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| | Customer Reviews: | | | Average Customer Review: ( 240 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
120 of 122 found the following review helpful:
 Compact and well built tuner-metronome. Sep 01, 2005
By A. maxon
This tuner/metronome is very well built and has a 12 note refrence. It works very well with my violin and I carry it with me to class and when I practice. The metronome has a loud beat. The tuner is loud so you can hear it over what you are playing. It has a large screen and is very easy to use. I recommend this to anyone that plays a string instrument.
155 of 166 found the following review helpful:
Not the best tuner or metronome, but perhaps the best for the price. Nov 11, 2006
By Mark Gilbert
I've always had difficulty finding tuners with adequate response, and this one was actually a downgrade from the OT-12 (my favourite pocket-sized tuner), but it surprised me by working better than any previous combined metronome-tuner while not costing much more. The response rate is not adjustable, but sits at about a medium (there has to be at least a second of sustenance, but not more than two if you're steady). The precision is about as good as most will ever need, although it's dubiously delineated between -3 and +3 cents. The rest of the spectrum to fifty is clear-cut (it is fully digital, for better or for worse). The accuracy is also as good as could be asked for at its price-range, but not great - you may want to let it cycle a couple times for the more troublesome notes or if you're of the end-inward school of tuning. There are no temperament settings, but very few musicians will miss that option. There is an input for contact mics, though the impedance choice is commodity. There is a mono-out as well, if memory serves (as opposed to stereo - monochannel is standard). Overall, the tuner is better than any budget-priced combination product I've ever seen (esp. the increasingly popular but rarely satisfactory Sabine MetroTune).
The metronome function is likewise fairly good. 7 beat options and some standard subdivision patterns, the usually discrete-option tempo selection (hence, precision not the most flexible, but not worse than similar combination products). Accuracy is fair enough but not great. It fits the r10 error rating given by the factory, as opposed to the r15/r18 of the very cheapest units or the excellent r2/r1 of purposeful objects like the Dr. Beat. Experienced musicians may wish to trust their instincts after getting the right idea from the metronome. The error is scalar, it will be less troublesome at lower tempos. The state of affairs in small and cheap timing devices is surprisingly bad, but this is certainly not the worst (for that, see Sabine, again).
Unlike most similar products that I've seen, the two primary functions can be used simultaneously (tuner and metronome). I don't use this aspect much but some customers might really like that (esp. instruments that will draw a faster response from the tuning function).
I cannot yet attest to the average battery life of the thing, except to say that it's at least not bad.
35 of 36 found the following review helpful:
 Sensitive mic Feb 24, 2006
By Ich liebe cello
This tuner has been a wonderful aid in tuning our violins and cellos. I've found the mic to be too sensitive in our setting as it picks up my young children's voices while I'm trying to tune an instrument. I will be purchasing the pick-up mic accessory in hopes that it will insulate against the background noise. If you are able to tune your instrument in private, then this should not be a problem for you. Also, the tiny flip-out stand doesn't seem to provide adequate support when placed vertically on uneven surfaces like, say various surfaces of a cluttered piano. However, the pick-up mic should eliminate the need to position the tuner optimally in front of the instrument. This is less likely to be a legitimate drawback of the tuner design itself, and more likely to be one of my way of using it. In any event, I cannot imagine not using an electronic tuner for these or any other reason. It is truly a gift for those who play strings.
54 of 59 found the following review helpful:
 Tuner unable to identify pitch Oct 06, 2006
By A. Lee
This Korg TM-40 tuner/metronome combo is a great concept, but its execution may be flawed.
This tuner can't consistently identify the high E on my classical guitar, sometimes showing A instead. Tried with the piano with the same result. Sometimes successive notes would be identified incorrectly (e.g. E-D-C were identified as A-G-F).
The problem seems to be more acute with pitches in a certain range, e.g. notes around A-440. It would show a pitch a 4th or 5th away from the actual note played.
Maybe the tuner I received is faulty. I e-mailed Instrument Store six days ago to request for an RMA, but have not heard back. Buyers beware.
23 of 23 found the following review helpful:
Versatile and practical May 12, 2007
By Veda
"Veda"
I hadn't realized how useful this device would be until I began exploring its potential. The tuning feature is excellent, as it responds within less than a second and allows me to check my intonation in difficult passages. The volume of the metronome beep has a volume control, and I was able to hear it except when I was playing (the violin) at the loudest level. Of course, the metronome also has a visual indicator (like a little "baton"), and if the ambient sounds are too loud an ear piece option is available. Battery life is excellent (I am still using the original set after nearly a month), and I was able to figure out almost all of the features without even looking at the manual. There are some sophisticated features that are worth reading the manual for, but this unit worked right out of the box.
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