Strobe Tuner · Guitar tuner for Mac

Pluck a string.
Watch it stop.

The rings turn one way when you are sharp and the other when you are flat, and slow to a stop as you reach pitch. A native Mac tuner that listens through the interface you already record with.

See how it reads

One-time purchase · No subscription
Requires macOS 15+ · Apple Silicon & Intel

A guitar being tuned, string by string. Unmute to hear it.

01 / Read it

Direction says which way. Speed says how far.

The rings turn toward the correction you need and slow down as you close in on the note.

Strobe Tuner reading D3 at 19.4 cents flat, with the marker left of centre and the message Flat, tighten string
↺ Counterclockwise

Flat

Tighten the string. The rings slow as you get closer.

Strobe Tuner reading E2 at 0.0 cents with the marker centred and the In tune indicator lit
● At rest

In tune

The rings settle and the in-tune light comes on once the note holds inside your window.

Strobe Tuner reading D3 at 10.6 cents sharp, with the marker right of centre and the message Sharp, loosen string
↻ Clockwise

Sharp

Loosen the string until the rings come to rest.

Strobe Tuner string list in standard tuning with the A string highlighted as the detected string, under the Guitar and Chromatic switch and the tuning menu
Standard tuning, with the A string picked out automatically.

02 / Tune

By string, or by note.

Guitar mode knows your tuning and finds the string you played. Chromatic mode follows the nearest note.

Automatic or locked

Play any string and the tuner picks its target. Click a string to lock it while you restring or make a big change.

Seven tunings

Standard, Drop D, DADGAD, Open G, Open D, half step down and seven-string standard.

Your A4, your tolerance

Set A4 anywhere from 390 to 490 Hz, and choose an in-tune window of ±2, ±1, ±0.5 or ±0.1 cents.

03 / Listen

Works with the input you already use.

Tune through the built-in microphone, or straight from the channel your guitar is plugged into.

Strobe Tuner showing detected and target pitch of 82.41 Hz, reference A 440.0, and an audio interface on input channel 9 at 48 kHz with a level meter
The input in use, its sample rate and channel, and a live level meter.
DEVICE

Any Core Audio input

Pick the device and the channel in Settings. Your choice is remembered, and the Mac's system input is left alone.

LEVEL

A gate for quiet rooms

Set the noise gate to suit your signal. If a note is too quiet to read, the tuner says so.

PRIVATE

Nothing leaves your Mac

Audio is analyzed as it arrives and never saved. The app makes no network requests.

Pricing & license

A tuner that stays on your Mac.

One payment covers the app and every feature on this page.

One payment of $9.99. No subscription, yours forever.

  • Runs on macOS 15 or newer, Apple Silicon and Intel.
  • Signed and notarized by Apple. No account, no network access.
  • Secure checkout by Stripe with Apple Pay, Google Pay or card. Your download link and license key arrive by email right after payment.
Purchase terms

Questions

Strobe Tuner questions, answered.

Setup, tunings, precision and what happens after you buy.

Can I tune a guitar through an audio interface on a Mac?

Yes. Strobe Tuner lets you choose any connected Core Audio input in Settings, then pick the channel your guitar is plugged into. It reads that device directly and leaves your Mac's system input setting alone. The built-in microphone works too.

How does a strobe tuner show pitch?

Rings rotate clockwise when the note is sharp and counterclockwise when it is flat, and slow down as you approach the target. When they come to rest you are in tune. Strobe Tuner also shows the offset in cents and the detected and target frequencies in Hz.

How precise is Strobe Tuner?

Pitch is displayed to a tenth of a cent, and you choose how close counts as in tune: ±2, ±1, ±0.5 or ±0.1 cents. That window is your tolerance, not a hardware accuracy rating. What you measure also depends on your interface, your microphone and the string itself.

Which guitar tunings does Strobe Tuner include?

Standard, Drop D, DADGAD, Open G, Open D, half step down and seven-string standard. Chromatic mode follows the nearest note for any other tuning, and the A4 reference can be set from 390 to 490 Hz.

Does Strobe Tuner work for bass or other instruments?

Chromatic mode follows any single note between 45 Hz and 1400 Hz, which covers guitar and many other instruments. The low E of a four-string bass (41 Hz) is below that range.

Which Macs does Strobe Tuner run on?

Any Mac running macOS 15 or newer, Apple Silicon or Intel. The app is signed and notarized by Apple.

Does Strobe Tuner record or upload my audio?

No. The app asks for microphone access so it can hear your instrument. Audio is analyzed on your Mac and is never saved or sent anywhere. The app makes no network requests.

Is Strobe Tuner a one-time purchase?

Yes. Pay once for a perpetual license, with no subscription.

What do I get after buying Strobe Tuner?

A download link and a license key arrive by email. Open the DMG and drag Strobe Tuner into Applications. The key is your proof of purchase; the app has nothing to unlock. For a missing email, check spam or contact support@dordsp.com.

Is there an iPhone or Windows version of Strobe Tuner?

No. This purchase is the Mac app.

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