tuning w/CA20

[tempo]

I have read that the method of tuning with a korg ca20 is that you first tune a set of pipes by ear

my question is can you play your pipes for 20 minutes take a reading of the low a and use that reading to tune your outside tenor.

[Jeff Wolf]

One of the best investments I've made in piping is to buy Jim McGillivray's (www.piping.on.ca. (http://www.piping.on.ca)) tuning video. He goes into the use of tuners at length, but as a starting tool, not as a long-term method. What you are describing can work, certainly. I find it really hard to accurately measure the drone output without help!

For now, I use a CA-20 to reinforce/validate my opinion about the Chanter LA-HA octave only. After watching Jim's video, I have little trouble getting the outside tenor tuned to the chanter LA by ear, and the others fall right in after that. I tune the best I can before I start, and frequently thereafter - whenever I can detect something amiss. After 10-20 minutes, things are locked in pretty good, and I don't need to do much after that. If I stop for a drink of water or a chat with the bride, they will need some attention again. Jim explains all about that, too.

I am a new guy. You will no doubt want to wait for the heavy hitters to weigh in here. :thumb:

[Rojellio]

The method that you read, is more intended for Band Tuning. Most of the meter methods out there are. The reason for it being more of a short term reference tool, and not a long haul thing?? As you become more skilled at Tuning, your ear will (hopefully) outgrow the K*** Tuner.

The reason for tuning by ear, and playing a while (10-15 minutes) first?? It will take about that long for your reeds to stabilise and otherwise settle in to a constant "normal operating" pitch.

IF you are going to Tune the first tenor with a meter.. A tuning mic, or better yet an extremely modified clip-on tuning pick-up is in order. (they dont make the cord bloody long enough, and it doesnt clip onto Drones as is)

Speaking for myself... I am now using a Peterson VS1 strobe tuner. A fabulous 1 pound monster. So far I have used it to check deadly accuracy of lA & hA, and calculate actual pitch. If I really want to, I could figure cents offset from A440 reference down to 1/10th of a cent. The strobe display is easier, and more intuitive to use than any needle & green light combination IMHO.

[Les Matheson]

For the answer to how to use a tuner on your pipes see: http://www.toneczar.com/goodies.html

Chris Hamilton has a plethora of good advice on this and many other topics.

Les

[DVMPiper]

Hello,

I agree with using the meter to get Hi A and Lo A in the right interval. That seems to be my hardest endeavor, after that its seems fairly simple to balance the rest of the notes and them tune drones by ear. With the emphasis on training your ear, this would seem to be the best approach. Once you get good, you eventually won't need the tuner. You can do it all by ear. I'm not to that point by a loooooooooong shot. :lol:

Hope it helps,
Bryan

[Chris Hamilton]

I can't stress enough -- the key to tuning your chanter is to get your drones in tune with Low A.

Then slowly browse the scale, listening for dissonance on individual notes. These can be corrected with tape and / or moving the reed up or down in the reed seat.

Chris

[tempo]

Thanks for all of the advice I have read most of the tuning advice on the web but I was just wondering why the pm uses a meter at all if all he has to do is tune the master pipe why not do them all that way. if the answer is precision then why not use a korg to tune your outside tenor . I do know how to tune my pipes by ear . also are meters more accurate than the human ear

[Chris Hamilton]

Originally posted by tempo:
Thanks for all of the advice I have read most of the tuning advice on the web but I was just wondering why the pm uses a meter at all if all he has to do is tune the master pipe why not do them all that way. if the answer is precision then why not use a korg to tune your outside tenor . I do know how to tune my pipes by ear . also are meters more accurate than the human earThe tuner can really enhance the drone sound in the band. Even if the chanters are not all 100% spot on, the drones can be made uniform.

I use a little bit different technique than some. Time permitting, I use the Korg to tune each piper's drones individually. While the band is taking a break or someone else is working with the chanters, I tune their outside tenor to the meter and then blend the other two drones to that by ear. Other times I'll do all the drones via the meter while the whole band is playing. Depends on how much time we've got.

Chris

[Lyle Walker]

I like to set the outside tenor with the meter, then by ear do the bass and middle tenor. I'll use the meter if it doesn't 'sound' right, but with beginners, the blowing is unsteady and the tuning probably isn't going to get any better. The CA-20 doesn't appear to have a very high sampling rate, so any unsteadiness makes the LED 'needle' jump all over. When some of the newer players are in the mix, I'll purposly "detune" the middle tenors a bit. The overall sound of the band is actually improved then having them all dialed together and having a couple of pipers mess up the tone. :shrug:
cheers,
lyle w.

[Rojellio]

also are meters more accurate than the human ear It depends on the Meter. There is also a get what you pay for factor. $20-$30 will get you something that is every bit as accurate as a hand grenade. As long as it is consistantly off, you are still consistant. The CA-30's specs say +/- 1.5 cents for green light perfect. Say that one tenor is off +1.5 cents, the other is off -1.5. Thats 3 cents difference... a good ear can detect 2 cents difference. This is why you do not tune each drone to the meter, just the first one. This is also why I believe that most peoples ear will hopefully outgrow the K###. They arent as bad as they could be, and there is nothing wrong with a decent reference.

[Richard Mao]

Originally posted by Chris Hamilton:
I can't stress enough -- the key to tuning your chanter is to <span style="font-weight: bold">get your drones in tune with Low A.

Then slowly browse the scale, listening for dissonance on individual notes. These can be corrected with tape and / or moving the reed up or down in the reed seat.

Chris</span>I also agree with this approach... a lot of modern chanters seem to have flat hi A's,,,,

that is... the chordal notes... C,D, E, F... can sound in proper relationship to low A... but the hi A seems flat...when this happens

For a beginner... I do recommend using the tuner to get hiA and loA in perfect octave tune... and hope that the chanter is balanced after that...because I don't feel a beginner is steady enough in blowing and discerning enough in ear to hear reliably the chordal relationships (dissonance) between the chanter notes and the drones....

but in actual practice...I find that you have to tune the drones to low a.. and when you tune the drones to each other.... you have to ignore/listen PAST the hi A on the chanter as you bring the drones into tune... (though the theory says you can "tune" to a perfect octave hi a)

hope this makes sense, if not... ask and I'll give it another go.

It's not that I miss the good old days&amp;#8230; I miss being young enough to think it was fun!&amp;#8230;. from a Tom Clancy novel

Richard Mao, The Peking Piper ( PekingPiper@mao.org )