TIGHT FIVE

A NOTE FROM ERIC

GETTING STARTED

Installation

Tight Five is available on the App Store for iPhone and iPad. Download it, open it, and you're ready to go. No accounts, no sign-up, no cloud sync to configure. Everything runs locally on your device.

First Launch

When you open the app for the first time, you'll land on the Setup Screen. The default preset is set to 5 minutes — the classic tight five. You can start practising immediately by tapping START SET, or take a moment to explore the time presets and display modes first.

System Requirements

• Platform: iOS (iPhone and iPad)
• Storage: Minimal — the app is lightweight
• Internet: Not required after installation
• Audio: Optional but recommended — the stage atmosphere sounds make the experience

CORE CONCEPTS

The Stage Simulation

Tight Five doesn't just time your set. It simulates a stage experience. When you hit Start, the app enters immersive mode: your screen goes to maximum brightness, the phone stays awake, and system UI elements disappear. Your phone becomes a stage light — and you're on.

The Light System

Every comedy club uses some version of a traffic light system to manage performers' time. Tight Five replicates this with three phases:

• Green — You're good. Keep going. The stage is yours.
• Amber (Yellow) — Heads up. You're approaching your time limit. Start thinking about your closer.
• Red — Time's up. Wrap it up. If you keep going, the overtime timer kicks in.

The Performance State Machine

Under the hood, Tight Five runs through a clear sequence of states for each practice session:

Sessions

Every time you complete a set (and choose to save it), Tight Five records a session. A session captures: the preset used, your target duration, your actual duration, whether you went over or under, the time difference, and any notes you add. Over time, your session history becomes a log of your timing improvement.

THE SETUP SCREEN

The Setup Screen — your backstage area

The Setup Screen is your home base. Every session starts here. It's designed to be fast — pick your time, toggle your preferences, and go.

Time Presets

The preset grid shows six built-in time slots, covering the most common comedy set lengths:

Tap any preset to select it. The selected preset is highlighted with a purple glow. Below the grid, the timing details show exactly when the amber warning will trigger for the selected preset.

Audio & Haptic Toggles

Two quick-access toggles let you enable or disable feedback without going into Settings:

• Audio — Toggles the full stage atmosphere: crowd murmur, MC intro, applause, warning tones, overtime music, and closing applause. Turn it off for silent practice.
• Haptic — Toggles haptic feedback (vibration) on light changes. A medium double-tap at amber, a heavy single tap at red. Useful when you can't look at the screen.

Display Mode Selector

A segmented control lets you choose between three display modes: Full Screen, Border, and Traffic Light. See Section 6: Display Modes for detailed descriptions of each.

Start Set Button

The big green START SET button at the bottom launches you into the Performance Screen. Once you tap it, the countdown begins. There's no going back — just like a real gig.

Navigation

Two icons in the top bar give you access to the rest of the app:

• History (clock icon, top-left) — Opens your session history
• Settings (gear icon, top-right) — Opens the full settings screen

THE PERFORMANCE SCREEN

The Performance Screen in green phase — you're on

This is the heart of Tight Five. When you enter the Performance Screen, your phone transforms into a stage light. The app takes full control of the screen: maximum brightness, wake lock (the screen won't go to sleep), and full-screen immersive mode (status bar and navigation bar disappear).

The Countdown

When you first enter the Performance Screen, a 3-second countdown appears: 3... 2... 1... followed by GO! Each number scales in with a clean animation. This gives you a moment to get into character, take a breath, and get ready. Just like waiting in the wings.

The Intro Sequence

After the countdown, the app enters the intro state. If audio is enabled, you'll hear:

1. Crowd murmur fades in — the low hum of a comedy club audience
2. MC introduction plays — you're being brought on stage
3. Applause plays — the crowd is welcoming you
4. The crowd fades out, leaving you in the spotlight

During the intro, the screen shows "Get Ready..." with a loading indicator. Once the intro sequence finishes, the timer starts and you're performing.

Light Phase Changes

As the timer runs, the display changes colour to indicate how much time you have left:

• Green phase — From the start until 60 seconds before your set time. Relax and deliver.
• Amber phase — Triggers 60 seconds before the end. You'll get a haptic double-tap (if enabled) and a yellow warning tone (if audio is on). Start heading towards your closer.
• Red phase — You've hit your set time. A heavy haptic impact fires and a red warning tone plays. This is "wrap it up" territory.

