SAT FAC help please...

[Kevin E. Ramsey RPT]

Just my two cents worth. Why not do a custom tuning. It doesn't take any
longer to use the SAT as a tool. You don't have to "stop the lights" if you
know what you want, and if you know what the SAT is listening to. Learn the
machine, specifically, what partials it uses to tune in which part of the
piano, then you can use it to tune perfect 4/2 octaves here, perfect 6/3
octaves there, etc. Also, just use your ear to tell you when your octaves
are becoming too stretched. Always check your double octaves. That will keep
you honest.
    Here's what I do; I imput the numbers, but then I tune A4 dead on. I
then set the machine on A3 and look at the A4. I then adjust the machine to
"stop the lights". I read the new number, the difference is the stretch. At
A3, the machine is listening to A5. Checking A4 gives you a 4/2 octave. When
you switch to A3, ( you don't even have to tune it, you're just checking the
A4 stretch) you're looking at a 4/2 octave. You can do this kind of thing
for any section of the keyboard, as long as you know what you're looking at.
I frequently tune 2/1 octaves in octave 5 by having the machine set at
octave 3 and adjusting between the 2/1 octave and the perfect 12th. I hope
this helps. As far a tuning by a formula, I never do it. What's right for
one piano will need adjusting for another.
    If you need further info, I'd be glad to help. I'm at
ramsey@extremezone.com
-----Original Message-----
From: J Patrick Draine <draine@mediaone.net>
To: pianotech@ptg.org <pianotech@ptg.org>
Date: Monday, July 10, 2000 6:05 AM
Subject: Re: SAT FAC help please...


>Charly Tuner wrote:
>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> Hope those who attended the Convention had a great time..I wish i could
have
>> had the opportunity to go!
>>
>> Anyway, i need the 3 FAC numbers for a 1949 36" Acrosonic, so if any SAT
>> II/III users out there could help me out, I thank you very much in
advance!
>>
>
>Umm, Terry, what's wrong with measuring the numbers of the piano when you
sit
>down to tune it?
>You may recall that when I was in a cranky mood I flamed someone who wanted
to
>be given FAC numbers for a small K&C. Now, in my experience 70s era K&Cs
might
>give you an astronomical number for the F3. Like 28 cents or so? The SAT II
>will compute a tuning with a default maximum F3 number of 20 cents. However
you
>approach such an instrument, the results will be imperfect.
>The Acrosonic is much more reasonably scaled, but you should measure that
>particular piano to generate a tuning; it won't have exactly the same FAC
>numbers as the Acrosonics I run into.
>Best wishes,
>Patrick Draine
>
>