SABINE STX-1100 User manual

STX-1100 & STX-1500
CHROMATICAUTOTUNERS
13301 Highway 441, Alachua, FL 32615-8544 USA
www.SabineUSA.co

BRIEFHISTORY
Sabineintroduceditsfirsttunerinthesummerof1988:theSabine
ST-1000 Chromatic AutoTuner. The ST-1000 incorporated a
fully custom integrated circuit that combined numerous elec-
tronicpartsintoasinglecomponent. Itsuniqueelectronicsmade
tuning easier and more accurate than ever before. In only one
year,the ST-1000becamethebestsellingchromatictuner inthe
United States. Now Sabine is proud to offer the STX-1100 and
STX-1500 AutoTuners–the next generation in high quality tun-
ers.
ALLNEWTECHNOLOGY
TheSabineSTX-1100andSTX-1500ChromaticAutoTuners use
an entirely new tuning technology that provides superior
performance. While both new tuners still provide essentially all
of the features of the ST-1000, these new tuners have an
expanded range to accommodate the low B of a five-string bass
guitar, and they display the tuning error quicker, making tuning
even easier. Both new tuners automatically turn themselves off
after 15 minutes of quiet to extend the battery life, and they both
have 9 Volt DC adaptor jacks. Additionally, the STX-1500 has
three outstanding features: It has a built-in tone generator for an
audible reference tone; it can be recalibrated both automatically
and also manually to any of 12 precise frequencies; it can be
transposed to any key.
2

INSTRUMENT
On/Off
Switch
Amplifier
Jack
Microphone
FineTune
Row
Instrument
Jack
STX-1500
MusicStand
Clips
3
Note Indicator
Row
FunctionScale
(1500 ONLY)
(Recalibrate-1100)
(Function - 1500)
9-voltAdapter
Jack

OUTSTANDINGFEATURESOFYOUR
SABINEAUTOTUNER
CHROMATIC SCALE - FULL RANGE
The STX-1100 and STX-1500 automatically sense all 12 notes
in the musical scale. They tune all open strings, from the five-
string bass to the mandolin and violin, and they can be used to
tune all musical instruments and voice.
AUTOMATICNOTESENSING
TheSTX-1100 and STX-1500 both automatically determine and
display which musical note is being played. The hands-free
operationofthesetunersallowsthemusiciantomonitorthepitch
while playing.
AUTOMATIC RECALIBRATION
Both Sabine AutoTuners can be recalibrated to match the pitch
of any reference instrument with the touch of a button.
AUTOMATIC SLEEP MODE BATTERY SAVER
If there is no tone for 15 minutes, the tuner will turn itself off
automatically.
4

5
EASY-TO-READDISPLAY
The STX-1100 and STX-1500 replace the delicate meter and
needle display with a rugged solid-state LED array. The LED
display provides the same continuous indication of tuning error
byvarying theLED blinkrate. ButLEDsaremucheasierto read,
especially in the dark or at a distance. Additionally, LEDs do not
introduce angle-of-view errors.
QUARTZ ACCURACY
A highly stable quartz crystal resonator assures that the Sabine
AutoTuner is much more accurate than the human ear (+/- one
cent.)
MUSIC STAND AND AMPLIFIER MOUNTS
TheSTX-1100andSTX-1500 have twostainlesssteelclipsbuilt
intothecasetop so thetunerscanbeeasily mounted on amusic
stand. Also included are two reusable cable ties for mounting
the tuner to an amplifier.
9 VOLT DC ADAPTOR
Any standard 9 Volt DC adaptor can be used with the STX-1100
andSTX-1500. Iftheadaptorhasapolarityswitch, setthecenter
pin of the DC adaptor jack to negative.

