String Sense

An adaptive ear for the string player.

A precision piezo pickup and AI practice coach for violin, viola, and cello — built to hear the difference between almost right and right.

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Vision

It listens the way a teacher does — not just what note, but how.

String Sense clips to the bridge without altering the instrument's voice, and reads the physical signature of a performance directly off the wood: bow onset, intonation drift, tone shape, the shape of a phrase.

Live, it stays quiet — a glance, not a distraction. After the session, it writes what a good teacher would say in the margins: the two or three things worth fixing next, pitched to where the player actually is.

Product

Two halves of one instrument

A clip-on sensor built to a luthier's tolerances, paired with a companion app that turns raw signal into practice you can use.

Hardware

The Pickup

A silicone-and-cork clamp that adapts across the bridge scale from violin to cello, with dual piezo elements and on-board DSP feeding a low-latency BLE link.

SensorDual differential piezo film
Input impedance≥ 10 MΩ
Capture24-bit / 44.1 kHz PCM
System latency≤ 50 ms end-to-end
Battery life~6.5 hrs active
Weight≤ 20 g
TouchpointMedical-grade silicone + cork
Software

The Coach

Pitch, rhythm, tone, and vibrato are analyzed on-device for instant feedback; phrasing and musicality are scored in the cloud and returned as a written session report.

IntonationCent-level deviation
RhythmOnset + rush/drag tracking
VibratoRate, depth, consistency
Tone & bowSul tasto / normale / ponticello
Level detectionAutomatic, no setup
Score alignmentOptional
Mic-only modeSupported, reduced features
How it works

From bridge to feedback

One continuous path, from the string's first vibration to a note you can practice from tomorrow.

01

Piezo pickup

Bridge-mounted, differential sensing

02

Preamp + ADC

Clean 24-bit capture on-board

03

BLE to phone

Sub-50ms link, modem-sleep tuned

04

On-device DSP

Pitch, onset, tone, vibrato

05

Live overlay

Glanceable, non-intrusive

06

Session report

Written coaching notes, post-practice

Feedback

Two speeds of listening

While you play

Lightweight signals at the edge of your vision flag drifting intonation, a rushed entrance, or a heavy bow — quickly enough to act on, quiet enough not to break concentration.

After you stop

A full written report, structured like real teacher's notes: the two or three moments that mattered most, timestamped, in language pitched to exactly where you are.

Same passage, from the session report —

Nice work today! Your G string passage was a little under pitch in a few spots — slow down there and really listen before you move your finger. You're getting closer every time.

Early access

Built for the practice room, not the pitch deck.

String Sense is in development. Leave your email and we'll write when there's something worth trying.

No spam. One email, when the pickup ships.