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Funda.
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Octave ×2
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Quinte ×3
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Spectrum
Spectrogram
Stability
All 3 partials of every note measured live, their stability over time, the sound spectrum, the spectrogram, the capture logbook, reference tones, everything, in one place.
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Scale builder freeThe fundamental, octave and fifth of each note are measured at the same time, the way handpan tuning requires.
Precise peak interpolation: under half a cent of calculation error across the whole handpan range.
Capture a note and find it again later: the spectrogram, the three measured partials, your markers, the instrument and the date.
Hear any frequency: a target partial, a multiple of the current note, a marker you placed, or a note from the keyboard.
Pick the ding and the scale, Kurd, Celtic, Hijaz and many more, or build your own note by note.
Hammer noise is set aside: only the resonance is measured. Adjustable, or switched off for instant detection.
Stability follows the drift of the partials second by second. The spectrum shows the note's fingerprint and keeps the trace of every peak. The spectrogram follows every frequency through time, placed by its ratio to the fundamental, ×2, ×3, ×9 and beyond.
Runs in the browser, Android, iPhone, iPad, Mac, PC. Install it like a real app if you prefer, and it works without a connection. Multilingual.
A second tool, free: build a scale note by note, hear it, see it on both shells, compare scales and export them as an image.
Open the scale builder →A handpan is not tuned like a guitar. Each tone field produces several sounds at once: the fundamental, its octave, and the fifth above that octave. These partials are hammered into the steel, and it is their relationship that gives the note its character. An ordinary chromatic tuner shows only one of them at a time.
That is the difficulty specific to the instrument: working one area of the field to adjust a partial can move the others. Tuning a handpan means looking for a balance between values that are linked to each other, note after note. What each person aims for is their own: schools of making differ, and no two instruments are alike. A tuner's job is to show where you stand, not to say what is right.
The three partials at once. Measuring them separately means changing the target note between each strike. Seeing them together gives the state of the note at a glance.
Stability while the note rings. A note can change as it rings, or oscillate between two very close pitches. A single figure does not show this: the value has to be followed over time.
The sound spectrum. It shows where the energy actually sits: which partial dominates, which fades fastest, and whether an unexpected peak appears where nothing should resonate.
The spectrogram. The spectrum shows an instant, this one shows time: you can see which frequencies last, which fade first, or what appears on one strike and not another. Each is placed by its ratio to the fundamental, ×2, ×3, ×9 and beyond, which helps spot what makers call shoulder tones.
Steel moves over time: that is its nature, and it depends on the quality of the metal and on how carefully it was stabilised. Temperature and humidity play their part. Mechanical causes add to this: a knock, a fall, a heavy object left on top. How much and how fast varies a great deal from one instrument to another.
Going out of tune does not necessarily affect all three partials in the same way. A note can look correct to a tuner that only reads the fundamental, while the octave or the fifth have moved, which is why it helps to see all three.
Do you need a special microphone? A phone or computer's built-in microphone is already enough to measure. A good external microphone remains better suited to capture the widest range of frequencies.
Can you tune your own handpan? Measuring, yes, it is useful to know where the instrument stands, and any owner can do it. Correcting is another matter: the hammer work has to be learned, and a clumsy intervention can damage the steel for good. That is the job of a tuner or a maker.
How often should you check? There is no rule: it depends on the instrument, its age and how it is played. A check is called for after a knock, or if a note starts to sound different from the others.
440 or 432 Hz? 440 Hz is the international reference, and the great majority of instruments are tuned to it. Some prefer 432 Hz, a slightly lower reference. The gap is about a third of a semitone.
How long does it take to tune a whole instrument? That depends on its condition and on the experience of the person doing it. The measuring itself is quick, a few seconds per note when the three partials appear together. It is the hammer work that takes time.
Automatic captures, kept while you work. The oldest is dropped once full.