1

I searched the Android Market for "tuner", and a massive amount of hits were returned. Can anyone recommend a tuner to use as aid for tuning a brass instrument? Most of the apps were specific for guitar, bass guitar or violin, but some were more generic.
I play Tuba. Are there special things I should look out for regarding technical issues?

My initial preferences for how it should be like:

  • Fairly reliable
  • Good and simple user interface
  • Easy setup (calibration etc)
  • Clear visual feedback

I would like advice on what else I should look for in the woods of tuners on the market.

Improve this question
6
  • Is accuracy/reliability your main concern?
    – user28
    Nov 18, 2011 at 19:59
  • It shouldn't be very unreliable, but I'm more interrested in user friendly. See my edit.
    – awe
    Nov 21, 2011 at 8:55
  • I have not made a thorough comparison (hence a comment rather than an answer) but gStrings is a chromatic tuner that works fine for me. Despite the name, it should be fine for a brass instrument.
    – slim
    Nov 21, 2011 at 14:01
  • @slim: You say "it should be fine for a brass instrument". Have you actually tried it with a brass instrument?
    – awe
    Nov 22, 2011 at 9:03
  • No, but I perceive no difference in sound waves coming from brass and sound waves coming from strings which would affect the functionality of a tuner.
    – slim
    Nov 23, 2011 at 7:34

3 Answers 3

Reset to default
1

I would test the response of your phone microphone with a free app, and against a stand-alone tuner. I play trombone, and I notice when I tune in the lower range, especially at louder volumes, the phone tuning apps tend to jump around a bit. They're not necessarily off… at least by much, but it's tough to read what they're trying to tell you. It depends on what you need it for. At the very least, I suspect you'll need to place the phone a ways away to avoid that result. I only use my tuning app on my phone for guitar and other higher pitched instruments. Trombone is my primary, so I bought a nice standalone to keep in the case. I realize this isn't the answer you're looking for, but I highly suggest running some tests before spending money on an app.

Improve this answer
2
  • Thanks for you feedback. It is good to know what to think about regarding the technical limitations.
    – awe
    Nov 22, 2011 at 9:00
  • 1
    Remember you can get a full refund on any Android Market app within 24 hours of purchase.
    – slim
    Nov 23, 2011 at 8:22
4

(I know this post is 2 years old but I'm a Tuba player who has had this problem before so...)

I use "Soundcorset Metronome & Tuner" for my phone, but I always find that, no matter what app I use, digital tuners for low instruments like Tubas are too jumpy for me. Even some stand alone tuners do it as well.

What I found that works really well is to get a tuner that has an analog dial. Those are really smooth and work really well in the low register.

tl;dr: Get an analog tuner.

I have an expensive one from Boss, but I've seen cheaper.

Improve this answer
1

I have used a app called Pano Tuner to tune my tuba.

It's relatively easy to set up (install the app and launch), however there is one setting I change, which is "Note Order." I change this from the default "Sharp to flat" to "Flat to sharp." To me, it simply makes more sense.

(Just an FWI, the settings menu is accessed by a small button on the bottom-right corner of the screen.)

Improve this answer
1
  • To add a bit more information: It looks like Pano Tuner has had specific work done to it for bass instruments, through v1.24-5
    – Chris
    Dec 17, 2014 at 19:46

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge that you have read and understand our privacy policy and code of conduct.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.