Mac Guitar Tuner

[bayswater]

Any good tuners for the Mac? I usually use the iOS Peterson tuner, but sometimes I don't have the phone, or there is too much background noise. I want something I can leave on the desktop and pop it up without starting a DAW to check to see if I'm at concert pitch on a guitar etc. There are dozens of free apps, but they all assume input is on channel one of the default audio device. I have these instruments on channels 4 to 8. Most are too sensitive to overtones, and don't appear to do any averaging over time. The only suitable app I came across is Strobe Tuner from NCH, shareware at $15, and it's a bit jumpy.

[stubbsonic]

Sorry, this isn't a proper answer, but I keep a couple clip-on tuners near by. I just got the TC polytune, which was kinda pricy but works on my 5 string bass.

Perhaps these are worth a look. Both have stand-alone modes and selectable inputs.

https://www.katsurashareware.com/chromatictuner/

https://www.katsurashareware.com/strobetuner/

I was going to suggest IRCAM Snail, but holy $#!+ it's $100!!

[bayswater]

Thanks. It is a proper answer. I don’t have a clip on tuner but I have a A440 tuning fork at hand and can always use that. All I need is the reference tone. I was hoping for a software alternative. I have one of the two katsura tuners and might end up keeping that after the free trial ends.

[Bobbyd]

I've been using pitchperfect for years. https://www.nch.com.au/tuner/index.html

[stubbsonic]

Circling back to my oblique reference to Snail. I must have gotten it on sale, as I wouldn't have paid for price. Weirdly, the "blobs" on screen are don't give much confidence, as you have to eyeball them being centered. There are other visuals to get you precise tuning, but I wish the Snail would evolve a bit more.

There's a piece of abandonware for Android & iOS called PitchLab which is by far the greatest tuner in the world. It boggles my mind how it could almost vanish from this earth.

[bayswater]

I've been using pitchperfect for years. https://www.nch.com.au/tuner/index.html

I think this is one of the tuners I tried that only monitors channel 1-2. I still haven’t come across anything as good as the Petersen iOS tuner.

[mikehalloran]

I still haven’t come across anything as good as the Petersen iOS tuner.

I have to agree. I still make a few bucks buying & selling instruments and use the Peterson when I set them up. Great on my iPhone but, on my iPad, the display is huge which I appreciate.

[James Steele]

I still haven’t come across anything as good as the Petersen iOS tuner.

I have to agree. I still make a few bucks buying & selling instruments and use the Peterson when I set them up. Great on my iPhone but, on my iPad, the display is huge which I appreciate.

I still have it running on an old iPad2 and for accuracy it's hard to beat. Really the best way to set intonation on a guitar when I'm not lazy. (I've done it before with a segmented TC Electronic clip on tuner, but that's in a pinch.)