Howtosignalprocessing
Are clip on tuners reliable?
Clip-On Tuner
These tuners can be fairly accurate, though cheaper clip-on tuners aren't as good in loud and noisy environments. This is because the neck will pick up vibrations from other instruments, like bass and drums. But for ease-of-use, it doesn't get much better.
Are clip tuners more accurate than apps?
A dedicated, clip-on tuner is preferable to a tuning app because it measures the direct resonant frequency produced by the vibration of a string. Conversely, a tuner app estimates the frequency using the onboard microphone in a smartphone or tablet.