Amber phase — 60 seconds to go, start wrapping up

Overtime

If you keep going past the red light, the app enters overtime mode. The display starts pulsing red — a breathing animation that gets your attention without being aggressive. The timer switches to showing your overtime: +00:15, +00:30, and so on.

If you hit 30 seconds of overtime, the play-off music kicks in — just like a real club would start playing you off stage. This is the app's way of saying "you really need to wrap it up now, mate."

Red phase — time's up, the pressure is on

Ending Your Set

To end your set, tap the TAP TO END SET zone at the very bottom of the screen (the bottom 15%). This text appears as a subtle, low-opacity label — it won't distract you during your performance, but it's there when you need it.

Time Display Options

During your performance, the time display adapts to your preference (set in Settings):

• Hidden — No time shown at all. Pure colour wash. Train your internal clock.
• Subtle — Time appears at the bottom of the screen in low opacity. There if you glance down, but not in your face.
• Prominent — Large, bold time in the centre of the screen. For when you want to see exactly where you are.

Countdown vs Count-up Mode

By default, the timer counts up from 00:00 (count-up mode). If you prefer to see how much time you have left, enable Countdown Mode in Settings. The timer will start at your set time (e.g. 05:00) and count down to 00:00. Once you hit overtime, it switches to showing a + prefix (e.g. +00:15).

DISPLAY MODES

Tight Five offers three different ways to show the light cues on your screen. Each is designed for a different practice environment. You can switch between them on the Setup Screen or in Settings.

Full Screen Mode

The entire screen fills with a solid colour — green, amber, or red — based on the current phase. Transitions between colours use a smooth 800ms animation. During overtime, the screen pulses between full red and a dimmed red in a breathing pattern.

Time display follows your preference: hidden (just pure colour), subtle (bottom edge, low opacity), or prominent (centre, full size). This mode is best when you want maximum visibility — you can see the colour change from across the room, even in your peripheral vision.

Border Mode

The screen stays dark (backstage black) with a thick, glowing border in the phase colour. The border has an animated glow that softly oscillates — creating a neon-sign effect that looks brilliant in a dark room. The timer is always displayed prominently in the centre.

During overtime, the border pulses red with an intensified glow. This mode is ideal when full-screen colour wash feels too bright or when you want to clearly read your time.

Traffic Light Mode

Three circles are stacked vertically on a dark background, mimicking a real traffic light. The active phase circle lights up with a coloured glow; the others remain dark grey. The timer appears below the circles. During overtime, the red circle pulses.

This is the most realistic mode if you're used to seeing traffic light cues at the back of a comedy club. The dark circles for inactive phases give you spatial awareness of where you are in the sequence.

AUDIO ATMOSPHERE

The audio system is what makes Tight Five feel like a real stage experience rather than a fancy stopwatch. Every sound is designed to put you in the mindset of performing at a comedy club.

The Intro Sequence

When audio is enabled, the start of every session follows this sequence:

Warning Tones

At each light change, you'll hear an audible cue:

• Amber warning — A tone that says "heads up, one minute to go"
• Red warning — A more urgent tone that says "your time is up"

Overtime Music

If you run 30 seconds past your set time, the play-off music starts playing on a loop. This is the comedy club equivalent of the band starting to play — a clear signal to the audience (and the comedian) that it's time to wrap up. In real clubs, this is mortifying. In practice, it trains you to never let it get this far.

Closing Applause

When you end your set by tapping the end-set zone, the overtime music stops (if it was playing) and you'll hear closing applause. A nice way to end a practice session — and a reminder that even in practice, finishing strong feels good.

Volume Levels

The audio system manages four independent volume channels internally:

• Ambient (crowd murmur) — 40% volume
• SFX (applause, MC intro) — 70% volume
• Warning tones — 60% volume
• Music (overtime play-off) — 50% volume

All audio respects your device's volume setting. To make the experience louder or quieter, use your phone's physical volume buttons.

THE SUMMARY SCREEN

The Summary Screen — how did you do?

