Robert Conrad, Registered Piano Tuner/Technician, Tucson, AZ
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’.
There are a number of ways, when using an AccuTuner, to tune to non standard pitch. PCC is one of the easiest and most versatile. When PCC is used for tuning to non standard pitch, make note of the PCC adjustment so it can be reversed when the tuning is finished.
Using a sequence is a great way to quickly tune and make aural checks before committing to the complete tuning. (Contains button pressing video).
All computerized tunings have partial changes and those partial changes may contain an error. Correcting these errors can improve the sound of the tuning. This procedure will show how to correct the three FAC partial changes when using an AccuTuner SAT IV. But before correcting the partial changes, consider lowering the tenor partial change from…
This Partial Change Correction (PCC) feature is relatively new to the SAT IV’s programming. So if your SAT doesn’t seem to be responding to the STO + MSR command it’s program may need to be updated. Being able to correct partial changes is unique to the AccuTuner. An FAC tuning has fewer partial changes (3) than any other tuning system, and yet it is the only device capable of correcting them. (Contains button pressing video).
This post is part of a series on working with an FAC tuning. There are a number of tweaks that can be done to further fit an FAC tuning to the piano, before changing the F number.
Programming a custom over pull is so easy it’s not worth making a video of it. The custom over pull is ‘activated’ just like the regular pitch raise feature, but instead of rolling off onto the BlueShift, after MSR stops the lights, roll off onto the Green Shift. Rolling off on to the GREEN shift activates he Custom Over Pull and uses the amounts stored on Page 123.
Even though the width of the prime octave’s may be perfect, the piano’s scaling within that octave often results in a pair of ‘unbalanced’ prime 5ths: (A3/E4 & D4/A4)
DOB allows us to easily stretch or contract a template or tuning stored in the SAT.
The ‘4th A4 Number’ is the width of the prime’s 2:1 after it has been tuned as a pure 4:2. Knowing this 4th A4 number from the very beginning lets me know immediately what I’m going to be dealing with on that particular piano.
Balancing the prime 5ths involves tweaking the shape of the prime octave ‘curve’ by slightly raising or lowering the mid point of the prime octave curve, while leaving A3 and A4 unmoved. Since using D#4 is not practical to be used as a mapping note, D4 and E4 are used instead. D#4 can easily be placed between the settings of D4 and E4. Being able to apply this tweak to the tuning is a unique feature of this system of mapping with templates and then using the LC Spreadsheet to create the tuning.
The prime 5ths are used to determine the best prime octave width for the particular piano being mapped and eventually tuned. When the widths of the prime 5ths are added together, when that total is -3.0, the prime octave width is about right.
For years and years, I have used the triple octave location for A7. It’s not a bad spot either. But since March 2020, I’ve begun tuning A7 higher than that. I’ve started using the triple octave +5th as a starting point for my A7 location.
Once the location for A2 is known, mapping A1 is very straightforward. A good location for A1 is as a 6:3 octave (from A1), 3.0 cents wide.
Mapping A0 can be done any number of ways. It can be mapped however you like, but just like A1, once you have it where you want it, it’s location must be measured using it’s 4th partial, since the LC Spreadsheet uses the 4th partials for A0 – A4.