Which partials? was E.T.D.

[Jason Kanter]

My working hypothesis about this is that the partials that are strongest are the ones that should be used. (After all, the strongest partials are those that will be heard most strongly by the listener. Duh!) TuneLab's inharmonicity measurements look at the full range of partials, but only store the single calculated "inharmonicity constant" for the string. So when I am preparing the tuning curve in TuneLab, I look at the mix of partial strengths (viewable immediately after an inharmonicity measurement) and note the strongest two or three partials. I do this several times for each section of strings -- monochords, bass bichords, tenor bichords, and then again for each set of trichords. In a Steinway I just tuned, the strongest partial for the monochords was the 5th, and for the bichords it was the 4th. The 6th, which is the default bass partial in Tunelab, was a quite weak partial in all the bass, so I did not use it. I then change the partial selection to match the stringing pattern and strongest partial in each section. Seems to produce good results.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ron Koval" <drwoodwind@hotmail.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Sunday, August 18, 2002 6:55 PM
Subject: re: E.T.D.


| 
| David wrote
| 
| Ron,
| 
| I don't believe the SAT, Verituner listen to lower partials/fundemental at 
| all do they?  I believe they are using upper partials for all measuring...?
| 
| David I.
| 
| I'm more concerned with what they listen to while tuning, not measuring.  
| Since during the measuring phase, the machine then makes the assumption of 
| what the other string's Ih will be.  Once we move on to the tuning phase, 
| only a single partial will be listened to, in the hopes that the other 
| partials will behave.  (the VT works a little differently)  So, if you 
| check, all the machines have their favorite default partials to use for 
| different parts of the scale. Depending on the piano, the weather, the phase 
| of the moon, your personal mood, that may or may not be the best partial to 
| choose for that particular moment.  THAT, is the best reason to learn your 
| machine well, and how to tweak the tuning, so the machine can produce what 
| your ear is yearning to hear.
| 
| Ron Koval
| 
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