RCT vs SAT (warning, long)

[Jim Coleman, Sr.]

Hi Kent:

I have deliberately avoided getting into a public battle of RCT vs SAT.
When you say that the computer gives RCT a definite performance advantage,
I have to disagree with your opinion. The RCT which I have is a 2300c.
Although I have been more fortunate than others, I have not had to send
mine back to Apple for service. However, the number of times it has let
me down on the job in 1 1/2 years is many more times than the SAT or the
SOT has let me down in some 15 years. I do not call that performance
advantage. Fortunately I can still tune aurally. Just yesterday after
taking the trouble to sample 5 A's on the piano, the moment I clicked on
the Chameleon to calculate the tuning from those samples, the machine died
on me. I finally ended up selecting a similar piano in memory to tune by.
I would prefer to have used a custom tuning for that particular piano. I
have never lost a calculated tuning with the SAT. 

It only takes 1 minute to calculate a custom tuning with the SAT. With RCT
it takes 1 minute 46 seconds to calculate a standard OTS tuning with
default selections already made and the computer already on and warmed 
up. I started with the selection of the Chameleon and ended with the
appearance of the spreadsheet of the complete tuning. Would you call that
performance advantage? If you added the extra time for a cold boot up, 
starting the program, etc., it could easily go over 4 minutes. Performance?
If you add in the number of times you have to remeasure because of noise
factors, null points etc. it could be much worse.

It takes me longer to tune with accuracy with the RCT than it does with the
SAT. The SAT has only one display mode and it relates to beats. Two beats
per each rotation of the LEDs. I waste more time with the RCT in trying to
decide when the Spinner pattern is stopped and whether it is sharp or flat.
Part of this can be blamed upon the transient nature of piano tones. This
is obvious when you can't get the full blush to stay on for more than a
brief moment without a lot of fussing around. At the number 2 Spinner speed,
in the Cents measuring mode the full blush indicates .1 cent accuracy. The
Spinner is too jumpy to suit me at that default speed. I prefer the Hertz
mode or measurement because it relates more to what we hear and the 
spinner is less jumpy. At the default speed of 2 in Hz mode, the full blush
is indicative of .4 cent accuracy. At least at this speed, you can tune
faster with confidence because it is a little easier to make your judgments
as to sharp and flat. But it is still easier for me to make those judgments
with the SAT, especially when utilizing the 4 LED stopping method combined
with making the pitch judgments consistently in regard to the time portion
of the decision. A technique of hitting the key hard and immediately playing
softly enables better accuracy on both machines because the curve of the 
frequency change is smoother with a soft key blow. When one can tune with
the SAT to hold 4 LEDs on for just two or three seconds, the accuracy I
perceive is better than trying to hold a full blush on the RCT with a 
similar spinner speed. Sure, it's possible to hold a longer full blush with
a much slower spinner speed, but then where is the accuracy that is boasted?

Being a compulsive educator, I made a number of suggestions for better use
of the RCT. The latest is to select the 140 degree spinner shape so that
you will more easily see the half blush and the full blush. Even though
they will light up only momentarily, you will still be tuning in a tight
consistent tolerance. The same goes for the SAT. If you tune so that you
get a 4 LED pattern, you can see which way it is leaning on the fence
between two major LED positions, and when you stop the the LEDs from fading
from one position to the next, you have extreme accuracy. This is spelled
out in an article for publication soon.

The RCT has some neat features also. It has automatic note switching. 
The SAT III also has it. The RCT has the ability to change an equal tempered
tuning into an historical tuning. The SAT III also has that (up to 14
different kinds). The RCT has temperament sequencing so that you can tune 
in the order of your favorite Temperament. The SAT has a collection of up 
to 4 different temperament orders which can be utilized. Both machines
have an infinite number of ways to stretch a tuning scale according to one's
preference. The SAT III is smaller, easier to handle. The SAT battery is
a very definite advantage, I do not even have to carry a bulky charger. When
after a week or two when I get the first indication that the battery is 
getting low, I can still tune another piano or two. The SAT III has a 
battery power indicator which shows ahead of time when you're getting lower.
The RCT also does, but you don't have much time left until you must go get
the charger (don't leave home without it)

There are definite advantages to having a computer with you on the job. 
There
are small organizers which are cheap and take care of most of those things
for which you may need a computer on the job. The thing that still
bothers me is that I have tied up over $4000 in my RCT and I still don't 
have everything I would like to have on it for other purposes. The Operating
system has been upgraded 4 times since I bought mine. I'm still 2 systems
behind the latest version 8.1. I could use a modem, I could use a CD drive
(I have to borrow one now to load any of the newer software. Where does it
end? I just want to tune pianos, basically. I don't really need a computer
to tune pianos. Besides, I have a good IBM type at home.
I did buy a DOS emulator program so that I can run my business software on
the MAC. It doesn't run windows '95. Where does one stop with all this 
stuff. I just want to tune pianos easier and better. I know, I said that 
before.

Just my opinion.

Jim Coleman, Sr. (with flame suit handy)




On Sat, 30 May 1998, Kent Swafford wrote:

> Frank Cahill wrote:
> 
> >Hi, kent. My only problem with the RCT is the battery life. Is this the
> >unit bases on a MAC type pc?  If so, I does not last long on batteries.
> >My Accutuner goes for a few weeks on a single charge.
> >
> >I'm curious, what do you like about the other tuner?  I fine tuner here
> >uses one and she loves it! I've never used one but hear good things
> >about it.
> >
> >I'd appreciate the info.
> >Thanks
> >-- 
> >
> >Frank Cahill
> >Associate Member
> >Northern Va
> 
> Battery life when using RCT does not compare to the battery life of the 
> SAT. However, the raw power of a modern computer (BTW, SAT's still run at 
> only 2 MHz) allow RCT a significant performance advantage over the SAT.  
> IMHO, RCT's superior performance easily makes up for any power management 
> considerations.
> 
> Kent Swafford
>