sundar@mit-hermes.ARPA ((Hand Hacker)) (07/24/85)
I dont know if this is appropriate for this newsgroup, but I could use some audio expertise... so here goes: I was wondering if any electronic tuners exist.i.e. a box which you could place before ANY instrument - twiddle knobs to indicate the note and the octave (and maybe instrument?) and then play that particular note on the instrument. The box would then indicate (of course) if the played note was higher or lower than the correct frequency. If such tuners exist, who makes them? and how do they operate? (note that I am really looking for something that can tune a wide range of instruments). If such a general tuner doesnt exist, how does one go about (at least for starters) building one for say, a stringed instrument? Any help/suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks in advance for your time. -sundar.
sjc@angband.UUCP (Steve Correll) (07/26/85)
> I was wondering if any electronic tuners exist.i.e. a box which you > could place before ANY instrument - twiddle knobs to indicate the note > and the octave (and maybe instrument?) and then play that particular > note on the instrument. The box would then indicate (of course) if the > played note was higher or lower than the correct frequency. Recent issues of "Ovation" magazine have an ad for a Seiko tuning aid. The ad is designed to promote their image as a supporter of the arts, not to describe the product, but it appears to have knobs to set the octave, the note within the octave, and the desired deviation from A440 tuning. On the front is an analog meter whose pointer deflects to the left if you're flat and to the right if you're sharp. The address for information about this product is Kaman Music Distributors Box 507 Bloomfield, CT 06002-0507 I think such devices work by measuring the beat frequency between the fundamental of the note you're producing and an internal reference frequency. My high school band director had one years ago, with a lighted display rather than a meter on the front. It was a bit tricky to use since it often had trouble picking out the fundamental; I preferred to have it play a 440Hz tone for me, play my A along with it, and listen for the beats myself. -- --Steve Correll sjc@s1-b.ARPA, ...!decvax!decwrl!mordor!sjc, or ...!ucbvax!dual!mordor!sjc
rfg@hound.UUCP (R.GRANTGES) (07/28/85)
[] There are two different types of equipment that you could use. There is a type which makes the measurement just as you describe it and indicate the result on a meter which is calibrated to show sharp (+) or flat (-) in "cents" or hundredths of a whole tone. The second type generates a tone which you listen to while also listening to the instrument. You will hear "beats" between the two tones when they are close to the same pitch. The beats will slow down and stop altogether when the two are exactly together. Some instruments will work either way. A good music store should have examples. Reading an ad in "Ovation" magazine (March 1984), there is one made by Seiko Musical Products and "distributed exclusively by Kaman Music Distributors, Box 507 Bloomfield CT, 06002-0507" This one looks about hand size and contains both types of measurement devices as there is a large meter and also a small loudspeaker seems evident. It is a full page ad (shown next to a violin or viola) and the "exclusive" says "be prepared for a sizeable price." I believe they generally are rather expensive for two reasons. First an accurate internal standard is necessary for either type to be of any value. Second, they are usually only purchased by professional tuners Of course "real professional tuners" use an old tuning fork and set the scale by experienced ear, then set octaves by beats. You can also set the scale by beats in a complex way I am not familiar with (being neither professional nor a tuner). Good luck. -- "It's the thought, if any, that counts!" Dick Grantges hound!rfg
mikey@trsvax (07/28/85)
We had one of these when I was in high school, back in 1970. It was a strobe wheel in front of a neon bulb. There were different scale on the wheel, similar to what you have on a turntable rim. There was a switch knob to adjust the speed of the motor for various notes. Depending on what octave you played, different strobe wheels would 'travel' in different directions depending on if you were flat or sharp. I think most music stores have a device of this kind. Actually, it shouldn't be too hard to build something digital that would do the same thing. mikey at trsvax
ark@alice.UUCP (Andrew Koenig) (07/29/85)
> I was wondering if any electronic tuners exist.i.e. a box which you > could place before ANY instrument - twiddle knobs to indicate the note > and the octave (and maybe instrument?) and then play that particular > note on the instrument. The box would then indicate (of course) if the > played note was higher or lower than the correct frequency. Sure. The most popular right now seems to be the Korg AT-12. It's a box about 1x4x6 inches with a dozen LEDs and a meter on the front. You play a note at it and one of the LEDs lights (one corresponds to each pitch); the meter shows you how sharp or flat you are. They cost well under $150.
shp@crystal.UUCP (07/29/85)
> > I was wondering if any electronic tuners exist.i.e. a box which you > > could place before ANY instrument - twiddle knobs to indicate the note > > and the octave (and maybe instrument?) and then play that particular > > note on the instrument. The box would then indicate (of course) if the > > played note was higher or lower than the correct frequency. > > Recent issues of "Ovation" magazine have an ad for a Seiko tuning aid. The > ad is designed to promote their image as a supporter of the arts, not to > describe the product, but it appears to have knobs to set the octave, the > note within the octave, and the desired deviation from A440 tuning. On > the front is an analog meter whose pointer deflects to the left if you're > flat and to the right if you're sharp. I have a Korg AT-12 which does a reasonable job (for about $90-$120, depending on where you buy it; music stores are probably higher). It doesn't have knobs to set, really. You play/sing/whatever a note, and it identifies the note, the octave, and how many cents off you are. You can calibrate it to other than A-440 quite easily, and it will also generate pitches for you (calibrated to A-440 or otherwise). Microphone input on front, external input on side w/output jack (you put it in series with your instrument), and headphone jack. Not bad, comes with AC adapter. Bugs: has about a five-octave range, not that this is severely handicapping. It also has some dificulty with strange complex waves, particularly in the higher frequencies, but then again, one isn't expected to tune piano chords (:-). This is NOT a paid advertisement; I happen to own and like one of the little buggers (a little larger than a paperback book). =shp [ Steve Patterson, Computer Sciences, UW - Madison ] "I'm Arthur, King of the Britains." "Who're the Britains?"
