Disclaimer

Last updated: 4 September 2026

TUNEZOID is a measuring instrument made of software, and it is worth being honest about what that means.

The reading is only as good as what reaches the microphone

Pitch detection works on the sound your device actually captures. A laptop microphone across the room, a noisy space, a fan, another instrument, or heavy compression on an input can all move the reading or stop it settling. TUNEZOID cannot tell the difference between a slightly flat string and a slightly flat recording chain.

A tuner is not a technician

If a string will not hold its pitch, or the instrument plays in tune open and sharp at the twelfth fret, the problem is the instrument rather than the tuning. Intonation, nut height, neck relief and old strings are all jobs for a person with the instrument in their hands. Nothing on this site is a substitute for a qualified luthier or repair technician.

Equal temperament is a choice

TUNEZOID tunes to twelve tone equal temperament at A440, which is what almost every tuner does and what almost every ensemble expects. It is not the only correct answer. Historical temperaments, ensembles that tune to a different reference pitch, and the small deliberate adjustments many players make by ear are all legitimate, and a tuner reading zero cents is not evidence that anything is wrong with them.

No professional advice

Everything here is offered for general information and practice. It is not professional advice of any kind, and we make no promise that any of it is suitable for a particular recording, performance or instrument.

External links and advertising

Links to other sites are offered for convenience. We do not control them and are not responsible for their content or their privacy practices. Advertisements are selected by third parties and are not endorsements.

Corrections are genuinely welcome at [email protected].