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AudioPhonics Guitar Tuner 3.06

We last saw the Audio Phonics guitar tuner way back at version 1.02. This was actually one of the very first articles to grace the pages of blind-summit. We now return with the latest version, a beta, 3.06. The new software looks great, performs well and has a host of new features. Perhaps the only downside is the registration aspect. Although the software is free to download and has a limitless trial, they have added a register / continue trial prompt. Having said that - a small price to pay for an excellent program.

"AP Tuner is a highly accurate and responsive instrument tuner developed for use with a computer. Care has been taken to make the software as simple and functional as possible. Even with this goal in mind there are some areas that need extra explanation and detail to use the tuner to its full potential".

Here are some of the updates, taken from the audio phonics website:

Version 3.06: Fixed a minor Windows layout issue where the user activates a window by clicking the inside of the window instead of the titlebar - the Harmonic Graph would not rise to the front of the screen.

Version 3.05: New major version.  Contains many new features, an improved tuning algorithm for low notes (below E2), the Harmonics Graph, Temperament, Stretch Tables, and much more!

Version 2.09: Now using the latest NSIS install system for the installation executable.  This makes the download size about half of the previous InstallShield Express package!  Also in this version, the XP manifest file was included which should make the application look more like the standard XP style.

Version 2.08: Included addition audio recording support for different sample rates and bit sizes.  The change should not make any real difference to the performance of the tuner, but allows sound cards that cannot record at 11KHz Mono 16-bit to choose a different recording format.

Version 2.05: Note presets can now be organized by category.  Changed the ‘Edit Preset’ dialog box to manage preset categories.  Added most common presets which is a superset of the those listed in Version 1.xx of the program.  The user can change the preset shown via the main menu.

Version 2.00: Major overhaul of the user interface and the tuning algorithm.  The more streamlined user interface now uses Windows GDI+.  The tuner algorithm went through rework and should detect notes for a more diverse set of instruments.

The main window has has a new overhaul giving it a more XP feel with shaded blue and soft round edges! The tuner needle is very smooth indeed, but at the same time - responsive,. It even works well even with cheap PC microphones. I was able (and have done since version 1.02) to get a good signal from a Logitech Pro 4000 webcam using its onboard microphone. Not exactly the best way to do things, but it just shows the versatility.

Looking at the main window, we can see a similar layout to the initial version. The signal strength meter to the left shows the input signal level from your soundcard and a similar vertical bar-graph to the right indicates the note in relation to the chosen preset group. Here shows the standard EADGBE tunings and the position of the current note, B2, in relation. The centre pane shows the main tuning needle, with the current note and the level of deviation.

As mentioned beforehand, the tuning process is very smooth indeed and currently offers better performance than either of my two physical guitar tuners that I had used previously.

A second new feature is the ability to calibrate the tuner to an exact level. "Most modern sound cards are capable of capturing audio at an accurate sample rate. In these cases, sound card calibration is not necessary and should be skipped." Although this is not really essential, it just adds to the completeness of the software.

Another new feature is the inclusion of a harmonics graph. The following text is taken from the help guide and explains this better that I ever could!

The Harmonics Graph Window is a specialized graph used to show exact frequency of each harmonic over time for the note currently being played.  Time is shown on the x-axis in seconds.  The note and cent deviation are shown on the y-axis. 

When a note played, its sound is a combination of one or more harmonics.  The first harmonic is called the fundamental.  Harmonics increase in frequency from the fundamental mostly as a integral factor of the fundamental frequency.  For example, if A2 was played at 110 Hz.  The second harmonic would be around 220 Hz, the third at 330 Hz.

Because it is useful to see all of the these harmonics superimposed on top of the fundamental, the harmonics graph shows each harmonic divided by its harmonic number.  This allows for a highly accurate visual representation of the harmonics all seen at the same time.

The left side of the window shows additional options for displaying two notes at once

The graph can be scrolled by pressing the left mouse button down on the graph area while dragging.  To move only one axis, drag in the axis portion of the window.  To zoom in and out, focus the graph window by left clicking on it and then use the mouse wheel.

To change which harmonic is highlighted, use the harmonic list of the left side, or left-click on the harmonic itself in the graph.

In summary, I cannot recommend this application enough! It can be used on a very simple level to give you EADGBE but then the ability to fine tune and alter specific features takes this tuner to a new level.

Download AP Tuner 3.06 from the audio phonics website