Phone Tuner apps and other such things

[Scootch]

I'm a big fan of OmniTuner. The paid version has your usual note name and dots type interface, but also has a dial type interface called pitch mode with two dials of different meter resolutions. The top meter is a -50 0 +50 resolution meter kind of like a clip on tuner resolution. Beneath it is a -20 0 +20 meter that helps do the finer adjustments. I've tuned with a clip on and compared to the pitch mode and found the tuning to be up to 5% off.

My ears are not good enough to tune perfectly, but with Omnituner's pitch mode I can really zero it in, and once I'm tuned perfectly, my guitar really comes to life. And I can hear THAT. Of all the tuners I have, I can tune most precisely with this.


I also use Miso tuner, a Strobo style interface. Very nice,, but I find Omni preferable. However, Miso tuner has an ambient sound sampler, and can filter out background noise. That's come in handy a few times in a noisy environment.

I've tried at least a dozen tuners, but those two are the ones I let live on my iPhone.

[franchelB]

I'm using Tunable. It's simple, quick, and free.

[Dirk Hofman]

I use either Guitar Toolkit:



Or Cleartune:

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by Scootch

…I've tuned with a clip on and compared to the pitch mode and found the tuning to be up to 5% off.

Hi Scootch...

A bit of clarification please.

• I understand there was a discrepancy between the clip-on and the phone tuner, and you are assuming the clip on is less accurate…is this right?
• I don't see a % on the display in the picture in the iTunes store, so are you calculating the discrepancy by the middle screen on the tuner, and are those labeled 'cents'?

I'm asking because a tuner which costs $5.00 should have information available to the potential customer, and I found little description or information in the iTunes Store or on the developer's site.

[cliffenstein]

Pano tuner all the way

[MHC]

I have about five app tuners in my iPhone, but the one I tend to use all the time is GuiTune. It's simple and very accurate. I like it. After that I like TuneUp.

Also, I love the Guitar Tool Kit app in general. It's not free, but the chord tool is awesome. Highly recommended.

[ljguitar]

Hi Marty1...

The only time I use the tuner in my phone or iPad is in a room when I'm alone. I originally downloaded all the freebie versions of tuners, but I have removed most of them and the Peterson Strobe remains.

The purpose of using it is when I'm intonating the octaves on guitars (especially electric guitars). Peterson tuners measure the pitch in 1/1000 of a ½ step, and the iOS version has both the ability to display the fundamental and 3 other octaves simultaneously, boost the signal, and isolate and block noises from the environment.

If one doesn't have need to intonate guitars, or to manually sweeten tunings, then the kind of feedback and detail the Peterson brings to the table is unnecessary expense.

I'd expect all digital tuners whether clip on or phone driven to be accurate to +-1 cent (1/100 half step). One's patience, and the way the tuner is set up (fast or slow response to the pitch) accounts for a lot of what people perceive as better/worse accuracy.

[gstar]

I use gstring app and find out easy to use and accurate.

[Pheof]

I use the TC Electonics PolyTune on my iPhone. Far more accurate than clip-on tuners like the Snark, etc.

[state-it]

Peterson app. Wins hands down. I use a couple of other apps for their features other than their tuners, but Peterson as a tuner: No contest.

The visual element of it gives you fine tuning. And you can calibrate it/your phone with a line-in digital tone source from your PC/Mac.

[Guitar1083]

Peterson Strobo Tune been using it for the past 4/5 years

[Marty1]

Originally Posted by ljguitar

Hi Marty1...

The only time I use the tuner in my phone or iPad is in a room when I'm alone. I originally downloaded all the freebie versions of tuners, but I have removed most of them and the Peterson Strobe remains.

The purpose of using it is when I'm intonating the octaves on guitars (especially electric guitars). Peterson tuners measure the pitch in 1/1000 of a ½ step, and the iOS version has both the ability to display the fundamental and 3 other octaves simultaneously, boost the signal, and isolate and block noises from the environment.

If one doesn't have need to intonate guitars, or to manually sweeten tunings, then the kind of feedback and detail the Peterson brings to the table is unnecessary expense.

I'd expect all digital tuners whether clip on or phone driven to be accurate to +-1 cent (1/100 half step). One's patience, and the way the tuner is set up (fast or slow response to the pitch) accounts for a lot of what people perceive as better/worse accuracy.

That's interesting what you say about the response time. I must admit, I probably suffer from this illusion (response=accuracy). I have a real **** tuner from china that takes forever and then randomly flails about from time to time when it feels like it. Its basically a paperweight. I got it after I lost my tuner in a move; it was my original reason for starting to use apps. I have a cheapo Korg, accurate enough and easy to use, though even that cost 12$ (CAD). I'm thinking if this app is under 10$, why the hell not. Its the price of a new set of strings right? Ill check it out!

[NilsG]

Originally Posted by Marty1

... I would like to see what the e-tune does to people, like 20 years down the line, someone who has only used e-tune, like the next or next next generation. What would they do with a tuning fork?!?!?

I feel some interesting comments coming up here ...

[CyberFerret]

Originally Posted by Marty1

... I would like to see what the e-tune does to people, like 20 years down the line, someone who has only used e-tune, like the next or next next generation. What would they do with a tuning fork?!?!?

I take it you have never had to tune up in a noisy club or pub gig ??

No way a tuning fork would be of any use there.... I either plug into my iPhone tuner or the one on my pedalboard and do it all visually rather than aurally...

[Bowie]

Pitchlab rules all for me. I sold my $180 physical Peterson once I started using PL because the way it responds results in better tuning on my part. My guitars literally sounded better so I have stuck with that one. Not that Petersons are inferior at all, just that it doesn't translate as well for me.