Robert Conrad, Registered Piano Tuner/Technician, Tucson, AZ
Refining FAC Tunings: Procedures and Best Practices Introduction This section outlines a comprehensive approach for refining FAC tunings using the AccuTuner IV. The focus is on recommended settings and systematic procedures to achieve precise results. All instructions are strictly based on the provided technical guidance. Setting the A Multiplier Default The “A Multiplier Default” parameter…
Mapping (and tuning) notes during the mapping process is the equivalent of setting the temperament in aural-only tuning.
Steinway & Sons … Unfortunately, no matter how expertly a piano is tuned, atmospheric variations, particularly humidity, and the nature of the piano’s construction constantly conspire to bring it off pitch. Your Steinway piano has been designed and built so that in normal use and under normal conditions it should need only periodic tuning. We…
Lowering the tenor partial change to G#2/A2 results in a full 2-octave (A2-A4) range with all notes within that range using their 4th partials for the tuning. Not having any partial changes within the A2-A4 range, makes the tuning more accurate by eliminating even the possibility of a partial change error between A2-A4. In the treble, using the 1st partial instead of the 2nd @ A5 makes determining and tweaking the treble stretch easier.
Contained below is a random collection of some of the tuning ‘listens’ recorded with my iPhone. In the collection are grand pianos of different sizes and manufacturers, some studios and consoles.
Many of the AccuTuner Blog articles are associated with a video. This link will take you to my YouTube channel which contains all my videos. Click here to go to my YouTube Channel
The best insurance in Piano Tuning Introduction Maintaining uninterrupted operations is essential in any business, especially when specialized equipment and software are involved. The following section outlines how utilizing redundant hardware and software setups provides peace of mind and ensures seamless workflow, even in the event of technical difficulties. Redundant SATIV “980” Units and Microsoft…
Correcting Partial Changes in FAC Computer-Generated Tunings Using the Sanderson Accu-Tuner IV Overview of Partial Changes in FAC (Computer-Generated) Tunings All ‘computer generated’ tunings include partial changes, and these partial changes may sometimes contain errors. By correcting these errors, the overall sound quality of the tuning can be significantly improved. The number of partial changes…
The field of Piano technology is an unregulated trade. Therefore the Piano Technicians Guild has set its own standards of quality for piano technicians.
Start by setting the SAT’s ‘Up or Down Memory Storage’ to DOWN. The STO/MEM + Note UP or DOWN command sets the direction the SAT will automatically go, after a note is stored. Press BluShift and then STO/MEM to store the settings for B2, A#2, and A2. (Contains button pressing video).
When using the A2-A4 range for tuning a 2-Octave Temperament, all the notes within that 2 octave range need to use their 4th partials. This eliminates any possibility of a partial change error in that A2-A4 range. (Contains button pressing video).
The need for this tweak has been around for some years now, but it should be used whenever using an FAC tuning. (Contains button pressing video).
We need to know exactly where the 4th P of A4 is so we can be sure the FAC tuning is tuning A4 to @ A440.
This post is on how to create a header sheet for the xMem sections of the SAT IV. There are probably more ways to do this than the one contained in the video, but this one works nicely and is fairly quick. This method uses Excel and Word. I hope this video can be used by those with only limited experience with Excel. Those with a basic knowledge of Excel, will have no problem with this method. (Contains video)
Library Files or .LIB files are the type of files used by the Sanderson AccuTuner IV’s ‘Extended’ Memory. This upper memory or ‘Extended’ memory greatly expands the capacity – the number of tunings – that can be stored in the SAT IV. This video will show how to use and work with Library files and Piano Manager for storing and retrieving tunings in the Extended memory of the SAT IV. (Post contains Video)
Piano Mapping and Tuning Workflow Overview Introduction This section provides a detailed walkthrough of the process for mapping and tuning a piano using the Littau-Conrad (LC) Spreadsheet in conjunction with the SAT system. The workflow focuses on establishing reference points, entering target tunings, making necessary adjustments, and exporting the finalized tuning for use with the…
Piano Tuning Workflow Using the Littau-Conrad Spreadsheet and AccuTuner Introduction This section provides a comprehensive overview of the process involved in creating and refining a piano tuning utilizing the Littau-Conrad (LC) Spreadsheet. The workflow encompasses entering tuning targets, performing detailed adjustments across multiple spreadsheet tabs, addressing rounding errors, shaping the tuning curve, and finally saving…
Even the smoothest set of software-created numbers for the prime octave’s tuning ‘curve’, will often not be a good fit for the piano.
Because we can’t use the same partials to tune A0 and C8, there must be at least one partial change in every tuning software system. All tuning software systems contain partial ‘changes’. Whenever the software switches from one partial to another during the course of the tuning, an error at that partial change is very likely. Since every partial change is a potential tuning issue, the fewer partial changes the better. The higher partials are less reliable then the lower partials.
Inaccurate partial changes combined with scaling issues, can create problems in tunings.
A low 4th A4 Number just means that when the prime octave is tuned as a pure 4:2, the resultant 2:1 is also pure or very close to pure.
This procedure is for pianos whose 4th A4 Number is generally less than 2.0 c. When the 4th A4 number is less than 2.0 c., the prime octave’s 2:1 can be either expanded or contracted – based on what the prime 5ths dictate – and still remain less than 3.0 c. wide. Most of the time on these pianos, the prime 4:2 octave will be either wide or pure.
My approach to midrange tuning is minimal beating. I don’t want to stretch any more than necessary to get a pair of good sounding prime 5ths contained within the prime octave.
Though not absolute by any means, there is a useful ‘relationship’ between the prime octave width and the widths of the prime 5ths.
This system uses the relationships of the prime octave (A3/A4) to the prime 5ths (A3/E4 & D4/A4) to determine the ideal widths for both the prime octave and the prime 5ths. This relationship will be found using the A4 Numbers the 4th A4 Number, and ‘Templates’.