After you end your set, the Summary Screen shows you exactly how you did. It's your post-gig debrief, with cold hard data.

What You'll See

Actual Time

The big number at the top: your actual set duration in MM:SS format. This is how long you were performing, from the moment the timer started (after the intro sequence) to when you tapped "end set."

Target Time

Shown below the actual time as "Target: 05:00" (or whatever your preset was). This is the duration you were aiming for.

Delta

The difference between your actual and target time, colour-coded:

• Under (e.g., "-12s under") — You finished early. Shown in green.
• Over (e.g., "+45s over") — You ran over. Shown in red.

Accuracy Bar

A visual progress bar showing your timing accuracy as a percentage. 100% means you hit your target exactly. The bar and percentage are colour-coded:

• Green — Within 10% of your target. Excellent.
• Amber — Within 10–20% of your target. Room to tighten up.
• Red — More than 20% off target. Needs work.

Notes

A text field lets you jot down quick notes about your set. Did you forget a bit? Did the new joke land? Did you rush through the middle section? Write it down while it's fresh. These notes are saved with the session and visible in your history.

Save or Discard

Two buttons at the bottom:

• DISCARD — Throws away this session. Good for false starts or warm-up runs you don't want to track.
• SAVE — Saves the session to your history. The app navigates you back to the Setup Screen, ready for another go.

SESSION HISTORY

Session History — track your progress over time

The History Screen shows all your saved practice sessions in reverse chronological order — newest first. Access it by tapping the clock icon in the top-left corner of the Setup Screen.

Session Cards

Each session is displayed as a card containing:

• Date and time — When the session took place (e.g., "Mon 3 Mar, 7:15 PM")
• Preset name — Which preset was used (e.g., "5 Min"), shown in purple
• Actual time — Your actual set duration in large monospaced text
• Target time — Shown next to the actual time for easy comparison
• Delta badge — A colour-coded badge showing how much over or under you were
• Notes — If you added notes, a preview appears at the bottom of the card (up to 2 lines)

Deleting Sessions

To delete a session, swipe the card from right to left. A red delete zone appears. The app will ask you to confirm before permanently deleting the session. This cannot be undone.

Empty State

If you haven't saved any sessions yet, the History Screen shows a friendly prompt: "No sessions yet" with "Start practicing!" encouragement. Get to work.

SETTINGS

The Settings Screen — tune the app to your preference

The Settings Screen gives you full control over how Tight Five behaves. Access it via the gear icon in the top-right corner of the Setup Screen.

Defaults

Default Set Length

Choose which preset is selected by default when you open the app. If you always practise 5-minute sets, set this and you'll never need to change it on the Setup Screen.

Display

Display Mode

Choose your preferred visual mode: Full (full-screen colour wash), Border (dark screen with glowing coloured border), or Traffic (three-circle traffic light). See Section 6 for details on each.

Time Display

Control how the timer appears during your performance:

• Hidden — No time shown. Train your internal clock.
• Subtle — Small, low-opacity time at the bottom. A gentle reference.
• Bold — Large, prominent time in the centre. Full visibility.

Countdown Mode

Toggle between count-up (00:00 → 05:00) and countdown (05:00 → 00:00). Count-up shows elapsed time; countdown shows remaining time. During overtime, both modes show the overtime duration with a + prefix.

Feedback

Audio Feedback

Master toggle for all audio: intro sequence, warning tones, overtime music, and closing applause. When disabled, the app runs silently with only visual and haptic cues. If audio is off, the intro phase still runs for 3 seconds (so you still get the "Get Ready..." moment) before the timer starts.

Haptic Feedback

Toggle vibration on light phase changes. Amber triggers a medium double-tap; red triggers a heavy single tap. Useful when you're focused on your material and might miss a visual cue.

Language

Tight Five supports four languages:

• English (default)
• Español (Spanish)
• Français (French)
• Русский (Russian)

If you haven't explicitly set a language, the app will use your device's system language (if supported). Once you manually choose a language in Settings, that choice takes priority over the system setting.

