Setup Guide

Connecting your guitar

Three ways to get FretPilot hearing you cleanly — pick the one that matches your kit.

FretPilot listens through your iPhone, so "setup" is really just getting a clean sound into the phone. An acoustic needs nothing extra; an electric has a couple of good options. Whichever you use, finish by tapping Optimise in Audio Settings so the input is tuned to your guitar and room.

1Acoustic & classical — just the built-in mic

This is the easiest setup and needs no extra gear.

• Sit somewhere reasonably quiet.
• Rest the iPhone near the guitar — within a foot or so of the sound hole is ideal.
• Tap the play button and check the level meter responds as you play.
• Run Optimise once to set the input for your room.

2Electric through an amp

The simplest way to use an electric: play as you normally would and let the phone listen to the amp.

• Set a fairly clean tone — heavy distortion blurs the pitch and makes notes harder to detect.
• Place the iPhone near the speaker, but not so close that it distorts the mic.
• Keep the volume moderate; a clear, ringing note detects better than a loud, fuzzy one.
• Run Optimise with the amp at your playing volume.

3Electric through an audio interface

For the cleanest signal, plug straight in with an iOS-compatible audio interface (or guitar dongle).

• Connect guitar → interface → iPhone (USB-C or Lightning, using Apple's camera/USB adapter if needed).
• iOS routes the interface in automatically; FretPilot uses your phone's current input. You can confirm the input under the source picker in Audio Settings.
• Set the interface gain so notes are healthy but not clipping.
• Run Optimise to finish.

4A note on Bluetooth

5Get a clean signal

However you're connected, the Optimise button in Audio Settings is the quickest way to a reliable read: it measures your room, then sets the input gate, meter and detection confidence for you. If a note still won't register, the troubleshooting section of the FAQ walks through the rest.