Korg CA30 Chromatic Tuner

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Overall User Ratings

Overall: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: :..  .  7.8 out of 10 Features: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: :..  8.6 out of 10
Quality: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: :..  8.2 out of 10 Value: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: :..  8.6 out of 10
I Want It: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: :..  8.3 out of 10 Sound: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: :. 9.8 out of 10
Ease of Use: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: 10 out of 10 Support: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: :. 9.2 out of 10

Individual User Reviews

Overall: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: .  .  .  7 out of 10
Features: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: .  .  .  7 out of 10
Quality: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: 10 out of 10
Value: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: 10 out of 10
I Want It: ::: ::: ::: .  .  .  .  .  .  .  3 out of 10
Sound: ::: ::: ::: .  .  .  .  .  .  .  3 out of 10
Ease of Use: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: 10 out of 10
Support: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: 10 out of 10

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"SUPERB BEGINNER'S TUNER - QUALITY THAT KID'S CAN'T KILL"

Feature:
For a beginner student, it does all you need it to do. I'm afraid that for exceptionally serious/college-bound musicians, it doesn't quite handle as well. Especially in the ensemble setting. When using to tune while in ensemble, it tends to like picking up every instrument but your own. On the upside, for about $10-15, you can buy a pickup mic for it. It has an input jack. It's ok for practice room stuff though. Very compact. Screen and indicator lights are also very clear to read. Only bad thing is that it's very easy to change the calibration and not know it. Good news is that it's easy to put back. Just be sure to double check out the tuner before pushing/pulling your horn around. Also, it has a nice little sounding tone. While annoying, it's accurate. Final warning. That nice little tuning note button gets poked accidentally as easily as the calibration button. Everytime something in my case cover would shift, the tuner would go off. In practice rooms, it's annoying. In rehearsal, it's embarassing.

Quality:
Lasted me 7 years so far, and now I'm giving it to a student, and by no means am I giving away junk. Even after 7 (going on 8) years of abuse (I had it since 8th grade!), it's still going strong. This thing has been bounced off the floor many times, sometimes so hard that the back flew off of it, it's gotten sprayed with water, and God only knows what else over the years, and I took my tuning fork and checked it's calibration, and it's still good as new, save for some very minor cosmetic wear and tear. Side note: I use it for hours a day, and I've only replaced the batteries twice. Not bad at all.

Value:
Good entry level tuner. This would be the metronome I'd buy for a beginner/intermediate player on a budget. It can handle kid abuse pretty well, and it fits into basically any case pocket.

Desirability:
It's ugly, but functional. Maybe a different color paint would help? Keep its body black though. That way it's not a tacky stage decoration when used in performances. Honestly, if keeping it kind of ugly keeps it cheap, then I think keeping it ugly is the way to go. It does a good job for it's price, and that's all it has to do. And keeping it in an affordable range is much more useful to beginners than a pretty, expensive tuner. Parents won't want to pay more for something that's "prettier", and kids, after the first half an hour, won't really care all that much.

Ease of Use:
A monkey could use it.

Overall:
Not good for advanced players, great for beginners and intermediates. Any person making the investment of buying/renting an instrument for a kid should be willing to pay for the No. 1 tool to building good embachure technique: a tuner. While this thing lacks looks and advanced features, it's plenty to get a kid on the right track to good aural training and consiquently better intonation as a player. My only reason for a 7 is because it's not great for advanced players.

Submitted: 8/8/2006

Overall: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: 10 out of 10
Features: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: 10 out of 10
Quality: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: 10 out of 10
Value: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: 10 out of 10
I Want It: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: 10 out of 10
Sound: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: 10 out of 10
Ease of Use: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: 10 out of 10
Support: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: 10 out of 10

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"Thank you, Korg, for returning the joy of playing guitar to me."

Feature:
I have amps with built-in tuners that use LEDs, but they are not as useful as the meter. I can see the proximity to pitch better. The input jack works great! The mic picks up random noise - it doesn't recognize one sound from another, nor should it. With the instrument directly inputed, it works perfectly. I haven't used the other features, and don't need them.

Quality:
I've owned it for nearly two years, and the included batteries are still working fine. It's a precision instrument and should be treated with care as should any electronic device. I have several Korg products, and have had no problems with any of them. I believe they're the best.

Value:
I literally quit playing guitar for several years because I could absolutely not tune one by ear. This is the most useful product I've ever had. I wish I'd gotten one years ago, but I started with a pitch pipe for tuning, before electronic tuners were available. This simple device is responsible for my returning to playing guitar. I couldn't do with it.

Desirability:
I keep it plugged into the tuner output of my amp because it looks like it belongs there.

Sound:
N/A

Support:
Never needed any.

Overall:
I'm ordering another just for convenience. I'm extremely satisfied with it.

User: a customer from cs.com

Submitted: 10/16/2005

Style of Music: U2, Stones, Beatles, Byrds, Raiders, Zeppelins......

Location: Texas

Overall: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: 10 out of 10
Features: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: .  9 out of 10
Quality: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: .  .  8 out of 10
Value: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: 10 out of 10
I Want It: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: 10 out of 10
Sound: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: 10 out of 10
Ease of Use: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: 10 out of 10
Support: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: .  9 out of 10

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Feature:
Great for all instruments, guitars, flutes, saxophones, trumpets, timpanis. You name it! I use it for my band class at school

Value:
Worth the Price

Desirability:
I wouldn't be turned on by it. It's a tuner

User: a customer from yahoo.com

Submitted: 8/9/2005

Style of Music: jazz, concert

Location: Boulder, CO, USA

Overall: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: 10 out of 10
Features: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: 10 out of 10
Quality: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: 10 out of 10
Value: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: 10 out of 10
I Want It: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: 10 out of 10
Sound: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: 10 out of 10
Ease of Use: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: 10 out of 10
Support: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: 10 out of 10

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Feature:
It last 100 hours on 2 AAA a batteries which is pretty cool. Tells yuo if the note is too high or low, a chromatic feature. It can keep memory of a certain way you like your guitar tuned.

Quality:
It has lasted me many years and is made of durable plastic.

Value:
This is a great value for the price.

Sound:
If there was a sound it probablt would be good.

Support:
Never talked to them.

Submitted: 7/19/2005

Overall: ::: .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  1 out of 10
Features: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: .  .  .  .  .  5 out of 10
Quality: ::: .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  1 out of 10
Value: ::: .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  1 out of 10
I Want It: ::: .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  1 out of 10
Sound: ::: .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  1 out of 10
Ease of Use: ::: .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  1 out of 10
Support: ::: .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  1 out of 10

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Quality:
I use this with my taylor acoustic guitar. I'll hit a string, and it'll be perfect, I'll hit it again just to be sure and it'll be flat, hitting it once more it'll be sharp. If I go through and 'tune' the guitar with the tuner, I go back only to find the guitar completely out of tune with itself. Tuning with my ear may take a little longer, but the guitar will be in much better tune than if I use the tuner.

Submitted: 4/5/2005

Overall: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: .  .  8 out of 10
Features: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: .  9 out of 10
Quality: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: .  .  .  7 out of 10
Value: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: .  .  8 out of 10
I Want It: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: .  .  .  7 out of 10
Sound: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: .  .  .  7 out of 10
Ease of Use: