Richard Maryman wrote:
> In a message dated 10/24/2006 8:29:38 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
> [log in to unmask] writes:
> The U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology says
> that "the just noticeable difference [that a piano tuner can
> hear] is often defined as 5 cents...."  Reference:
> http://tf.nist.gov/general/glossary.htm
> 
> That "just noticeable" 5 cents is about 7 times greater
> than Hammond's worst error in notes 1-84, and about
> 2-1/2 times greater than Hammond's worst error in notes 85-91.
> "Close approximation" would seem to be a reasonable
> description for such tuning accuracy.
> 
> 
> While the aove >may< be true, I will guarantee you that ANY decent pipe organ 
> tuning tech would easily (easily!!) hear a 5-cent deviation between a 
> reference pitch, whether from an electronic source (like  Peterson  or Korg tuner) OR 
> another pipe being used as a reference from which to tune...there are 
> noticeable beats at 5 cents. This would also hold true in one's being able to set a 
> bearing (temperment) by ear (that is, without a machine giving a reference 
> pitch to tune by) because you use the pattern of beating to set the narrowness or 
> broadness of the intervals in the 5th's and 4ths' to set the'equal' tempering 
> (or whatever tempering you are setting...they are all done by using the 
> audible beats on specific intervals)

I don't disagree with Mr. Maryman, but am unable to discern
how his remarks relate to the subject of this thread.

The point that I've advanced, several times, is that
the Hammond Organ tonewheel generator is in fact tuned to
a close approximation of the equal-tempered scale.

But what does "close" mean?  Does Hammond's 0.7-cent maximum
tuning error qualify as a "close approximation?"  The NIST
cite was intended to furnish a reference frame for "close";
most certainly not a denigration of pipe organ tuners.
And it was the best that Google could cough up in a five-
minute net search.

----

P.S.  Nothing herein is to be construed as a claim that
the Hammond Organ provides a realistic imitation of the
tonal qualities of a pipe organ.  I debate only the
Hammond tuning accuracy and stability; nothing else.

P.P.S.  Can any pipe organ match the Hammond's tuning
accuracy and temperature stability <grinning and ducking>?

-- 
Dave Dillon
San Jose, CA, USA.

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