SAT Mystery

[David M. Porritt]

Conrad:

You don't need a flamesuit as far as I'm concerned!  I too am an aural tuner, and I think everyone should me who makes his living at this profession.  However, I use an ETD just about all of the time.

If it were a matter of getting someone to tune a piano strictly aurally, or a person who just followed the bouncing lights, I'd certainly have more confidence in the aural tuner.  However, if the choice is between an aural tuner working by himself, and an aural tuner who collaborates with his ETD, I'd frankly pick the man who collaborates.  That's the kind of tuner I want to be.  While I do have my confidence, I'm also aware that I'm human and anything that prevents little human errors from cropping up is a help.

The other thing I like about the ETD in the work I do, is the consistency.  Once I have a tuning I like saved on the computer I can tune the piano exactly the same each time.  That helps make the tuning more stable.  This really shows up on pianos that are tuned very frequently like concert pianos.  I'm never making any significant changes to them.  

dave

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********

On 12/11/00 at 6:01 AM Conrad Hoffsommer wrote:

>Lynn,
>
>At 04:04 12/11/2000 -0500, you wrote:
>>Well, I am going to open a panderers box.  If you can tune by ear, why 
>>would you even consider purchasing such a device??? I don't think it is 
>>any faster, and I chip pianos as I string them, and after 3 tunings, in 
>>the first sitting, the piano is stable.  Lynn Rosenberg
>
>
>I'm in a particularly Monday mood this morning, so I'll stir up the 
>hornet's nest a bit.
>
>This list is supposed to be a panderers box.  Most of us on it pander to 
>the wants and perceived needs of our customers with regard to acoustic 
>keyboard instruments (that set of chord bars on the autoharp could be 
>considered a keyboard, couldn't it).
>
>As far as _Pandora's Box_ is concerned...  I'm an unreconstructed, 
>unrepentant and unashamed aural tuner who has been saying the same thing 
>for years.  I'd also add that my wallet is not used to ever opening very 
>widely.  So, IOW, if you don't yourself see a need for something, you are 
>highly unlikely to purchase it. (significant other pressure 
>notwithstanding...) Or, to put it in the "bottom line" perspective, if you 
>don't see any financial/physical/emotional advantage to having a machine 
>take away some of the thousands of tuning decisions necessary to tune a 
>piano, you won't buy it.
>
>That said, I have seen occasions where an ETD could have helped.
>*Tuning S&S D, Bald SD10 and SD6 together for performance of Bach Triple 
>Klavier...
>*Touchup of harpsichord at intermission in noisy 1500 seat hall...
>*Touchup of S&S D at intermission in noisy 1500 seat hall...
>
>Snowsuit.. er.. ah.. flamesuit in place.
>
>
>
>Conrad Hoffsommer - Music Technician -mailto:hoffsoco@luther.edu
>Luther College, 700 College Drive, Decorah, Iowa 52101-1045
>Voice-(319)-387-1204  //  Fax (319)-387-1076(Dept.office)
>
>Education is the best defense against the media.




David M. Porritt
dporritt@swbell.net
Meadows School of the Arts
Southern Methodist University
Dallas, TX 75275