Last octave/stretching, etc.

A440A@AOL.COM A440A@AOL.COM
Fri, 15 Dec 2000 05:35:53 EST


Greetings, 
I wrote:
<< I punched up the octave stretch so that the last note was 20
cents sharper than a straight FAC tuning.  NOBODY noticed!!!!!

Dave asks: 
>>Where did C8 end up?  

It ended up 55 cents sharp, as opposed to the 35 cents I normally see on the 
SAT. 

And was also asked: 
>>You mean to tell me that you tuned the whole octave sharp?  Gradually, I
assume. And nobody noticed?

Yes,  that is right. 

>>    They must have not said anything because they held you in such high
esteem, but secretly, they're probably whispering " I think he's starting to
lose it" after you left.>>

No,  when a tech charges enough, nobody whispers.  This was in a performance 
environment, (Vanderbilt stage).  I had been asked to make the top end 
"brilliant" for a certain faculty recital, so I stretched it up in the last 
octave.  I left it there for the next three days, through continual use by a 
wide variety of pianists.  
    The top octave being stretched so far is not the same as the pure fifths 
tuning.  I only had two customers that like that sound,(jazzers, both).  I 
only increased the stretch in the last 12 notes. 

   I will also be really clear here about those frequencies. I am almost 50, 
have had a loud life, (hunting, racing engines, rock and roll bands, 26 years 
of tuning, etc).  My hearing above is 3,300 Hz is down far enough so that 
while I can hear the top notes, (and pass the Guild tuning test),  I no 
longer trust my ears up there for performance level work. There is often just 
too much money involved to take chances, so the SAT has been a real nice 
insurance policy.  
Regards, 
Ed Foote RPT



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