Cool Tuner as an App for Android pads and smart phones

John Prather · Post by **John Prather** » 11 Sep 2015 12:02 pm

Has anyone tried this? I got this app for my Android. Put it on both my phone and my pad. It's called Pitch Lab Pro. It's only a few bucks and for another 99 cents (not requred) you get a huge instrument list (banjo, guitar;many open tunings; lap steel, violin, bazouki, etc,etc) and pedal steel including E9,C6, A7th and Diatonic. It's sensitive enough that I can tune up with no amp and no wired connection.

It also includes a custom setup that can handle up to 12 strings with octave registration. Programmed it for my U12. Even for tuning pedals it will still register the note and offset even if the note isn't on the string list.

It displays tuning in cents and has a resolution of 1/2 cent. I can easily tune to 2 or 3 cents sharp and check cabinet drop. It has very high marks from previous users (4.5 out of 5.

So for those like me who can't or won't go out and drop a bill on a Peterson tuner, there is an alternative. It's very slick and it seems very accurate.

Dan Robinson · Post by **Dan Robinson** » 11 Sep 2015 3:49 pm

John,

That seems great. I just installed it.

I am wondering if it will work with a signal connected to the headset jack from my volume pedal's the tuner - out.

Dan

Dale Rottacker · Post by **Dale Rottacker** » 11 Sep 2015 4:56 pm

Iâ€™ve had the free one for quite awhile John and thought it worked great...

Michael Haselman · Post by **Michael Haselman** » 11 Sep 2015 5:17 pm

Can you program your own tempered tunings? I used to be able to on Cleartune but that went away a couple years ago.

John Prather · Post by **John Prather** » 12 Sep 2015 2:28 am

You can't program your own tempered tunings. Yes, that would be cool to be able to program a positive offset in cents, but the only people who would need it is PSG Players and the occasional musician who purposely mistunes for artistic flair. (John Lennon did that) Don't know any other instrument that suffers cabinet drop.

Unfortunately you would still have to keep an offset list.

John Prather · Post by **John Prather** » 12 Sep 2015 2:36 am

Don't think connecting to the Headset Jack will help since it's an output. I found that I don't need an input. My smart phone is sensitive enough that it easily picks up the sound even when the volume is OFF. My Android Pad holder is connected to the leg of the guitar. No issue tuning on stage.

Still searching for a Smart Phone holder that will physically latch to the leg of the PSG.

Stu Schulman · Post by **Stu Schulman** » 12 Sep 2015 8:53 am

John,Thanks I will try to find it!

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 12 Sep 2015 9:18 am

The headphone jack has an input, but you need either a special adapter or make your own. Peterson sells one for Apple, but it works on all platforms.
Instead of TRS, it uses TRRS (although the second ring takes up so much sleeve it's almost TRRR), with input being the second ring.
Pitchlab is good, but I like the interface of Cleartune.

Michael Haselman · Post by **Michael Haselman** » 12 Sep 2015 9:23 am

I liked Cleartune until the user tempered tuning went away. I do have an older Android phone that I keep and it still works on there. But I did drop the 2 bills on a Strobostomp so I still have that...

Randy Brown · Post by **Randy Brown** » 13 Sep 2015 7:40 am

I'm using PitchLab Pro on my android phone, and you CAN add custom temperaments. It's great!

+1 for the Peterson adapter plug for apple products, but it does not work on my android.

Regarding a phone mount on your steel... Look at magnetic phone holders with suction cup mounts.

Stu Schulman · Post by **Stu Schulman** » 13 Sep 2015 11:11 am

I downloaded it to my Kindle HD...another99Â¢ for the E9th pedal steel part,I'll check it out later looks like a really good deal...Thanks!

Dan Beller-McKenna · Post by **Dan Beller-McKenna** » 13 Sep 2015 12:22 pm

Michael,

what do you mean about the Cleartune user tempered tunings going away? Mine still work on my iPhone 5s.

