Cyber ears

[Richard Brekne]

Robert Scott wrote:

> On the same subject, Richard Brekne writes:
>
> >But the computer can sample to notes, and all relavant partials.
> >Compare the frequences of coincidents and calculate the difference,
> >and finally present the resulting data in terms of bbs.
>
> >Does this sound do-able ?
>
> Yes, if you sample the notes separately.  You would have to
> play one note alone, wait for it to decay (because an accurate
> sample requires a long sample period) then play the other
> note, then wait for it to decay.  Then the computer could
> calculate the beat rates without actually detecting them
> directly.  But this makes it very inconvenient to use in
> tuning.  You would have to set the tuning pin, then play your
> two notes as described above, then see the beat rate, then
> re-adjust the tuning pin.  I can see making no more than one
> adjustment every 10 seconds.

I aggree thats a bit to long to use as a direct aid in tuning. Still if
it is not too much work I would like the option available in Tune Lab. I
can certainly imagine using such an option for those times I have time
to "experiment" with a piano.

>
> What the computer cannot do is sample all the partials of
> two notes being played simultaneously.  The coincident
> partials are too close together to be detected separately.

Is this something that might be do-able given improvements in technology
? How do contact mics, or high quality mics figure in here ?

> I think the effect you are trying to achieve is to remove the
> note-by-note decision-making function completely from the ETD
> and place it solely with the technician.

Exactly. Not so much because I dont trust the ETD. But because I get the
feeling that the more decisions you have to make yourself, the better
"picture" of what you are doing you eventually develope. The idea of a
"Beat  Reader or Counter"  is simply to have a reliable reference to
back up what the ear and brain are trying to do.

On the expanded topic of a completely sampled tunning (all fundementals
and corresponding partials), this is of just something that interests me
personally. I simply have some ideas, preconceptions etc I want to look
closer at and the ability to store a whole piano in this manner (after
tuning of course) is the only way I can get the information I want to
look at.

>
> -Robert Scott
>  Real-Time Specialties

Richard Brekne