SAT Mystery

[David Ilvedson, RPT]

Hey Conrad,

I wouldn't be without my SAT III...I'm an unreconstructed, unrepenant,
unashamed ETD/Aural tuner.  My reasoning?
#1:  A4...Aurally only, tuned to the fork, then checked with comparison of
beat rates of F3-Fork and F3-A4.  Adjustments made as necessary or close
enough.   With a ETD stop the lights.  Absolutely as accurate or more so
than with the fork and much faster.
#2:  Temperment...Aurally only, nearly all of your initial adjustments are
the "in the ballpark" type while comparisons are made to other intervals.
Then re-adjustments are made to fine tune the temperment.   With the ETD the
ballpark stuff is done very quickly and more accurately without wear and
tear on the ears/brain.  Then the fine work commences with the ear and the
machine.  This fine work will be in 1/10ths of cents from the original ETD
temperment.
#3:   Changes...Aurally only, you find something doesn't sound right as your
progressing in your tuning.  You check a number of intervals to determine
which note has changed.  With the ETD you can chromatically check all the
notes in the section in question quickly to see what the piano is doing and
find the culprit.
#4:  Pitchraises...Aurally only, this is a mini aural tuning with the wear
and tear included.  With an ETD I can put my ears in the tool box if I want.
Wear and tear limited to my arms/fingers.  Why stress out on the slippery
slope?

If you have never played around with an ETD, you don't know what your
missing...

David I.

By the way, can you immediately send me your latest catalog of
Flamesuits...anything Christmasy?

-----Original Message-----
From: Conrad Hoffsommer <hoffsoco@martin.luther.edu>
To: pianotech@ptg.org <pianotech@ptg.org>
Date: Monday, December 11, 2000 4:34 AM
Subject: Re: SAT Mystery


>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.
>
>