How I Tune My Music to 432 Hz and 528 Hz

I get that question from time to time. I remember feeling exactly the same and asking someone else those same questions when I first discovered these frequencies.

Before we get into the settings, I’m not saying these tunings are better than 440 Hz. I personally believe the intention that goes into the music at the time of creation is even more powerful than the frequency itself.

Intention first, then frequency. I could be wrong, but that’s how I approach it.

Start With the Instrument’s Master Tuning

Whether you’re working in Ableton, Logic, Pro Tools, or another DAW, I prefer to handle the tuning inside the virtual instrument first. It’s easier when the instrument lets you change its global or master tuning.

I’m a big fan of Omnisphere. It’s in all of my music, and it was essentially the entire sound of Urban Metta, Vol. 1 and Urban Metta, Vol. 2. I believe it also makes up a huge portion of Fields of Light and Geometric Moods.

In Omnisphere, you can change the master tuning from the default of 440 Hz to 432 Hz. That changes the tuning reference for the instrument, rather than requiring you to adjust each sound individually.

That’s the easy part. If I’m working with several virtual instruments, I make sure each one is tuned to the same reference.

What About 528 Hz?

This is where the distinction matters: 432 Hz usually refers to tuning A4 to 432 Hz. For the 528 Hz approach I’m describing, the target is C5—not A.

Setting the instrument’s master tuning to A = 444 Hz puts C5 at approximately 528.01 Hz in equal temperament. So 444 Hz is the practical master-tuning setting here, rather than entering 528 Hz into the same control.

Here’s the short reference:

These cents adjustments are relative to standard A = 440 Hz tuning. If the instrument only accepts whole cents, approximately −32 or +16 will get you close.

If a virtual instrument doesn’t have a master-tuning control in hertz, I use its fine-tuning control in cents instead.

Check the Tuning

I also keep a pure tone in the session at whatever frequency I’m working with—432 Hz, 528 Hz, or another frequency. Sometimes I weave that tone into the music, but not always. I also use it as a reference.

After tuning an instrument, I play the matching note against that tone: A4 for 432 Hz, or C5 for 528 Hz. I want to hear how they sit together.

In Ableton, I also use the Tuner device as a visual check. For A = 432 Hz, I set its reference to 432 Hz and play an A. For the C ≈ 528 Hz approach, I use an A = 444 Hz reference and check the matching notes.

That’s really it. Change the instrument’s master tuning when you can, use cents when you need to, and check the result.

That’s the most straightforward way I’ve found to work with these tunings while writing the music.

Explore the Music

If you’d like to listen, explore my 432 Hz playlist or 528 Hz playlist.

Keep Reading

• How I Create Movement in Music Without a Beat

All articles