Remember Roadie, the robotic tuner that automatically tuned any guitar all on its own? Yeah, it’s awesome. Like all great things, of course, there’s plenty of room for improvement and that’s exactly what they bring with the Roadie 2.
An updated version of the automatic tuner, it ditches the formerly-required app during tuning sessions, allowing you to tune every guitar in the venue while leaving your phone at home. That’s right, it can now operate all by its lonesome, allowing you to tune guitars even faster and more conveniently.
Whereas its predecessor used the app to listen to the strings, the Roadie 2 now comes with a vibration sensor that allows it to gauge whether a string is in pitch. It comes with an OLED screen where you can choose which instrument you’re tuning (it’s compatible with all guitars, ukuleles, mandolins, banjos, and a few more) and what kind of key you want to play in (there’s 20 presets), while allowing you to save custom tunings with help from the companion app. As with the original, it takes care of winding the tuning pegs all on its own, so all you have to do is place it in position and press the tuning button.
Do note, the onboard motor is only powerful enough for guitars and smaller instruments. If you want to tune a bass guitar, they offer a more powerful 40RPM option called Roadie Bass, which is a little heavier and just a bit more expensive.
A Kickstarter campaign is currently running for the Roadie 2. You can reserve a unit for pledges starting at $79.