Imperials & the SAT

[Jim Coleman, Sr.]

Hi Avery:

My preference for tuning the Big Bosendorffer is to tune pure 10-5 type
octaves. e.g. play B1, with machine set in TUNE mode to D#4 (the 5th 
partial of B1) and adjust the cents to stop the LEDs (this usually means 
running the cents down). Then tune the B0 to stop the dots of its 10th 
partial. This will give a very slow roll in the overall octave sound
(kinda like the roll you hear in a cathedral when the organ is using the
32' stop). I would continue in this same fashion by hitting the NOTE Dn
one time, playing the A#1, stopping the dots, and tuning the A#0 to that
setting. This works very well all the way to the C0. I would only tune
extremely large Grands with the 10-5 type octave match.

Incidentally, I would usually tune the entire Bass of this piano as
8-4 type octave to take advantage of the possibility of wider octaves
which make the whole piano sound a little better.

With the new SAT III, I could possibly develop a way to utilize the Double
Octave Beat Control to do this in a little more simple manner. I haven't
yet had the opportunity to tune one of these beasties since I received my
SAT III.

Jim Coleman, Sr.

On Sun, 30 May 1999, Avery Todd wrote:

> List,
> 
>    Here's a question I've never seen discussed before. I tuned my first
> Bosendorfer Imperial Grand for a recital last week and was just wondering
> if there is a "best" way to tune the extra 9 bass strings with an SAT?
>    Several of them were out in left field somewhere so I just set the SAT
> an octave higher and, in combination with my ear, it worked pretty well.
> I'm just curious if there is a better way to do those notes. Thanks.
> 
> Avery
> 
> mailto:atodd@uh.edu
> 
> Avery Todd, RPT
> Moores School of Music
> University of Houston
> Houston, TX 77204-4201
>