Tuning narrow and wide - VT and EDT comments

Isaac OLEG oleg-i@wanadoo.fr
Sun, 22 Jun 2003 14:50:32 +0200


Alan,
The VT is re computing  the tuning during the P.R and gather all the
iH information, so the second pass is more precise with better iH
information.

The screen display up to 8 partials in real time.

I don't like turning display either (because of my glasses I guess)  ,
but in fact there are markers, that don't move - for P.R. , and when
used to the display, nothing is turning much really, or so slowly it
is not a real problem.
Nowadays there is an (optional)  needle in the display that is not
turning at all I refer to it a lot.

What I like about the tool is the naturalness of the use, I mean I
could be back tuning pianos and not managing the partials, stretch or
parameters. I generally tune as if the tool where not so viable,
meaning I use less test, but still make tests while tuning. At that
day when something was wrong, it have been seen that the VT was right,
and I did not follow enough it.

It is not useful for building tone and tune unisons, but how I see it,
once a stabilization pass is done (fast tuning) , I really tune the
piano, in the way concert tuners work on instruments that are yet
almost in tune.

Talking about temperament, the comment make sense, what is computed
with the VT in its original mode is
A perfect progression of thirds and fast intervals.
A very even color of the fifths, fourths and such.
And a very clean alignment of partials, when you play large chords,
the fast beats produced are really less.

If I where to be critical, I should say it is so pure that it lacks a
bit of "human touch", but the overall resonance of the instrument is
really improved, as the partials align really more that what we can do
usually.
When tuning after some very good aural tuners, I noticed the
temperament was the same that what was done before, assuming they
where based on faster intervals.

If one is used to allow for more "movement" in it's temperament
sequence, I believe it may be advantageous to him to record its
temperament , to analyze it in regard of the "perfect" temperament
produced by the tuner, and use its temperament preferment to the
standard (ET) setup.

Indeed then one may discover he is not tuning in a so perfect ET,
which is absolutely not wrong of course.

When I worked in concert service among 4 other tuners, I could
recognize the temperament sequence of each of my colleagues by the
little variations they install systematically, in any piano , these
always took place in the same intervals (differently for each tuner).
So  if one want to keep this style before his ears are "corrupted" by
the regular use of the tool, that mostly learn you to be aware of more
discrepancies than one was before using it. I get used to that perfect
progression now, but still I am very attentive at the color of chords
and singing intervals, and I have to change the stretch sometime.

What was very evident with the RCT, I used for some time, was that the
temperament and the tuning was based on an even progression of the
5ths and the twelve's, and, as such it have some kind of "personality"
given. Tuning by "pure" 12th is well a procedure for some.

With the VT I was reluctant to have so much compromising done at
first, but I've actually learned to install unison color at the same
time I check the fourth/ fifths color, and that works for me. If not
done, one can obtain a very well in tune instrument that is yet
sounding awful.

I see you point with the PR, one have to get used to some brands and
models enough to predict the drift, I do that instinctively too, not
being working for a particular brand.

Enough of that stuff, I hope some comments can clear the ideas. I
guess there is a return policy for the VT if you don't like it (you
should check that on the web site) BTW 50 min is more than the time we
had for concert tunings sometime, my regular time is less than one
hour today, with a refinement pass on unisons (but still 2 hours for a
1/2step PR plus tuning.

Best regards, good luck for your choices.

Isaac OLEG






Isaac OLEG

Entretien et réparation de pianos.

PianoTech
17 rue de Choisy
94400 VITRY sur SEINE
FRANCE
tel : 033 01 47 18 06 98
fax : 033 01 47 18 06 90
cell: 06 60 42 58 77

> -----Message d'origine-----
> De : pianotech-bounces@ptg.org
> [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org]De la
> part de Alan Forsyth
> Envoyé : vendredi 20 juin 2003 21:49
> À : Pianotech
> Objet : Tuning narrow and wide
>
>
> Tony Caught, Adelaide Australia wrote;
>
> >>>"In America when you sit for a tuning exam, can you do
> the exam on a
> Yamaha U1 piano ?....">>>
>
> Probably the easiest piano in the world to tune aurally!
>
>
> >>>"You set a scale in accordance to a piano, you tune up
> then down to the
> scale you set................ but when you start going down
> on a poorly
> scaled piano you notice immediately that you have a problem
> so you sort it
> out using a combination of methods to level out the sudden jump in
> inharmonicity..." >>
>
> Which is why I include the bass break in my bearing scale.
>
> >>>" But this is still all based on the original scale that
> is set and that
> is the way it should be.  ...To deviate from this standard
> (variations
> accepted) is not in my opinion a good practice. To allow a
> machine to say "
> Hey my C1 inharmonicity is way, way, out, so you have to
> tune the piano with
> a scale that will accept me and to hell with every other
> note." is not
> good.......So I guess that the correct way to tune a piano
> is still by ear.
> ...........">>>
>
> Which is what I have found, for the temperament scale at
> least. I have tried
> using various electronic devices to set the scale for me
> and the results
> have proved to be most unsatisfactory. The 5ths are awful,
> the 4ths are
> disgusting, the 3rds are absolutely wicked, the 6ths are
> revolting, and the
> overall effect is diabolical.
> I have always tuned my scale by ear and then, and only then
> will I use an
> ETD to tune the unisons and octaves from thereon,
> calibrating the ETD to my
> original scale. If any of you users of Tunelab out there
> who perhaps have a
> tuning file for a 1920's Gulbransen upright, will you
> kindly send me a copy
> so I can check if I am perhaps wrong!
>
> Regards,
> Alan Forsyth
> Edinburgh.
>
> Have your piano tuned for Christmas so you can play Jingle
> Bells instead of
> Jangle Bells!
>
>
>
>
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>


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