rdp@teddy.UUCP (07/30/85)
In article <1277@hound.UUCP> rfg@hound.UUCP (R.GRANTGES) writes: >[] >There are two different types of equipment that you could use. >There is a type which makes the measurement just as you describe it >and indicate the result on a meter which is calibrated to show >sharp (+) or flat (-) in "cents" or hundredths of a whole tone. > Wrong, a "cent" is usually considered to be a hundredth of an equal-tempered SEMI tone, not a whole tone. >The second type generates a tone which you listen to while also >listening to the instrument. You will hear "beats" between the two >tones when they are close to the same pitch. The beats will slow down >and stop altogether when the two are exactly together. > One of these instruments is called a tuning fork! > >I believe they generally are rather expensive for two reasons. First >an accurate internal standard is necessary for either type to be of >any value. Second, they are usually only purchased by professional >tuners > FIrst, they are expensive because they must provide frequencies which are not whole number ratios of one another. This is difficult to do in digital (accually, it's impossible). For example, an equal tempered major 5th has the "ratio" of: 7 --- 12 2 as a fifth encompasses 7 semi-tones. Therefore, the best that can be done is an approximation. (Actually, the approximation can be had reasonably accurately and cheaply via CMOS top-octave generators, which are, I think a couple of dollars) The second reason given, if true, could be restated: "They are expensive only because people are willing to pay that price, because they are 'professionals'" > Of course "real professional tuners" use an old tuning fork >and set the scale by experienced ear, then set octaves by beats. >You can also set the scale by beats in a complex way I am not >familiar with (being neither professional nor a tuner). >Good luck. No, real professionals DO set the scale by beats, there are several texts to explain this method for a variety of tuning schemes, which I will post if there is interest. Dick Pierce
ben@moncol.UUCP (Bennett Broder) (07/30/85)
> I was wondering if any electronic tuners exist.i.e. a box which you > could place before ANY instrument - twiddle knobs to indicate the note > and the octave (and maybe instrument?) and then play that particular > note on the instrument. The box would then indicate (of course) if the > played note was higher or lower than the correct frequency. I have had experience with two types of chromatic tuners. The first has an analog meter which has correct pitch marked in the middle, and sharp and flat regions to either side. You set the knob to the note you want to tune, play the note, then read the meter to see whether you are sharp or flat, and by what degree. Using it to tune a guitar, I found it would tune four of the string adequately; with the other two I had to play harmonics to get the meter to register reliably. The other type of tuner I tried was much better and easier to use. It was a strobe tuner made by Conn. Basically it consists of a rotating disk which is illuminated by special light that is modulated in time with the instrument you are trying to tune. After setting the knob to the appropriate note, you play it and observe the markings on the disk. Their direction and speed of rotation indicate whether the instrument is sharp or flat and to what degree. The strobe tuner worked quite well playing the strings open or using harmonics; additionally, stray resonances that caused confusion when tuning with the analog meter were easily ignored when using the strobe tuner. Ben Broder ..vax135!petsd!moncol!ben ..ihnp4!princeton!moncol!ben
paul@helens.UUCP (Paul Brownlow @ Data I/O -- Redmond, WA) (08/01/85)
> > I was wondering if any electronic tuners exist.i.e. a box which you > > could place before ANY instrument - twiddle knobs to indicate the note > > and the octave (and maybe instrument?) and then play that particular > > note on the instrument. The box would then indicate (of course) if the > > played note was higher or lower than the correct frequency. > > Sure. The most popular right now seems to be the Korg AT-12. > It's a box about 1x4x6 inches with a dozen LEDs and a meter > on the front. You play a note at it and one of the LEDs lights > (one corresponds to each pitch); the meter shows you how sharp > or flat you are. They cost well under $150. I have had both the Conn Strobotuner and the above mentioned Korg unit. Both work well, however, calibration on the Korg is easier. The size of the Korg is great -- about the size of a standard audio tape cassette. They fit great in a guitar case. I got one for $60. Paul Brownlow -- ...."You're never alone with a schizophrenic."
dca@edison.UUCP (David C. Albrecht) (08/01/85)
> I was wondering if any electronic tuners exist.i.e. a box which you > could place before ANY instrument - twiddle knobs to indicate the note > and the octave (and maybe instrument?) and then play that particular > note on the instrument. The box would then indicate (of course) if the > played note was higher or lower than the correct frequency. There are a number of such devices available. I own one made by BORG which has an acoustic mike. You play the instrument and one of a row of LEDs across the top lights indicating the note and if it is # a second LED lights indicating that. Next to the LEDs is a meter which indicates with two arrow LEDs wether the not is sharp or flat from the indicated note and both light if the note is within acceptable limits. Also in the meter is a needle which indicates the cents deviation from flat. The fundamental frequency 440 can be adjusted to about seven different frequencies and it even has a special mode for the guitar. About twice the size of a candy bar unfortunately it only covers a 4 octave range. They have a model out now, however, that covers the full 8 octaves and eliminates the guitar mode. Mine was around $50 the new one is around $70. I have an ad at home for a similar unit by another manufacturer at around $70 available mail order which I can look up if you are interested. You might want to check your local instrument store. David Albrecht General Electric