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Strobe tuner for violin, viola and cello (Tine)
Tine is a tuner with a software strobe that resolves 0.1 cent, string profiles for violin, viola and cello, and a drone that plays pure intervals so you can tune and practice intonation in one app. The tuner, strobe, metronome and drone are free, with no ads and no account.
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Free on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch, and in any browser with nothing to install.
Quick facts
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is it? | A tuner, metronome and drone app. The strobe is a software strobe: the signal is mixed against the target note and the phase is tracked, so the bands move at your error, like a spinning disc. |
| Strobe resolution | 0.1 cent. |
| Instruments with string profiles | Violin, viola, cello and double bass, plus guitar, bass, ukulele, banjo, mandolin, oud and Highland pipes. Any other instrument works in chromatic mode. |
| Reference pitch | Adjustable from A = 380 to 500 Hz, with presets such as 415 (Baroque) and 442 (orchestral), plus historical temperaments. |
| Drone | Any key, root, fifth, major or minor, in pure 3:2 fifths and 5:4 thirds or equal temperament; organ, strings, reed and pure tones. |
| Strings Practice | Scales, arpeggios and long tones in first position for violin, viola and cello, with finger numbers, bowings and slurs. Notes are judged one by one against the drone. The D major scale is free; the rest is part of Tine Pro. |
| Price | Tuning, strobe, metronome, drone, setlists and the Apple Watch app are free. Tine Pro is a one-time purchase of $19.99 (Family Sharing, no subscription). |
| Platforms | iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch (App Store); any browser at sviewstudios.com/tine/play/; Android as a free APK download from sviewstudios.com/tine/android/ (not on Google Play). |
| Privacy | No ads, no account. Audio is analyzed on your device and never leaves it. Anonymous usage totals only, which you can switch off in Settings. |
Why a strobe for strings
On a bowed instrument the pitch moves while you play it, so a needle that jumps around is hard to trust. A strobe shows the error as motion: when the bands stand still, the string is on the note. Tine also smooths the reading on a held note and follows the peg as soon as you turn it, and it gives bowed, blown and sung notes a fairer in-tune window.
Who Tine is for
- Students and teachers who want one free app to tune, keep time and practice against a drone.
- Players who want a strobe-style display and a scale that magnifies the center, so small turns of a fine tuner move the needle.
- Anyone who wants no ads and no account, and a tuner that also works in a browser or on a watch.
- Violin, viola and cello players who want scales judged against pure intervals, so thirds and sixths sit where they ring (equal temperament is an option).
Who should pick something else
- If you want a clip-on or hardware tuner that works without a phone, a dedicated device is the better fit.
- If you need a full teaching platform with assigned lessons, repertoire and a teacher dashboard, Tine is not that: Strings Practice covers scales, arpeggios and long tones in first position.
- If you want everything unlocked for a few dollars, note that Tine Pro is $19.99. The free version is complete for tuning, but the trainers, full practice history, premium skins and most of Strings Practice need Pro.
How to tune a violin, viola or cello with Tine
- Open Tine and choose your instrument from the string profiles (or chromatic mode).
- Play one open string. The strobe bands drift one way if the string is flat and the other if it is sharp; an optional bell and tick tell you when it locks in.
- Turn the peg for large changes and the fine tuner for small ones. Tine warns before you tighten a string an octave too high.
- Switch on the drone for the key you are about to play to check your intervals by ear.
Questions
Is there a free strobe tuner for violin, viola and cello?
Yes. Tine's tuner, software strobe, metronome and drone are free, with no ads and no account. It has string profiles for violin, viola and cello, and works in chromatic mode for anything else.
Is it a real strobe?
It is a software strobe, not a hardware disc. The signal is mixed against the target note and the phase is tracked, so the bands move at exactly your error, with 0.1 cent resolution.
What does Tine Pro add?
The tempo and gap trainers, full practice history with CSV export, seven premium skins and the full Strings Practice library beyond the free D major scale. It is a one-time $19.99 purchase with Family Sharing, and nothing that is free moves behind it.
Can I use it without installing anything?
Yes. The tuner, strobe, metronome and drone run in any browser at sviewstudios.com/tine/play/.
Is it available on Android?
Tine for Android is a free APK download from sviewstudios.com/tine/android/. It is not on Google Play, and Pro on Android is sold through a web checkout.
Does it listen to me or send my audio anywhere?
Audio is analyzed on your device and never leaves it. Tine counts anonymous feature totals, with no name, account, device ID or location, and you can turn that off in Settings.
Features and prices are taken from the Tine page and its App Store listing and can change; check the listing for the current price. Tine is made by South View Studios.