bass multi effect

[soundian]

Originally posted by YETI:

right before i can explain what i ment by short octave i have to do a bit of background knowledge. if you take the friquency of a standard a (440 Mh) and the frequency of the next a up (god knows what) subtract the smaller number from the bigger divide by 7 you get what should be the difference from one note to anopthe unfortunately does not work like that.

now if you take a fitfth interval (bog standard power chord) is not a real fifth frequency wise but is slightly short of one.

again if you ty to tune a guitar only with armonics you'll find yourself with a very out of tune hi e

if you want some mathematical information about this check out http://www.skytopia.com/project/scale.html

for any more questions just fire out

I know there's a lot of different tunings to make up for the slight difference in perception. Shit, one of my mates had an awesome electric piano which gave you at least 8 different tuning options. Guitar frets can't be moved so relying on the harmonics (which are completeley dependent on string ratio, not on fret distance) rather than fretted tuning would seem like a fair compromise (IF your intonation is right).

Now I'll go and check the link you posted and either come back and eat my words, or ask for an interpreter.

[soundian]

Just read the link. Well, skimmed actually.

It says pretty much what I'm saying. Fine tuning is subjective, and in my opinion dependent on key, but with such a crude method as fretting a guitar, you have to compromise. If your gonna play a fretted instrument, you can't be too fussy about the tuning.

Still don't see what short-octave means though.

p.s. 440 Hz

[YETI]

Originally posted by soundian:

I know there's a lot of different tunings to make up for the slight difference in perception. Shit, one of my mates had an awesome electric piano which gave you at least 8 different tuning options. Guitar frets can't be moved so relying on the harmonics (which are completeley dependent on string ratio, not on fret distance) rather than fretted tuning would seem like a fair compromise (IF your intonation is right).

Now I'll go and check the link you posted and either come back and eat my words, or ask for an interpreter.

actuaally the distance of the fret is rilavant since the three variables of a string are length tension and mass (given by material and diameter)

the frets can be changed but only in relation to the length of the neck.

if you change the distance of the individual frets youll end up with very different notes that don't follow the semitone progression

[soundian]

Originally posted by YETI:

actuaally the distance of the fret is rilavant since the three variables of a string are length tension and mass (given by material and diameter)

the frets can be changed but only in relation to the length of the neck.

if you change the distance of the individual frets youll end up with very different notes that don't follow the semitone progression

What I'm trying to say is: if your intonation is fine then tuning by harmonics is just as valid as tuning using fretted notes.

Using frets always introduces slight tuning difficulties because musical scales are not mathematically precise.

[Rob Karloff]

Well, I adjust my intonation every time I re-string, even though I always use the same brand and guage. Minor differences between each set, I guess, as it's never by much. But, to get the correct intonation on some strings requires some weird looking saddle positions on the tune-o-matic bridge, and I've had several "ooooh, that isn't right!" comments from other guitarists. However, it *is* right because my guitar tuner, and more importantly ear, sez it is. Ergo, chords played high up the fretboard sound in-tune and I can tune by harmonics and get spot-on. Correct intonation and action I believe are the most important things in terms of sound and ease/accuracy of tuning during a gig.

[Tav]

Originally posted by Rob Karloff:

But, to get the correct intonation on some strings requires some weird looking saddle positions on the tune-o-matic bridge, and I've had several "ooooh, that isn't right!"

When recording I found out the intonation on my bass was out by quite a bit...my low E and A strings have been moved back quite a distance and no longer are the saddles roughly inline as before...it looks weird <as it is quite an extreme adjustment> but the tuner says I am right...

[soundian]

Originally posted by Tav:

When recording I found out the intonation on my bass was out by quite a bit...my low E and A strings have been moved back quite a distance and no longer are the saddles roughly inline as before...it looks weird <as it is quite an extreme adjustment> but the tuner says I am right...

Most guitars will have the lower (fatter) strings longer then the rest. Look at the fixed bridges in acoustics, They slant, making the thinner strings shorter, and generally have a slightly different saddle posiotion for the B string.(M3rd interval as opposed to a 4th)

I agree with Rob as well, in the absence of a tuner harmonics are easier because you don't need to hold a string and stretch the other one to the machine heads.

If your intonations not right either method will make you go out of tune higher up the neck.