Piano EffectDetect the keyboard effects in any song
Hold your phone near the song and Piano Effect tells you which keyboards are playing and which effects they use, with measured values. Then play it yourself through the same chain.
Android: get it on Google Play
What it does
- Listens for 10, 20 or 30 seconds and freezes a verdict: every keyboard it found, its timbre family (piano, Rhodes, Wurlitzer, Hammond organ, FM, synth, strings) and its register.
- Measures the effect chain: Tremolo, Vibrato, Chorus, Flanger, Phaser, Leslie, Delay, Reverb, Drive, Compression, Detune. With LFO rate, delay time, reverb tail… and their error margins.
- Play it yourself: on-screen keyboard with that chain, knobs to tweak it, and your sounds saved with song and artist.
- MIDI keyboards and Roland JUNO-DS: play it with your hands; with a JUNO-DS, the app makes the keyboard itself sound.
- A library of sounds by genre: Salsa, Cumbia, Bachata, Merengue, Banda, Norteño, Grupero, Duranguense, Tejano, Bolero, Ballad, Piano blues, Jazz, Bossa nova, Gospel, Neo soul, Worship, 80s pop, Pop, Rock, Reggaeton, Funk, Lo-fi and Synthwave.
- Private: all analysis happens on the device. Five languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, German and Japanese.
Numbers with error bars, not guesses
"RT60 1.8 ± 0.6 s" tells the truth; a bare "1.8 s" would be a claim the engine has not earned. Each effect carries a badge — sure, likely, doubtful — and below doubtful it is not reported. When something cannot be measured with a microphone over the mix, the app says so.
Keyboard sound recipes by genre
Looking for the neo soul Rhodes, the synthwave lead, the gospel organ or the worship pad? Each recipe gives the timbre, the effects with their values and which sound to use on a JUNO-DS.
See all 41 keyboard sounds by genre →
How to recognise each effect by ear
Tremolo or vibrato, chorus or flanger, phaser or Leslie: guide to keyboard effects, with typical values and what the app measures.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an app that tells you what effects are on the keyboard in a song?
Yes: Piano Effect. Hold your iPhone near the song, tap "Scan" and in 10–30 seconds it tells you which keyboards are playing, their timbre family (piano, Rhodes, Wurlitzer, organ, FM, synth) and the effect chain with its measured parameters.
Which effects does it detect?
Tremolo, vibrato, chorus, flanger, phaser, Leslie, delay, reverb, drive, compression and detune. Every measurement comes with its error margin and a confidence level.
Does it work with any song?
It works best when the keyboard is clearly audible. A microphone over a full mix has limits — for example, a long-delay chorus over low notes — and the app explains them in its "Limits" tab instead of making things up.
How do I get the keyboard sound of a genre or a song?
The app ships 41 sound recipes by genre, with the timbre and the effects with their values. They are all on this site too: keyboard sounds by genre.
Does it work with my Roland JUNO-DS or a MIDI keyboard?
Yes. Plug any MIDI keyboard in over USB and play it through the measured effect chain, with velocity, sustain pedal and knobs. With a JUNO-DS the app loads the keyboard's own sound by number and writes the effects into it. Which JUNO-DS sound to use for each genre.
Is it free? Does it record my audio?
It is free, with ads that never show during a scan; Piano Effect Pro removes them with a one-time purchase. All analysis happens on the phone: your audio is never recorded or sent anywhere.
Is there an Android version?
Yes: it is on Google Play for Android 8 or later, as well as the App Store for iPhone and iPad.