# Nova Tuner — Professional Chromatic Tuner

> Professional chromatic tuner with extensive temperament support for musicians. (iPhone/iPad app by Thomas J Foster.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nova-tuner/id1589542148 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Thomas J Foster](https://appshunter.io/developer/1299823120)
- Category: Music, Utilities
- Price: $7.99 (on sale, was $9.99)
- Rating: 4.70/5 from 32 App Store ratings · 9 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 16.1 · 3 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2022-06-24
- Data updated: 2026-09-07
- Monetization: paid
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nova-tuner/id1589542148/reviews.md

## What is Nova Tuner?

Written for professionals, especially those in the field of Early Music, Nova Tuner is a fully featured, accurate, chromatic tuner with extensive temperament support.

A full demonstration of the app is on YouTube: https://youtu.be/egkAFaICdXY?si=peIM6QvGHLqXMqtD

Nova Tuner was written by professional fortepianist and harpsichordist, Thomas Foster.

MAIN FEATURES
- Sound Mode (reference pitch) and Auto Mode (detect pitch)
- Clean and simple interface
- About 30 built-in temperaments (see www.thomasfoster.org/novatuner for full list)
- Add/Create new temperaments.
- Duplicate and edit built-in temperaments
- Create profiles to quickly set pitch and temperament for frequently used settings.
- A4 pitch detector to quickly determine an instrument's pitch level.
- Quick selection of common pitch levels: 392, 415, 430, and 440 Hz (these are customizable).
- Four waveforms for audible note: Sawtooth, Square, Triangle, Sine.
- No data is collected, no internet connection is required.

INTERFACE
- All tuner information (pitch level, temperament, etc) clearly visible on main screen.
- Standard, simple iOS appearance and controls.
- Large and intuitive adjustment buttons (no fussy scroll wheels).
- Light and dark mode.
- Supports portrait and landscape orientations.
- Note names in English, German, and Neo-Latin (do, re, mi)

TEMPERAMENTS
- Temperaments can be transposed
- Add, duplicate and edit temperaments
- Favorite frequently used temperaments
- Filter by favorited and custom
- Search entire list of temperaments by name or information (creator, type, year, etc.)
- Hide unwanted temperaments so they don't appear in the list or search

SPECIFICATIONS
Transposition range: -11 to +11 semitones
Detection range: A0 to C8
Reference tone: C2 to B7
Tuning modes: Sound, Auto, Auto with Sound Back
Calibration range: A4=300-500 Hz, 0.1 Hz increments

## Key features

- Extensive built-in temperaments
- Add and create custom temperaments
- User profiles for quick settings
- Sound and Auto detection modes
- Adjustable A4 pitch detector
- Multiple waveform options
- Light and dark mode support

## Recent user reviews (9 of 9)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nova-tuner/id1589542148/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Great for harpsichord

*2026-05-08*

I own a harpsichord with four sets of strings. The piano tuning apps are overkill because they address tuning complexities that don’t come into play on the (much simpler) harpsichord. Nova Tuner has worked the best for me, after trying about half a dozen apps. Thanks for putting this out there!

### 5/5 — The only tuner app I need

*2025-08-07*

I’ve used many tuners as a guitarist who sometimes needs to just quickly grab a guitar and hammer out some practice or a melody stuck in my head. Nova Tuner has been the most accurate, simple, and feature-rich tuner I’ve ever seen on the App Store.

### 5/5 — Excellent

*2025-07-09*

I bought this to replace Cleartune, which is no longer being supported and updated. Glad I did as it's been far better! I love the easy way that you can switch through pitches and temperaments. Absolutely 5 plus starts from me, thank you!

### 5/5 — Excellent

*2024-07-01*

My preferred tuner app by far, good pitch detection, appreciate the quick selection options for pitch and temperament.

### 5/5 — Finally!

*2024-05-31*

Brilliant, wonderful, love it, thank you!

### 5/5 — Excellent

*2024-04-08*

Recommended!

