stunning tuning without a stun gun

[euphoniac@juno.com]

Jim,

I would be interested in your findings in comparing the amount of passes
it takes for the Verituner and SAT III.

Thank you,

Don Palmire

On Sun, 02 Sep 2001 16:39:30 -0900 (PDT) "Jim Coleman, Sr."
<pianotoo@imap2.asu.edu> writes:
> The following comment triggered me to write something:
> 
> "I certainly believe...no I know that it is possible to learn to 
> out-tune even the best of ETD's...no matter how good they get."
> 
> Virgil Smith has tried it several times. The net result is that no 
> matter which method is used if it is used by a well experienced
> tuner, the results will be practically indistinguishable.
> 
> Several years ago I wrote a program in Basic language which 
> attempted
> utilize all the decision making which we use in aural tuning. The 
> program became quite complex. Many many decisions are made during 
> aural tuning when one compares all the possible interval 
> relationships. When these decisions are made in a computer, it is 
> nice, but when one tries to tune to the accuracy of .1 cents in 
> real time, the decisions begin to unravel for we are not able to 
> tune to the needed accuracy which the programs require. Therefore, 
> I came to the conclusion that tuning to a smooth curve is probably 
> the best that we can do because it at least gives us a target 
> which presumably will keep certain intervals smoothly graduated.
> 
> Now if, in the case of certain poorly scaled pianos, we wish to 
> make compromises of one smoothly graduated beat rate in favor of 
> accommodating some other interval which does not graduate 
> smoothly, this is where artistic license comes into play. Here is 
> where the SAT III really shines because of its simplicity in 
> making these kinds of changes. Granted, if all piano scalings were
> perfectly balanced, there would be no need for any changes, the 
> SAT III does very well. The SAT can do in one pass what the 
> Verituner takes 2 passes to do. For those who are specifically 
> interested in how, write me privately, it's too lengthy to 
> explain in this forum, but is so easy to do. Of course all this is
> predicated upon a good hammer technique and acute ears and eyes.
> No machine tunes a piano for you. Neither do ears.
> 
> Jim Coleman, Sr.
> PS I no longer accept commissions on AccuTuner sales.

Don Palmire
Euphonium
The U.S. Army Band ("Pershing's Own")
euphoniac@juno.com