Peterson V-SAM Virtual Strobe Audio Metronome

by Peterson

Product Features

• Strobe Tuner, Tone Generator and Metronome Modes
• Adjustable to All Keys, Tonal Roots and Temperaments
• Extended Bass Mode lets you tune down to 4hz!
• Built-In Speaker for 10 Octave Audio Tuner and Metronome
• Built-In Microphone for Acoustic Instruments

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 8 x 4.2 x 2.2 inches ; 1.4 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0002F707Y
• Item model number: V-SAM
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #28,938 in Musical Instruments (See Top 100 in Musical Instruments)

Product Description

The Peterson V-SAM™ presents a combination of programmable Virtual Strobe™ tuner, audio tone generator, and metronome in a hand-held format. It marries the revolutionary Virtual Strobe Technology™, first introduced in the VS-1 tuner, with a new, brighter, high-contrast display. The high-output tone generator within the V-SAM offers 10 octaves of audible tones, which conform to a selected preset or custom temperament and are adjustable in 0.1 cent increments. This permits ear-training possibilities previously unavailable in a hand-held device.Versatile Metronome The V-SAM's audio/visual metronome allows tap or dial-in tempo, adjustable beats per measure, beat subdivisions, and a stopwatch function.Built to be Better The V-SAM's "tuner mode" expands upon the Peterson VS-1™ with an even wider variety of alternate temperaments and the ability to select temperament tonal roots. In addition, the user can create and store custom temperaments and use them with the same flexibility as preset ones. The V-SAM automatically detects a note being played in real-time and is accurate to 1/1000th of a semitone. It can transpose displayed notes based on any of 12 scale notes.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice product but be careful that it matches your instrument, February 6, 2006

By 

P. Schmidt (Chicago, Illinois USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Peterson V-SAM Virtual Strobe Audio Metronome (Electronics)

I am called on to tune harpsichords, and this is often done using unusual temperaments and pitch standards far from A=440Hz. I formerly used the excellent Korg MT-1200, because it could be programmed to any temperament, and because it allowed a very wide range of pitch standards (I often need to tune to A=411, for example). Korg has discontinued the MT-1200, replacing it with the model OT-12, which has most of the same features but is not programmable. When the MT-1200 that I used went bad (its memory chip failed, so it needed to be re-programmed every time I used it, quite a hassle), I went on a search for something else that would do the job.

After consulting with harpsichord players, builders, and other experts, I learned about the Peterson V-SAM. None of my experts had actually used this tuner, but had heard that it was an amazing new device that was great for harpsichords. I called Peterson (for a very long time known as a venerable manufacturer of stroboscopic tuners) and their sales people confirmed that the V-SAM was excellent for this kind of instrument. I let my experts know what Peterson had told me, and so they independently bought V-SAMs at the same time I bought mine.

About a week after I got my V-SAM, I started getting calls from the others. Nobody could make the V-SAM work with harpsichords. It was unstable, and would frequently not even recognize that a note was being played on the instruments. Suspecting a faulty unit or perhaps a faulty manufacturing run, I checked my V-SAM with some wind instruments. It worked fine. Several calls to Peterson tech support revealed that if I simply added an external microphone, the V-SAM would work great on the harpsichord. I tried hand held mics, clip on mics, and suction-cup mics, and nothing helped. The others had similar experiences.

Finally, I was able to talk to engineering at Peterson, and was advised that the V-SAM was never designed to work with instruments like pianos or harpsichords. They said the tuner was intended to be used with instruments that can sustain their tones, like violins and wind instruments.

I have since returned my V-SAM, as have all my associates. I want to stress that this is not really a fault of the unit...Peterson is a good company with a high quality product. The problem is that this design is not suitable with certain instruments that produce transient tones. Unfortunately, Peterson sales and tech support did not know this and led me astray. Likewise, most retailers simply parrot what Peterson says or implies in their sales capacity, and hence the bad information is kept circulating.

In my opinion the V-SAM is a fine product for most applications, but if you want to use it with instruments that produce tones that decay quickly, look elsewhere.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Recommended, But With Reservations, February 17, 2009

By 

l'auditeur (Orange County, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Peterson V-SAM Virtual Strobe Audio Metronome (Electronics)

For those of you who are looking for an extremely accurate tuner with tons of functionality, this is it. As a string player, I can't stress what a huge difference it makes using a strobe tuner for tuning and checking intonation. My VSAM has become an absolute necessity in the practice room. Beyond tuning, the ability to generate accurate reference tones, meter in various temperaments and provide a (wonderfully loud) metronome have made it essential. I'm so glad I've had it.

That said, it's not perfect.

For starters, it's huge. As you've probably noticed, the tuner is housed in a large (removable) blue boot; a feature that adds considerable mass. The boot is so cumbersome that I've generally opted to leave it behind, to the detriment of the tuner. Without it, the unit is extremely fragile. I've had to send my unit in for repairs (which were very costly) on more than one occasion, having had the tuner fall off a chair or bang around too harshly in a music bag.

Durability for this unit is NOT very good. The large adjustment knob in the middle of the faceplate is not well designed. Unless you are very delicate, it WILL eventually be broken off or damaged in some way, as it sticks out significantly and awkwardly from the front of the unit. The rubber selection buttons have a tendency to stick, and can become lodged inside/behind the faceplate (very aggravating, I assure you!).

There is a lot of wasted space inside. Having dismantled the tuner, I found that the interior is largely void, which leads me to conclude that the body is unnecessarily large. Were the device to be denser and more compact, I am quite sure it would also prove to be more durable and less susceptible to damage.

What this tuner sorely needs is a redesign from the ground up. I suspect that Peterson, however, has little compulsion to make improvements because they have no real competition in the strobe tuning sector; this device has no rival.

Even so, Peterson could easily design a device that is more compact (there is no reason it needs to be larger than an iPod), more durable and more visually appealing with the same essential features. I believe the response in sales would be tremendous. I know I'd swap mine immediately!

Until then, hesitantly recommended and hoping for improvement.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not for keyboard instruments, February 28, 2011

By 

wgk - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Peterson V-SAM Virtual Strobe Audio Metronome (Electronics)

I bought the Peterson V-SAM virtual Strobe Tuner. I was, apparently, not careful enough to recognize that no keyboard related review was available. I need it for harpsichord tuning. However, the response for the lowest octve, (roughly F1 thru F2 at least) and the highest (at least G5 thru G6) is not at all usable.It works ok in the middle range between these low and high ranges, deteriorating on the way to them from the middle.