[pianotech] Tuning test idea - fly or not ?

[Ed Sutton]

Wierder than ever.
Try navigating from the main ptg.org page to Journal to Media Files.
Sometimes today I get a notice that the page is down, then immediately after I successfully get the media page.
If this problem is consistent, please notify me off list.

Ed Sutton
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Gordon Holley 
  To: ed440 at mindspring.com 
  Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2009 1:55 PM
  Subject: Re: Re: [pianotech] Tuning test idea - fly or not ?


  Hello Ed,  the temperament video you refered to is not available on the PTG.ORG site
  anymore.  Shucks.  Regards, Gordon Holley 


  Feb 28, 2009 10:02:06 AM, ed440 at mindspring.com wrote:

    Duane-

    The chances of the forks working for a piano aren't very good.
    First, you will need a good set of forks (Walker blue is probably the best 
    available, though perhaps you can find a used set of Deagan forks.)
    Second, you will need to control for temperature. Liquid crystal aquarium 
    thermometers are cheap, and work well for thse purposes. (My A fork is 
    calibrated to pocket temperature, and fits in a leather pouch with the 
    thermometer patch on the outside.) How to control the temperature of 12 
    forks will be your experimental discovery! Aluminum is too temperature 
    sensitive.
    You could make a little box resonator to hold a fork and project the sound.
    But meanwhile you will have the issue of inharmonicity to deal with. You 
    might get better results tuning to the lower octave, say C3-C4, using the 
    forks at a higher partial. This may be the "catch." I don't know how far off 
    the inharmonicity would throw the readings. You would have to buy the forks 
    and experiment, comparing the results to your ETD for a start. It might 
    depend on what piano you are tuning.
    And you also will need to do a very accurate tuning to the forks. You'd need 
    to use a test note, such as the F2-A4 test.

    Meanwhile...take a look at Eric Nickiforoff's One-Two-Three! temperament in 
    the March Journal. This is a great beginner's temperament. The video 
    demonstration is already up at http://www.ptg.org/journal-media.php. (And 
    this would be a free start...you'll be lucky to find a set of forks for less 
    than $150.)

    In April we are publishing a temperament sequence by Jim Coleman which uses 
    A2 and runs from C#3 to C#4. Jim feels that many people benefit from the 
    lower pitches and slower beat rates of this sequence.

    Duane, take your time and enjoy all the fine vibrations!

    Ed Sutton

    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: "Conrad Hoffsommer" <hoffsoco at luther.edu>
    To: <pianotech at ptg.org>
    Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2009 5:37 AM
    Subject: Re: [pianotech] Tuning test idea - fly or not ?


    >I tried it years ago, but I don't think the fork set itself had a good
    > temperament to begin with.
    > One of these days I'll put them up against my ETD and try to confirm
    > what my ears told me.
    >
    > What if your fork set flunks the test? Then what???
    >
    > Conrad
    >
    > On 2/27/09, Kent Swafford <kswafford at gmail.com> wrote:
    >> Using tuning forks to set the temperament would by unusual but allowed
    >> because you would be using aural techniques. Almost any CTE would try
    >> to talk you out of this, however; our experience is that you are
    >> likely to be disappointed with the results.
    >>
    >>
    >> Kent Swafford
    >>
    >>
    >>
    >> On Feb 27, 2009, at 9:18 PM, Duaine & Laura Hechler wrote:
    >>
    >>> I think I can probably do the rest. But what about setting the
    >>> temperament with tuning forks ?
    >>>
    >>> --
    >>> Duaine Hechler
    >>> Piano, Player Piano, Pump Organ
    >>> Tuning, Servicing & Rebuilding
    >>> Reed Organ Society Member
    >>> Florissant, MO 63034
    >>> (314) 838-5587
    >>> dahechler at att.net
    >>> www.hechlerpianoandorgan.com
    >>> --
    >>> Home & Business user of Linux - 10 years
    >>>
    >>>
    >>
    >>
    >>
    >
    >
    > -- 
    > Conrad Hoffsommer, RPT
    > Luther College
    > Decorah, IA
    >
    >
    > 


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