Accu-Tune/aural

[Richard Brekne]

Don wrote:

> Hi Richard
>
> Nice post about the why. I believe you missed a point or two. If you are
> trying to tune a unison with an etd I believe most persons would mute all
> but one string to do so. This prevents the strings from "coupling". When
> the two or three strings are unmuted the pitch of the first tuned string
> will be slightly different.

Hmmm, I actually do the opposite, when I first decide to use the ETD for help
in unisons. Two exceptions being an occasional exceptiunally horrible bass
string pair, and sometimes up in the last 5 or 6 highest notes. Otherwise I try
to get the most out of the coupled unision. I should note that I use Tune Lab
to do this little task as its really easy to simply switch partials for a
second and rezero the display on my reference note. I find that sticking to
lower partials when tuning unisons yeilds the results I like best aurally.

>
> This effect can be duplicated aurally. Tune a middle string (or accept it
> as a given). Next tune the bass side wire to the middle with the treble
> string muted. Now move the mute to the bass side and tune the treble
> string. Finally pull out the mute and listen to the (shabby) result. Often,
> even with a "performance" level piano the result will be a poor unison.

I have never tried this, but will give it a go in the next  couple days.

> The "why" in my mind is quite clear. I doubt that there have ever been
> three strings with exactly the same termination/length/tightness of bridge
> pin/mating to bridge/voicing/perfectly cylindrical wire. (Well, maybe ONE
> such unison in the entire production history of the piano *grin*, after all
> accidents *do* happen).

They do at that.... Thanks for your posting as well. As usual you provide
interesting insights.

> >>Richard Moody wrote:
> >>
> >> I am wondering why SAT III can't tune unisons.  Or why everybody
> >> prefers to tune unisons by ear rather than by machine even though
> >> using the machine for everything else. The unisons I tuned with
> >> TuneLab sounded OK, but I do tune unisons by ear after tuning
> >> everything else with TL, hmmm I wonder why....   ---ric
> >>
> >Another thing is that ETD's are primarilly set up to listen to one string
> >at a time. Its not set up to sort out and deal with two coincidents at a
> >time, whether they come from octaves or other intervals or from unisions.
> >There are probably other contributing factors, and Robert and Dean should
> >probably expound on those for you.
>
> Regards,
> Don Rose, B.Mus., A.M.U.S., A.MUS., R.M.T., R.P.T.

--
Richard Brekne
RPT, N.P.T.F.
Bergen, Norway
mailto:Richard.Brekne@grieg.uib.no