SAT III Problems and Questions

[Kevin E. Ramsey]

    I recently had an occasion to sit down with someone who has one of the
new SAT 111s, and compare it to my SAT 11. Imputing the same FAC figures
into the newer model yielded a temperament which is stretched more than with
my older machine. I too felt that it was wider than anything I would have
liked. You can try reducing the A figure in the FAC, that should limit the
stretch in the center section, and then adjust the DOB for zero beats at the
Double Octave level. See, if that gets you where you want to go.
    Good thing that you're using your ears. I always check the machine to
insure that I'm getting what I want, but I use the machine in a little
different manner to do it.


----- Original Message -----
From: "David Love" <davidlovepianos@hotmail.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Wednesday, February 21, 2001 8:47 AM
Subject: SAT III Problems and Questions


> I started using an SAT III about a year ago.  I find it to be a useful
tool,
> certainly not an ear substitute, but useful.  I always take new FAC
readings
> for each piano and I am confident that they are taken accurately.  Yet I
> often find that as I progress through the piano the scale that the machine
> calculates from those readings is off.  When there is a problem it is most
> often noticeable in the 4th and 5th octaves (or going down in the bass).
The
> octaves in this section are invariably too wide and not just by a little
> bit--clearly objectionable.  For example, today I tuned a Steinway L
recent
> model.  When I got to this problem section I set the pitch initially by
the
> ETD and corrected to the flat side by ear.  Oddly, when I got to the sixth
> octave, the problem seemed to correct itself, i.e. the machine's scaling
was
> now correct.  This implies, of course, that had I tuned strictly by the
> machine, the 4th and fifth octaves would have been calculated too wide and
> the 6th octave too narrow.  What gives?  Is it possible that there is a
> problem with this machine?  Is this sort of anomaly a regular occurrence?
>
> One more question.  When one alters the DOB on a page, does that
alteration
> stay on that page even if you save a new FAC to that page? Or, when you
save
> a new FAC reading to that page does it default back to its original
setting?
>
> Any input is appreciated.
>
> David Love
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