Peter Redstone wrote:
> Hi folks! Stephen Birkett wrote:
>
>   
>> in my view, ears provide a better, and certainly more 
>> meaningful, assessment than any spectrum analysis tool is capable of 
>> doing. 
>>     

I think I can understand what Stephen is trying to say here and would 
come down in his favour!


>>     
> I'm having trouble with this statement. The human ear is extremely 
> fallible as far as I can see. 


Fallible they might be Peter but they are capable, as indeed are the 
eyes, of much greater subtlety!   We must be very careful to not extend 
our own personal taste here, the fact that I choose to go down the 
Flemish road does not make those instruments better or worse than your 
friend Mr Kirckman!


> A monochord would be the least fallible way to go, measuring 
> the sound of different strings, 


NO, I would prefer to work with an instrument and use its resonance to 
judge a given type of material.   Surely that is where a string has to 
work and that may indeed prove a certain material is better suited for 
your instrument than another string which could prove the quite the 
opposite for another maker.   Do you see my point?

M, who tries to make Flemish harpsichords:-)

 

-- 
www.michaeljohnsonharpsichords.co.uk