Tune > Manual Tune Section (LC/MS)

This option is only available if your instrument is an Agilent 61xxC (for example, 6125C or 6135C).

The Autotune program adjusts the MS for good performance over the entire mass range. For many applications, there is no need to use anything else. You might consider manually tuning the MS in the following situations:

  • To achieve maximum sensitivity by sacrificing some resolution
  • To tune specifically for the very low end of the mass range (< 150 amu)
  • To tune with a compound other than the standard calibrants

Manual Tune allows you to tune the SQ by adjusting one parameter at a time until the desired performance is obtained.

Ionization modes

Separate tuning is not required for ESI, APCI/APPI, and MM-ESI+APCI. Tuning involves adjusting the parameters that control the transmission of ions. These parts neither know nor care how those ions are generated. A tune file created in electrospray mode often provides good results for APCI/APPI samples. The reverse is also true.

Polarity

Separate tuning is required for positive and negative ionization. The MS must, at some time, be tuned twice, once with positive ions and once with negative ions. The two tunes can be stored under the same tune file name; the software keeps separate the positive and negative ion settings. Positive ion and negative ion settings can be updated separately.

What do you want to do?

Manually tune the MS (LC/MS)

Prepare for manual tuning (LC/MS)

Calibrate gain (LC/MS)

Calculate lag factors (LC/MS)

User Interface

Tune > Manual Tune > Source Section (LC/MS)

Tune > Manual Tune > Optics Section (LC/MS)

Tune > Manual Tune > MS Section (LC/MS)

Tune > Manual Tune > Detector Section (LC/MS)

Tune > Manual Tune > Acquisition Section (LC/MS)