For clarification: It occured to me that there might be some who could misunderstand, soI felt it would be best to mention it. The pianos were tuned to themselves, but with each having the same initial reference pitch … A440. Also: Isn't this what essentially happens when an orchestra tunes up. A reference note is given, the others instruments focus in on that, and away they go. The various instruments do not attempt to be like the other instruments because of size, shape or size. They are what they are. The music then becomes a blend of all the differences. And: The pianos are not always played together, but have solo moments. The activity of trying to blend the tunings, note for note, so to speak, would seem to me, to possibly be a bit more dissonant during those solo times. I liked that term "mixed breed tunings". Sincerely, Keith McGavern, RPT pianostuff.kamcam.com On Jan 28, 2011, at 6:01 PM, Mr. Mac's wrote: > Fellows, > > I am intrigued by these approaches you've mentioned. > > Two things come to my attention: > 1) RCT merge/average feature you mention is really neat. > I have used it in the past. Only one problem as I understand, it's only available with the laptop version. > Which I say Shucks. > > 2) For some reason I have it in my head from who knows how far back, > if I were to tune a console piano and a large grand piano on the same stage, > and they were to be used together, that it's just best to each one > to itself and everything would be okay. And I have done that ever since. > > Even when I tuned for a 5 piano concert once in Fort Smith, Arkansas, > where all the pianos were of various makes and sizes. > > Sincerely, > > Keith McGavern, RPT > pianostuff.kamcam.com > > > On Jan 28, 2011, at 4:48 PM, Conrad Hoffsommer wrote: > >> Great question, Wally, >> >> The mixed breed tunings I've done for 3 /4 pianos were all pre-ETD and involved all 9's. (2 Ds, SD10, SD6). I had a lot of "fun" melding them with multi-moving to check against the primo(the better D). You need a lot of room to do a "star" tuning. Post ETD acquisition gang tunings mostly involved 2 NYC and 1 Hamburg, so a single setting was quite acceptable. There is a way to merge/average two tunings into a composite on RCT, but as the need never arose after I got it, I haven't studied up on it. It's certainly an option I wish I'd had. >> >> My normal double tunings would be to put the best combo tuning on each, then aurally reconcile differences with preferences going toward the Primo/larger as I was seated between the two and could reach both keyboards. In one practice room which had an SD10 pitted against a P22, I just did the best I could on each with only A440 in common. (there is a point of diminishing returns! - I may be dumb, but I ain't stupid.) >> >> Conrad Hoffsommer >> >> >> >> >> Date: Fri, 28 Jan 2011 12:57:36 -0800 >> From: afinetune at yahoo.com >> To: pianotech at ptg.org >> Subject: [pianotech] Synchronous tunings >> >> Conrad Hoffsommer recently said (referring to his use of an ETD): >> -I can tune multiple pianos together without having to move them around to access both (or 3) keyboards simultaneously. >> >> My question: Do you keep the same ETD settings for the first piano as the second, even if they are different makes or models? >> >> I have one customer who has 2 Yamaha 6 footers side by side. I tune one with my ETD, then keep the same setting for the other. When I check them together afterward (I STRETCH my arms wide), there are usually a few notes that don't quite match. >> >> When I was an aural tuner, I sometimes hired my teenage daughter to sit at the first tuned piano and play the notes while I tuned the second. >> >> Wally Scherer >
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