<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD W3 HTML//EN"> <HTML> <HEAD> <META content=text/html;charset=iso-8859-1 = http-equiv=Content-Type> <META content='"MSHTML 4.72.3110.7"' name=GENERATOR> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV>Maybe what = is needed is a discussion list for those using TL97 like the CTuners user group to talk = about all this.</DIV> <DIV>James = Grebe R.P.T. of the P.T.G <A href="mailto:pianoman@inlink.com">pianoman@inlink.com</A> Creator = of Handsome Hardwood Caster Cups and Practical Piano Peripherals in St. Louis, MO</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 solid 2px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-LEFT: = 5px"> <DIV>-----Original = Message----- From: Rob Kiddell <<A = href="mailto:atonal@telusplanet.net">atonal@telusplanet.net</A>> = To: <A href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> = <<A = href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A>> Date: Tuesday, November 17, 1998 10:06 PM Subject: Re: TL97 </DIV> <?color><?param 7F00,0000,0000>> = Hello James, > > I use TL97, and I have used it about two = years. It's a tremendous value > for the dollar, and it provides every = useful function other VTD's provide. > > > A drawback = for some is that while other VTD's make the big decisions for > the = tuner, TL97 presents the information and requires the tuner to make the > decisions. If the tuner does not understand what he is about, he = will have > trouble with TL97; however, the bottom line is that = TL97, in the hands of a > skilled operator is capable of providing as = good a quality tuning as any > other VTD, just as quickly, and with = more information which can be > subjected to more in-depth analysis = presented. > > Now, maybe someone out there could = answer a question for me. Why is it > that in list discussions of VTDs, = the big two names frequently come up and > TL97 is rarely mentioned? Well, my first encounter with TuneLab97 was Bob = Scott's announcement here on the list. I downloaded a copy, played with it = for a while, and sent in my very modest registration fee. Bob doesn't do a = great deal of advertising, and consequently not a lot of folks know about = it. <?/color><?fontfamily><?param Courier New><?fontfamily><?param = Arial>I think one of the reasons you won't find much TuneLab discussion on = the list is that there isn't a lot of people using it out there, = yet..... Dean's program has had the benefit of several years worth of Mac testing = and sales behind it, and consequently built up a clientele (like a piano tuner = would!) Now that he has released it for the PC platform (and PC laptops are = looking more and more like Powerbooks), I predict greater success ahead for = RCT. The SAT? Well, it has also been around for donkey's years, proven its = worth, and has a loyal following as well. However, TuneLab97 has some = greatness built into it, namely the flexibility of the program for customizing = your tuning. As Frank points out, you need to know how to tune to use the = program. You need to know interval checks, partial matching, (not to = mention unison setting and hammer technique... something no VTD will set for = you!) So why do you need it if you can already tune? A: to better = understand what you are doing, to analyze what you are doing, and correct and change = accordingly. I use TuneLab as just that, a tuning laboratory. I = was reading Virgil Smith's article in the latest Journal about changes = in string pitch while tuning unisons. After reading the article, I set out = checking my piano with TuneLab to see how string pitches fared after tuning, and = found that the right string in octaves 6 and 7 were .02 to .03 cents = sharper than the other two strings in the unison in most three string unisons. = However, correcting the right string to the same pitch as the other two = strings left the unison sounding "wrong" (perhaps I've become too used = to natural beats...) and when I aurally "corrected" the = unison to where I was satisfied with the sound, the right string was sitting marginally sharp again. The digression above is where I find = TuneLab extremely useful, as well as calculating stretch between notes based = on my octave settings and building tunings around these settings. Simple? = no, but than again, neither is trying to successfully navigate all the = curves and pitfalls that a typical piano tuning can throw at you. OK, = Frank, as for discussion, how about the inharmonicity reading? Do you use this = to set the stretch based on the reading for one note, such as F3 and = extrapolate outwards? I've thought of trying this, but haven't yet. = Regards, <?color><?param = 7F00,0000,0000><?/color><?fontfamily><?param Courier New> <PRE>Rob = Kiddell, Registered Piano Technician, PTG atonal@telusplanet.net "Windows NT crash I am the blue screen of death no one hears you scream" -Windows haiku error message</PRE></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>