The Korg VPT-1 is a pitch trainer and tuner made for singers rather than instrumentalists. It listens to the voice, shows how close you are on a row of guide LEDs, and can play a note for you to aim at. Useful between lessons.
Hearing the target note
Sound out plays a reference pitch of your choosing, anywhere from A2 to C6. That helps with songs opening on a vocal line, where no instrument is there to lean on. Listening and then singing, over and over, is a plain way to build relative pitch without a teacher in the room.
Sound back for self-training
Plug in headphones and the unit returns the tone nearest to whatever you just sang, across a range of A1 to C7. Eyes, ears and voice all get involved, since the LEDs show the deviation while what you hear says the same thing. That mode works only with headphones plugged in.
Levels and detection
Three tolerance settings are marked easy, medium and hard. Start wide, then tighten up as control improves. Detection covers A1 at 55 Hz through to C7 at 2093 Hz, which spans most singing voices. Out of the box the unit sits on easy, with A4 as its reference and the volume low.
Power and size
Two AAA cells give around 300 hours on alkalines, or roughly 200 on zinc-carbon. At 60 by 100 by 16 mm and 67 g the unit slips into a pocket or a music bag, and headphones connect on a 3.5 mm stereo mini jack.
See it in action
Specifications
| Scale | 12 note equal temperament |
|---|---|
| Detection range | A1 (55 Hz) - C7 (2093 Hz): sine wave |
| Reference tone | Sound out: A2-C6, Sound back: A1-C7 |
| Tuning level (difficulty) | EASY, MEDIUM, HARD |
| Jacks | (headphone) jack (3.5 mm stereo-mini jack) |
| Power supply | Two AAA batteries (3V) |
| Battery life (Tuner mode, A4 continuous input) | Approximately 300 hours when using alkaline batteries Approximately 200 hours when using zinc-carbon batteries |
| Dimensions (W x D x H) | 60 mm x 100 mm x 16 mm/ 2.36" x 3.94" x 0.63" |
| Weight | 67g/2.36 oz. (including battery) |
| Default settings | Level: EASY Octave Shift : none Reference tone: A4 Volume: low |
Specifications from Korg. Appearance and specifications are subject to change without notice.
