Sharper Image ROADIE-3 Professional Automatic Tuner Guide
Getting Started
Ready to give that Roadie 3 a go? It’s really easy. Follow this guide to get started.
Inside the box
Get to know your Roadie
Power and recharging
Roadie 3 has an extended battery life that can tune up to 150 strings on a single charge, and is USB-C rechargeable. Though we strongly recommend using the charging cable included in the box, you can use other compatible USB-C chargers. Here’s an example of a USB-C cable that is supported by Roadie.
To turn Roadie on, simply press the power button at the top. To turn it off, long-press the power button for 3 seconds.
Start using Roadi
STEP 1: Add an instrument
To tune your instrument, the first thing you will need to do is to create an instrument profile for it on your Roadie 3.
- Turn on your Roadie by clicking the power button at the top
- Select Tuner > Add Instrument > Select your instrument type > Choose the number of strings > Name your instrument > Press and hold the right navigation button to save.
It is important that you create an instrument profile for each of your guitars, even if they are of the same type so that Roadie can learn about them and tune them better over time. Your newly added instrument will be saved and set to standard tuning by default. For example, if your instrument is a 6-string acoustic guitar, the tuning will be set to E2/A2/D3/G3/B3/E4. You can easily change the tuning or create your own custom tunings. If you cannot find the instrument type you would like to add, you can easily create a custom instrument using the Roadie Tuner mobile app.
STEP 2: Start tuning
To begin tuning your instrument:
- Turn your Roadie on and enter the Tuner menu. Select an instrument from the list displayed on the screen
- By default, Roadie will begin with the first tuning peg (the one closest to you). For example, if you are tuning a 6 string guitar in standard, that would be E2. However, if you want to jump straight to a particular string, you can use the navigation buttons (up and down) to change the selected note
- Place Roadie’s peg connector on the tuning peg of the note displayed on the screen
- Pluck the string. Roadie’s motor will rotate the peg. Wait until the rotation stops. Once Roadie beeps, vibrates and the note turns green on the screen, that means the string is in tune. Otherwise, keep plucking the string until this occurs
- Once in tune, the selection will automatically jump to the next note
- Turn off Roadie 3 by long-pressing the power button for 3 seconds
That’s it for the basics. Now, there’s a whole bunch of tuning settings you can control in order to get the best out of your instrument. For instance, Roadie lets you choose from 150+ built-in tunings, tune with a capo on, set the mode to “tune-up”, create custom tunings, change your A4 reference pitch, switch to High Accuracy tuning mode, and more!
About the companion mobile app Roadie 3
comes with a companion mobile app. We strongly recommend connecting your Roadie 3 to the Roadie Tuner mobile app in order to store all of your instrument profiles, make easy customizations, and receive the latest firmware with feature updates and improvements.
Other Roadie 3 functions
Though Roadie is indeed a small device, it comes with BIG possibilities. You can use Roadie to quickly restring and tune in one single step, it makes changing strings a lot less tedious. You can also turn on Roadie’s vibration/beep metronome and feel the beat, this will help you keep a tight rhythm.
Tuning Settings
We wanted Roadie 3 to be all about the details. Here are some of the little things that show our fellow musicians that we use what we make and that we listen to your needs.
How to change your tuning
There are over 100 built-in alternate tunings in Roadie 3 and it’s never been easier to switch between them.
To change tuning:
- Select your instrument
- Click right to enter the Instrument Settings screen
- Change the “Standard” tuning to the tuning of your choice
- Exit the Instrument Settings screen
How to tune with a capo on
If you would like to tune with a capo on, then we got you covered! You can tell Roadie where you placed the capo so that all of your preset tunings will still work perfectly.
