Do you tune differently .....????

James Quackenbush · From: Pomona, New York, USA

Do you tune differently when playing with a keyboard player ?...I know a lot of you play with Band in a Box and other play along programs ....These are basically midi programs that play in tune like any other midi keyboard ...Do you guys find that you tune differently to play along with them ??.... I'm basically wondering with all the various ways that everyone has of tuning their pedal steel ( temperment, no temperment etc) how everyone deals when playing with keyboards, or without keyboards, or if you simply tune the same for either...Thanks in advance for your replies ....Sincerely, Jim

Hook Moore · From: South Charleston,West Virginia

I Don`t have biab but playing with a keyboard, I tune the same.
Hook
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Ernie Pollock · From: Mt Savage, Md USA

I will probably get in trouble for saying this, but I use tracks all the time with keyboards on them. I have tuned every note on my steel straight up to a Korg tuner for the past 10 years, never sounds like I am out of tune when playing with tracks or a keyboard player - please note here, this is only my opinion & I am not interested in starting a tuning battle, tune the way it sounds good to you & others and you should be ok.

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b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

I don't play in tune, so it really doesn't matter. Embarassed

Roger Light · From: Sheldon, IL

I play the keyboard, so they are never played together Rolling Eyes

James Quackenbush · From: Pomona, New York, USA

Ernie,
I don't think that there is nessesarily the right or wrong way of tuning ....I was just interested to see what folks were doing , or if they had a special way of tuning .....Don't feel bad about how you tune , because I'm a keyboard player by trade, and I tune straight up when tracking with my keyboards too !!... If someone else tunes differently, it doesn't make us wrong, just different !!.... Smile

.... Thanks for the reply..Jim

Alan Brookes · From: Brummy living in Southern California

I tune to a bell lyre (also known as a walking glockespiel). It never goes out of tune.

Colby Tipton · From: Crosby, Texas, USA

Yes, out of tune?
With the rest of the out of tune players.

b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

My marimba is tuned to A=442. The guitars tune to A=440. Nobody ever says that the marimba is out of tune. I really don't think it matters.

Stu Schulman · From: Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)

I have a pretty good size rack of synth modules in my little studio,Some old stuff OB-Matrix,and a lot of other ones Rolands,YoMama,etc. that all seem to stay in tune,and I seem to play in tune with them when I sequence tracks,I don't use BIAB,I use Voyetra Gold Card,it doesn't have any pre-programmed stuff,I have to play the parts from a Midi controller keyboard.The only tuning problem that I have run into is a certain Alesis keyboard always booted up out of tune...like 38 cents sharp,it belongs to a friend of mine and everytime we gig together we have to run a chord over to my guitar tuner,definitely a software problem,It's the smaller version of the Quadrasynth?I played at a Bar-B-Que this summer with another keyboard player same Alesis,and his was also very sharp..he got pissy about it and told us that it's digital and can't be out of tune..So I said watch this,I thought he was gonna cry
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Colby Tipton · From: Crosby, Texas, USA

I heard in 1, 3 finger chord today that was in tune. I played 1- 3 fingered chord on the same instrument, in tune. Maybe it is how you finger it?

James Quackenbush · From: Pomona, New York, USA

Stu,
I have a couple Alesis pieces and I don't notice them out of tune with any of my other modules ...I have the Quadrasynth, and also the Andromeda ...There is an automatic tuning sequence that goes on with the Andromeda since it's a hybrid analog/digital synth ... I let it warm up for a few minutes before playing on it ... With that synth it doesn't matter much anyway..The sound of the analog synth like that has oscilators that are prone to drift anyway ... The Andromeda is pretty stable but I've had others that drift ... Jim

Gary Preston · From: Columbus, Ohio, USA

This subject has been talked about for some time now and no doubt will be talked about as long as we play the steel guitar . Everyone has an idea and they have reasons for it . I tune my ''E's'' to 440 with the pedals down and the rest by ear . I have several charts for tuning but find my ear to be the best to tune by . Yes you can make a chart when you get the guitar tuned by ear for a reference when the place is noisy or you are in a hurry and so on . I will make a statement that will bring on some criticism i'm sure . ''440'' straight up has never sounded good to me at any time . Evil or Very Mad

As we have said it's openion time !!! Gary .

