Kushview releases ReTuner, a FREE tuning conversion plugin

Kushview is the developer behind the recent DuckDuck and Goose one-knob dynamics plugins, and ReTuner is the latest addition to their catalog.

ReTuner is a free and open-source pitch-shifting plugin for music tuning conversion.

The ReTuner plugin is available in AU, VST3, CLAP, LV2, and Standalone formats for macOS, Windows, and Linux.

You can download the relevant installer from the Kushview website after submitting a few details, and find more information on the ReTuner project on GitHub.

ReTuner is as straightforward to use as it comes.

The simple interface features a built-in music player that allows you to load your own audio.

Once you’ve loaded some music, you can adjust your Source and Target settings.

The Source is the current tuning of A4, and the target is the desired tuning of A4 after the conversion.

Both the Source and Target controls are freely adjustable between 380 Hz and 460 Hz, but you also have factory presets for common conversions, such as Modern (A4 = 440 Hz) to Verdi (A4 = 432 Hz).

The available preset tuning standards are:

ReTuner aims to deliver artifact-free pitch shifting while maintaining audio character, and it does a pretty good job. I’ve had fairly solid results so far, albeit not absolutely perfect; I encountered the odd slight skip or distortion.

The issues were minimal, and the project will continue to improve.

The big question is: where and when would you use it?

I know I’m not alone when I say that, as much as I love One Week by Barenaked Ladies, it should have been in baroque tuning; they really missed a trick.

Joking aside, we have some obvious use cases for various eras of classical music. I know when the most ardent purists insist on Verdi tuning, it can seem like musical snobbery (and sometimes it is, sadly), but there is a difference in emotion and intent in the right context.

The difference is even more distinct when you feel that big drop from modern to baroque.

In more contemporary terms, tuning impacts the energy, and being able to freely experiment outside of the presets is pretty interesting.

Kushview suggests wellness content creators as potential ReTuner users, and that’s a great call.

As time marches on, don’t forget to grab iZotope’s Insight 2 for free at Plugin Boutique before the offer expires at the end of the month.