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Show HN: Veena Chromatic Tuner

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Re: Show HN: Veena Chromatic Tuner

#31
post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can't tune an instrument to 1/4 of a hz. Temperature, humidity, mechanic impacts all constantly keep working on the instrument, changing it's tune. Instruments are not high precision tools. Whatever features this app has, they're just visual fancy with no value.

If the weather is stable, my violin drifts less than 1/4 of a Hz over the course of a week, let alone a single playing session.

Wow, impressive stability. In case of violin (bowed instrument), the waveform stability is visualised very well. Closer to sine wave. I tend to see less harmonics than plucked lutes like South Indian Veena. Please select 2 or 4 waveform periods in settings, set the desired reference note and try.

Re: Show HN: Veena Chromatic Tuner

#32

- Instruments list should have more instruments - Would appreciate other temperaments: Pythagorean-C temperament, perfect 5th, etc. See the gstrings app for example. - Base note selection only provides tone and sharp options (C, C#, D, D#...) but as you know, outside of equal temperament, C# and Db (and so on) are different pitches.

Thanks for your valuable feedback. Instrument list and temperament profiles would be expanded before adding other new features. The project started as a tuner app for South Indian Veena & as a fretting aid (based on ratios).

On base notes, have you tried using Just Intonation and other tuning profiles. They use perfect 5th. I will take a look at C# and Db difference in other temperaments. Maybe, our nomenclature needs a re-look.

Re: Show HN: Veena Chromatic Tuner

#33
post #7

The visual feedback sounds very much like the strobe feature on my guitar tuner. I think the first like this was the Stroboconn in the 1930s.

Peterson is the most known for their strobe tuners I believe. There are nowadays many other desktop and smartphone apps and pedals that have a strobe mode, but some are real strobes and some are only simulated. As far as I can tell, a real strobe will recreate the effect based on comparing the input signal frequency to a generated reference. A fake one will just use the estimated frequency (done by a pitch detection algorithm usually based on FFT) but instead of a needle offset or LED meter it will show a steady moving pattern, but it's not as responsive or as reliable as the real thing.

Re: Show HN: Veena Chromatic Tuner

#34
post #33
post #7

The visual feedback sounds very much like the strobe feature on my guitar tuner. I think the first like this was the Stroboconn in the 1930s.

Peterson is the most known for their strobe tuners I believe. There are nowadays many other desktop and smartphone apps and pedals that have a strobe mode, but some are real strobes and some are only simulated. As far as I can tell, a real strobe will recreate the effect based on comparing the input signal frequency to a generated reference. A fake one will just use the estimated frequency (done by a pitch detection…

The visual feedback uses time period (of ref note) and number of cycles to set the scale of waveform display. It doesn't depend on detected pitch.

I think strobe tuner's used neat analog electronics based reference and filters to visualise.

Re: Show HN: Veena Chromatic Tuner

#36
post #32

- Instruments list should have more instruments - Would appreciate other temperaments: Pythagorean-C temperament, perfect 5th, etc. See the gstrings app for example. - Base note selection only provides tone and sharp options (C, C#, D, D#...) but as you know, outside of equal temperament, C# and Db (and so on) are different pitches.

Thanks for your valuable feedback. Instrument list and temperament profiles would be expanded before adding other new features. The project started as a tuner app for South Indian Veena & as a fretting aid (based on ratios). On base notes, have you tried using Just Intonation and other tuning profiles. They use perfect 5th. I will take a look at C# and Db difference in other temperaments. Maybe, our nomenclature need…

Sorry, I don't only mean C# and Db, but just in general - the flat and sharp won't be the same outside of equal temperament. (I'm guessing details like that might matter to trombone players but I'm not sure; I play a C instrument myself).

I've only taken a cursory look and haven't tried playing violin with your app yet, but I'll post more feedback when I do!

Re: Show HN: Veena Chromatic Tuner

#37
post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If the weather is stable, my violin drifts less than 1/4 of a Hz over the course of a week, let alone a single playing session.

Wow, impressive stability. In case of violin (bowed instrument), the waveform stability is visualised very well. Closer to sine wave. I tend to see less harmonics than plucked lutes like South Indian Veena. Please select 2 or 4 waveform periods in settings, set the desired reference note and try.

Thanks. I've been looking for a new app to give me immediate feedback on my pitch accuracy while I play, because the violin has no frets and my ear isn't good enough yet to identify whether I'm a little sharp or flat on each note. I think realtime feedback could really help me train my fingers.

I'll post more detailed feedback in a day or two when I've had time to experiment. Hopefully you'll still be checking the thread.

Re: Show HN: Veena Chromatic Tuner

#38
post #35

Sounds interesting... Is there a youtube demo? Or a web-version of this for those who want to check it out? Maybe an iOS version? Thanks

There is a short video here https://www.youtube.com/shorts/gZbP7svgBUM (not comprehensive. uses simulated sine wave and app generated tones). There is no web or iOS version.

Re: Show HN: Veena Chromatic Tuner

#39
post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can't tune an instrument to 1/4 of a hz. Temperature, humidity, mechanic impacts all constantly keep working on the instrument, changing it's tune. Instruments are not high precision tools. Whatever features this app has, they're just visual fancy with no value.

If the weather is stable, my violin drifts less than 1/4 of a Hz over the course of a week, let alone a single playing session.

> me immediate feedback on my pitch accuracy while I play

The visual feedback needs manual reference note settings. That is the only limitation.

Re: Show HN: Veena Chromatic Tuner

#40
post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wow, impressive stability. In case of violin (bowed instrument), the waveform stability is visualised very well. Closer to sine wave. I tend to see less harmonics than plucked lutes like South Indian Veena. Please select 2 or 4 waveform periods in settings, set the desired reference note and try.

Thanks. I've been looking for a new app to give me immediate feedback on my pitch accuracy while I play, because the violin has no frets and my ear isn't good enough yet to identify whether I'm a little sharp or flat on each note. I think realtime feedback could really help me train my fingers. I'll post more detailed feedback in a day or two when I've had time to experiment. Hopefully you'll still be checking the th…

There are also tuning apps that draw the cent deviation as a line, I think the T1 tuner is one such app, you can see a line graph moving and vibrating as you play your note. A similar app to veena is the airyware tuner that shows the soundwave graph moving left or right.
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