To select the capo:
- Select your instrument
- Click right to enter the Instrument Settings screen
- Navigate to “Capo” and select the fret number where you placed your capo
- Exit the Instrument Settings screen
Note: Roadie allows you to choose a capo fret between -4 and 12. You might be wondering what the negative capo value means? Well, we created this option in case you would like to tune a half step, full step, or even 2 steps down. For example, if you select capo -1, Roadie will tune your guitar a half step down. Sure, you can always choose the “Half Step Down” tuning but this might just be quicker for you!
How to change the A4 reference pitch
The reference A440 Hz setting is customizable in 1 Hz increments from 420 Hz to 460 Hz. To change the reference pitch:
- Select your instrument
- Click right to enter the Instrument Settings screen
- Navigate to “A4: 440Hz” and select your preferred reference pitch
- Exit the Instrument Settings screen
How to change the tuning accuracy
If you are looking for higher accuracy (like when recording your jams for instance) you can change the tuning mode to High Accuracy. By default, your Roadie device is set to Fast Tuning mode, which delivers accurate tuning as fast as possible for your everyday practice. To change the tuning accuracy:
- Turn on your Roadie
- Scroll down to Settings and click right to enter the settings screen
- Select “Accuracy” right-click and choose your mode (Fast Tuning or High Accuracy)
- Press back (Left) to save
While it might take a little longer to tune, ending a tuning by tightening the string ensures your instrument stays in tune longer. This will also help you get the best sound out of your instrument. Tuning in this fashion Roadie brings the string down below pitch then tightens it back up to the correct tuned pitch. To activate/deactivate tuning up, navigate to “Tune Up” in “Settings” on your Roadie or in the Roadie Tuner app. Press “Sync” to send the changes to your Roadie.
String Winder & Metronome
Roadie 3 isn’t just your regular tuner. It is an all-in-one tool that comes with a built-in string winder and metronome.
Restringing with Roadie 3
String changes are a little less tedious now. Roadie 3 will now very quickly wind your new string to tension with a motor speed of 120 RPM and then tune it up, all in one smooth step! Here’s how to do it:
- Navigate to Main Menu > Winder and use the winder to remove your old string
- To restring and tune in one step, navigate back to Main Menu > Tuner > Select your instrument > Select the note corresponding to the new string > Click and hold the right button on the navigation pad and Roadie 3 will automatically tighten your string
- When the string is not loose anymore and can vibrate then stop pressing and pluck normally to continue tuning. Be careful not to snap the string by tightening it too much
Using the metronome
Roadie 3 now comes with a built-in vibration/beep metronome to help you keep a tight rhythm. To use the metronome:
- Turn on your Roadie
- Scroll down to Metronome and right-click
To modify the metronome settings press the right navigation button to access the metronome settings menu. You can change the BPM value, and the number of beats and you can switch off and on the vibration and the beeping sound.
Troubleshooting
Hard reset
If your Roadie 3 has become unresponsive or frozen, a hard reset may be required. Simply insert a pin into the reset pinhole located between the power button and the tuning peg connector, and press the button within to reset your Roadie. Note: Hard reset will not erase your data.
Factory reset
In case a factory reset is required, all you need to do is turn on your Roadie 3 and navigate to Main Menu > Settings > Scroll down to “Factory Reset” > Press and hold to confirm. The factory reset will erase all your data (instrument profiles and custom tunings) from your Roadie 3. To recover them, all you have to do is sync your Roadie 3 with your Roadie Tuner mobile app. Therefore, before performing a factory reset, always make sure you sync your Roadie 3 with your Roadie Tuner mobile app so that you can recover your instruments and custom tunings afterward. Note: If you are facing an issue, most of the time you can resolve it by simply updating Roadie’s firmware instead of performing a factory reset.
Using the Companion App
Designed by musicians for musicians, the Roadie Tuner mobile app has a beautiful, minimal, and intuitive interface. It serves as a control center for all of your Roadie devices. It lets you make customizations easily and keeps you up to date with the latest Roadie upgrades. It’s like your Roadie 3 found its soul mate!