### 5/5 — Excellent for historical temperaments

*2024-01-17*

I have been using the Nova Tuner app to tune my harpsichord for over a year now. The various historical temperaments included with the app are extremely accurate and follow the latest knowledge provided by temperament experts like Claudio di Veroli. I like that the source for a temperament is listed in the information given for each temperament. Also, the offset values are given to the hundredth of a cent. This provides for an extremely accurate temperament. The meter on the app is extremely sensitive. Thus, you can use the app to acutely tune the entire range of a harpsichord if you wish. I also like that you can enter your own temperament and offset values. I have used this feature to enter di Veroli’s version of “Early French (Couperin)” temperament which is a wonderful temperament to use for French music composed between 1680-1710. For those desiring historical temperaments, this app is by far the very best available to date.

### 5/5 — Well-designed and intuitive.

*2023-06-13*

Someone intelligent and creative designed this app. It’s easy to use, reliable, and perfect for tuning historic keyboards.

### 5/5 — Great app

*2022-09-29*

Very feature filled and well designed interface. 🎹

## Frequently asked questions about Nova Tuner

### What is Nova Tuner?

Nova Tuner is a professional chromatic tuner application designed for musicians. It offers extensive temperament support, custom profile creation, and a clean interface for precise instrument tuning, with no internet connection or data collection required.

### What temperaments does Nova Tuner support?

Nova Tuner includes about 30 built-in temperaments and allows users to add, create, duplicate, and edit their own custom temperaments. A full list is available at www.thomasfoster.org/novatuner.

### Can I create custom tuning profiles with Nova Tuner?

Yes, Nova Tuner allows you to create profiles to quickly set specific pitch and temperament for frequently used settings. This helps streamline your tuning process for different instruments or pieces.

### What is the detection range of Nova Tuner?

Nova Tuner can detect pitches from A0 all the way up to C8, making it suitable for a wide range of instruments. The reference tone can be set from C2 to B7.

### Does Nova Tuner have ads?

No, Nova Tuner does not contain advertisements. It is a paid application designed to provide an uninterrupted tuning experience for professionals.

### What devices is Nova Tuner available on?

Nova Tuner is available for iPhone and iPad devices. It supports both portrait and landscape orientations for user convenience.

### How often is Nova Tuner updated?

The latest version of Nova Tuner is 1.13.1, last updated on October 17, 2024. Updates typically focus on improving features and compatibility.

### What is the price of Nova Tuner?

Nova Tuner is a paid application priced at $7.99. There are no in-app purchases or subscription fees associated with its use.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.13.1 — 2024-10-17

Features:
- Added a clear profile button on the main screen.

Bug fixes:
- Fixed a navigation issue that happened when running on iOS 16.
- Fixed the wrong waveform being set on launch.

### 1.13 — 2024-10-01

- Fixed a bug where the needle in auto mode jumped around after updating to iOS 18
- Fixed some minor UI glitches introduced with iOS 18
- Minor UI updates

### 1.12 — 2024-07-30

- Minor bug fixes and UI improvements

### 1.11 — 2023-11-16

Bug Fixes:
- Fixed a problem where text fields lost focus.
- Fixed an issue where the temperament details screen would come up blank.
- Deleting temperaments or profiles by swiping on a row now works correctly.
- Fixed a problem where the audio engine did not always restart after closing and opening the app.
- Fixed a problem where the 'in tune' bar did not appear for pitches lower than ~C2

Improvements:
- Pitches are now detected as fast as possible.
- The 'Speed' setting has been replaced with 'Sensitivity': high sensitivity can now detect much quieter pitches.
- The A4 Detector has been improved, and uses a running average to provide a more accurate reading.
- Added the A4 presets picker to the profile edit screen.

### 1.0 — 2022-06-25

No release notes.

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## More apps by Thomas J Foster

- [Nova Metronome](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nova-metronome/id1378147830)
- [0xCalc](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/0xcalc/id6736621440)

All apps by Thomas J Foster: https://appshunter.io/developer/1299823120

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-07.*