MY ETD IS MADE BY SIEMENS-- IT'S CALLED A HEARING AID

[David Love]

To much over reaction on this topic but the bottom line is that I see a
great benefit to tuning with a combination of ears and an ETD.  My ears
catch inconsistencies in the piano not compensated for by the ETD and the
ETD helps zero in on things that are hard to hear.  For institutional work,
which needs to be done quickly and in sometimes unfriendly environments,
ETD's are invaluable.  To rely on them totally without listening, however,
can be dangerous.  Theoretical curves based on limited measurements may not
always produce the best possible curve for the piano and the machines don't
have the fudge factor which we often need on some of these toads to cover
the warts.  

ETD's can be useful for solving disputes.  The other day after tuning a
piano the customer insisted a particular note in the mid treble was flat.
Since I was packed up I went through my various aural checks and it sounded
fine to me.  I finally pulled out the ETD so I could measure it compared to
the note an octave below.  The note in question measured just a shade wide
of a 4:2 octave--exactly where I wanted it.  At various dynamic levels she
heard the note as flat.  When we focused on finding a dynamic level where
the pitch was clearer, it sounded fine to her.  The problem was a tonal one.
This particular piano (rebuilt with new soundboard a few years ago) has
several splatter problems in the treble and distortion makes the pitch very
difficult to hear clearly on many notes.  

While we were at it we looked at a problem note in the bass (Steinway M)
where the unison was difficult to tune clean.  A comparison measure of the
various partials on each string turned up the anomaly on the 6th partial
where when the lower partials where tuned in unison, that one was quite off.
It was a very nice and easy way to illustrate the problem and shift the
blame from my questionable unison tuning to an anomaly in either the string
or the bridge.  We are now discussing various remedies ($$$).  

I wouldn't leave home without it.  

David Love
davidlovepianos at comcast.net