What is Mapping?

Mapping is finding locations for the tuning’s ‘target’ notes.  Mapping is similar to setting the temperament, but instead of a temperament in the middle octave or two of the piano, this system maps target notes all over the keyboard including:  A0, A1, A2, (D3 & E3), A3,(D4 & E4), A4, A5, A6, and A7.

The Littau-Conrad Spreadsheet (LC) requires a setting for every A on the piano for it to create a tuning.   The “mini-targets” (D3, E3, D4, & E4) can also be used with the LC spreadsheet.  The mini targets are used to find the mid points in the 3rd and 4th octaves.   Those midpoints are used to adjust the ‘curve’ within those 2 octaves to best fit the particular piano’s scaling needs.

The Mapped notes include all the A’s plus D3, E3, D4, and E4.  (The Ds and Es are used to determine the widths of both the prime and subprime octaves, and to balance the prime 5ths).

Mapping starts with A4 @ A440.

By mapping target notes across the entire keyboard instead of just in the middle, the sound of the overall piano can be heard as the piano is being mapped.

Once all the targets notes are found, the mapping is complete and the target notes are entered into our LC spreadsheet to create a tuning that passes thru those targets.