45 min tunings

[John M. Formsma]

Brian,

<<You bring up an interesting point here.

You wrote:
 <snip>... If I used a ETD, I could do a 45 minute tuning.

It's interesting you should say that.  I am wondering what your frame of
reference is for that statement?>>

Well, to be honest, when I use the SAT, it is usually because I don't feel
much like listening. :-) So, when I have the SAT on, I generally tune by eye
and not by ear.

<<Something I've noticed (for me) is that using the "ETD" did NOT
considerably
speed up my tuning times.  It actually slowed it down by a few minutes.  But
to be fair, I'd have to say that there are different ways that I use that
ETD.>>

It is slower when I am checking aurally--listening to octaves and beat
rates. But if I just tune the middle string first, then tune the unisons,
it's pretty quick.

<<For the past couple of months, I've been tuning alongside of my laptop
with
the TuneLab program running.>>

I am very close to getting a laptop, and will begin using RCT. Naturally, I
will spend a little extra time getting used to all the features of RCT, and
will be tuning aurally with it as a "tutor."

<<Just a quick observation.  I do not always use the machine to tune.  I
still
do tune aurally.  I have noticed, however, that having used the machine for
maybe a hundred tunings or so, that my aural tunings have become faster and
smoother.  Having heard what sounds like good tuning to me over and over has
helped me to focus more on what I hear when the machine's turned off.>>

I have noticed this also when using the SAT. Just having it there to check
the octaves every once in a while is very helpful. Sometimes I will use the
SAT for the temperament and the first few octaves just to check myself. I
tend to tune treble octaves a little sharper than the SAT, so I have to be
careful about that.

<<But I, (like some others, I believe) am probably still chasing a few
ghosts. ... I still chase that ghost today.  My tunings are rarely good
enough for ME.  If they're not absolutely perfect, I will likely criticize
myself, even if a customer (or even a fellow technician) thinks it sounds
very very good.>>

Yeah, I tend to beat myself up a little too much. The average customer
usually does not notice a fraction of the things that bother us. There was
one time that I had what I considered to be a near-perfect tuning. However,
I told myself that even though this was a very good tuning, the precision
won't last more than a few days anyway. :-(

<<There's the short version of what I was thinking about when I read your
post.  I wish I could write it the way I see it in my mind.  The whole thing
takes about 1/2 second to play out in my head...>>

Thanks for sharing it.

John Formsma
Blue Mountain, MS