music

Tuning Compare

Compare equal temperament and just intonation by ear, inspect Hz/cents and save WAV.

Local processing

About your filesFiles and content selected in this tool are processed in your browser and are not uploaded to a Browser Kitty backend.

Operation demo See the basic workflow in a short video.

About this tool

Tuning Compare plays the same pitches using 12-tone equal temperament, 5-limit just intonation or custom tunings. A and B use matching sound and level settings to focus on pitch differences.

Try major-third and major-triad examples, inspect frequencies and cent differences, and compare short passages from a 1–16-measure score. Export the playback as WAV.

Scores, tunings and generated audio are processed on-device. This is a tuning-comparison tool, not a DAW, full score editor or MIDI input app.

Good for

Hear how major thirds and chords differ between equal temperament and just intonation
Study pitches for singing or instruments with frequency and cents values
Compare a short melody under two tunings and save WAV
Experiment with custom ratios and save the setup as JSON

What it can do

Key capabilities available in this tool.

Compare equal temperament, 5-limit just intonation and custom tuning with matched notes, timbre and gain
Choose each tuning's reference note and frequency, plus a tonic for just intonation
Try sample major thirds, perfect fifths, major triads and a C major scale
Compare frequencies in Hz and cent differences
Edit a compact 1–16 measure score with notes, chords, rests and accidentals
Adjust custom tuning by Hz, frequency ratio or cents
Save A, B or A→B as a locally generated 16-bit mono WAV
Save and restore the score, tunings and sound settings as project JSON

How to use

Set A to equal temperament and B to 5-limit just intonation; match reference pitch and choose the tonic.
Choose a major third or major triad sample and alternate Play A / Play B.
Inspect Hz and cent differences and compare them with what you hear.
Optionally edit the short score and play it using both tunings.
With custom tuning, adjust Hz, ratios or cent values and audition the result.
Export A/B comparison audio as WAV and editable settings as project JSON.

Supported

Compare 12-tone equal temperament, tonic-based 5-limit just intonation and custom tuning.
Inspect frequency in Hz, frequency ratios and cent differences.
Examples: major third, perfect fifth, major triad, C major scale and I–IV–V–I.
Score: 1–16 measures, 3/4 or 4/4, 30–300 BPM, whole to sixteenth notes, chords and rests.
Custom tuning: edit C4–B4 directly, with other octaves derived at 2:1.
WAV: A only, B only or A→B, 44.1/48 kHz, 16-bit PCM mono.
Project JSON: save score, tuning and sound settings; import up to 1 MiB.

Limitations and notes

Not a full notation editor or DAW; no MIDI keyboard or MIDI file import.
No dotted notes, ties, tuplets, dynamics or multiple parts.
Empty horizontal space in the score is not silence; add explicit rests.
The 5-limit preset uses a chosen tonic and cannot guarantee pure chords in every key.
WAV export is limited to five minutes per tuning and an estimated 256 MiB memory budget; A→B may reach limits sooner.
Export is 16-bit mono WAV only, not MIDI, FLAC or 24-bit WAV.
Audibility depends on browser, speakers, headphones and the listener.

Frequently asked questions

How do I compare equal temperament and just intonation?

Set A to equal temperament and B to 5-limit just intonation. Match the reference pitch and tonic, then alternate the major-third or major-triad example.

Can I export a comparison WAV?

Yes. Save A, B or A→B as 44.1/48 kHz 16-bit mono WAV, within the five-minute-per-tuning and estimated 256 MiB limits.

Can I resume my score and tunings?

Yes. Project JSON stores editable settings, but not rendered audio.

Are my scores and audio uploaded?

No. Pitch calculations, editing and WAV generation run locally, while the hosted page needs an initial HTML download.

Offline version and source code

Score, tuning and WAV/project JSON data stay in the browser. The standalone HTML needs no runtime CDN, API or telemetry and sets CSP connect-src 'none'. Hosted pages require an initial HTML download.

View source on GitHub