Guitar and bass pitch-detection setup - Riffonic

Test and calibrate note detection with your guitar connected by cable to an audio interface — accuracy and response latency.

Riffonic is an interactive platform for learning guitar and bass, creating tabs and riffs, and training rhythm, chords, and technique directly in the browser.

What pitch-detection setup is for

This page helps you check how Riffonic receives guitar or bass audio through an audio interface (sound card) connected by cable - the main and most accurate way; microphone input is not the main mode yet and is still being tested. Choose an instrument, input source, channel, and gain; view the incoming level; and test note detection. It is not a playing lesson. Use this screen to confirm that audio reaches the app cleanly and the trainer can identify the notes you play.

Detection depends on the instrument, connection, signal level, and surrounding noise. Select the instrument and input method first, connect it, then play a few separate notes. If the meter does not react, check the browser's audio-input permission (browsers call it “microphone”) and the selected device. If the signal is weak or unclear, try another input or adjust the preamp gradually.

Choose an instrument and audio source

Switch between six-string guitar and four-string bass; the selection changes the range and open-string set used by the tuner. For a cable or audio interface, choose the correct device and input channel. If the interface exposes stereo inputs, select the channel that actually carries the instrument signal.

Cable connection gives the best result: guitar, cable, and audio interface. Check the cable, the device gain, and the browser input, and pick the source with the cleanest, most stable signal. If you try a microphone (an experimental mode with lower accuracy), remember that it hears the room as well as the strings, so background noise and reflections can interfere; move the instrument closer and reduce other sounds.

Signal level and troubleshooting noise

The level bar shows whether audio is arriving. If it stays near zero, check the physical connection, input channel, and interface preamp. Riffonic's preamp slider boosts the incoming signal for analysis, but it cannot fix a bad connection, clipping, or background noise. Adjust it in small steps and play a note again after each change.

If the level is healthy but pitch confidence is low, noise, electrical hum, or ringing strings may be the cause. Mute the other strings and play one clean note with a clear attack. Check that unnecessary audio processing is off and avoid clipping. A stable signal is more useful than a loud but distorted input.

Check notes and use the tuner

The built-in tuner checks a selected open string: choose the string and pluck it on its own. The display shows the detected note, target note, and deviation in cents, with guidance to tune up or down. When the pitch falls within the accuracy range, the screen says the string is in tune. Keep neighbouring strings muted for a reliable reading.

Recent notes help you see what the system detected: pitch, string and fret, plus timing offset when available. This is diagnostic information, not an independent score of your performance. If readings jump around, check the instrument tuning, picking consistency, and signal clarity, then try the note again after a short pause.

Calibrate input latency

An audio interface, driver, and buffer size can add delay between a played note and its detection. Calibration estimates this input latency so timing measurements in supported exercises can be corrected. Connect the instrument, press Calibrate, wait through the count-in, and play any note exactly on the metronome clicks until the system collects enough hits.

A successful correction is saved and applied to timing measurements; your hit spread is also shown. If no hits arrive or they are too inconsistent, no result is saved. Check the input and try again with steadier timing. Calibration does not make the audio device faster or replace a metronome. If you change interface, channel, or buffer settings, calibrate again; you can reset the correction when needed.