Stu Schulman · From: Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)

James,I have a Quadrasynth also and that one dosen't have that problem,It's the 5 octave non weighted one that they made...I just can't remember the name of it right now,I'll get back to you on that.I have old Arps,and have Moogs,and I understand the drifting of ocillators...It's that one model Alesis that has the problem. It's the QS7!My brain just kicked in.I don't know if they every offered a fix for that one? James where in New York is Pomona?..Stu
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Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

I know this will probably start WWIII, but I'm going to say it anyway...

If you're playing along with a keyboard, you should be tuning to THAT keyboard.

Now, I realize that might be a unique concept (to players who usually just stare at their own tuner, and ignore how they "blend" with the other instruments), but you oughta at least consider it. Shocked

Larry Strawn · From: Golden Valley, Arizona, R.I.P.

Thank You Donny! Very Happy

Larry
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Stu Schulman · From: Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)

Donny..what I meant was the Alesis QS7 boots up out of tune"software problem",all of my are others boot up dead on in tune.Kurzweil,Yamaha,Roland,Kawaii.But I agree that you should check the tuning on them just to be sure.Don't worry about starting WWIII some woman at the club that I played at last night did that already..Stu Laughing

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Alan Miller · From: , England, UK.

Stu, I keep meaning to ask you this question.... how did you come bye the idea of the pic of the robot. Each time i see a post from you it puts a laugh in my chuckle muscles. Sorry nothing to do with this thread I know. I JUST GOTTA KNOW !

Stu Schulman · From: Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)

Alan,That's "Bender"from the cartoon show "Futurama" it's the same people who do the 'Simpsons".
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Jim Bates · From: Alvin, Texas, USA

I have played many gigs where a keyboard / electric piano would show-up unannounced and play with the regular band (because he was a friend or relative of the band leader) The band would all tune to A-440 as normal. Usually the keyboard fit right in with no problem. The only real problem I had is that a lot of keyboards wanted to be a 'one man show' and blast out over everyone else, plus would not have any team dscipline to back off when the singer or another lead would be playing.

If I ever discovered that my steel was slightly out from the keyboard, I just would not do any open chords, and would use the dynamic tuning by moving the bar slightly to be in tune.

Now a 'basket case' regular piano that belongs to the hall and is not in tune is ANOTHER case. The band MUST tune with the piano, as painful as it may be.

Thanx,
Jim

Charlie McDonald · From: out of the blue

Stu, I assumed you picked Bender because he's a 'man of steel.'

I tune mostly justly. My ET tuned Yamaha doesn't seem to have a problem with it.
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Eric West · From: Portland, Oregon, USA, R.I.P.

JQ. Yes I find that BIAB and now the new PGMusic Brent Mason Guitar Star program as played through my computer are about 1/8 fret off of what my tuner says it is.

If I have to record I'd either set my tuner to it, change the track I was recording with it, or like I do mostly is just play along paying attention to the licks. BIAB I believe has a pitch correction mode in it.

Keyboards are sometimes different. Acoustic ones were the biggest nightmares. Thankfully most of them are gone.

A lot of intonation problems that might drive you nuts are solved by distance from them on the bandstand. Small ones are not noticed by anybody but you.

If you have time, and it's a particular keyboard, try playing the notes of your open strings and changes with them. Lots of them have settings for 440+/-. easily checked.

The more difference you have, the less in tune you'll be with them. Or "them with you" if you can afford to look at it thataway.

Wink

EJL

Stu Schulman · From: Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)

Charlie Yes! and because he's got a beer tap built into his chest on one show...Stu
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James Quackenbush · From: Pomona, New York, USA

Stu,
Sorry for the late reply ...Pomona is about 25 miles north of NYC on the NJ side of the Hudson River ....Jim

PS...My quadrasynth is a rack mount ...

Dave White · From: Fullerton, California USA

Jim--the sad thing is, lots of times those "basket case" hall pianos aren't even in tune with themselves from one octave to the next.

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