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I have been developing an app that simulates piano tuning. With it, the user can tune and experiment with tuning a temperament virtually without touching a real piano.

The app has a graphic of a keyboard, D3 to A4, and each note can be adjusted up or down in pitch at 0.1 cent increments by clicking little coloured buttons on the keys. A table of beat rates for m3, M3, M6, P4, P5 and various octave sizes, as well as note frequencies and cents offsets, is also displayed.

Inharmonicity is incorporated into the design and is selectable and adjustable.

Any note or combination of notes can be selected by little coloured buttons on the keys and played by clicking another "play" button so that intervals can be heard while tuning. The tones produced are a composite of the first 8 partials, so beats are clearly heard when playing intervals and used to adjust the tuning as with a real piano tuning.

Other features are a de-tune button to simulate an out of tune piano to start with. The beat rates and cents offsets are also presented as plots.

The app is able to be downloaded here: Tuning Simulator Application

After downloading, click on the file to make it run. It will run on PC or Apple provided Java is installed on your computer. It is a small single runable file and safe for your computer.

Any comments will be greatly appreciated as this is a work in progress and I am keen to consider and implement any suggestions.

Looks cool (Windows). Will get back.

I have never tried tuning by listening to beats. How do I train myself to do it using your program?

Oh, Cool!!!!

I haven't tried it yet, but can't wait. I had wanted to do the same thing, but didn't quite have the expertise. THANK YOU, Chris!

Now for the technical questions. Is the effect of iH on the partials according to Young's equations or Scott's tabulated values (tunelab)?

The equation.
The B values I derived from a Steinway B from the internet. I smoothed the values by fitting an exponential curve.
The B values can be further scaled up or down to simulate a range of piano iH types from no iH progressively up to exaggerated high values.
Changing B values dynamically changes all the beat rates, but you can't alter individual B values in this version.

Chopin, try to select an interval such as a M3rd. If you listen you should be able to listen to the beats.

Sorry, obvious. My bad.

Will not open in my Windows 7 Pro 64 bit laptop.

Ian

Works with my Windows 8 64 bit laptop. Sure your Java is the latest? and it's running?

Thanks for your time and expertise on this. I'm sure or will be a good teaching tool.

Will you do a smartphone version?

Eventually. Only PC/mac desktops and laptops will run this Java platform.
I am working towards an Android version when I get the time. No plans yet for iPhones.

Wow, impressive little program! Very fun to play with! This could really contribute a lot to tuning study.

Here are a few suggestions
1. It would be helpful to be able to sustain the tones indefinitely if desired along with the ability to adjust the tuning of a note while the note is still playing. This would make it a bit more like tuning a piano.

2. It would be really handy to select notes by typing on the keyboard

3. It would be great to have buttons that would play chromatic intervals up the scale so you can hear the evenness of the temperament. Chromatic 3rds, 4ths, 5ths, and 6ths are what I listen to to test my temperament. Going down as well as up would be great.

4. the entire display doesn't quite fit on my laptop screen, so a way of adjusting the size of the display would be helpful.

Awesome work, Chris!!

Thanks Ryan for your suggestions.

1) Yes, perhaps the "play" button could be a toggle on/off and then allow changing pitch when "on". Good idea.
2) I had this is an earlier version. It got a bit cumbersome. It can be re-added. Can you suggest what computer keys could be used for which notes?
3) Another good idea. I had a programable sequence player in an earlier version (to simulate a tuning sequence) but again it was too cumbersome. Simpler fixed chromatic ascending/descending sequences from a button click is definitely coming.
4) First thing to try is to adjust the screen size from your computer screen settings. I can't make the size adjustable dynamically, but I can fix it to be smaller. However, more added functions added means more screen space required.

Hi Chris,

Thanks...this is interesting....I just dloaded it onto my windows 7 laptop...can't open it...it says it's a .rar file. I then downlaoded freeviewer which windows suggested...still cannot get it to work...any suggestions? thanks.

Is Java installed on your computer?
If not then Java runtime will need to downloaded and installed first.
It will only run with Java installed.

Thanks for the P.T.S.
Got it after downloading Java(TM)Platform SE!!

Question:
Does P.T.S works like that other program?


HW

Java was not installed...working now...thanks Chris.

What would be the most intuitive for me would be to use the top row of letters for the natural keys, and then use the number keys that would correspond to where the sharps are. So if Q were D, then, 2 would be D#, W would be E, E would be F, 4 would be F#, R would be G, 5 would be G#, T would be A, 6 would be A# etc.

Nice idea! There used to be something that I think was called a Johnston Trainer that did that in a dedicated hardware keyboard package. (Like in 1968) Anybody remember that?

Nope, not exactly. First of all, it wouldn't open because you aren't an "identified developer" which is what my general security level is set to. Then I chose "open anyway". I have Java installed but when I tried to open yours it said that it needed the complete Java Developer Kit. So . . .

I'm interested but it's not real user friendly for the Mac world yet. I'm not inclined to emcumber myself with the JDK . . .

Just FYI . . .

Thanks Keith. I need to know about any deployment issues.

It should only need a Java Runtime package which is a free download. It does not require the whole developers kit (JDK). That is only for developers.

Perhaps you need to upgrade your Runtime environment with the free download.

I only have a little old 10 year old mac, and it runs, and develops, fine. It is very friendly for Java and the file that I posted will open and run from clicking.