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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>When the tuning doesn’t count as
much, such as in an institutional setting, I calculate the FAC and tune from A0
to the top unisons as I go. When I want a more precise tuning I calculate
the FAC then tune A3 and A4 to see if the octave is to my liking. If I
don’t like it I play with the DOB to narrow or widen. If it is, I
go ahead and tune the notes in the octave from A3 – A4 (always unisons as
I go). Rarely do I widen but not infrequently I narrow the whole thing by a
factor of .3 to .5. Then I tune outward. I use the A3 – A4
octave because it gets the temperament out of the lower tenor where scaling problems
on some pianos can occur. Tuning outward I usually go up first but you
can go either way. I check the octaves as I go. When I am through
going up I check the 3rds and 10ths progression as high as I can hear it and
then check the 12<sup>th</sup> and double octave to the top. I make
corrections as needed. Then tuning downward I also check octaves.
You can check this with the machine as well. Tuning G#3 the machine will
be listening to G#5. You can play G#3 and compare it with the machines
reading of G#4 (while still set at G#3) to see if the 4:2 octave is pure, wide
or narrow. If you like what you hear then keep going. If you don’t,
you can adjust the DOB on the fly or simply switch to direct interval tuning by
hitting the Tune button and proceed that way. Below C3 the machine
switches to a 6:3 octave, so at B2 the machine will now be listening to
F#5. You can now see how your 6:3 octave is doing by reading B2 and B3
off the machine set to B2. Make sure the transition across C3 to B2 is
smooth since that’s where the machine switches from a 4:2 to a 6:3.
When I’m done with the bass, I turn off the machine and go through the
octaves slowly (also a good way to catch faulty unisons), 10ths and 3rds
progressions both ways, double octaves until I’m satisfied. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Not infrequently I am making a few
corrections. Sometimes I fudge the FAC numbers if I don’t like the
readings. That happens mostly when I get a very high A reading or a very
high C reading. Scaling anomalies and low tensions at A4 can sometimes
give you higher readings than will work well and similarly a very high C
reading will stretch the top too much. A very high F reading means that
you will probably be better off direct interval tuning the low tenor and bass. That’s
why I find it very important to check the A3-A4 octave before you proceed with
the tuning. If you tune from the bottom up you will inevitably run into a
situation where a bad reading will leave the center of the piano sounding out
of tune. Tuning from the center out nips that one right from the start
and allows you to control the tuning while still taking advantage of the
machines strengths.</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>I don’t, btw, ever go through the
entire sequence that I would if I were tuning aurally. If you want to get
a sense if your double octave temperament will work before you begin, tune A2,
A3, A4 after you calc the FAC and see how it works. It will give you a
sense of what kind of changes you might have to make. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>BTW just to illustrate the importance of
not totally trusting the machine, I tuned a Hamburg O recently that had some
weirdness in the mid bass. There was a wide disparity between where the
notes would have been set depending on whether you used a 6:3 or 4:2 and the
resulting 3rds progressions were all over the place. The machine tuning
didn’t sound right and compromises had to be made between the octave type
selection to get a smooth 3rds, 10ths, 6ths progression through the bass.
The customer had gone through two tuners previous to me who could not (or did
not) get it right. Fortunately, she told me this up front which allowed
me to focus in on what might be causing the problem. Had I simply tuned
straight up from the bottom she’d have been looking for a 4<sup>th</sup> tuner.
</span></font></p>
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<p><font size=2 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
color:navy'>David Love</span></font><font size=2 color=navy><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;color:navy'><br>
davidlovepianos@comcast.net </span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>-----Original Message-----<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>From:</span></b> pianotech-bounces@ptg.org
[mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>On Behalf
Of </span></b>Robert Finley<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Friday, March 31, 2006 9:09
PM<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> pianotech@ptg.org<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> Question About Piano
Tuning Using Accutuner SAT III</span></font></p>
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style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>I would like to ask those of
you who use the Accutuner SAT III what step by step procedure you use to tune a
piano? Do you calculate the FAC with the SAT III, and then use it to set the
temperament using the sequence function for one of the stored temperaments
(such as the Potter FA temperament)? Having set the temperament, do
you then tune octaves up the piano to the top and then octaves down
the piano, and finally tune the unisons aurally? </span></font></p>
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style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>My question is, do you do follow the
same step by step procedure as you would for aural tuning, but instead of
listening and adjusting for the correct beat rates when setting the
intervals in the temperament and octaves, you tune the strings to stop the
lights on the SAT? I assume that you would perform various aural tests as you
progress such as listening for the 1 bps rate of the 4ths and slow roll of the
5ths, and perform the 3rd-10th tests for octaves (i.e. the 10th beating
slightly faster than the 3rd) to confirm that the SAT is producing the correct
result? </span></font></p>
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style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Thank you very much for your advice.
</span></font></p>
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style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Robert Finley</span></font></p>
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