Cents & Detune Calculator
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Cents between two frequencies, or a new frequency after detuning by cents.
Frequencies or detune
Cents
+15.7 cents
440 Hz → 444 Hz
- Semitones
- 0.16
Related calculators
Cents and pitch
A cent is 1/100 of a semitone. There are 1200 cents in an octave (frequency ratio 2:1). The formula uses logarithms: cents = 1200 × log₂(f₂/f₁).
Guitar intonation, vocal tuning, and synthesizer fine-tune controls often use cents. ±5 cents is near the threshold of pitch discrimination for many listeners; ±50 cents is a quarter-tone.
Example: 440 Hz to 444 Hz is about +15.7 cents. Detuning 440 Hz by +100 cents (one semitone) gives 466.16 Hz.
Common questions
How many cents in a semitone?
100 cents equal one semitone in equal temperament. 1200 cents equal one octave.
Positive or negative cents?
Positive cents mean the second frequency is higher than the first. Negative cents mean it is lower.