Jack Kane is asking for advice on recording a comb with a Strobotuner.
When I first began repairing music boxes in the mid-1970s, I also had
a Conn Strobotuner.  It did the job but was very slow in taking notes
because of the constant adjusting the unit to get a vibrating note to
register.

Often, the note would not ring long enough to adjust the controls.
Eventually you could get the note but it took an awful lot of time
fine-tuning.  It is obviously made for piano tuning because there you
generally know what the note is and it vibrates long enough so you can
do adjustments fairly easily.

Eventually, Korg introduced a line of chromatic tuners which were
a breath of fresh air.  These tuners, when used with a very sensitive
electret microphone, can pick up very short vibrations of a musical
comb.  It displays the note name, the octave and the variation in plus
or minus cents which is easily readable.  I am currently using a Korg
model AT12 chromatic tuner.  To take a tuning of a Regina comb might
take me one half hour versus several hours using the Conn Strobotuner.

If you have the instruction booklet for the Conn, it describes
adequately how to use the tuner.  My suggestion is to look into the
Korg with the electret microphone.  I can always be reached by
telephone for any further questions.

Tony Ciuffini
Rolling Hills Estates, California
tel.: 1-310-541-4100
http://www.musicalspecialties.com/