True or False

[Jim]

Dear Barrie:

I will attempt to answer your true false test line at a time and then
offer some interesting comments.

On Fri, 26 Jul 1996, Barrie Heaton wrote:

> There has been a growing debate in some of the trade magazines in the
> UK. Regarding the accuracy of electronic tuners.  Could the list
> possibly clear up some of the points raised in these discussions as a
> lot of wild claims have been made for and against, I personally know
> nothing about the product,  in fact I go as far as to say I wouldn't
> recongnise one if I fell over it.
>
> 1. The acaccu-tuner only achieves an accuracy of 95 per cent in
> laboratory conditions.  is this true?
>
The AccuTuner has an accuracy of +/- .1 (1/10) cent.  At A440 there
are approximately 4 cents per Hz. which means that if one could tune
within 1/40 of a beat per second, he would have the same accuracy as
the machine.  I know of no one who claims to be able to tune that
accurately with the machine or by ear, so the problem is not with the
machine.

> 2. The PTG uses the accu-tuner to test all of its perspective members
> wishing to join.
>
Examiners usually record with an AccuTuner the pitch of each note of a
tuning which is done Aurally by  3 excellent Aural Tuners checking and
rechecking each other's work on one piano until there is nothing any of
them wish to further correct.  This process may take from 3 hours to
more than 8 hours in some cases.  Readings of this tuning are taken
and hidden in memory until the applicants tuning is likewise recorded
and kept in memory.  The applicant for membership as an RPT
is scored on how well he is able to stay within certain specified toler-
ances of this "Master" Tuning.  Much data has been collected in order to
arrive at the present tolerance system and the scoring procedures.
Usually when proposals have been made to stiffen the passing requirements,
those proposals have been tested again to see if they are reasonable.
If the passing standard were perfection, no one would pass, hence, the
tolerance system and scoring procedures.

> 3. If question 1 is correct is there any  independent data  available,
> also is there any data available for tuning accuracy in a none
> laboratory
> condition.
>
Our experience has shown that the problem is not in the accuracy of the
machines, whether they be the Yamaha PT100, the AccuTuner II or the
Reyburn-Macintosh systems, but in the ability of any Tuner to tune
within .2 to .3 cents of the standards set up.

> Before you point me to Mr. Sandersons home page, I would rather get the
> information from end users and from none biased tuners (those who do
> not have a commercial interest in promoting this product.)
>
> Regards,
>
> Barrie.
> --
> Barrie Heaton                                  |  Be Environmentally Friendly
> URL: http://www.airtime.co.uk/forte/piano.htm  |  To Your Neighbour
> The UK PIano Page                              |
> pgp  key on request                            |  HAVE YOUR PIANO TUNED
>

I hope this brief explanation helps.