SAT & RCT

[Don Mannino]

James Turner wrote:

>>What puzzels me is how a machine can measure only 3 or 6 notes and compute an optimum tuning for a piano<<

James,

I like to think of it as a choice between two different compromises:
- The machine creates a smooth compromise using the sampled notes, and it is dead-on accurate at calculating those compromised notes.
- The ear hears each note individually so is able to adjust to the small inharmonicity differences from note to note, but is not nearly as accurate at consistently setting octaves to the same stretch amount from note to note. Variations of a few 10ths of a cent are normal.

So, if the aural tuner were perfectly accurate (a big if) the tuning would measure a little uneven and would look bumpy if your charted it. The electronic tuning charts perfectly smoothly, but doesn't take into account the minute variations in inharmonicity from string to string. 

If a tuner is conscientious, both tuning methods end up well within acceptable tolerances from the musicians point of view. The key using either tuning method is the care taken by the tuner.

I understand that Steven Fairchild came up with a system for true Aural style tuning on a computer, and it was much too cumbersome to use in practice. Perhaps computers have advanced to the point where this could be practical to do real-time as one tuned - but would it actually sound better than the calculated tuning? My guess is that it wouldn't be any different to the musical ear, but who knows until we try?

Don Mannino


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From: 	james turner[SMTP:JTTUNER@webtv.net]
Sent: 	Monday, June 08, 1998 1:04 AM
To: 	pianotech@ptg.org
Subject: 	SAT & RCT

Friends,

I have been thinking about getting the SAT lll, RCT or the TuneLab.
When one tunes aurally, we listen to every note on the piano, intervals
and so on.  What puzzels me is how a machine can measure only 3 or 6
notes and compute an optimum tuning for a piano.  It seems to me that
for any machine or computer to create a really good tuning, it would
have to sample many more notes than 3 or 6?  Wouldn't a machine that
sampled every note on the piano be a better tuning? Isn't this what
aural tuning does to a degree?
Thanks,
Jim Turner