UK Help with SAT

[Jim]

Dear Barrie:

The beauty of the Sanderson Accutuner with the FAC computing facility
is that it can tailor the tuning to what the individual piano needs
at the time of tuning.  It is not necessary to have a huge number of
tunings stored in memory, because it is easy to compute tuning on the
job.  I like to leave a record of the 3 numbers which were used to
compute the tuning on my business card in the piano, or on a service
sticker which I place in the piano, so that the next time I tune the
piano, I don't have to measure again those 3 notes.

We call these FAC readings because we measure the difference in cents
between certain partials of 3 notes: ie  F3(note 33),  A4(note 49),
and  C6(note 64)

The computations are based on the principle that a good tuning will
usually have a good match of the double octaves throughout the piano.
Actually, FAC tunings usually stretch the double octave just slightly.
If we know the amount of inharmoncity of F3, we can project where the
notes F4, F5 and F6 should be tuned.  If we know the inharmonicity of
A4, we can project where to tune A5, A6 and A7.  If we know the amount
of inharmonicity of C6 we can tell where to tune C7 and C8(note 88).
If you know where F3 is tuned, it being the the 6th partial of A#0 (note
# 2), you can tune the 6th partial of A#0 in respect to F3, and smooth
curve everything in between those two notes.  The rest is a matter of
smooth curving all the other notes between these which can be=20
definitely located.

Now, here is how the 3 notes are measured: =20

Press the TUNE MODE button, press the Up Oct. button to 5, press the
down note button to F5 and Tune the note F3 so that its 4th partial=20
(at F5) is stabilized at 0.0 cents. Then Up Oct. to change the SAT to=20
F6, play/pluck F3 and with the UP Cents button, stop the LED rotation
to measure the difference between its 4th and 8th partials (double=20
octave and triple octave 'harmonics?').  Write this number down. Store
this number by holding down the Shift key while touching the Store=20
Stretch button.  Release the Sto Stretch then the Shift buttons and=20
the SAT should advance to A5 (if the buttons were pressed firmly and
if you have the later model Accutuner with FAC facility ).

With A5 showing in the left window and 0.0 cents showing in the right
window, Tune A4 so that its 2nd partial stops the LED rotation.
Advance the OCT button to 6 and press the Up Cents button until the
LED rotation stops.  The number in the right window represents the
amount of difference between the 2nd and 4th partials of A4.  This is
the A4 Stretch number. To store it, hold down Shift button and touch
the Sto Stretch button.  Release Sto Stretch first, then release
Shift.  The SAT should advance to C6.

With C6 showing in the left window and 0.0 cents showing in the right
window, Tune C6 so that its fundamental (1st partial) stops the LED
rotation.  Advance the OCT button to 7 and press the Up Cents button
until the LED rotation stops.  The number in the right window=20
represents the amount of difference between the 1st and 2nd partials
of C6.  This is the C6 Stretch number.  To store it, hold down Shift=20
button, touch the Sto Stretch button, release Sto Stretch first, then
release Shift.  At this point, you can review the Stretch values of
F3, A4 and C6 by pressing the Stretch button and releasing 3 times.
This is a good opportunity to write down the 3 numbers somewhere.

Next, select a page of memory.  Hold down the Shift button, touch
lightly the Up cents button repeatedly until your preferred page
number appears in the right window. (I prefer to use Pages 1 and/or
2 as my temporary pages since I usually compute my tuning each time
I tune a piano rather that depending on many pages of memory). The
roll-over technique is next used to do the actual computing of the
specific tuning.  Hold down Sto Stretch, hold down Sto Mem, release
Sto Stretch, release Sto Mem.  In 7 to 10 seconds, the SAT will
churn out the complete tuning record for the piano.  When the A0
appears in the left window, it has completed the record.  while you
are waiting, the processor is smooth curving between all of the known
tuning requirements of the piano.  From time to time press the MEM
button to insure that you are tuning in the Memory Mode.  You may
start tuning at any note.  I prefer to start tuning at the lowest
plain string.  For good free ear training after one has tuned up
at least 4 notes, he can begin to listen to the beats of the M 3rds.
After a few more notes, he can also listen to the 4ths, 5ths, and=20
6ths.  The following intervals can be listened to while tuning up
the scale without them causing interference with the display:
a minor 3rd below the note being tuned, a 4th below, a 6th below.
You can see that there is plenty of opportunity to check and re-
check one's work and develop aural skills as well.

This explanation passed on from you to the father of the younger tuner
should help him to be able to tune most any piano reasonably well.
His skill and accuracy must be developed.  After all, the ETD does
not do the tuning, it just points the way.  There is no substitute
for the pursuit of excellence whether one uses an Electronic Tuning
Device and/or Ears. The skill and integrtiy of the technician is of
the ultimate importance.

Jim Coleman, Sr.

PS My recent articles on altering Stretch tunings may also be of
interest to your friend.


On Tue, 7 Jan 1997, Barrie Heaton wrote:

> I've had a strange phone call from  the Father of a piano tuner who
> bought a SAT three years ago and is unable to tune a piano acurate
> enough.  (I'm afraid you'll have to bear witrh me a little bit as I am
> still not that knowledeable on ETAs)  He says he's only received three
> FACs I'm sure you no what they are and this does not seem to be enough
> to cover the range of pianos he comes across. =20
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> His Father informes me that he's had the SAT back to the U.K. agents for
> checking over at =A370.00 ago and still no joy.  his Son,  is phoning me
> back later on to give me more information.  What I can gather from his
> Father he wants to know if he can buy more stored tunings from
> somewhere.  Is this possible? =20
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> Fineally can you reccommend some good series of articles I can pull off
> the PTGs archives I know Jim is a avid writer on the subject. =20
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> Hope I havn't rambled too much and you have got a general idea of what I
> think I want. =20
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> What a strange world a committeed aural tuner helping out a visual
> tuner. =20
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> Kind regards,=20
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> Barrie.=20
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> --
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> Barrie Heaton                                  |  Be Environmentally Frie=
ndly
> URL: http://www.airtime.co.uk/forte/piano.htm  |  To Your Neighbour
> The UK PIano Page                              | =20
> pgp  key on request                            |  HAVE YOUR PIANO TUNED
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