Suggested FAC Tweaking Routine
This post suggests a general approach to applying these FAC Tweaks.
What is Mapping?
Mapping (and tuning) notes during the mapping process is the equivalent of setting the temperament in aural-only tuning.
Tuning? Here’s what the Manufacturers say:
Here’s what some of the manufacturers say about 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…
Why lower FAC partial changes?
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.
Tuning Audio Files
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.
YouTube Videos
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
Tuning Business Insurance
I have two SATIV “980”s. I use them both, one one week and the other the next. I don’t want to work without one. And, since a Microsoft Surface Pro is part of my tuning process, I have two of those as well. I’m backed up with both hardware and software. It’s great to know…
Video: The Partial Change Correction Feature (PCC)
All ‘computer generated’ tunings have partial changes and those partial changes may contain an error. Correcting these partial change errors can greatly improve the sound of the tuning. The number of partial changes contained in the ‘computer generated’ tunings will vary depending on the ETD. This procedure will show how to use the Partial Change…
What’s a Registered Piano Technician (RPT)?
The field of Piano technology is an unregulated trade. Therefore the Piano Technicians Guild has set its own standards of quality for piano technicians.
How to Lower the Tenor Partial Change
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).
Why Lower the FAC Tenor Partial Change?
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 “A” Multiplier Default
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).
FAC A4 Number
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.
Video: Creating a Header Sheet for xMem Tunings
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)
Video: File Types and Piano Manager
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)
Littau-Conrad Spreadsheet Demo 2
This video shows how a tuning is created using actual mapping notes and how the targets are arranged on the notepad. There is also some discussion in this video on how the “A4 numbers”, combined with the “4th” A4 Number, help to begin the mapping process. Using the mapping notes combined with the A4 numbers,…
Littau-Conrad Spreadsheet Preview
The video below is a preview of the Littau-Conrad Spreadsheet presenting how our LC Spreadsheet looks and works with Piano Manager and the SAT IV. Creating the tuning begins on the Templates Tab. Once the targets have been entered into the ‘Targets’ boxes on the Templates tab, clicking on the ‘Copy to Adjust Tab’ begins…
Adjusting the Mid-Point of the Prime Octave
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.
Partials, Partial Changes, Partial Change Errors, & Partial Locations
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.
Combining Partial Changes with Scaling Issues
Inaccurate partial changes combined with scaling issues, can create problems in tunings.
Working with a Low “4th A4 Number” Piano
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.
Mapping A3: Procedures
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.
Working with the Prime 5ths
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.
Working with a High “4th A4 Number” Piano
Though not absolute by any means, there is a useful ‘relationship’ between the prime octave width and the widths of the prime 5ths.
Mapping A3
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’.