6 has never shipped a non-working tuner. The flaws in intonation in a guitar are the tough part in tuning a guitar, not the tuner itself. Tuning my guitars with floating bridges; Hard. Intonating a guitar; Hard. Tuning open strings on a guitar with working tuner knobs and a hard tail; Easy.

[@ericajohnson7535]

Coarse tuner for me! I don't have that much time to get my guitar exactly in tune live. With the coarse tuner, it's good enough for live playing, perfect when you have 10-15 seconds to re-tune between songs.

[@ArtificialJetleg]

Don’t get why ppl say it’s bad. The same as Logic’s or Ableton’s, etc. For me it works just fine. Note: I would have preferred the tuner to be also available on HX Edit.

[@TJEvans98]

I understand the logic involved with plucking softly, using fingers, whatever techniques you've mentioned....but isn't there also an argument that can be made that you should tune according to how you play? Anyone playing cowboy chords with constant strumming isn't going to let very many notes ring out, so continues plucking is more similar to how they actually play. Additionally, if someone is very heavy handed with their strumming/picking hand, then their notes will always be perceived out of tune if playing softly when tuning. Am I wrong?

[@ConstantineM]

I never had problems with Helix tuner. IDK why people complaining about it.

[@Cymbaline713]

I always use strobe mode. Coarse mode isn't accurate enough, and fine is almost totally unusable. It's almost impossible to get that little dot to quit bouncing around.

[@SummerfallWinterspring]

why does your helix native have a tuner link in the top right corner? I see the tuner icon and you clicked it. Mine does not have it and my search for it on the online forum yields nothing. why why why?

[@sjsphotog]

Advice = Dont listen to internet comments. I also use the Strobe mode on my Helix LT. Thanks JS

[@johnnolan4312]

I hated the Helix tuner until they introduced the strobe, love it !

[@AaronNGBnTech]

What?? I use it every day since 2020, Even as a guitar tech while I'm doing setups, it works great to me

[@CristiNeagu]

I would argue that you should be hitting the string as hard as you would hit it normally. If you use your thumb and you barely hit it, you will always be sharp when playing.

[@ericajohnson7535]

I think the most common complaint is that the tuner is too jumpy. It makes it very difficult to quickly tune up.

[@jaycareaga9929]

It’s ok. Bit I rarely use it.

[@markbrennan2746]

The issue I have with the tuner on my Helix LT, is the 1 to 2 second delay to mute the guitar and activate the tuner. Unlike a Boss TU 3, which instantly mutes the guitar…this is a bit annoying to me, so I haven’t used it in live situations….does anyone else have this issue?

[@trees3d]

my bass pod tuner is not A440 it is more like A448

[@void_snw]

seriously, people will claim anything to make their irresponsible purchases have reason. its the same with tonewood, tubes, clones vs "originals"..

[@loopie007]

Please note that the modern Peterson Tuners are not Strobe tuners, "Strobe" is a name brand of a line of products. All modern tuners use mini computer chips with crystals that are extremely accurate. Just use your tuner and play your guitar.

[@teerexness]

Sometimes the tuner on my Helix goes completely deaf to my guitar. It has also spontaneously started letting signal leak through. This is very annoying to the audience and the rest of the band. It also nullifies it's functionality as a signal mute. So my problems with the Helix tuner has nothing to do with it's accuracy. I think in general, the tuner on the Helix is garbage. One of it's few weak spots.

[@deepzepp4176]

I’ve always thought the tuner was very good. Just a little slow to fire up, I find.

[@ehambright]

The issues is with down tuned guitars. Drop c#

[@normt6226]

Same fuc...thing...reassured...thanks

[@picksalot1]

I think the Helix Fine, and Coarse type tuners are OK, but they could be easily improved. I suggest make the thin "center line" on the Tuner always visible, so when green bar is anywhere over it, we can easily see how far the bar is sharp or flat. Having the green bar obscure the center line defeats its ability to display a precise indication. It would be useful if there was a "sensitivity" Parameter to adjust how fast the Tuner responds to slight pitch variations. I often find it too reactive. How wide are the bars on the Tuner - 1 Cent, 2 Cents, etc.? Is that Spec listed somewhere? I've tried the Strobe Tuner type in the Helix, and I find there's just too much useless information being displayed, and not enough clarity/precision in conveying how close my strings are to being in tune. I prefer a "Needle" type display which includes a digital readout, as they are clear, precise, and unambiguous. Tip: Guitars with Whammy/Tremolo units allow the string to vary in pitch a little every time they are plucked, thus making tuning more difficult. Pick lightly to reduce the issue.

[@danielcarroll2161]

A tenth of a cent? Putting aside whether people can hear the difference, can one even turn a tuning peg delicately enough to reach that kind of precision in practice? I know I can’t.

[@adrianscarlett]

Same, I've been considering getting some graphtech ratio tuners because I just can't get the helix strobe to stop on the bottom 2 strings

[@billrand4138]

I was always told to hit the string as hard as you do when normal playing, and tune to the after tone

[@wesjett2008]

Same, I tune similar to how hard I'm going to play. I could see how using your thumb and picking lightly is good if you play lightly. If you dig in though I'd prefer to tune more to the attack of the note.

[@jonathanromero5292]

Idk why hx edit makes tap tempo and tuning such a pain.

[@miccullen]

The 1/10th of one per cent accuracy is utterly pointless (snake-oil salesman talk), as you show when hitting the string anything like approaching hard. The Helix tuner is perfectly adequate.

[@donnievazquez3319]

The fine tuning on the Helix is very frustrating, I quit using it for the strobe mode a long time ago.

[@kevinobrien3888]

First