IrcamLab has released The Snail version 2, an advanced audio analysis and instrument tuning application for iPhone. As an analogue of the human cochlea where the different frequencies are split-up and analyzed, The Snail for iPhone uses a snail grid to visualize root note and overtone structures of an incoming sound very precisely via the integrated iPhone microphone. The Snail is based on newly developed audio technology designed to make instrument tuning easy and audio analysis musical and fun to watch.
Version 2 offers an additional guitar tuning mode that is available in the tuning view. Just tap on a dedicated string name, play a note and adjust the guitar tuning accordingly. Another major improvement is the new split window mode. Whenever a user does any adjustments to parameters they now see how the edits affect the visualization in the upper section. This works in both visualization modes. One mode is the snail grid, a complete musical overview of the audio spectrum. The other one, the tuner view, is especially designed to focus on the root note for tuning purposes. In both views there is a sine tuning oscillator available which is controlled simply by touching the desired note on the iPhone display. There are a lot of customizable parameters. No problem if a user wants to tune transposing instruments or if you need a tuning reference other than 440 Hz.
The institute for acoustic and music research (IRCAM) in Paris is responsible for the new technology of detection and visualization. It is a patented invention by Thomas Hélie, CNRS researcher at the Sciences and Technologies for Music and Sound (STMS) Laboratory (IRCAM/CNRS/UPMC/French Ministry of Culture and Communication). Berlin-based company SKYLIFE is responsible for the iOS port of this Ircam technology. The Snail is also available for Mac and PC distributed by Plugivery.
Key features:
- Precise audio analysis and instrument tuning in two modes.
- Snail view for a sophisticated visual representation of root note and overtone structures.
- Tuner view to tune instruments and to control pitches of voices and other sources.
- Fast access guitar tuning (GT) mode.
- Split window settings menu.
- Visual gain and mic gain controllers.
- Switchable auto detection.
- Touch sine tuning oscillator.
- 2 color modes: coherency index and magnitude.
- Adjustable grid range (octaves).
- Setup for transposing instruments.
- Many customizable parameters like tuning reference, frequency tracking and audio window size.
Price: 2.99$ / 2.39€ from Apple's App Store
Teaser Video
Find The Snail in the KVR Marketplace
