6 Tone Vs 60 Tone Vs Pitch

[CTidwell]

Recently heard someone make the claim that in any of the Multi settings (as well as Park or Field), 60 tone detects items better than 6 tones, and Pitch tone beats them all.  Is this true?  Why would Pitch tone detect better/deeper than another tone setting?  Doesn't make sense to me, as I thought that was just how it notifies you of a target vs changing the actual detecting parameters.
I've used 6 Tone since I got the Legend, but am now wondering if I should get used to 60 or Pitch...

[Rick N. MI]

I like 60 tones and pitch. Haven't used 6 tone. Pitch hits harder so could be easier to notice a target. I do use pitch most of the time.

[Digalicious]

Some say pitch tones gives more information about the target. Some say 60 tones is overwhelming. Some can't stand pitch tones, and prefer the bell like tones. Some prefer to use 1 tone. Some are just the opposite of all that 🙂

It's really subjective and personal preference. For example, even if you think pitch tones gives more information, you're probably not going to use pitch tones if you don't like that type of sound.

[Jeff McClendon]

I can only speak for myself and why I use these different audio settings.

I primarily hunt in extremely aluminum trashed areas looking for USA coins and jewelry. I use 6 tones. Each type of US coin has its own distinct tone and target ID range that I setup for it. Some trash items and jewelry have the same tones and IDs as these coins. However for example, if I am specifically looking for US nickels and medium sized gold jewelry within a set number of target IDs, I will check and maybe dig every target with that tone and range of IDs. The same goes for medium high and high conductor US clad and silver coins along with silver jewelry. If I hear the tones I set up for those two categories of coins/jewerly, I know to stop and check out or dig that target.

60 tones will do the same thing with practice if one has really good tonal hearing, lots of experience and doesn't mind listening to micro tones. I am a trained musician that rarely strayed from the half step/whole step tone system used mostly in the USA. Listening to micro tones sounds really out of tune to me and gets painful for me when I am detecting in a really trashy area.

When targets are spread out more, I do often use 60 tones.

Neither one of these two choices 6 or 60 will automatically go deeper than the other. They have some change in the audio volume to let me know that a target is deeper or shallow but there is not much change in the actual pitch of the target tone.

Pitch tone is highly modulated 2 tone VCO audio. I use it for getting maximum depth or for detecting really tiny targets or in areas where targets are likely to be heavily masked by iron trash. The ferrous tone and the non-ferrous tone will dramatically change pitch and volume level according to the target’s size and proximity to the coil, especially the non-ferrous tone.

Whenever I am hunting in an area with lots of iron trash, when I'm gold nugget prospecting or when I just want maximum depth, unmasking ability and really only need a 2 tone ferrous versus non ferrous audio indication, I pick a VCO audio like Pitch tones.

[Digalicious]

On 5/17/2023 at 5:12 AM, CTidwell said:

Why would Pitch tone detect better/deeper than another tone setting?  Doesn't make sense to me, as I thought that was just how it notifies you of a target vs changing the actual detecting parameters.

I find pitch to be irritating. I don't hunt with it, nor do I do any testing with it. However, if pitch does go slightly deeper, then "Why does it?",  is a good question.

Well, if pitch goes slightly deeper, my guess it's because the required detection threshold for pitch, is lower than it is for the bell (square wave?) tone. Meaning, the absolute weakest signals can give a slight pitch tone, whereas the same weak signal would produce a too short and clippy square wave tone, so no tone is given at all. That's my guess anyway. If it's true though, I would also think that the extra pitch depth would be very minimal.

 

[JCR]

As Jeff & others have said. I have found no practical difference in fringe depth between the various Tone options. Each is effective depending on the site conditions and especially the user. It is a very good thing to have so many options available on a detector.

[CTidwell]

Super informative.  Thanks a bunch to everyone.

[JohnnyDigs]

On 5/17/2023 at 11:12 AM, Jeff McClendon said:

They have some change in the audio volume to let me know that a target is deeper or shallow but there is not much change in the actual pitch of the target tone.

question if I may 

so even if im in 60 tones I can still hear depth of target by the loudness or softness just like pitch tones?

[Jeff McClendon]

3 minutes ago, JohnnyDigs said:

question if I may 

so even if im in 60 tones I can still hear depth of target by the loudness or softness just like pitch tones?

Since 60 tones, 6 tones, 4 tones, 2 tones and 1 tone on the Legend are more similar to square wave audio…….no you will not “hear the same loudness or softness just like pitch tones”

Goldfield’s one tone VCO and 2 tone Pitch VCO-voltage controlled oscillator audio has audio that can dramatically increase in volume AND dramatically changes pitch over a strong target. That change of volume and pitch is less pronounced on deeper/weaker targets.

Square wave type audio like the Legend’s 1,2,4,6 and 60 tone options increases in volume on stronger targets and has softer volume on weaker targets depending on the audio gain setting. Square wave audio does not change pitch however unless the target ID changes.

Try it out for yourself.

[JohnnyDigs]

9 hours ago, Jeff McClendon said:

Since 60 tones, 6 tones, 4 tones, 2 tones and 1 tone on the Legend are more similar to square wave audio…….no you will not “hear the same loudness or softness just like pitch tones”

Goldfield’s one tone VCO and 2 tone Pitch VCO-voltage controlled oscillator audio has audio that can dramatically increase in volume AND dramatically changes pitch over a strong target. That change of volume and pitch is less pronounced on deeper/weaker targets.

Square wave type audio like the Legend’s 1,2,4,6 and 60 tone options increases in volume on stronger targets and has softer volume on weaker targets depending on the audio gain setting. Square wave audio does not change pitch however unless the target ID changes.

Ok so then when I see people in pitch, some are able to specifically call out targets but how do they do this if the pitch is always the same but only the volume tells them how deep it is 

I really apologize if I sound stupid but it’s just to interesting for me not to ask🤣

I see guys that are so good with pitch that they literally know what is in the ground without even looking at the numbers.  They do it all by sound. 
 

I kinda wish we could have both tonal pitch and volume pitch in 60 tones but I guess it doesn’t work that way