Self Tuning Instruments

[Marcel Carey]

A machine like what you are talking about is presently being tested at the
Yamaha factory. At least it was in use when I was there last year. It
doesn't have a motor for every tuning-pin, but has 4 (for th whole piano).
It is essentially used for chipping. There is an operator involved but
he/she only change the tuning motor (or whatever they call it) from pin to
pin. From my point of view, it looked like some kind of cow milking machine
where the operator just changed the device from pin to pin. There was a
pickup in the middle of the string that would measure the pitch and a string
plucker(?). The thing about this device I was told is that it takes about
the same time to chip a piano using this (must be expensive) device than it
takes for a trained person to do the same.

Marcel Carey, RPT
Sherbrooke QC

----- Original Message -----
From: Ra Byn James Taylor <btnaudio@flash.net>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Saturday, April 22, 2000 5:02 PM
Subject: Re: Self Tuning Instruments


> My old roommate has a guitar with the TransTrem modification. Not only
will
> it autotune to standard guitar tuning (eadgbe) but it will also drop each
> string 4 whole steps & raise each string 3 whole steps. Any other
> combination is available as long as it fits within these parameters. He
can
> store up to 99 different tunings & recall them either with the buttons on
> the guitar or with his feet via MIDI. The system has servo-motors
> on the bridge end & a locking nut on the tuning peg end.
>
> The tension of a guitar string is very small in comparison to a piano
string
> not to mention 3 strings.
>
> If it could be added to a piano you could have just about any tuning you
> want within the range a human tuner can achieve. If the piano went out on
> tune during a concert, it could be retuned while the pianist is playing by
> someone off stage.
>
> The termination of both ends would probably be much better because both
ends
> would be clamped to large metal pieces at each end. Speaking of poor
> termination...
> maybe Yamaha can put one in their 333,000 piano...........
>
> Not only is there the cost of buying the unit but also the cost of
> installing it & making the modifications to the piano. Since no one seems
to
> agree on which way to make a piano, each one would have to be custom
> made.........$$$$$$$
>
> Thats my 2 cents +/-
>
> ra byn james - 28
>
>
>
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