MOTM

In a message dated 4/19/00 9:58:45 AM Eastern Daylight Time, 
ken.tkacs@... writes:

<< (Hmm, couldn't get that 'twelfth root of 2' thing to work properly. Maybe
 that's not the right calculation for successive equal tempered pitches...
 that's what my Handel book 'Listening' said it was, though. I went ahead and
 plugged in true values for the first octave manually, and then duplicated
 them upward...very inelegant though.) >>

Hmmm.... sounds like a math challange!!! Since you've provided a speadsheet 
with all the answers maybe I can tweak the calculation... Which column(s) are 
you taking the 12th root of 2of ? Can you send the calculation the way it is 
written in the book?
I really like the frequency counter idea!!!

In a message dated 00-04-19 21:36:23 EDT, you write:

<< a very minor 
 problem I've had with my sequencer (Serge TKB). I find the tuning process to 
 be rather tedious  >>


john,
yes, it can be very tedious!!! such is the "price" of nearly total freedom.
when did you get yours? the one i had from approx. 1978 to 1992 didn`t 
exhibit this problem that it can recall. i wish i still had it although i 
must admit that the sequencer in my current unit has been very satisfactory.
best,
dave v.

In a message dated 00-04-20 01:11:33 EDT, you write:

<< Freedom's just another word for, I can't get this thing in tune!
  >>



john,
with apologies to janis joplin.......... :^)
still, if you are seriously into pitched relationships, this can be a problem.
best,
dave v.

In a message dated 00-04-20 01:11:33 EDT, you write:

<< I'll try some experiments over the next week or so. If you'd like to try 
 some, here's what I'd suggest by patching a VCO into the sequencer output: >>



john,
well, i don`t have a tuner just an old nixie tube frequency counter. i`ll 
have to patch it in and see if it is accurate enough.
best,
dave v.

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.

In a message dated 00-04-20 08:37:04 EDT, you write:

<<  MUCH faster to use
 than squinting at the display on a frequency counter (mine by the way has at
 least a tenths digit; >>



ken,
one advantage to my freq. counter, you don`t have to squint........ it`s a 
surplus unit i bought for $25 that uses very bright nixie tubes for the 
display. old but good to tenths, priced right but huge and heavy!!!!!  :^)  ( 
ditto my hp scope, only 5mhz bandwidth so pretty much useless for high speed 
logic stuff but great for regular analog type uses and at $25 (when i bought 
it 10 years ago), again, priced right!
best,
dave v.