Pitch & Semitone Calculator
Pitch & Semitone Calculator
See how a pitch shift in semitones changes frequency ratio, playback speed and cents. For tape tricks, sampler tuning and key changes. Free and instant.
Semitone reference
| Semitones | Ratio | Speed change |
|---|---|---|
| +12 (octave up) | 2.000 | +100% |
| +7 (fifth) | 1.498 | +49.8% |
| +5 (fourth) | 1.335 | +33.5% |
| +1 (semitone) | 1.059 | +5.9% |
| -12 (octave down) | 0.500 | -50% |
Semitones, cents and tape speed
See how a pitch shift in semitones changes the frequency ratio, the playback speed percentage, and the result in cents. Useful for tape and vari-speed tricks, sampler tuning, and matching a part to a new key.
The formula
The frequency ratio for a shift is two to the power of semitones over twelve. Twelve semitones doubles the frequency (one octave) and doubles playback speed. One semitone is one hundred cents.
FAQ
How much does one semitone change speed?
About 5.9% faster going up a semitone, or 5.6% slower going down a semitone.
How many cents in a semitone?
100 cents. An octave is 1200 cents.
If I speed a sample up 100%, how much higher is it?
Doubling the speed raises the pitch by one octave (12 semitones).
Is it free?
Yes, free forever. The paid upgrade is the plugins on Meshplugins.com.
Want clean pitch shifts?
This does the math. The plugins on Meshplugins.com do the shift on your audio. Pro studio results, bedroom-friendly.
Real sauce. No fluff.