tuning to 432hz

    Didn't really know where abouts to put this thread so mods feel free to move if necessary. I heard about this many times but never tuned to it or thought that much about it. People would say about it and then I'd forget and hear about it again 2 years down the line and think "Damn I must try this"


    So im putting this out there, what do people think? Does it sound better? have you tried it? do you tune to this in your band?

    Quote from Raoul23

    Didn't really know where abouts to put this thread so mods feel free to move if necessary. I heard about this many times but never tuned to it or thought that much about it. People would say about it and then I'd forget and hear about it again 2 years down the line and think "Damn I must try this"


    So im putting this out there, what do people think? Does it sound better? have you tried it? do you tune to this in your band?


    Hey Raoul, I think the thing to keep in mind is that if you plan to play with other people, they will have to all use this tuning, otherwise it will sound like you're dissonant in the context of the overall music.


    That said, I know a lot of musicians who wrote songs using tunings at alternate frequency tunings. Pantera comes to mind off the top of my head.

    This is where it originated, I think.:


    Pythagorean tuning - Wikipedia


    I know most ROMplers have master-tuning parameters that can be adjusted, but I wonder about VIs. What would one do there?


    An obvious solution might be to convert one's projects after mixdown using pitch-shift algorithms, but if the standard-tuning-induced "wolf" frequencies and whatnot are already present in the mix, how could transposition after the fact restore the Pythagorean "purity" of frequency ratios?


    This does my head in. Awaiting some definitive answers before I jump ship. The Kemper would have to allow me to set the tuner to A432 as well, and then there're all those virtual instruments...

    The premise is that 432Hz somehow matches up with "natural" vibrations in the Earth, or the universe, or your body, or something. From a physics standpoint, however, it's complete hogwash:


    - Neither you or the Earth are made of a homogeneous material, so there's no single frequency that will resonate the way the theory suggests.


    - If there was, 432Hz is going to be present in so many random sounds and noises that you'd find it everywhere anyway.


    - A difference of 8Hz in that frequency range is negligible. Tuning your guitar and leaving it in a warm room for a few minutes could easily cause the strings to relax and drop down to A=432Hz, so again, it would be happening all the time.

    Yeah, I didn't mention that 'cause it's a bottomless rabbit hole, Lokasenna.


    I suspect, and it's only an intuitive observation, that the mystical speculation was bourne out of the Pythagorean 3:2 frequency ratios. The numbers are more elegant / less messy. This implies more-natural / wholesome relationships, and I reckon folks took this and ran with it well into the hyperbolic universe.

    For sure A=432 sounds great, and yes you definitely can hear the difference. To me, the sound is richer and more melodic. Although, you might not hear the difference straight away if you've never tuned to A=432 before. Maybe spend a bit of time there before you make a call on it.
    The downside is having to tune back to A=440 to play with the band.


    Yes, the Kemper will assist, just turn the chicken head knob to "TUNER", and then you can adjust the tuning frequency using the leftmost knob below the display - the one to the right of "GAIN".


    Totally agree there is a lot of hogwash out there, and I don't retune for those reasons.

    Edited once, last by leaf700 ().

    Quote from leaf700

    For sure A=432 sounds great,

    The biggest diferrence for me I would feel for my singing . Some time I wish I could adjust to 415 Hz (one halftone) ^^


    For playing with brass instruments I sometime had to use 438 Hz.
    Also with some Grand Pianos in big concert halls. Lot of classical Orchesters use this tuning. (even deeper)
    I think it has more to do with the instruments itself than the physical toneheight..
    With electric Instruments I can not hear a difference. (I have no absolute hearing)

    Some other tunings :D


    Pi-tuning 402.1Hz
    7 octaves up from Pi, this will add a very rounded and cyclical feel to your music, rather than the square 432Hz and irregular 440Hz
    Phi-tuning 414.2Hz
    8 octaves above Phi, this is a very balanced tuning, unlike the very disjointed 432Hz and 440Hz.
    Selfie Tuning
    Perhaps the most personal tuning, simply take the reciprocal of your age in seconds, and multiply it up to a sensible pitch for tuning. For example on your 21st birthday, tune to 414Hz. This results in far more subjective, present music than the materialism of 432Hz and 440Hz. Warning, this will rise, and be prepared to sing like Mariah Carey in your eighties.
    Olympic Tuning 272.2Hz
    272.2Hz is based on the frequency of the Olympic Games, this produces a more triumphant tuning than 432Hz, with a greater sense of unity than the Earth Frequency.
    Galactic Tuning 254.2Hz
    65 octaves above the age of the Milky Way, 254.2Hz is way more cosmic than the provincial 432Hz.
    Universal Tuning 338.1Hz
    67 octaves above the age of the Universe, 338.1Hz is the best tuning reference you can use, and if you don’t agree you must be some kind of Nazi.
    I’ll Be Back Tuning 332.7Hz
    At 332.7Hz this is 33 octaves above the frequency of Arnold Schwarzenegger movies/per year over the last quarter century. More powerful that 432Hz, and works well with accents.
    Bloody Cat Frequency 436.9Hz
    This is the most irritating of tuning references: 436.9Hz, a mere 21 octaves above the frequency of my cat waking everyone up in the middle night just to tell us that it’s still raining or that the carpet is in the same position on the floor.


    Long read here: http://www.miltonline.com/2014/01/07/hertz-so-good/

    A440 or A4, which has a frequency of 440 Hz, is the musical note A above middle C and serves as a general tuning standard for musical pitch.
    I also plays in a norwegian folk music band, and the Accordions is tuned to 442. I have also played with some pianos who have bin tuned higher than 440. I use a Peterson tuner who is the best of the best, and my ears bleed when it`s missmatch between instruments!


    I like to play in 440, its natural for me..

    I have been tuning to 432 Hz for cca 2 years.. I am happy with that but would like to avoid "long mathematical or spiritual discussions".. I tried it.. liked it.. and stick to it.. simple as that! for me it was more about intuition than mental decision.. :)


    you can find plenty of articles (considering all cons and pros) on web and even some book on the whole matter..


    so Raul23 try it and than you will decide on your own if to continue with 432 Hz or go back to 440 Hz...

    There really are no "pros and cons". It's tuning your A string down by 2Hz (110Hz in standard, 108Hz in A432). The tonality of a guitar changes when you tune down, sure, but A440 -> A432 is, as I said above, such a small amount that the guitar next to me is probably tuned to it right now simply because it's been a few days since I checked. You aren't getting an appreciable difference in sound or string tension.


    If you like it, great, but there simply isn't that much to it. Certainly not enough for articles or books.

    Classic stuff. :D