> One thing that > bothers me about the SAT, FAC tunings is that the beat rates of the 3rds > and 6ths start out faster in the temperament octave than my aural > tuning, and some of the 4ths have a tad more beat than I prefer. I must > admit I have not studied or analyzed the difference... Travis, If a calculated tuning has faster M3rds, M6ths, and P4ths than you are used to, it's because the SAT makes a different assumption about the width of the temperament octave. The SAT will start with an octave that is about .6 to .8 cents wide of a 4:2, which sounds pretty good on most pianos. You are aurally tuning a narrower octave than the SAT. Tune A3-A4 by ear, then set the SAT (in tune mode) on A5 (this is at the 4:2 level), play A3 and A4 and measure the difference. Also set the tuner at E6 and measure the difference. This [6:3 coincidence] will be narrow in your tuning, and close to on in the SAT tuning. It's a matter of preference as far as this octave goes, but it does have ramifications later in the tuning with the spread of double and triple octaves, and with the rate of increase of beats. Using the box to keep track, explore several different octave widths. If you prefer your octave width, the SAT can duplicate it easily by using a lower stretch number and retuning the box so that the A matches. Just remember that NO tuning decision comes free! Bob Davis
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