INSTRUCTIONSFORTUNING
1. SLIDE THE ON/OFF SWITCH TO ON.
Wait two seconds for the green light to start blinking. The green
light will blink once per second to indicate that the unit is on and
ready.
Acoustic instrument tones are detected by a very sensitive
internal microphone. It is generally not advantageous to play
loudly, except in very noisy rooms. Medium loudness usually
gives the best results.
Electronic instruments should be connected with a standard
cordwitha1/4"phonejacktotheinputlabeledINSTRUMENT. The
FEATURESFOUNDONLYONTHE
STX-1500AUTOTUNER
MANUALRECALIBRATE
The SXT-1500 can be recalibrated to any of 12 precise
frequencies–many more than available on other tuners.
TONEGENERATOR
The STX-1500 will generate a reference tone through an
amplifier for tuning by ear.
TRANPOSESTOANYKEY
The STX-1500 can be transposed to any key–a special advan-
tage for many band and orchestra musicians.
6

internal mic is automatically disconnected when an electronic
instrument is connected so that the tuner will not pick up
extraneousroomnoise. Youmayconnectthetuner’sAMPLIFIER
jacktoany amplifier’sorP.A. system’sinputsothat youcantune
as you play.
2. PLAY A SINGLE TONE THAT YOU WISH TO TUNE.
Adjusttheinstrument’spitchuntilthedesiredNOTEINDICATOR
light is lit. For example, if you wish to tune a D string on a guitar,
pluck the string and tune it until the “D”note indicator light is lit.
Pluck the string every second or so to keep the note “fresh”and
to prevent the note from fading flat.
3. SLOWLY ADJUST THE INSTRUMENT’S PITCH UNTIL
THEGREEN“IN TUNE”LIGHTIS LIT.
Notethatthe SHARP andFLATindicatorsblink rapidly whenthe
tone is far from being in tune and blink slower and slower as the
tone approaches being IN TUNE. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for the
other notes until the entire instrument is tuned.
Note: The STX-1100 and STX-1500 have new contrasting red
and green note indicator LEDs. The green LEDs indicate the
six standard guitar notes (E,A,D,G,B,E).
7

HOWTOUSETHESPECIALFEATURES
AUTOMATIC BATTERY MONITORING
Both the STX-1100 and STX-1500 monitor the voltage of their
batteries automatically. If the voltage gets low, the "In Tune"
indicatorlight(green)willstopblinkingandthe"Flat"(amber)and
"Sharp"(red)indicatorlightswill blink simultaneously. The tuner
will then tune accurately for about 10 more hours.
AUTOMATIC SLEEP MODE BATTERY SAVER
Both tuners will turn themselves off if they do not hear a tone for
15 minutes to help prevent the battery from discharging unnec-
essarily. Toturnthetunerbackonfromsleepmode,simplymove
the power switch to OFF and then back ON. Note: A very small
amount of current will be drawn from the battery in sleep mode,
so it is best to turn the tuner off with the power switch.
9 VOLT DC ADAPTOR
Any standard 9 Volt DC adaptor can be used with the STX-1100
andSTX-1500. Iftheadaptorhasapolarityswitch,setthecenter
pin of the DC adaptor jack to negative.
MUSIC STAND CLIPS
TheSTX-1100and STX-1500mounteasily to thebedof amusic
stand so that you can monitor your pitch while you play. (See
Figure 1.) If your stand has a sharp or ragged edge, a strip of
tape along the edge will prevent scratching the top of your tuner.
8

Theclipswilleasilyaccommodateathinpieceofmetallikeamusic
stand,buttheywillbepermanentlybentifyoutrytojamthemover
something thicker, such as the handle of a guitar amp. (See
Figure1.) BENTCLIPSARENOTCOVEREDUNDERWARRANTY.
9
Figure 1
AUTOMATIC RECALIBRATION
Most tuners on the market will allow the user to recalibrate only
a few Hertz from standard A=440Hz. They prove to be almost
useless if the user wishes to tune to an instrument that is more
than a few Hertz out of tune. However, both the STX-1100 and
STX-1500canberecalibratedtomatchanyinstrumentbysimply
touching a button.

Example: If you wish to tune a guitar so that it will be in tune with
a certain piano, simply play any note on the piano, and wait a
momentforthenotetoregisteronthetuner’sdisplay. Thentouch
the calibrate (or FUNCTION) button on the tuner. Instantly the
green IN-TUNE light will go on, indicating that the tuner now
considers the piano to be in perfect tune. Now if you tune your
instrument to the tuner, your instrument will be in tune with the
piano. To return the tuner to standard A=440Hz., simply move
the power switch to OFF and then back ON. The tuner always
resets its internal scale to A=440Hz. when it is turned on.
MANUALRECALIBRATE
Most other tuners on the market allow the user to manually
recalibrate to a very limited number of pitches. However, the
STX-1500 can be recalibrated to any of 12 precise pitches. This
feature will be especially useful for tuning instruments that use
opentunings,suchasbanjos,dulcimers, Irishharps,pedal-steel
and bottle-neck guitars, etc., or any time you may wish to tune
to a “natural scale”rather than an “even-tempered scale.”
Example: If you wish to recalibrate the tuner from standard
A=440Hz. to A=438Hz., press the FUNCTION button and hold
untilthetoprowof LEDs (MANUAL/FLAT, TONE OUT/IN TUNE
and TRANSPOSE/SHARP) light in sequence. Release the
FUNCTIONbuttonwhenonlythe(MANUAL)LEDislit.Thebottom
rowofLEDswillbegintolightinsequence.(EachLEDrepresents
1Hertz.)PresstheFUNCTIONbuttonwhentheLEDcorrespond-
ing to 438Hz. lights. The tuner’s scale is now shifted flat from
10

A=440Hz. to A=438Hz. Please note the manual recalibration
scale is referenced in Hertz and in ¢. (There are 100¢ between
any two adjacent notes in the musical scale, and one Hertz is
equal to one vibration per second.) To return the tuner to
standard A=440Hz., simply turn the power switch to OFF and
then back ON.
TONEGENERATOR
The STX-1500 will generate any reference tone over a two-
octave range so that you may tune by ear.
Example: First, plug the tuner into an amplifier. If you wish to
hear a “C”note, press the FUNCTION button for three seconds
untiltheMANUAL/FLAT,TONEOUT/INTUNEandTRANSPOSE/
SHARP LEDs light in sequence. Press the FUNCTION button
when the TONE OUT LED is lit. Now the “A”LED on the bottom
will light and an “A”will sound through the amplifier. Each time
youpresstheFUNCTIONbutton,thepitchwillraiseone-halftone.
Press the FUNCTION button three times to generate a “C”note.
YoumaystopthetonegeneratorsimplybyturningthetunerOFF
andbackON. You mayplayyourelectric instrument throughthe
tunerwhileinTONEmode. Youwillhearyourinstrumentandthe
reference pitchatthesametimesothatyoucanmatchthetones
precisely. The volume control on your instrument will act as the
volume control of the tone generator also.
11

TUNINGTIPS
Most musical instruments have peculiarities that can cause
annoying tuning problems. Fortunately, most of these peculiari-
ties can be overcome by following these simple procedures:
FRETTEDINSTRUMENTS
1.PLUCKTHEINSTRUMENTONCEPERSECONDAT
NORMALVOLUME WHILEYOUARE TUNING.
Plucked strings go noticeably flat a few seconds after they have
been plucked.
TRANSPOSE
The STX-1500 can be transposed to any key. This is especially
useful if you are using a fretted instrument with a capo or if your
instrumentis nottunedinthekeyof“C,”such asaB-Flattrumpet
or E-Flat alto sax.
Example: If you wish to transpose the tuner for use with a “B-
Flat”trumpet, press the FUNCTION button and hold until the top
row of LEDs (MANUAL/FLAT, TONE OUT/IN TUNE, TRANS-
POSE/SHARP) lightinsequence. ReleasetheFUNCTIONbutton
when the (TRANSPOSE/SHARP) LED is lit. The twelve note
indicatorLEDswillnowlightin sequence. PresstheFUNCTION
button when “A#”(which is the same as B-Flat) lights. The
tuner’s internal scale is now shifted down one full tone, which
allows “C”played on the B-Flat trumpet to register “C”on the
tuner, not “B-Flat”as before transposing. To return to standard
“C”tuning, turn the unit OFF and then back ON.
12

