Strobe Tuner
A real-time strobe disc tuner — not a cosmetic overlay.
How a strobe tuner works
A strobe tuner compares an incoming signal's phase against a reference oscillator. When the signal is exactly in tune, the strobe disc appears to stand still; when it's flat or sharp, the disc rotates at a speed proportional to the pitch error. Traditional mechanical strobe tuners used a rotating painted disc and a flashing lamp. The visual feedback is instantaneous and continuous — you see the drift, not just a needle deflecting.
What Calcophony's strobe actually is
The strobe disc in Calcophony is a real strobe simulation rendered by a native GPU module. The disc rotation responds directly to measured phase, the same way a mechanical strobe does. It is not a cosmetic overlay on top of a conventional needle algorithm. That distinction matters for string players tuning into tenths of a cent, and for anyone working with historical temperaments where small cent deviations are the whole point.
Features
- Chromatic and instrument modes — detect any pitch, or lock to a specific instrument's string set.
- Instrument presets — guitar, bass, violin, viola, cello, and more, with built-in alternate tunings.
- Historical temperaments — Werckmeister III, Kirnberger III, Vallotti, Young I, meantone, just intonation, Pythagorean. Offsets are in cents from 12-TET.
- Custom reference pitch — A4 from 415 Hz (baroque) up to modern 442–444 Hz territory.
- Transposing instruments — tune a B♭ clarinet or E♭ alto saxophone reading its written pitch, with concert-pitch detection underneath.
- Reference tone playback — audition the target pitch for ear-tuning against a drone.
- Two display modes — the strobe disc for fine drift, or a classic needle meter for quick visual reference.
Who this is for
Guitarists and bassists who want strobe-level precision without buying dedicated hardware. String players who already know what a Peterson feels like. Early-music ensembles who need to tune a continuo group in Werckmeister III or Kirnberger. Wind players with transposing instruments. Anyone studying temperaments who wants to hear and see the difference between a just major third and an equal-tempered one.