Grooved
Hardware
turntable calibration app
SHOW HN2024
452points
227comments
#87of 3,515 in 2024
Top 3%of 2024 by points
How HN took it
MixedNo clear lean
24 positive, 45 neutral or asking, 7 mixed, 22 critical, out of 98 comments about the project. Thread score +0.06.
Idea: 2 for, 8 againstExecution: 0 for, 6 againstPerformance: 2 for, 3 againstDocs: 3 for, 2 againstDesign: 2 for, 1 against
The thread, comment by comment
Each row is a top-level comment and its replies, in HN's order. Select a cell to open that comment on HN.
positive neutral or mixed critical about another commenter or something else the maker
What HN said
What people liked
Clever, simple idea that works by listening to any record
From 3 comments
This seems really clever -- kudos! I'm curious how it actually works? At first I assumed you were comparing the vinyl track to the reference digital track from some streaming…
crazygringo on HNWhat a perfectly simple app! Going to try this out with my Technics SL1200 mk2 tonight. Thanks for sharing. P.S. Reading comments from a bunch of tech folks trying to wrap their…
gcp123 on HNWow really cool! I am going to be setting up my SL-1200 soon and I can't wait to test it out with this app.
whynotkeithberg on HN
Copy and intro are charming and funny
From 2 comments
I'm just here to say that I enjoyed that intro you gave to the website, and although I hate unitaskers in the kitchen, that intro helped to remind me of the magical wonder of…
gaudystead on HNGreat copywriting. It's very rare that I read an entire paragraph without skipping a word.
tirthd on HN
Objections
Relies on song recognition; may misjudge speed for non-musical or drum-only or 45 rpm tracks
From 2 comments
This is cool although it very confidently asserted that a 45 rpm 12” single was a perfect! 33 1/3 rpm. Which suggests this is using song recognition and not discovering some…
drewbeck on HNI've tried this on a dozen or so records and all I get is "Please made sure your device can hear the music, and that you're using a modern song with a clearly defined beat."…
dmd on HN
Results inconsistent with Spotify playback and accelerometer apps; less precise than accelerometer
From 3 comments
So this is super cool but i am questioning its reliability after playing a song from Spotify on my Sonos and then letting the app listen: the result was 0.1% too slow? I guess…
verelo on HNGreat! In the past I've used the app that measures the turntable speed through its accelerometer...it's somewhat uncomfortable and weird to set the mobile on the turntable, start…
virskyfan on HNI'm gonna be honest, using the accelerometer will definitely be more accurate because you can take more samples over a longer period of time. That's how this project started, but…
okatbest on HN
Website copy is too long and hides what the app does; store links did not work for some
From 2 comments
Strongly recommend updating your website to lead with some variation of "This is an offline iPhone app to help you calibrate your turntable's speed, all you need to do is play…
peter_l_downs on HNLooks amazing and useful for me! The links don’t take me to the app store on my iphone and the app name is not in the heading I need to scroll past the copy to find what to…
plastic3169 on HN
Requests
Android version
From 2 comments
- The maker's post
Well I have been developing native apps for both for over a decade, and I don't think either is particularly more difficult than the other. What it came down to is that I use an…
okatbest on HN
Open source version, including for Windows or Linux
From 1 comment
This is a neat idea. I don't know why it needs to be an app on a phone though. I guess you "know" a phone has a microphone and the setup is minimal and you have a api for…
miah_ on HN
Questions
How accurate is it and how does it work
From 3 comments
This seems really clever -- kudos! I'm curious how it actually works? At first I assumed you were comparing the vinyl track to the reference digital track from some streaming…
crazygringo on HNDoes it rely on the fact that music has a concept of notes with well-defined frequencies and that there is no such thing as 216 Hz (must be 207.6 or 220 Hz) when the music is…
patrakov on HNSo this is super cool but i am questioning its reliability after playing a song from Spotify on my Sonos and then letting the app listen: the result was 0.1% too slow? I guess…
verelo on HN
Does it handle wow and flutter or off-center records
From 2 comments
This just tells you the speed, not the variation in speed over time?
shiandow on HNSo is this just a test to see if it's playing records at the right speed? Does it do anything else? Is it comparing it to a known-good recording of the song or is it measuring…
chriscjcj on HN
Alternatives named
Accelerometer apps where the phone sits on the platter
From 2 comments
You can get apps where you place your phone on the turn table and it directly measures the turntable speed using either gyroscope or compass…
thekegsi on HNI've used to use an app (there are many) which measures angular velocity using accelerometer and displays RPM (you place the phone on the turntable). I can't see why would anyone…
shudza on HN
Built-in strobe lights on turntables
From 2 comments
I'm skeptical; you have no idea whether a random song from a record player is in tune or not, without a reference copy of that song from digital media. Is this zeroing in on…
kazinator on HNAll the turntables in my life as a kid had built-in calibration, in the form of four rows of repeating black/silver squares on the side of the wheel, a light flickering at the…
egypturnash on HN