WORKFLOWS

Your First Practice Session

1. Open Tight Five. You'll land on the Setup Screen.
2. The 5-minute preset is selected by default. If that's your target, brilliant. If not, tap a different preset.
3. Make sure Audio is toggled on — you want the full experience for your first go.
4. Leave the display mode on Full Screen for now. You can experiment later.
5. Prop your phone up where you can see it while you're performing. A shelf, a book, or leaning against something works fine.
6. Tap START SET.
7. The countdown starts: 3... 2... 1... GO!
8. The intro sequence plays. Use this time to get into character. Pretend you're walking to the mic.
9. When the screen turns green, the timer is running. Do your set.
10. When the screen turns amber, you've got one minute left. Start heading towards your closer.
11. When it goes red, wrap it up. Or push through if you're feeling bold — but watch that overtime counter.
12. When you're done, tap the TAP TO END SET zone at the very bottom of the screen.
13. On the Summary Screen, jot down any notes about how the set went, then tap SAVE.

Green Room Quick Run

You're backstage at a gig. You've got 10 minutes before you go on. Here's how to use Tight Five for a quick run-through:

1. Open the app. Select your set length (match what you've been given on the night).
2. Turn Audio off — you don't want the MC to hear crowd sounds coming from your phone.
3. Turn Haptic on — you'll feel the vibrations even with the phone in your pocket.
4. Set Time Display to Hidden (in Settings) — practise trusting your internal clock.
5. Tap START SET and run through your set in your head (or under your breath).
6. Feel the double-tap at amber. Feel the heavy tap at red. End your set.
7. Check the Summary: how close were you? That's your calibration for the night.

Tightening a Specific Bit

Working on a bit that needs to be exactly 3 minutes? Use the 3-minute preset and run it repeatedly:

1. Select the 3 Min preset on the Setup Screen.
2. Run through the bit. End your set when you're done.
3. Check the Summary. Were you over or under? Add a note about which part ran long.
4. Save the session.
5. Go again. And again. Watch the delta shrink over multiple sessions.

Competition Prep

You've got a 7-minute competition set. Every second counts. Here's your drill:

1. Select the 7 Min preset.
2. Set Display Mode to Traffic Light — this is closest to what you'll see on the night.
3. Turn Audio on and Haptic on for the full experience.
4. Set Time Display to Subtle — it's there if you need it, but you're training to go without.
5. Perform your full set. Multiple times per day in the week leading up to the competition.
6. After each run, check History to see if your delta is trending towards zero.
7. When you can consistently hit the 7-minute mark within 10 seconds, you're ready.

TIPS FOR COMEDIANS

Timing Is a Muscle

The best comedians don't check the clock — they feel where they are. That feeling comes from repetition. Use Tight Five daily, even for short sessions, and you'll start to develop an instinctive sense of how long 5 minutes feels. Eventually you won't even need to look at the light.

Practise at Performance Speed

A common mistake is rehearsing at home by just reading through your material. Your actual delivery will be slower — you'll pause for laughs, react to the room, take a breath between bits. Always practise at the speed you'd actually perform. Leave space for the laughs even when nobody's there.

Use Notes Religiously

After every practice set, write something in the notes field. Even a single line: "Rushed the callback" or "New tag worked on the dog bit" or "Forgot the transition from bit 3 to bit 4." When you look back at 20 practice sessions, those notes are gold.

Train Without the Clock

Once you're comfortable with a set, switch to Hidden time display. This forces you to develop your internal clock rather than relying on the numbers. The colour changes (green to amber to red) give you enough information. If you find yourself consistently finishing within 15 seconds of your target without seeing the time, your timing is solid.

Respect the Light

In a real club, going over your time is disrespectful to the other acts and the MC. Tight Five's overtime features — the pulsing red, the play-off music — exist to train you out of that habit. If you hear the play-off music in practice, that's a problem to solve, not just an annoyance to ignore.

The Green Room Run-Through

Before you go on stage, do a silent run-through with haptics only. Set your phone to match your time slot, put it in your pocket, and walk through your set in your head. The vibration at amber tells you you're nearly there. The heavy tap at red tells you you're done. No one around you needs to know you're doing it.

Track Trends, Not Individual Sessions

A single session doesn't mean much. Maybe you got distracted, maybe you were trying new material, maybe you sneezed in the middle. What matters is the trend: are your deltas getting smaller over weeks? Are you more often under than over? That's progress.

