iStroboSoft vs Scale Theory
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
iStroboSoft
This application provides highly accurate tuning for musical instruments, offering professional-grade precision with a real-time strobe display. It supports various tuning modes, temperaments, and input methods, making it suitable for both acoustic and electric instruments.
- 1/10th cent accuracy
- Real-time strobe display
- Guided Mode Tuning
- 12 Temperaments with adjustable root
- Assisted Low Note Detection
- Drop/Capo mode
- Adjustable Concert A
Read full descriptionHide full description
Usage questions? ***Please contact us before posting an issue in the reviews.*** Peterson Support at info@strobosoft.com or call 708.388.3311 M-F 8am-5pm (CST) TRUSTED BY PROFESSIONALS FOR OVER 70 YEARS. ---iStroboSoft for iOS--- Peterson Strobe Tuners' popular StroboSoft tuning application for iPhone and iPad. iStroboSoft™ offers the unmatched accuracy of a mechanical strobe tuner for the highest degree of precision available in a software tuning application. Plug in and tune your electrics and acoustics quickly and easily with 1/10th cent accuracy. Peterson Tuners has offered tuning solutions for over 70 years and is the only company specializing in hardware and software tuning products for all levels of musicians. FEATURES: • Stand-by mode to reduce battery usage or freeze the display. • Guided Mode Tuning offers an alternate strobe display that slows the strobe bands one-by-one as you come closer to tune. • Speed control for strobe display; dampen the response for a longer note display. • 12 Temperaments with adjustable root control. • Display all sharps note display. • Assisted Low Note Detection (ALND) helps capture very low frequencies. • Mains hum filter option reduces the chances of the tuner latching on to 50 or 60Hz cycle hum when using a direct line-in connection or while using the app during device charging. • Smooth, real-time strobe display allows you to achieve an unmatched level of accuracy. • Note/Octave window displays the correct note and octave for the note being tuned. • Cents display allows you to see how far out of tune your note is in cent values. • Tune in auto or manual mode. • Toggle the display to show: cents, Hz, MIDI note value for the note being tuned. • Glowing flat/sharp indicators assist when tuning a note very far from the target position. • Noise filter: Use the noise filter when utilizing an external mic or clip-on tuning device to help reduce the effect of extraneous environmental noise during tuning. • Input boost: The input boost will raise all input frequencies by +24dB. • Calibration mode: iStroboSoft can be calibrated to an external source guaranteeing 1/10th cent accuracy. • Drop/Capo mode: iStroboSoft will auto-transpose notes up or down to one full octave. • Adjustable Concert A: Change the Concert A reference of the tuner to accommodate tuning to a fixed instrument, such as a piano, or tune instruments that do not utilize the typical Western A440 reference. • Full screen mode permits the strobe display to be maximized on screen to allow better viewing from a distance. • Change strobe display colors to accommodate different lighting environments or set a preferred user color for those with limited color palette recognition. Use the built-in mic on your device for tuning or connect directly via the headphone jack using an approved adaptor cable or interface. Devices without a headphone jack can connect a pickup or mic using the lightning-to-audio adaptor. Support via email at: info@strobosoft.com or call 708.388.3311 M-F 8am-5pm (CST)
Scale Theory
Read full descriptionHide full description
You know the theory. You just have to look it up. Scale Theory is a drill tool for musicians who want faster, more reliable recall — key signatures, diatonic harmony, modes, chord functions, and relative minor relationships. Not slower. Not effortful. Just known. What you'll learn: • Key signatures: sharps, flats, and which notes they are, in both directions • Relative minor keys, quizzed both ways • Diatonic triads and seventh chords in every major key — names, qualities, and notes • All seven modes: names, interval formulas, and characteristic chords • Chord functions: identify and spell the dominant seventh and half-diminished chord in any key How it works: Each topic follows a review-then-quiz loop. New items are revealed one piece at a time, so you're predicting the next step before it appears. After every few new items, a recap quiz covers everything learned so far — not just what's recent. A randomized Practice mode presents questions in mixed formats across all keys, with upcoming answers hidden so you can't read ahead. Key signatures follow circle-of-fifths order, which is how keys actually relate to each other. Who it's for: • Players who want to think faster when improvising or reading charts. • Anyone whose theory knowledge lives in their head in a slow, effortful way. • Students prepping for graded exams. This is a drill tool, not a lesson. It assumes you've encountered these concepts — it's here to make them automatic.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Scale Theory at $1.99 against iStroboSoft's $9.99. Scale Theory also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 11). iStroboSoft's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and chart position (#22 vs unranked).
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
iStroboSoft costs $9.99 and Scale Theory $1.99 up front. iStroboSoft sells 11 one-off in-app purchases. Scale Theory asks for nothing beyond the download.
| Parameter | iStroboSoft | Scale Theory |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $9.99 | $1.99 — better |
| Rating | 4.3 (298 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 76.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 298 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | — |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Best chart rank | #22 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 5 MB | 19 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Peterson Tuners | YellowDress |
Bugs and requests
iStroboSoft
Reported bugs
3 issues- App freezes or crashes on certain iOS versions
- Incorrect note detection on some instruments
- Display issues with newer iPhone/iPad models
Requested features
5 requests- Add support for more sweetened tunings and temperaments
- Improve display visibility and layout for newer devices
- Integrate with audio apps and allow routing through other apps
- Add Apple Watch app for quick tuning access
- Improve noise filtering and input sensitivity
Scale Theory
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
iStroboSoft
- Extended Frequency Modes$4.99
- Bluegrass Sweeteners$5.99
- Buzz Feiten Pack$5.99
Show 8 moreShow fewer
- Guitar & Bass Sweeteners$5.99
- Orchestral Sweeteners$5.99
- World Sweetener Pack$9.99
- Tuning Tools$9.99
- Steel Guitar Sweeteners$14.99
- Harmonic Tuning$19.99
- Keyboard Sweeteners$19.99
- Full Discounted Upgrade Pack$59.99
Scale Theory
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is iStroboSoft free?
Is Scale Theory free?
Do iStroboSoft or Scale Theory have ads?
Other comparisons















