I'm hoping someone will take a stab at a detailed definition of "Cracking The Unisons". I've checked the archives, and lots of people mention Virgil Smith's technique, some claim to use it, only a few have partially described it, and I suspect I'm still not getting it. As I understand it: If a three-string unison is found to be slightly flat or sharp compared to a test interval or two, you adjust the first string without muting the other two, then adjust the remaining strings to clean up the unison. Reasons for doing this: It's faster than messing with mutes, it produces better unisons, it avoids the "Virgil Smith Phenomenon" of a unison going flat when all three strings are vibrating compared to a single string of the unison by itself. (Please, let's not debate the phenomenon. I'm just asking about cracking.) Is this all there is to the technique? I presume the hard part is being able to hear the beat clear up on the 2nd string while the 3rd is still beating away, akin to dealing with false beats. Some of the unanswered questions (in my mind): 1. How big an adjustment to the unison are we making when using the cracking technique? One BPS? Half a beat? One beat in 15 seconds? 2. Do we move the 1st string to create a beat rate matching the out-of-tuneness of the unacceptable test interval, or is there some other method at work? If the 5th is beating about 1/2 BPS too fast, do we create a 1/2 BPS unison, then move the other two strings to eliminate the beat? 3. The single vs. three string pitch change "Virgil Smith Phenomenon": How big a change are we talking about? I've read 0.1 to 0.3 cents. How close is "close enough"? I know I'm not yet good enough to hear some of these small errors in unison tuning. I don't know if I could tune two strings to 0.25 cents accuracy while the third was 1.0 cent out. Heck, who am I kidding? Sometimes I don't hear the 1 cent error, especially in upper octaves. 0.25 cents mid keyboard is about one beat in 16 seconds, right? Is that the kind of accuracy we are talking about here? I need to see and hear this demonstrated someday, but I'm hoping someone on the list who is a "crack addict" can help me with a better written description. The archives need clarification, as do my unisons. Thanks, Greg Graham Brodheadsville, PA One tuning exam (and several months) away from RPT-dom. __________________________________________ Yahoo! DSL – Something to write home about. Just $16.99/mo. or less. dsl.yahoo.com
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC