[pianotech] ETD tuning during temperature changes

[David Love]

See my previous post about how etd users deal with it. 

Also etd users don't sweat pianos that are 2 cents. In fact tuning to an absolute pitch reference in this case will yield a better result since the drift will be reasonably uniform across the scale for that small a correction. Otherwise, doing it aurally your reference note will have drifted flat, say, and the note you tune to it will start flat and drift even flatter. Ascending the keyboard you will end up with a tuning curve that drifts progressively flatter.  Moreover, the cybertuner has a function for exactly that situation, to calculate a one pass pitch raise designed to end up with as fine a tuning at your target pitch as one can expect. 
David Love
www.davidlovepianos.com
(sent from bb)

-----Original Message-----
From: Ron Nossaman <rnossaman at cox.net>
Sender: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org
Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2011 11:56:36 
To: <pianotech at ptg.org>
Reply-To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [pianotech] ETD tuning during temperature changes

On 1/27/2011 10:32 AM, John Ross wrote:
> When using a machine, you are using the same standard across the piano,
> so any movement of an area is of no consequence.

Hi John,
Well, no, that's the problem, and I expect why JF asked. I've wondered 
about the same thing for a long time, but never asked because I never 
expected to get an answer that made any sense. The accurate standard is, 
in this case the problem. Tuning aurally, as the heat cycles on you're 
tuning one pitch shifted string against another pitch shifted string, so 
when the heat cycles off and the strings cool, they should theoretically 
maintain a fairly close relationship one to the other. Tuning a pitch 
shifted string to a non shifted ETD reference should leave the string 
farther from those tuned before the heat cycled than the aural tuning.


> If doing a pitch raise aurally, when you go to use a note previously
> tuned, it will have changed, from where you had originally put it. So
> your reference is now off.

That's a pitch raise, which is an entirely different set of problems. JF 
asked about the short term pitch swings that happen during the course of 
a fine tuning, already at pitch, as the heat cycles on and off.


> Oh yes and for those that do a pitch raise for 2 cents off, (which is
> ridiculous) how do you do it aurally with any accuracy?
> John Ross

They don't. It's like the comment I made about the difference between 
analog and digital watches. The only folks talking about an extra pitch 
correction pass for two cents are ETD users. I personally, would be 
absolutely thrilled to find a piano I was to tune anywhere near two 
cents off. I'd assume it was a "calendar" tuning, rather than anything 
they heard. Maybe that'll actually happen some day and I'll ask.

Ron N