2.TUNE STRINGED INSTRUMENTSFROM APITCH THAT
IS FLAT UP TO THE PITCH YOU DESIRE.
Thisprocedureremovesanyslackinthegearsoftheinstrument’s
tuningheads. IfyoutunefromSHARPtoINTUNE,thegearswill
slip as you play and the instrument will go flat.
3. IF YOU HAVE DIFFICULTY GETTING A NOTE TO
REGISTERONTHETUNER,TRYTOUCHINGTHEOTHER
STRINGS LIGHTLY TO STOP THEIR VIBRATIONS.
Thiswilleliminateanyextraneousovertonesthatmaydisturbthe
tuning.
4. USEGOODSTRINGS.
Old strings tend to lose their uniformity and will not vibrate
evenly. Brand new strings stretch flat as you play.
5. ALL SOURCES OF FRICTION WILL CAUSE PROBLEMS.
Forexample,iftheslotinaninstrument’snutistootight,thestring
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.
6. AVOIDPRESSUREONTHEINSTRUMENTWHILE
TUNING.
Even moderate pressure on the neck of a guitar will cause a
noticeablechange 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. 13

WINDINSTRUMENTS,VOICEANDINSTRUMENTSOFTHE
VIOLIN FAMILY:
Sabinetunersare excellentteachingaids forbothbeginningand
advanced musicians. During practice, the musician should clip
the Sabine AutoTuner to a music stand as illustrated in the
drawing. Practice playing long, steady tones and intervals. Try
to keep the green IN TUNE light lit. Standing with good posture
will facilitate good breath and hand control. The visual feedback
from the tuner will greatly reduce the time needed to train your
ear to play or sing beautifully and in tune.
7. ANOTEFORADVANCEDFRETTED
INSTRUMENTALISTS.
All fretted instruments, and most other instruments, are con-
structed 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
musicianwillnothavetoretunetochangekeys. Adisadvantage,
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 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 for a particular key or to use the “even-
tempered scale.”Much depends on the musician’s style, but
generallyit isbestto tuneexactlyas yourSabinetunerindicates.
14

SPECIFICATIONS
Size: 3-3/4 x 3-3/4 x 1-3/8 inches
Weight: 6 oz
Battery: 9 Volt standard or alkaline
Scale: Even Tempered, 12 notes per octave
Range: Tunes all open strings, from the five-string bass to the
mandolinandviolin
Accuracy: +/- 1 cent (uses quartz crystal)
Accessories, Included: Battery, Cable Ties
Accessories, Optional: CM-1 Contact Mike, 9 Volt DC Adaptor
CONTACTMICROPHONE(OPTIONAL)
TheSabineCM-1 contact microphonemakestuningan acoustic
instrumentaseasyastuninganelectricguitar. Ithasaremovable
rubber suction cup to stick the mic directly onto the instrument.
The CM-1 is ideal for tuning an acoustic guitar in a noisy room or
for tuning instruments that have very short
tones like banjos or mandolins.
Ask your dealer or send $20.95 to Sabine.
(U.S. or Canada only. Send
$27.95 in other countries.) The
CM-1comeswitha30-daymoney
back guarantee.
15

LIMITEDWARRANTY
If your STX-1100 or STX-1500 tuner fails because of a
manufacturing defect within TWO YEARS from the date of
original purchase, please return, postage prepaid, to
SABINE for a replacement with a new or reconditioned
product. This warranty does not cover damage caused by
accident, misuse, or defective batteries. You must include
your full name, address, proof of purchase and the nature
of the defect.
DAMAGECAUSEDBYBENDINGTHEMUSICSTAND
CLIPSISNOTCOVEREDUNDERWARRANTY.
This warranty is in lieu of all other warranties, expressed
or implied. This warranty gives you specific legal rights
which vary from state to state. Applicable in the USA and
Canada only.
13301Highway441,Alachua,FL32615-8544USA
Phone:[phone] FAX:[phone]
www.SabineUSA.com
MADE IN THE USA STX-OpGd-9910
991020-hto
©1999 Sabine, Inc.