The latest innovation from OnBoard Research Corporation is the GoTune GT3 Wireless tuner—it’s the first of its kind for tuning guitars using a smart phone or tablet. Using Bluetooth technology, the GT3 sends its tuning data wirelessly to your smart device running any Bluetooth-enable tuner app. Currently there are three iOS tuner apps: Tonal Energy and free versions of Elegantune and insTuner.
Like the previously reviewed OnBoard Research PT10C Mini, PT10s and PT40C tuners, the GT3 features a clip-on sensor that detects pitch from the instrument’s vibrating body—there is no microphone to pick up other sounds, noises and cause erroneous tuner operation.
The all-black, low profile GT3 has a single on/off switch with a multi-colored LED status indicator for pairing and checking the state of its battery. Like PT40C model, the GT3 is recharged using an included mini-USB cable.
I found the GT3 to worked like a directly “wired” tuner app on my iPhone 6. Once initially paired with my phone, I could leave the GT3 clipped to my guitar and turned on for the entire day and night on a single charge. I would only open the app on my phone when I needed to tune as the GT3 was always putting out the tuning signal ready to be read on the phone.
The GT3 sells for $59.95 and comes with instructions.
BARRY RUDOLPH is a recording engineer/mixer who has worked on over 30 gold and platinum records. He has recorded and/or mixed Lynyrd Skynyrd, Hall & Oates, Pat Benatar, Rod Stewart, the Corrs and more. Barry has his own futuristic music mixing facility and loves teaching audio engineering at Musician’s Institute, Hollywood, CA. He is a lifetime Grammy-voting member of NARAS and a contribut- ing editor for Mix Magazine. barryrudolph.com
