Luthier lab

[Dave M]

This software as referenced by Munchkin looks quite useful if you are a keyboard warrior.

However how do they make their money?

The application obviously uses other people’s ideas but it does bring things together into a coherent package, and has clearly taken some programming effort.

So what’s in it for them?

I may be being a bit cynical but what is the business model? I couldn’t get any feel from the parent website.

Anyone have any thoughts

[kiwigeo]

Free apps often include advertising. I haven't seen the app so not sure if Luthier Labs app contains same. They may be data mining....

[Dave M]

Martin yes that was my first thoughts but they don’t do adverts and don’t ask for personal data. They may be doing some underhand digging.

Ah well if logging stuff on a computer is your thing it may be a useful system. I tend to be a paper and pencil operator!

Cheers Dave

PS Hope the new workshop is going well and we will be seeing some new projects going on soon.

[kiwigeo]

PS Hope the new workshop is going well and we will be seeing some new projects going on soon.

Haven't had much time in the workshop of late apart from a few hour spent opening up my Fender Strat for a much needed service. I still have loose ends to tie up with the new house and of late I've been spending two days of the week scraping paint off an old 830 class diesel locomotive. I've also gotten back into playing the classical guitar.....I studied the instrument as a teen but it got side lined when I started working.

[mike_mahar]

Hi,
I am one of the developers of Luthier Lab. There are two of us. I'd like to address some of the questions you have.

The most important thing is that Luthier Lab if free to download. There are no Ads, and we don't collect any personal data. We don't make a penny off of Luthier Lab.

What kind of business model is that? It is a terrible one. If you totaled up the time my partner and I spent on it, we would lose money if we sold a copy to every luthier in the world at $100 US. So, why do it? The answer is that I'm a retired software engineer with time on my hands and an active luthier and I want it for myself.

The history of Luthier Lab.
My partner was learning Android programming just to keep her skills current. She was looking for an application that she could take all the way from inception to release. I suggested a fret calculator and laid out what it should do and the formula for calculating fret spacing. She implemented it for Android and released it. It's still on the Play Store and it's called Fret Calculator.

At around the same time R. M. Mottola wrote an article for the GAL describing an arc and line approach to specifying guitar shapes. I thought it would be fun to write a Java program that implemented his algorithms. My partner said that Java programs are passé and that it should be an Android app.

I'm a student of Al Carruth and use his methods to measure the properties of my instruments. I was unhappy with the tone generator that I was using and decided to add one to my app. It is at this point that Luthier Lab as an idea was born. I made a list of test and design tools that I would want in a Luther Lab like app and started implementing them. I discussed with Al and other luthiers about what they would like in such and app and how they should work. I took many of their suggestions.

Luthier Lab is a classic example of "feature creep". If an idea appeals to me, I implement it. I've received many good suggestions from users as well and I'm always interested in new suggestions.

Often the first question I get when someone sees Luthier Lab is: "Does it run on an iPhone or iPad?" The answer is no. I'd have to rewrite it almost completely to port it to the iOS environment.

Luthier Lab is a big program with many features and tools. That makes it difficult for beginners to use and have a pretty high uninstall rate. much higher than I would like. We've spent quite a bit of time on the Getting Started and User's guides which can be accessed from the app itself or the Lutherlab.com website.

As I said earlier, I'm very open to suggestions and anybody on this forum who want to make one is more than welcome to do so.

[kiwigeo]

Thanks for your post Mike and welcome to the forum. I haven't used LuthierLab (still using VA) but others who have used it seem to like it. I'm sure if anyone has any suggestions for improvements to the program they will let you know.

[Bob_H]

Hi,
I am one of the developers of Luthier Lab. There are two of us. I'd like to address some of the questions you have.

Thanks Mike - I find this sort of feedback is very important, and I'm glad you became aware of the discussion and were able to clarify. May be worth including a summary of this on an "about" section on your site - I don't know about others, but I often look at why an app exists in deciding whether to install it.

[mike_mahar]

Thanks for your post Mike and welcome to the forum. I haven't used LuthierLab (still using VA) but others who have used it seem to like it. I'm sure if anyone has any suggestions for improvements to the program they will let you know.

The Spectrum analyzer in Luthier Lab is optimized for impulse excitation tests on a musical instrument. As such there are many features that are missing. But it does the bonk test very well. You just bring up the tool, set the trigger to a little bit above the ambient noise level of the room and press the record button. Then hold your phone or tablet up to the instrument and strike the saddle with your impulse hammer. The spectrum analyzer detects the sound of the bonk and records for one second and then stops. The FFT is automatically generated.
Each recording is saved in the current project and can be accessed from the list. You can delete unwanted recordings and rename them to something meaningful like "StrikeCenterSaddle" or "StrikeBassWing".

On the FFT, you can place markers at the peaks and troughs and print out a PDF of the spectrum. If you want to just capture the screen, most Android devices have a screen capture feature. It's press and hold volume down and power buttons on my devices.

[Dave M]

Mike appreciate your post and this completely allays my fears.

I think it is great that you and your partner should put in the effort and make it available.

As a student of Al Caruth we can be sure you know what you are doing.

Having only recently acquired a phone that is big enough for me read I shall take another look at the software.

Cheers Dave