It's a very personal decision, like choosing a tuning lever. You're going to spend a lot of time with the program, so the interface is a big part of it. I've spent time with RCT, Verituner (software and hardware versions), SAT III, and TuneLab, and chose TuneLab. I haven't tried OnlyPure. I picked it to start with because it was the only one that had a free trial. It was also the cheapest to purchase (and still is, I believe). I've been using it since 2002. Here are some reasons: The interface is both simple, and deep. This is the gold standard of product design. You can pick it up and use it with minimal instruction. And then there are many powerful features that you can uncover and use later on: pitch raises, alternate temperament, custom tuning curves, even RPT exam mode. The "spectrum display" on the bottom is like an oscilloscope. This allows you to do pitch raises without mutes, because you can see the peaks of each individual string as you adjust them. There are two other pitch indications that are easy to read (for me). Big black blocks move left or right to indicate flat or sharp -- this helps a lot in the top treble, where there are often false beats. And then right under the note name, two bars come together once you get under a cent of target pitch. It's easy to measure a piano in order to create a tuning curve, and the curve is created automatically for you. The pitch raise feature is fast and accurate. This is why I still use it; then I tune aurally. I did an 80-cent raise recently, and it left every note within five cents of target pitch. I also use it to measure pitch before tuning, so I can track how the piano's pitch is changing over time. You can run it on your cell phone (Windows Mobile or iPhone), iPod Touch, Pocket PC, or laptop/palmtop/netbook. You can save your tunings on your PC or Mac by syncing. RCT does a great job, and offers more customization of tuning curves, but I find the interface hard to use (different programs: Chameleon, etc., instead of all-in-one). I don't use the curve tweaks, since I tune aurally. The security system involves a physical card (or did), and if it goes bad, you're left stranded. Verituner is probably the easiest to use for a beginner, since there's no initial measurement phase. You just start tuning. I haven't tried its pitch raise feature. I find the SAT interface hard to use. Once I start to see lights blinking half on, half off, it's just not very precise. You're limited in how many tunings you can save (unlike the ones that run on standard platforms, like Windows Mobile or IOS). I find the buttons awkward. Kent Swafford has written glowingly of OnlyPure. It may be the most expensive: 690 euros as of today for the mobile version. TuneLab Pocket is $340 as of today. --Cy-- Cy Shuster, RPT Albuquerque, NM www.shusterpiano.com www.facebook.com/shusterpiano On Feb 5, 2011, at 12:40 PM, The Davis Family (Mark, Janine, William, Stephen & Matthew) wrote: > Dear List > > I would like to purchase an ETD in the near future. I have given each ETD brand some thought and I really am not able to make up my mind about which one to choose. > If you would not mind can you possibly give a list of 5 or more reasons why you use a particular ETD brand? > > Thank you > Mark > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://ptg.org/pipermail/pianotech.php/attachments/20110205/34256ad9/attachment-0001.htm>
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