• Techniques
  • Someone help please! [tuning discussion] (p.3)
2014/12/09 16:24:16
jb101
I would be interested to see/hear peoples honest results on the test.  I could consistently recognise four cents, but started getting it wrong at three cents.
 
I may try again later when my ears have had a rest.
 
2014/12/09 16:34:15
jb101
I am getting me one of these from the pebble site:
 
NEW!!  Particle Accelerator Ion Gun, a Tourmaline based ionizer for CDs and cables, etc.  This is Machina Dynamica's updated version of the Xionic Tourmo Gun of some years ago from Xtreme AV. The Particle Accelerator employs Grade AAA tourmaline for generating negative ions.
2014/12/09 17:21:52
bapu
bitflipper
Not like placing rocks under your speakers, that's real. 


Cheaper than ARC + Treatment. DOH!
2014/12/09 17:23:28
bapu
jb101
I am getting me one of these from the pebble site:
 
NEW!!  Particle Accelerator Ion Gun, a Tourmaline based ionizer for CDs and cables, etc.  This is Machina Dynamica's updated version of the Xionic Tourmo Gun of some years ago from Xtreme AV. The Particle Accelerator employs Grade AAA tourmaline for generating negative ions.


Looks like my hair dryer.
2014/12/09 22:19:28
Philip

 
Pebble cations ('KAT'-iun) leach with this ... rock-vocals dry up, iows.  Still 2 posts and waiting?  Oh Op, where art thou?
2014/12/09 22:23:54
gswitz
Anderton
BTW did anyone take the pitch discrimination test?

Yes. While it's hard to judge two pitches that follow each other within 5 cents, two pitches on top of each other it's not so hard. (Think synths).
2014/12/09 23:11:35
tlw
Anderton
Turns out the reason why G FORCE guitars are spec'ed to leave the factory with accuracy of at last +/- 3 cents is because virtually no one can discriminate pitch differences of under +/- 5 cents.



You can if you play a chord containing notes of the same pitch, or separated by octaves, because of the beats. As demonstrated by accordions,synths and pianos.
 
Having said that, 3 cents is quite good enough for most guitar purposes and you'll be lucky to find a guitar which intonates that accurately on all strings at all frets anyway. Certainly a Tele with a three-saddle bridge, an acoustic with a single saddle or a Gibson with the wrap-around bridge/tailpiece won't intonate "correctly", not even at the 12th fret. Doesn't necessarily stop them sounding good though.
2014/12/09 23:33:01
mettelus
tlw
Having said that, 3 cents is quite good enough for most guitar purposes and you'll be lucky to find a guitar which intonates that accurately on all strings at all frets anyway. Certainly a Tele with a three-saddle bridge, an acoustic with a single saddle or a Gibson with the wrap-around bridge/tailpiece won't intonate "correctly", not even at the 12th fret. Doesn't necessarily stop them sounding good though.



+1... in fact, this comment came up with the "self-tuning" guitars that are on the streets. About half accepted the idea, and the other half said they do not expect perfect intonation on an entire fretboard, to some that sounds "fake."
 
 
2014/12/11 16:20:15
tlw
I've a Korg tuner with claimed accuracy of 0.1 cents and Peterson's strobe tuner software which is possibly even more accurate.

In reality they both wander slightly as the string tension changes following even a gentle pluck. So even for 12th fret intonation setting it's down to taking an educated guess and ears in the end. People also seem to forget that stringed instruments required intonating for at least 3,000 years before anyone invented an electronic tuner, yet people coped.

Did Robert Johnson or Django Reinhardt sound like out of tune crap because modern tuners wouldn't be invented until decades after they died?
2014/12/11 18:29:36
Anderton
tlw
You can if you play a chord containing notes of the same pitch, or separated by octaves, because of the beats. As demonstrated by accordions,synths and pianos.



Yes, but that's not really the point. You can tell there's a difference, but you probably will not be able to discriminate the pitch difference. Here's what I mean.
 
  1. Insert a sawtooth wave in one track.
  2. Insert another sawtooth wave tuned to +3 cents in another track.
  3. Insert another sawtooth wave tuned to -3 cents in another track.
  4. Play the original sawtooth track. Close your eyes and have someone add in one of the other tracks. You will not be able to tell whether it is sharp or flat compared to the original track. If you can, then you have exceptional pitch discrimination abilities.
 
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