iPhone App Directory

Tunable for iOS and Android arrives


A great new app from the makers of NodeBeat and NodeBeat HD.

Tunable is a new iOS and Android that helps musicians learn to play steadily, in tune, and on beat. Tunable presents a modern display for easily indicating when musicians are playing in tune. As notes are sustained, a central indicator expands, highlighting a steady and in-tune pitch. This unique “pitch history” display illustrates how effectively notes are sustained. 

The creator of the app, Seth Sandler, says, “The aim of Tunable is to help musicians clearly visualize how they're playing, so they can learn how to improve. We believe Tunable's unique pitch history display is a step towards that. Tuning isn't just about being in tune for a moment, but being able to sustain pitch over time.”

More than just a tuner, Tunable also includes a tone generator and metronome. The tone generator allows for playing or sustaining individual notes or chords and is effective for instrumentalists learning to match pitch and intonation. The metronome features a large numeric display, flashing on each downbeat as a visual pulse.

The app’s designer, Henry Jay Yu, took inspiration from IDEO's “Nelson” from “The Future of the Book” which boils the interface down to its simplest components. This is evident in the grayscale-centric interface where subtle color is used to convey meaningful visual cues.

Sandler has hoped of releasing such a tool since he began teaching music in the early 2000s. He says, “Before mobile phones, I used to take my laptop to rehearsal and show students the sound waves they were making. They probably thought I was strange, but they seemed to think it was cool being able to visualize their playing, and it ultimately helped them improve.” Sandler believes that Tunable is opening some of his earlier teaching techniques to a larger audience. He concluded by saying, “We have more plans for Tunable and are looking forward to adding additional features to aid musicians.”
With a configurable interface for beginners, intermediate, and advanced musicians, Tunable is a great addition to any musician's toolkit. 


Tunable is priced at $0.99.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Thanks for reading Palm Sounds, comments are always welcome with the exception of offensive or spurious content which will be deleted.

If you're just a hater, go somewhere else.

Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.