# Centsability — Standard Edition

Centsability is an accessible chromatic guitar tuner for Windows, designed to be fully
usable with a screen reader. It listens to your instrument through a microphone or audio
interface and tells you the note and how far off it is — visually, by speech, and with
audio cues.

This is **Centsability Standard**, the free/beta edition: the full chromatic tuner with
every accessibility option. Guided string-by-string tuning and play-by-ear reference tones
are in Centsability Premium (see the end of this guide).

## Requirements

- Windows 10 or Windows 11, 64-bit.
- A microphone, or an audio interface / line-in (e.g. a guitar through an interface).
- **Nothing to install** — it's a single file that includes everything it needs.

## Running it for the first time

1. Double-click **Centsability.exe**.
2. Because this app isn't code-signed, Windows may show a blue **"Windows protected your
   PC"** box. Click **More info**, then **Run anyway**. (You only have to do this once.)
3. If Windows asks whether the app can use your microphone, choose **Yes / Allow**.

If you get no sound detection at all, check **Settings → Privacy & security → Microphone**
in Windows and make sure **"Let desktop apps access your microphone"** is turned on.

## Choosing your input

By default it listens to your system's default recording device. To pick a specific one
(like your audio interface):

1. Open **Settings** (the Settings button, or press **Ctrl + ,**).
2. Go to the **Tuner** tab.
3. Choose your device under **Input device**.

## Tuning

1. Play a single string.
2. The big display shows the note (e.g. **E2**) and how many cents sharp or flat you are.
3. Adjust the string until it reads in tune.

You'll get feedback in whatever form you've chosen (see below): spoken note and offset,
and/or audio cues — low beeps mean flat, higher beeps mean sharp, getting faster as you
approach the note, with a chime when you're in tune.

### "Too quiet" / input threshold

There's an **Input threshold** slider on the main screen, measured in **decibels (dB)**.
It sets how loud a signal has to be before the tuner pays attention to it (so background
noise doesn't trigger it).

- If you play and hear **"Too quiet, lower the threshold"** (or a low tone), your signal is
  below the threshold — slide it **down** (more negative, e.g. toward −42 dB) or raise your
  input level.
- If it's picking up noise when you're not playing, slide it **up**.

## Feedback options (Settings → Accessibility)

- **Feedback Preference** — choose Speech and audio cues, Speech only, Audio cues only, or
  None.
- **Speech mode**:
  - *Continuous* — announces the note and offset as you play.
  - *Talking Tuner* — stays quiet while you play, then speaks the last note shortly after
    you stop (handy when the playing itself is loud).
- **Announcement interval** — how often it speaks while you hold a note.
- **In-tune tolerance** — how close (in cents) counts as "in tune."

## Display options (Settings → Accessibility)

- **Theme** — four high-contrast color schemes: black on white, white on black, blue on
  yellow, yellow on black.
- **Text size**.

## Reference pitch (Settings → Tuner)

- Set the **A4 reference** (default 440 Hz). Quick presets for 415, 432, 440, 442, 444 Hz
  are under **Common Pitch References**.

## Pausing

Press the **Pause tuning** button or **Ctrl + Space** to stop listening; press it again to
resume. Handy when you want to stop the feedback without closing the app.

## Sending feedback

This is a **beta** — feedback is especially welcome. Press the **Send feedback** button or
**Ctrl + F**. It opens the feedback form at bigsaurus.com in your browser, with the app version
and edition already filled in — just type your message and send. I read every one.

## Keyboard shortcuts

- **Ctrl + ,** — open Settings
- **Ctrl + Space** — pause / resume tuning
- **Ctrl + F** — send feedback

Everything is keyboard- and screen-reader-navigable: Tab between controls, use arrow keys
within sliders and the feedback options.

## Troubleshooting

- **No note is detected** — lower the Input threshold; confirm the right Input device is
  selected; check Windows microphone permissions (above).
- **It keeps saying "too quiet"** — your level is below the threshold; lower the threshold
  or turn up your interface/instrument.
- **No spoken feedback** — make sure your screen reader is running, and that Feedback
  Preference includes Speech.
- **SmartScreen warning** — see "Running it for the first time" above.

## Centsability Premium adds

- **Guided tuning** — pick your instrument and tuning (guitar 6/7/8-string, bass, ukulele,
  violin family, drop and down tunings, and more), then tune one string at a time. It tells
  you flat or sharp against that exact string and locks only when it's right, with optional
  hands-free advance to the next string.
- **Reference tones** — play a reference note for each string and tune by ear.

Your settings carry over automatically if you move up to Centsability Premium.

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For personal and educational use. No warranty — have fun and tune up. 🎸