FAQ & TROUBLESHOOTING

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Tight Five available on Android?

Currently iOS only (iPhone and iPad). Android support may come in the future based on demand. If you'd like to see an Android version, let us know at [email protected].

Can I create custom time presets?

The current version includes six built-in presets (3, 5, 7, 10, 15, and 20 minutes). Custom presets with user-defined amber and red timing are planned for a future update.

Can I record my sets?

Not yet. Audio and video recording of practice sets is planned for an upcoming version. In the meantime, you can use your device's built-in screen recording (Control Centre → Screen Recording) to capture your sessions.

Is my data private?

Completely. All data stays on your device. There's no cloud storage, no user accounts, no analytics, and no data collection of any kind. Your session history, notes, and settings are stored locally and never leave your phone. See our privacy policy for full details.

Why does the screen go to maximum brightness?

During a performance, Tight Five sets your screen to maximum brightness so the colour cues are as visible as possible — especially important if you're propping your phone up across the room. Your original brightness is restored when the session ends.

Why can't I go back during a performance?

The back button and swipe-to-go-back gestures are intentionally disabled during a performance to prevent accidental exits. The only way to leave is to tap the "TAP TO END SET" zone at the bottom of the screen. This is deliberate — you wouldn't walk off stage by accident.

The audio isn't playing. What's wrong?

Check the following:

• Make sure Audio is toggled on in the Setup Screen or Settings
• Check that your device is not in Silent Mode (the physical switch on the side of your iPhone)
• Make sure your volume is turned up
• Try closing the app completely and reopening it
• If using Bluetooth, ensure your audio device is connected

My screen went to sleep during a performance. Why?

This shouldn't happen — Tight Five enables a wake lock during performances. If it does occur, check your device's Auto-Lock settings (Settings → Display & Brightness → Auto-Lock). Setting it to "Never" while practising is a safe bet.

Can I use Tight Five with external speakers or Bluetooth?

Yes. The audio system uses standard iOS audio routing, so it works with Bluetooth speakers, AirPods, wired headphones, or your device's built-in speakers. For the best stage simulation experience, use a speaker rather than headphones — having the crowd sounds come from across the room adds to the immersion.

What languages does the app support?

English, Spanish, French, and Russian. The app follows your device's system language by default, or you can override it in Settings.

Can I export my session history?

Not yet in the current version. Data export is on the roadmap. Your session data is stored locally and will be preserved across app updates.

I accidentally discarded a session. Can I get it back?

Unfortunately no. Once discarded, the session data is gone. If you're not sure, always tap SAVE — you can delete it later from your history.

WHAT'S NEXT

Tight Five is actively developed. Here's a glimpse of what's planned for future updates:

Coming Soon

• Custom presets — Create your own time slots with custom amber and red trigger points. Set up a 6:30 preset with amber at 5:00 and red at 6:00, for example.
• Audio & video recording — Record your practice sets directly within the app. Review your delivery, catch verbal tics, and spot timing issues you can't feel in the moment.
• Session statistics — Charts and trends showing your timing accuracy over time. Average delta, best sessions, consistency scores.
• Set list management — Organise your material into named sets, attach sessions to specific set lists, and track which material works best at different lengths.
• Data export — Export your session history as CSV or PDF for external tracking.
• Android support — Bringing the full experience to Android devices.

CREDITS & ABOUT

Tight Five is built and maintained by Overpass Apps Ltd, a mobile development company based in the UK.

Technology

Built with Flutter. Designed in a dark theme inspired by comedy club backstage areas and neon stage lighting. Typography uses Space Mono for timers and headlines (because monospaced fonts and timers are a natural fit) and DM Sans for body text (clean, modern, readable).

Contact & Support

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: overpass.co.uk
• Support: overpass.co.uk/support

We're a small team and we read every email. If you've found a bug, have a feature request, or just want to tell us about a set that went well — we'd genuinely love to hear from you.

Acknowledgements

Thank you to every comedian who practises in their living room, in the green room, on the bus, and in the shower. You make people laugh for a living (or at least you're working on it). That takes guts. Tight Five exists to help you get a bit tighter, a bit sharper, and a bit more confident every time you step up to the mic.