Piano Plugin Tuning: Stretch or Equal?

[hduncan]

In Ivory, I see there is a Tuning area with two settings: Stretch and Equal.

Which one do you use and why?

[travisbrown]

I'm guessing it lets you choose between just intonation and equal temperament.

Pianos used to be tuned to particular keys (just intonation). Now pianos are usually averaged over all scales and intervals (equal temperment).

[piano]

Good question!

On a real piano, tuners can tune the top end sharp and the low end flat. This tuning technique known as "stretch tuning" gives a bigger sound to the instrument - although it can muddy the sound too much.

On a real piano, when you depress the damper pedal, with sympathetic resonance, you ring many more notes than you play - thus giving you the 'bloom' of the piano with the pedal down. The stretch tuning rings the slightly out of tune sharp treble and flat bass notes. Much like detuning two synth osilators you get a bigger sound.

On a sampled piano, there is no sympathetic resonance, so the benefits of stretch tuning are limited to sharp treble and flat bass only when you actually play the top and bottom end.

[piano]

Equal temperment will sound more "thin" and "pure".

[hduncan]

so Equal tuning is better for an arrangment even though your intervals won't be perfect (you have to compromise a bit to make the piano work in all keys)

And Stretch sounds bigger and is best used solo due to the incorrect pitches it creates, which can cause the sound to get muddy or too big in an arrangment.

Ivory has sympathetic vibrations taken care of in its engine- so this is more important for synthogy customers with this setting.