Installing the Roadie Tuner app
The Roadie Tuner mobile app is available for both iOS and Android devices. Click here to download it from the iOS App Store Click here to download it from the Google Play Store.
Connecting Roadie 3 to the app
When you first start using your Roadie 3, it is important to connect it via Bluetooth to the Roadie Tuner mobile app in order to sync all of your instrument profiles and tunings and to avoid losing them. This will also allow you to receive the latest firmware updates.
To connect your Roadie 3 to the app:
- Turn on your Roadie device
- Make sure Bluetooth on your mobile device is turned on
- Launch the Roadie Tuner app and click on the red CONNECT button
- Select “Roadie 3” from the list displayed and follow the instructions on the screen
Note: For Android devices, the operating system will ask you for location permission to be able to connect to Roadie via Bluetooth Low Energy
Syncing Roadie 3 with the app
Every time you make changes on the app or on your Roadie 3 device, it is important to sync all changes. To sync all your data across the app and Roadie:
- Make sure that your Roadie is connected to the app via Bluetooth
- Press “Sync” in the Roadie Tuner app main menu or simply swipe downwards to sync
Receiving firmware updates
You will be receiving regular firmware updates for Roadie 3 through the Roadie Tuner mobile app. This will ensure that your Roadie’s firmware will never get outdated and that you receive the latest features and bug fixes. To perform a firmware upgrade on your Roadie, launch the Roadie Tuner app and select “Account Settings.” Choose your Roadie device then scroll down and press “Update Firmware.”
Making Customizations
Creating a custom instrument
If you can’t find the instrument you want to add to the Roadie 3, you can easily create a custom instrument using the app:
- Launch the app
- Press the “+” Add Instrument button
- When choosing an instrument type please select “Other”.
- Customize the strings one by one and hit “Next”
- Select a brand. If the brand is not available, press “Other” and enter the brand name
- Add a name and a photo of your instrument
- Press “Save”
- Press “Sync” to send the changes to your Roadie
Creating a custom tuning
Roadie tuners come with many preset alternate tunings but if you don’t find what you’re looking for, you can also create your own custom tuning using the app:
- Launch the Roadie Tuner app
- Select your instrument
- Press on “Create New Tuning”
- Select one string at a time and customize it to the desired pitch. You can modify the note pitch class, octave, alteration, and cents settings that determine the final frequency of each string
- Save once done
- Press “Sync” to send the changes to your Roadie device
To Edit a tuning, simply click on the pencil edit icon (next to the tuning name) and make the changes you desire by altering the note, alteration, octave number, and cents value for each string
Reordering tunings
If you want to change the order in which your tunings appear:
- Launch the Roadie Tuner app
- Select your instrument
- Click on “Reorder Tuning”
- Reorder your list by long-pressing, dragging, and dropping tunings in the desired slots
- Press “Sync” to send the changes to your Roadie device
Reordering instruments
To change the order in which your instruments appear:
Launch the Roadie Tuner app
- Long press the instrument you would like to move, drag it then drop it in the slot you would like it to be in
- Press “Sync” to send the changes to your Roadie device
Editing an instrument
To change your instrument’s name or picture:
- Launch the Roadie Tuner app
- Select the instrument you wish to edit
- Press “Edit” and perform the desired changes
- Save changes
- Press “Sync” to send the changes to your Roadie
Deleting an instrument
To delete an instrument, follow these easy steps:
- Launch the Roadie Tuner app
- Long press on the instrument you want to delete
- Press “x” and confirm delete when prompted
- Sync with your Roadie to delete it from your Roadie device
Changing the instrument settings
On the app, you can also change the instrument settings (alternate tunings, Capo, and A4 reference)
- Launch the Roadie Tuner app
- Select your instrument
- Use the pickers to modify the tuning, Capo, and A4 references
- Either sync or press the “Tune” button on the app screen to send these changes to your Roadie device
REFERENCE LINK
https://www.sharperimage.com/view/product/Professional+Automatic+Guitar+Tuner/208197
