Cassette recorders

[Clyde Hollinger]

Terry Beckingham wrote:
> 
> At 07:30 PM 9/29/98 +0100, you wrote:
> >In article <3610C0A6.6FE3@redrose.net>, Clyde Hollinger
> ><cedel@redrose.net> writes
> >>>  What if you have a slower running tape recorder than Mr Potter's how is
> >>>  he going to listen to the recording objectively.
> >>>
> >>Friends:
> >>
> >>       For what it's worth, I got curious about cassette speed variations when
> >>I was a music teacher.  We had five cassette recorders in the
> >>department.  I conducted some tests, recording A440 from a strobe on a
> >>cassette and checking it on all the others.
> >>       If I recall correctly, not one of them matched any of the others.
> >>Therefore, at most, only one could have been correct.  Which one?  Who
> >>knows?  The _cassette_ may have been wrong.  For those few instances
> >>where intonation was critical, I bought a variable speed cassette
> >>recorder.
> >>
> >>Clyde Hollinger
> >>
> >>
> >Clyde,
> >
> >For it to work on testing a tuning,  the testee  would also need to
> >record the "A 440" so you can calibrate the recorder too "A440" on the
> >testers recorder. Now that way you will  have a sporting chance at
> >listening  objectively to intervals.
> >
> >I would not like to give advise on a tuning using this method.
> >
> >
> >Barrie,
> >
> Barrie, clyde etal,
> 
> The pitch of the tuning is only one aspect that the tester listens to. If,
> at the beginning of the recording, the testee played F2 and the fork, and
> then F2 and A4, would the comparison of the beat rates not establish whether
> or not the pitch was correct, regardless of the speed at which the recorder
> played it back? (of course I am assuming that the recorder would pick up the
> beating between F2 and the fork).
> The rest of the tuning could then be verified by the tester just by the beat
> rate of the testing intervals to each other, regardless of whether or not
> the the playback recorder gave the pitch at 440.
> 
> Does this make any sense?
> 
> Terry Beckingham

Friends:

Perhaps I should make clear that I never used cassette recorders in any
way remotely related to tuning pianos.  I was simply making the point
that the machines vary a lot from one to the next.

Clyde Hollinger