Yes, U.S. power (assuming you are in the the States) runs at 60 cycles, so if you shut out all the lights in the room and plug in a small lamp and shine it on the flywheel while you turn the tuning pot, it should line things up at 440. Keep in mind, incandescent strobing is pretty quick and the dots on the flywheel are pretty far apart so you may need to adjust your eyes to see it. Pretty brilliant of them to consider this, although with the CMC-10's that were in many of these things, I'm sure they needed all the help they could get until the SMS's were made.
-Jack
--- On Wed, 6/25/08, john barrick <astroboy@cinci.rr.com> wrote:
> From: john barrick <astroboy@cinci.rr.com>
> Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] tuning
> To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
> Date: Wednesday, June 25, 2008, 11:01 PM
> Thanks, Jack. I thought you needed some kind of timing gun
> or something
> like that. So I can just bring my trouble light in from
> the garage and
> that'll work? I guess I could bring my old Technics DD
> turntable down
> from the living room...
> john b
>
>
> Jack Younger wrote:
> >
> > Hey,
> > Somebody want to help me explain the strobe markers to
> John? I would,
> > but I've forgotten which ones were which, and
> sadly, I no longer have
> > a mellotron to check on it with.
> > John, each 'tron has strobe markers on the
> flywheel. You can use a low
> > level incandescent bulb (as they naturally strobe) to
> set the tuning
> > for the SMS4. It's so easy, it's like setting
> the speed on a Technics
> > turntable, but there are two sets of markers. One for
> power on this
> > side of the pond and one for the other.
> > Hopefully some kind and able member of the group can
> help to clarify.
> > -Jack
> >
> > --- On Wed, 6/25/08, john barrick
> <astroboy@cinci.rr.com
> > <mailto:astroboy%40cinci.rr.com>> wrote:
> >
> > > From: john barrick <astroboy@cinci.rr.com
> > <mailto:astroboy%40cinci.rr.com>>
> > > Subject: [newmellotrongroup] tuning
> > > To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
> > <mailto:newmellotrongroup%40yahoogroups.com>
> > > Date: Wednesday, June 25, 2008, 7:35 PM
> > > Hi all, I'm in the process of calibrating my
> SMS4 card
> > > and am at the
> > > point of tuning. DK's instructions suggest
> tuning A to
> > > 440, and I hope
> > > this doesn't sound too stupid, but which A
> are we
> > > talking about? I
> > > assume it's the low A on the keyboard. Also,
> I have
> > > cello, three
> > > violins, and 8 voice in my frame - which would be
> the best
> > > (most stable)
> > > for tuning? I've been trying to use an old
> korg guitar
> > > tuner, and it
> > > pretty much bouces all over the place. I was
> thinking of
> > > tuning by ear
> > > to a sample played off my computer? Any thoughts?
> > > johnb
> > > 1407
> >
> >