[CAUT] electronic tuning device preference?

[Richard Brekne]

Hi folks

Whilst I realize the exchange below has been hashed out by a few it does 
raise a central issue not really well discussed.  The fact is that we 
have no real practical value for the degree of <<accuracy>> ETD's 
provide. This is actually a big part of why they are able to provide a 
more then satisfactory result for the vast majority of situations.  The 
rest being that the algorithms employed yield a tuning curve that is 
very close to what results in a <<perfect>> ear tuning.

This said, we all have many examples of what real life situations 
require of us.  Tho being able to be <<accurate>> within 1/10th of your 
target (whether that be an ETD or Aural target) may be nice to be able 
to provide... but it is not necessary.  That by no means doesn't mean we 
shouldn't take advantage of the ability to be so on target... it just 
means we can in fact easily live with less in nearly all situations.This 
accounts for the acceptability of what is in fact a rather large range 
of variation between high quality Aural tunings and also explains why 
the best ETD's of today glide right into that same range of acceptabilty. 

None of this justifies one approach over the other per'se.  But one can 
indeed argue successfully that at this level of tuning a critical Aural 
approval to the end tuning is to be preferred since in the end the 
instrument is to be listened to by human ears and not machine ears. We 
all know even the best of tunings can always be improved upon... and 
that most definitely applies to a purely ETD executed tuning.  Sure it 
can fly comfortably.... but my money will always be on the person who 
employs ALL the tools at his/her disposal.  Learning to refine any 
tuning Aurally is to my mind of thinking an essential part of any 
serious piano technicians tool box. We are beyond here any discussion of 
accuracies... we are in an arena of artistic endeavor and creativity. 
And in that arena... the ETD has limited value. Indeed... when a tuning 
is at this level I would go so far as to say the ETD is most usually 
misused as a tool for refinement, since the tuner nearly never uses the 
ETD in the direct referencing modus our ears do.

Cheers
RicB


    Hi, Don

         >It would appear that the best that can be done on a totally
        "Aural" basis
         >is 1/10 of a cent. No one told me that such small changes were
        hard to
         >make--so I simply bashed away until I could make that sort of
        resolution. I
         >guess this would be a case of an ETD driving a student to a
        higher level
         >than they might have achieved without one.


    And your reason for wanting 1/100th of a cent? Sort of a hobby, perhaps?
    "Because it was there ..." ? You surely don't think there's a human
    oscilloscope out there who could discern the difference unaided?
    (And would they mind if they could?)