A Different Temperament / Tuning Approach

[Mike and Jane Spalding]

Ric,

I've been trying to figure out if your 12th tuning is more stretched or less stretched than what I am accustomed to doing.  I think it must be less.  In RCT 3.5, you can go to the Interval Preview Graph to see what the width of various intervals will be.  I tried, and failed, to get a straight line pure 12th, but I got real close.  Had to select OTS 1 or 2, then tweak several octaves narrower with the Custom Equalizer.  Haven't had a chance yet to tune a piano to see how it sounds.  I don't get many opportunities to experiment on S&S D's or similar concert grands, either.  How does your perfect 12th tuning sound on a typical home piano?

Mike

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Richard Brekne <richard.brekne@grieg.uib.no>
To: PTG <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Tuesday, June 11, 2002 4:20 PM
Subject: Re: A Different Temperament / Tuning Approach


> 
>  Bradley, Jason, and Mike..
> 
> Thought I might update you a bit. Mike went and graphed the data I posted the
> other day showing the comparison between RCT's curve and what I came up with.
> Course mine was based on a simple linear spaceing of the range D3 to A4 which
> was itself tuned as a perfect 12th. 
> 
> Today I took the same perfect 12th, and then set A3 such that it was slowed
> relative to D3, and just a bit wider relative to A4. Turned out about 0.3 bps
> against D3 and somewhere in between a 6:3 and a 4:2 octave with A4. Then
> instead of useing Tunelabs 2 point linear curve for the 12th, I used all three
> frequencies (again read in from the 3rd partial of each) and used the 3 point
> quadratic interpolation Robert Scott built into Tunelab 97.
> 
> This results in the same kind of basic curve that the RCT creates, and since
> notes outside the temperament are all tuned as perfect 12ths the curve just
> continues much in the same manner as the linear curve did, but with a smoother
> bend around A4.
> 
> Bradley's graphing of how this would affect the different octave types would be
> interesting to see. I bet the results would be a bit different, same basic
> tendencies but curves bent a bit differently. Since his curves are theoretical
> based on measured inharmonicities I'll leave it to him to repeat the graph if
> he has time.
> 
> I will try later on this week to measure a piano tuned thus note for note. I
> will also try and post the 3rd partials numbers I have from todays tuning, a
> brand spanking new Steinway D at Edvard Griegs home and museum that was to be
> used for a masters degree concert this evening. 
> 
> Cheers
> 
> RicB
> 
> Richard Brekne
> RPT NPTF
> Griegakadamiet UiB
> 
>