[sdiy] frequency counter

[WeAreAs1 at aol.com]

In a message dated 6/26/04 1:16:58 PM, peter at buzzclick-music.com writes:

<< I may be wrong, but it was my understanding that he was wasn't talking 
about
the design stage in his original post.    He was talking about application,
after the circuit is completed.  Yes, a frequency counter is an absolute
necessity when designing or troubleshooting a circuit, especially a VCO.
But for using the synth afterward and tuning up your tracking, it's overkill
and will make the job much more difficult.

There are times I am brought in to Big City Music to adjust the 1V/oct
tracking of Analogue Systems' VCOs that have come out of adjustment due to
the shipment over the ocean.  Bare in mind that this adjustment on this
particular VCO is easier than most as there are separate trimmers for the
low end and the high end - much easier.  I follow the written procedure
which calls for a frequency counter - but do the final adjustment by ear.

For me it's not only more reliable but much much easier. >>

Yes.  These are musical instruments, designed to interface directly with our 
ears (well, maybe you also need some speakers and some air...).  As such, they 
should be tuned for those ears.

BTW, I have hired a lot of piano tuners in my time, and none has ever used an 
electronic device to aid with the tuning.  They use their ears and a tuning 
fork.  They even managed to do subtle "stretch tuning" with only their ears.  
This has been the case even in situations where the tuner needed to tune a 
piano in a noisy environment (in a noisy rock club or busy concert hall).  They 
weren't just being stodgy traditionalists, they were doing what they knew worked 
best.

I'm not suggesting that Ian or anyone else get rid of their counter, 
especially because it's useful during the design and troubleshoot process (also, they 
look very cool on the bench).  I do, however, suggest that once the design is 
set, that we tune our musical instruments with our ears.

Mike B.