Use of SAT for tuning steel drums -Forwarded

[Michel Lachance]

pianotech@byu.edu,Internet writes:

>Here at NIU we have a steel drum maker who is interested in using the
>SAT for tuning purposes.  Anybody have any experience with this?
>Can you develop a FAC tuning, do drums vary in inharmonicity, etc.
>EMail me directly at: dgraham@niu.edu

I doubt a steel drum would have any inharmonicity at all.  I know a xylophone
maker who uses a Korg tuner and really doesn't care about partials deviation.
The best way to make sure of it is to measure a given pitch and then measure
its second partial.  If the latter has exactly twice the frequency, then
there is no inharmonicity factor to care about.

Michel Lachance, RPT
Chance@cme.qc.ca