How it works
- Drop a kick or 808 sample. MP3, WAV, FLAC, AIFF, OGG or M4A up to 100 MB — the sample is decoded and analyzed locally, nothing is uploaded.
- Read the detected pitch. Note name, frequency in Hz and fine offset in cents — with a heads-up if the 808 glides toward another note in its tail.
- Pick a target note, tune, download. The sample is pitch-shifted to your target at constant length, re-verified, and exported in the same format as the source.
Features
- Tuned (sic) for low drums. Detection focuses on the 28–250 Hz range where kicks and 808s live, with octave-error correction and multi-frame voting over the sustain.
- Note, Hz and cents. Not just the nearest note — you see the exact frequency and how many cents sharp or flat the sample sits, plus glide detection on sliding 808s.
- Constant-length tuning. The pitch moves, the duration doesn't — your sample keeps its groove and decay, exported in the same format as the source.
- Verified result. After tuning, the result is re-analyzed and compared to the target, so you know the shift actually landed.
FAQ
Is the kick & 808 tuner free?
Yes. Anonymous users get 5 free uses per day across AudioKit's free tools — no account needed. A use is counted when a sample is analyzed; tuning and downloading that sample afterwards is free. AudioKit Premium removes the daily limit.
Is my sample uploaded to a server?
No. The sample is decoded, analyzed and pitch-shifted entirely in your browser and never leaves your machine. The only network call is a tiny anonymous counter that tracks your daily free quota.
What note should I tune my kick or 808 to?
To the key of your track — that's the whole point of tuning drums. The usual choice is the root note of the song's key (an 808 in a track in F minor gets tuned to F), with the fifth as a common alternative when the root sits too low or too high for the sample. There's no magic universal note. Don't know your track's key? Run it through our Key finder first.
How does the pitch detection work?
The tool skips the attack transient and analyzes the sustain of the sample — the part your ear hears as the note — looking for the fundamental in the 28–250 Hz range, with octave-error correction and several analysis frames voting on the result. You get the note, the exact frequency in Hz and the offset in cents, and a warning if the pitch glides during the tail (common on sliding 808s). It needs tonal material: a snare or a noisy percussion won't give a clear pitch, and the tool says so honestly.
Does tuning change the length or the sound of my sample?
The length, no — the pitch-shift is constant-length by design, so the decay and groove stay put, and the file is exported in the same format as the source. The sound: small shifts are clean, but beyond roughly ±7 semitones artifacts can become audible — that's inherent to any pitch-shifting, and the tool warns you when you cross that range. The result is also re-analyzed after tuning so you can confirm it landed on the target note.