Hi folks. Since I got like tons of off list email about how to do this, I thought I would try and write it out. A few points to think about while you sort out the directions may help. First most essential element is that every instance of a 12th is tuned perfect using the 3rd partial of the lower note against the fundamental of the upper. Secondly when using Tunelab for this remember always that one notes 3rd partial is anothers 1st, and anothers 4th, and still anothers 5th.. and so on. So when you look at Tunelabs phase display you can actually see some pretty relevant information for several notes at any given time. The particular way in which I set up this tuning exploits that in a nice way because of the identical frequencies involved for any given 12th. I can see the correct frequency for two notes at once... Sound familiar ear tuners ?? SO... this is what you do. Phase 1 (takes about 3 minutes when you have the routine down) -- First set up a tuning file with the numerical editor so that notes G1 to F6 all use the 3rd partial for their tuning partial. -- Then set the phase display to D3 and move the offset so that the frequency in Hz reads 440 and transfer this offset to the basic offset in the << Set >> drop down menu, and then press Insert so that D3's present offset value (which now should be 0) is entered as a reference point into the tuning editor. Press Enter and then ESC to return to the phase display. -- Then tune A4 directly while the phase display is still reading D3. This sets A4's fundamental to 440. -- Then tune A3 by ear so that it fits nicely in-between D3 and A4 (about 3.5 bps narrow of perfect to D3) Alternatively you can use tunelab to help you with this by temporarily changing D3's offset by -1.38 cents, and tuning A3 to that. That tunes A3's 2nd partial since you are set on D3's 3rd. -- Then move the display to read A3 and change the offset to stop the phase display from moving. -- Then enter this value for A3 using first the Ctrl-E key (this Clears the offset as well... very important !) and then use the Insert key to add this as a reference to the numerical editor. -- Then move the phase display up to A4 and repeat as for A3. -- With the numerical editor open highlight D3, A3, and A4 in the Reference Points box and press << Set >>. Answer yes to the question about 3 point interpolation. -- Then Press Enter, and then ESC to enter the value and return to the main display. Now just tune from D3 up to A4. When you are done with this octave and fifth range, set the phase display to read for D#3 and tune A#4 directly from this. Proceed chromatically thus until you reach E6. This insures that you are tuning fundementals for A#4 - E6 pure to the 3rd partials of D#3 - A4..... perfect 12ths. Phase 2 (takes again about 2-3 minutes) -- First, select A5 on the phase display and stop the display by changing the offset. Press Ctrl-E, then Insert, then Enter, and finally ESC to return to the phase display. -- Then do the same for E6. NOTE (reading the 3rd partials up this high can be tricky...just keep repeat playing the notes instead of letting them sustain... offsets for A5 should be somewhere around 17 - 20 cents,,, and for E6 32 - 36 cents) -- Then using the numerical editor again select A4, A5, and E6 and press the << Set >> button, again answer yes to the question about interpolation. Now just tune F6 up to B7. You can check A#4 to E6 along the way to see how well their calulated 3rd partials line up with the fundementals taken from the 12ths below. C8 you should be able to figure out on your own. Phase 3 -- First set the phase display to read G2. -- Then while playing D4 stop the phase display by changing the offset. Press Ctrl-E, Insert, Enter, and then Esc to return to the phase display, and tune G2 at this time. -- Then set the phase display to read G1. -- Then play D3 to and stop the display and continue as for G1. -- Then with the numerical editor highlight D3, G2, and G1 in the reference points box and press << Set >>. Now just tune from C#3 down to G1. As soon as you reach F#2 you can tune the octaves below at the same time. This gives you 6:3 octaves for those lowest notes. Thats it ! Alternatives for the stretching the bass downwards are possible by tuning G1 either by ear and then entering its value into the editor before << Set >>-ing the tuning for the bass, or by experimenting with the different 12th types... ie 9:3 and 6:2. The 9:3 is easy to get... just set the phase display to read D3 and tune G1 directly to it. That will be quite low for most pianos. The 6:2 is done by temporarilly setting D3's tuning partial to 2, stoping the display while playing D3, and then tuning G1 to that. In each case when you have decided on G1, set the phase display on G1, stop the phase display by adjusting the offset, enter the value into the numerical editor as before and calculate the bass using the << Set >> Good luck. The Perfect 12ths tuning, and this approach to accomplishing it is and will remain free public domain... ie patent, royalty and all of that kind of other nonsense free. Constructive comments and suggestions to these directions are welcome ! These directions will also be on my website in the very near future. Cheers RicB mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no
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