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Convert between cents and frequency both ways: shift a base pitch like 440 Hz by a cents offset, or measure the cents gap between two frequencies.

📘 How to Use

  1. Pick a mode, either Cents to Frequency or Frequency to Cents
  2. Enter a base frequency and cents offset, or enter the two frequencies you want to compare
  3. Read the resulting frequency or cents difference and the frequency ratio in the results panel

Cents to Frequency Calculator

Hz

Reference pitch, e.g. 440, 432 or 415 Hz

100 cents
-2400 +2400

100 cents equals one semitone

graphic_eq Results

Resulting frequency

— Hz

Frequency ratio

—

※ 1200 cents make one octave (12-TET). Frequency = base × 2^(cents/1200).

※ Cents = 1200 × log2(to ÷ from).

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Article

Cents to Frequency Calculator｜Two-Way 12-TET Pitch Math

Shift a base pitch like A4 = 440 Hz by a cents offset to get a new frequency, or measure the cents gap between two frequencies the other way. Built on 12-tone equal temperament for music production, instrument tuning, and audio work.

💡 About this tool

If you have ever needed to know "how far off 440 Hz is this sample" or "I want my synth at 435 Hz, how many cents is that," you have run into the awkward truth that cents and hertz do not add up linearly. A cent is a logarithmic unit, so you cannot just subtract one frequency from another and call it a pitch difference.

This calculator handles both directions in one place. The Cents to Frequency mode multiplies your base frequency by 2^(cents/1200) and returns the shifted frequency. The Frequency to Cents mode runs 1200 × log2(to ÷ from) to turn a raw frequency gap into a precise cents value. Either way it also shows the frequency ratio, so the same number doubles as a pitch-shift multiplier. The base frequency is not locked to 440 Hz — drop in 432 Hz, the baroque standard of 415 Hz, or any value you like.

🧐 Frequently Asked Questions

What exactly is a cent? A cent is one twelve-hundredth of an octave. One semitone equals exactly 100 cents. Because it is logarithmic, the same cents value means the same musical interval no matter how high or low you are on the keyboard.

How many cents apart are 440 Hz and 432 Hz? Feed 440 and 432 into the tool and you get roughly −31.8 cents — a little under a third of a semitone, and a gap most listeners can hear.

How small a cents difference can people actually hear? Around 5 to 10 cents is the usual threshold; trained players can pick out 5 to 6 cents, and when two tones sound in unison, even 1 to 2 cents produces audible beating.

Can I use a base frequency other than 440 Hz? Yes. The base frequency field accepts any value from 1 to 20000 Hz, so 432 Hz, baroque 415 Hz, or any custom reference all work.

What does a negative cents result mean? It means the target tone sits below the source tone. Measuring 415 Hz against 440 Hz, for example, returns a negative cents value.

📚 Why tuning standards keep moving

A440 is the modern reference, set as an international standard, but it is far from universal. The "432 Hz" camp tunes about 31.8 cents lower, and historically informed performances often use A = 415 Hz, roughly a semitone below A440, to match surviving baroque instruments. Each of those choices is just a different anchor for the exact same math: every other note still sits a fixed number of cents away from the reference. That is why a single cents-to-frequency tool covers ensembles, period instruments, and modern DAWs alike — you change the base frequency, and the relationships fall out automatically.