ETDs

[Mark Bolsius]

David,
Why venture outside the arena of the "big 3"? Maybe some others on the list
can add 

The reason they are the big 3 is that they do the job very well!

The criteria on which I chose my ETD (an RCT) were  
1.  to ensure that the ETD could deal with varying inharmonicity
2.  It had to be painfully accurate
3.  Flexibility regarding the stretch....so that it suited personal tastes
4.  Adequate storage to deal with huge variety of pianos (and PSO's) out
there in Musicland
5. Ease of use(particularly relating to setting up a specific tuning table)
was critical
6. Versatility in it's uses (ie Pianalyser, historical temperaments etc)
helped but weren't crucial

RCT or SAT seemed to fulfil all of these requirements and more. I chose RCT
because of the added flexibility of being able to take my customer files on
the road with me and update as I work, not to mention the ability to catch
up on my quotes and letters if was left waiting for someone to show up.
There are many more positives in owning a laptop that doubles as a
worktool....it certainly added to my justification when the purchase was
being discussed with the Chancellor of the Exchecquer (my wife!).

The cons of a laptop in the workplace are few but worth noting.
!. Awkward to have in a comfortable place when working on some grands and
most uprights. I dealt with that by adding a music stand to my tool list
(See prior post)
2. It doesn't fit into a tool case the way an SAT or PT100 will. So it adds
an extra bag/case to your load
3. The cost....although any good ETD will cost a fair bit, but we ask alot
from them in return that cheaper units either can't deal with or don't deal
with very well. But make sure you balance that with athe extras a laptop
offers over a dedicated ETD.

The key to the choice is to outline what you want from it, and line it up
with a machine that does it all and maybe a bit extra.

Happy hunting
Mark Bolsius
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From: "David Ricketts" <ricketts@pbq.com.au>

My 1st ? to the brains trust is this.
Is there any other manufactures of ETDs other then the big 3 ie. SAT, Cyber
tuner & Yamaha.
I have decided to invest in 1. I'm getting a bit sick of pitch raise the
hard way. We do alot of that in the bush.
Thanks.
David F. Ricketts.