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Subject: RE: [motm] "What's the Frequency

From: "Tkacs, Ken" <ken.tkacs@...>
Date: 2000-04-20

I too would rather have a quantizer that's precisely set. MUCH faster to use
than squinting at the display on a frequency counter (mine by the way has at
least a tenths digit; I thought it had even more resolution but I'll have to
check it out).


-----Original Message-----
From: jwbarlow@... [mailto:jwbarlow@...]
Sent:Wednesday, 19 April, 2000 9:24 PM
To:motm@egroups.com
Subject:Re: [motm] "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?"


In a message dated 4/19/2000 6:58:54 AM, ken.tkacs@... writes:

>
>I created it because I'm still hell-bent on this idea of using a frequency
>counter (in lieu of a quantizer) to precisely tune my VCOs to harmonic
>intervals.
>
>http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/KenTkacs/ETfrequencies.xls


I'm not sure you're frequency counter will have the resolution to really
"hone in" on each particular frequency across the audio spectrum. I know my
one (built in to a cheapo DMM) only goes to (unit) cycles, but I'd think
you'd need at least tenths or hundredths to get those lower octaves. I've
always found my ear to be best, a chromatic tuner to be very very good
(i.e.,
close enough -- it's what I use all the time), and a frequency counter to be

rarely useful until pitch starts to get to high to discern -- maybe you have

better luck (or equipment!).


I'd really prefer nonstandard tunings to be handled by a quantizer, or some
similar table-look-up type device. This might be a good time to mention
(recalling all those sequencer debates from the past year) a very minor
problem I've had with my sequencer (Serge TKB). I find the tuning process to

be rather tedious when I try to tune up everything (all the guitars, sitar,
hammer dulcimer, synths, blah blah blah). I've noticed that sometimes the
pots at the "far right" of the sequencer, will effect the values of the
(already tuned) pots on the left -- this is especially true if I'm using the

vertical clock output to get the 64 note sequence (which I rarely do). It's
not too difficult to compensate for, but it does take some extra time. I
just
recalled this regarding our "digital" "no analog" debates about sequencers.