<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <html> <head> <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; = charset=us-ascii"> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 10 (filtered)"> <style>  </style> </head> <body bgcolor=white lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple> <div class=Section1> To achieve the best tuning, tune = from the center out just like you would an aural tuning.  Corrections and inconsistencies will be much greater as you move away from the center, = and mostly on the bass side.  Most of the adjustments I make are in the = bass (though sometimes in the tenor/treble transition as well) so starting at A0 = often requires me to go back.  Usually the change is that the bass is = calculated flatter than I would like.  There is also the issue of where the = SAT III changes octaves styles.  In the bass it’s at C3 which is = tuned with a 4:2 comparison versus B2 which is tuned with a 6:3.  That = transition point may not sometimes need to be modified.  The best method = I’ve found if you are really striving for accuracy is to tune starting with = A3 and tune up to the top using your favorite checks as you go: octaves, = fourths, fifths, and thirds or  tenths (which can for me all be done with one hand) = tuning unisons as you go.  I don’t start at F3 because there are = occasions where the bridge begins to hook at that point that can cause you to have = to alter the note somewhat.  Then tune from G#3 down using again your favorite checks.  The nice thing about tuning down is that by = playing the note one octave above the note being tuned you will be able to read the = dial and compare coincident partials.  For example, if you are tuning A3 = the machine is reading A5 (push the tune button and you will see).  If = you play A4 and A3 alternately and read the dial, you can see whether or not = the machine is tuning that octave wide, just or narrow.  After you get = to B2 the machine will change to a 6:3 octave.  If you don’t like = the way the machine has stretched the bass, you can hit the tune button and go = to direct interval tuning where you are listening and reading your = coincident partial of choice.      Most of the time the SATIII = produces a pretty good tuning without having to worry about modifications, but not = always.  The less consistent the FAC readings, the more likely you are to = have to modifiy to get a really fine tuning.  Even with good FAC readings, pianos = are not scaled perfectly and there will often be some group of notes that = require modifying.  When the SAT is used to set up the RPT tuning test, it is not a pure = canned tuning that gets used.  After the piano is tuned with the machine, = it is gone over note for note and adjustments are invariably made.  One = wouldn’t expect anything different from a tuning you do for a customer.  = BTW, I found the same thing to be true of the Verituner.  Overall, it = delivered a pretty good tuning, but it was not perfect.  The problem with all = these machines is that you have to program the weighting for the type of = octaves you will tune at any given point in the piano.  That weighting changes = from piano to piano.  When you tune aurally you (hopefully) pick up = those changes naturally and make adjustments on the fly.  With the = machines it is easy to ignore that requirement and tune blind (or deaf).  It = just won’t always work out as well as it could that way.  =     <div> David Love davidlovepianos@comcast.net </div> -----Original = Message----- From: = pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of Robert Finley Sent: Saturday, February = 11, 2006 6:57 AM To: pianotech@ptg.org Subject: Best Way to Tune = A Piano Using Accutuner III?   <div> For those of you who use an Accutuner III, which way would you recommend using it to achieve a fine = tuning?  I have heard several different and conflicting opinions, and I am wondering what to make of it. </div> <div>   </div> <div> A friend of mine told me he = achieves a good tuning by using the SAT III to perform the FAC calculation, = and then tuning chromatically up the piano from A0, note by note, also tuning the unisons as he goes, and aurally checking the octaves and = other intervals. Someone else told me that this would be the method to use = only for pitch raising and achieving stability, but not for fine = tuning. Another person told me that the temperament should be tuned first = and then spread up the piano by octaves and then lower. Aural = checks would be done to ensure that everything sounds correct and the beat = rates of the intervals are what they should be.    </div> <div>   </div> <div> Your opinion on this = will be much appreciated. Thank you very much. </div> <div>   </div> <div> Robert = Finley </div> </div> </body> </html>