Almost-equal
Virtually equal temperament with barely perceptible key coloring (all offsets under 1.1 cents).
Quick Facts
- Creator
- Tunable app
- Historical Era
- Modern
- Formula Type
- cent-offsets
- Key Advantage
- Virtually equal temperament with barely perceptible key coloring (all offsets under 1.1 cents).
- Key Limitation
- Differences from equal temperament are so small they may be inaudible on most instruments.
- Typical Use
- Musicians wanting a hint of key color without leaving the comfort of near-equal tuning.
Mathematical Basis
This well temperament distributes the Pythagorean comma unevenly across the circle of fifths, giving pure or near-pure intervals in closely-related keys while making distant keys progressively more tempered.
Sound Character
Almost-equal Frequency Table — All 12 Notes at A4=440Hz
| Note | Equal Temp. (Hz) | Almost-equal (Hz) | Cents from Equal | Tunable Offset |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C4 | 261.626 | 261.747 | +0.80 | 0.8 |
| Db4 | 277.183 | 277.023 | -1.00 | -1 |
| D4 | 293.665 | 293.682 | +0.10 | 0.1 |
| Eb4 | 311.127 | 311.127 | 0.00 | 0 |
| E4 | 329.628 | 329.590 | -0.20 | -0.2 |
| F4 | 349.228 | 349.450 | +1.10 | 1.1 |
| Gb4 | 369.994 | 369.823 | -0.80 | -0.8 |
| G4 | 391.995 | 392.131 | +0.60 | 0.6 |
| Ab4 | 415.305 | 415.185 | -0.50 | -0.5 |
| A4 | 440.000 | 440.000 | 0.00 | 0 |
| Bb4 | 466.164 | 466.326 | +0.60 | 0.6 |
| B4 | 493.883 | 493.740 | -0.50 | -0.5 |
Frequencies in Hz at A4=440Hz. Positive cents = sharper than equal temperament. Negative = flatter. Formula: f = f_equal × 2(cents/1200)
Tunable Offset shows the cent values in Tunable's custom temperament format (C=0 reference). To enter this temperament manually: Settings → Tuner → Alternate Temperament → Add → enter these 12 values.
Historical Context
Almost-equal originates from the Modern era, developed by Tunable app. It was primarily used for Musicians wanting a hint of key color without leaving the comfort of near-equal tuning..
Who Uses Almost-equal Today
Tune with Almost-equal — Get Tunable.
Tunable supports Almost-equal and 17 other tuning systems including equal temperament, Pythagorean, just intonation, and well temperaments. See exact Hz values in real-time as you play.
