Gibson Firebird X - Setting a Reference Pitch

Setting a Reference Pitch (Position = E, ID = R)
Although the most common tuning reference is A=440Hz, it's not the only one (e.g., some
orchestras tune to A=442Hz). Or a piano may be in tune with itself, but not tuned exactly to
A=440Hz. For these situations, Firebird X can tune to any arbitrary reference. The basic
process is to tune Firebird X to the desired tuning, adjust one string to the reference pitch,
then instruct Firebird X to tune the remaining strings relative to the reference string.
Setting a Reference Pitch Step-by-Step
1. Move the silver tog-pot to the tuning function. Choose one of the stored tunings (e.g.,
rotate the Gear Shift knob fully counter-clockwise to select Standard tuning by) and tune
Firebird X by plucking its strings sequentially as described on page 12.
2. Tune one string (we'll call it the “reference string”) to the desired reference pitch. For
example, if you're tuning to a piano that's in tune with itself but is overall an 1/8
th
of a tone
flat, tune the reference string to the piano so that the reference string is 1/8
th
tone flat.
3. Enter the Red Bank, then rotate the Gear Shift knob to the E position.
4. Push down on the Digital Varitone knob; all string LEDs change to red to indicate that the
system is ready to determine the reference string pitch. The Peg LED shines magenta.
5. Pluck the reference string. Its corresponding LED turns green after Firebird X has
analyzed the pitch.
6. Pluck each remaining string individually to ensure the most accurate pitch detection.
After a string's pitch is properly tuned, its associated LED will turn green. Damp the string
you plucked, then move on to the next string until all strings are tuned to the new
reference.
7. When all strings are in tune, Firebird X automatically exits Reference Pitch mode and
returns you to whichever patch had been selected prior to entering the Red Bank.
8. Return the silver tog-pot to its center position.
Once the Reference Tuning process is complete, the reference tuning stays active until the
system is turned off or you select a different tuning.
Notes:
 During pitch detection, Firebird X checks that the resulting tuning is within the
allowed pitch ranges, as specified in page 31 on Custom Tuning Preset Creation.
 If a reference tuning is still active when selecting the same tuning for retuning, the
display will show the preset ID briefly in red when entering the tuning function,
then change to blue. This reminds you that Firebird X is set to a specific reference
tuning.
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