[pianotech] aural checks and verituner or other ETD

[Andrew Anderson]

The standard tuning on the Verituner will not be satisfactory to most  
ears at each end of the piano.  The box tuning coincides, FAC change  
of octave preference, with the PTG test tuning standards which simply  
are a standardized test to see if you are knowledgeable enough to tune  
to it (no claim being made about it being the "STANDARD" to tune every  
piano to).  I prefer to average my octave priorities a lot more often  
then that especially around the break.  I set up my own custom tuning  
and as a result the box now tunes the way I usually do aurally (the  
box being quite reliable even after umpteen tunings).

Andrew Anderson


On Jan 8, 2010, at 11:48 AM, Zoe Sandell wrote:

> John,
>
> That is really interesting.  I really like the idea of setting the
> temperament octave notes aurally.  (otherwise- how will I learn?)
> I had the idea to set A4 with Verituner- then save my file, tune  
> Verituner
> off- do as you did setting the temperament, turn the machine back on  
> and see
> how my ear compares
> A work in progress...
>
> Zoe
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org]  
> On Behalf
> Of John Dorr
> Sent: January 8, 2010 7:25 AM
> To: piano tech list
> Subject: Re: [pianotech] aural checks and verituner or other ETD
>
> List,
>
> I use Tunelab.  I set the temperament in a hybrid fashion.  That is,  
> I set
> A4
> with Tunelab, then I set each note from that aurally.  I use Tunelab  
> in
> "aural
> sequence" mode and after I've set it aurally I ask Tunelab what it  
> "thinks"
> about it.  If we're in complete agreement, fine.  If we disagree, I'll
> listen
> to where TL wants it and compare.  Sometimes I win, sometimes TL,  
> sometimes
> we
> compromise.  I think this is a nice way to continue refining my aural
> skills.
> ("Skills" might be too strong a word! ;-) )
>
> After setting the temperament thusly, I set TL to "auto down", and  
> follow a
> similar procedure.  Here is where TL is very cool.  Since it tells you
> onscreen which partial it's listening to, you can also play the  
> octave above
>
> and monitor the stretch as you go, since if TL is listening to the 6th
> partial, then the note an octave above will trigger a reading on its  
> own 3rd
>
> partial.  Thus you have a visible check on the 6:3 octave in this  
> case.  You
>
> can set up whichever partial you want to hear, btw, either  
> temporarily or
> permanently.  This way you use the machine to check ITSELF.  Doing  
> it this
> way
> is helping me develop my ability to CHOOSE aurally a partial pair  
> out of
> thin
> air and focus on it.  That is, I can play an octave and CHOOSE TO  
> HEAR a
> specific partial.  Very exciting to me!
>
> A similar procedure is employed going upward from the temperament.   
> When I
> get
> very high (last octave or a little more, sometimes 2 octaves) and TL  
> is
> listening to the fundamental, I can play the octave below, the 17th  
> below,
> and
> the double octave below and make a good placement.
>
> I've yet to tune all the unisons as I go.  I intend to learn that  
> too.  My
> holdback fear right now is that it may add time to my tuning, but I  
> have
> some
> pianos at the store where I work where I could (and WILL) practice  
> that on.
>
> Summing up -- I tune aurally and use ETD checks.  It's refining my  
> aural
> skills.  (there's that strong word again: "skills"  LOL)
>
> Thanks for bringing up the topic.  I love what I'm reading.
>
> John Dorr, RPT
> Helena, MT
>
>
>