3rd or 4th partial

[mitchkiel@olywa.net]

Jim Coleman wrote on PianoTech

>One of the distinct advantages in using the SAT is that the entire 
>temperament area is tuned listening to the 4th partials.

   I'm sorry to have to correct any inadvertant misimpression 
Jim's otherwise excellent post might have caused, but RCT lets 
you choose *either* the 3rd or 4th partial in the temperament area,
specifically from A2 to G#4. 
   RCT users who use the 3rd partial often do so because the 
4th partial is usually weaker than the 3rd in this area and markedly so 
above.
That's why it's sometimes hard to get a clear LED pattern with 
the SAT around B4, whose FAC doesn't switch to the 2nd partial
until C5. RCT switches to the 2nd partial at A4, which is one reason
its Spinner display stays strong and clear.
   Kent Swafford wrote quite brilliantly about the advantages of using 
the 3rd partial over the 4th when tuning the midranges of small-scale 
pianos 
in his Jan 97 Journal review of RCT, reprinted in the RCT User Manual, 
available as a PDF file at 
<www.reyburn.com/demos.html>
or click on the Demo link from the RCT main page at 
<www.reyburn.com> 
   I usually use the 3rd partial in the midrange and am extremely
satisfied with the results. But Jim is one of the smartest guys 
around about partials, Ih, and tuning, and if he says
   
>It is well known that the first 3 partials are much more erratic (uneven in
>a graph of their individual note inharmonicity curves), therefore, one
>introduces more possible mismatches when using the 2nd and 3rd partials.
>(I don't see how there can be any doubters among those who have an RCT
>if they utilize their PianaLyzer).

    then I'm sure he's right. I sure wouldn't want to become known as an 
inveterate 
Jim-doubter ;) so at my first tuning tomorrow morning (Fandrich upright!)
I'll break open RCT's Pianalyzer and begin my search for partial 
erraticism. 
And I'll see what I can see and hear what I can hear.

Mitch

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mitch Kiel, RPT
authorized Reyburn CyberTuner sales and support
1-888-I-LUV-RCT (1-888-458-8728)

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Olympia, Washington 98501 USA
email: mitchkiel@olywa.net
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