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 13 Sep 2015 2:39 pm

Newer versions of the Android OS broke the bits that made custom temperaments work.
Personally, I prefer the old way of knowing the offsets and leaving it set to ET. Having your tuner lie to you (really. Telling you 17 cents flat is C#) sounds like asking for trouble if it loses it.

Michael Haselman · Post by **Michael Haselman** » 14 Sep 2015 1:09 pm

I did pop $2.99 for the Pitch Lab, and it is very cool. You can program tempered tuning, but it takes a little playing with, e.g. you need to set the reference pitch to one that will remain standard in your tuning. E for me in the Newman offsets. Even without that, I'm very pleased with it.

Geoff Noble · Post by **Geoff Noble** » 15 Sep 2015 3:06 am

I've been using it for the last year or so, it's worth paying the few extra $ for the Pro version, better choices and no adverts!

I have a custom temperament set up for my Carter U12, works well.

I made up a lead, 1/4" mono jack to a 4 pole 3.5mm jack. If I remember correctly it's the 3rd connector on the 4 pole jack the 4th connector being ground.

I'll be making some of these leads for sale, (cheap!) at some point, so I'll offer them up once I get started.

John Gilman · Post by **John Gilman** » 5 Dec 2015 12:14 pm

Michael Haselman wrote:I liked Cleartune until the user tempered tuning went away....

Slightly old thread here, but the user tempered tunings did not go away on Cleartune, they're just a bit harder to find. On newer Android systems the "menu" button has gone away. Very often it can be found in a long press of another key. There are apparently apps that can simulate the menu button as well. Push the menu button, however you can, and the "add" comes up on Cleartune just like it always did.

Additionally, in case anyone is interested, I ran Cleartune side by side with my Stroboflip on my E9 temperament and they were nuts on the same. Good to know.

Jarek Anderson · Post by **Jarek Anderson** » 16 Dec 2015 3:22 pm

John Gilman wrote:
Michael Haselman wrote:I liked Cleartune until the user tempered tuning went away....
Slightly old thread here, but the user tempered tunings did not go away on Cleartune, they're just a bit harder to find. On newer Android systems the "menu" button has gone away. Very often it can be found in a long press of another key. There are apparently apps that can simulate the menu button as well. Push the menu button, however you can, and the "add" comes up on Cleartune just like it always did.

Additionally, in case anyone is interested, I ran Cleartune side by side with my Stroboflip on my E9 temperament and they were nuts on the same. Good to know.

+1

I was really frustrated when I spent the money on cleartune again after loving it on my old iphone, and not being able to find the custom offsets on my new Android. Thanks to your post I held down the 'recents' button (square) on my phone and the "add +" button popped up.

Thanks for saving me from spending another $10 on strobotune!

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 17 Dec 2015 12:46 pm

I have Pitch Lab Pro on my Android phone, but only have it as a backup if my Strobflip ever gives me trouble. I just looked in the Google Play Store and can't find an app called Cleartune. I did a search, and a bazillion other tuners came up, but none said cleartune.

I don't have an adapter for my android phone, so I probably need to get one if I want Pith Lab Pro to work in a club setting where there would be too much background noise. I have tested it on my electric-acoustic guitar (which has a built-in tuner), and compared it to my Stroboflip. Not perfectly matched, but really close.

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 17 Dec 2015 1:13 pm

Richard, here it is
https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... .cleartune

James Holland · Post by **James Holland** » 21 Dec 2015 6:40 am

Lane Gray wrote:Newer versions of the Android OS broke the bits that made custom temperaments work.
Personally, I prefer the old way of knowing the offsets and leaving it set to ET. Having your tuner lie to you (really. Telling you 17 cents flat is C#) sounds like asking for trouble if it loses it.

Yep. I was using Pitch Lab and about the time I was keying in a psg tempered tuning, I decided it was better to memorize the offsets, since I need to tune other instruments, might have to use someone elses tuner, etc.

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Cool Tuner as an App for Android pads and smart phones

Cool Tuner as an App for Android pads and smart phones

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