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Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!lll-crg!mordor!angband!sjc
From: sjc@angband.UUCP (Steve Correll)
Newsgroups: net.audio
Subject: Re: tuning equipment..
Message-ID: <70@angband.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 26-Jul-85 14:17:40 EDT
Article-I.D.: angband.70
Posted: Fri Jul 26 14:17:40 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 28-Jul-85 06:27:02 EDT
References: <2437@mit-hermes.ARPA>
Distribution: net
Organization: S-1 Project, LLNL
Lines: 27

> 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