It’s amusing to read all the intellectual analysis of using a magnetic pickup. Here’s my story:
After buying PianoSens from Steve Norsworthy and getting an iPad with PianoScope and practicing with it for a month, I finally had the ultimate test. (This is a big stretch of faith for me). I had to tune a 9’ Bosendorfer and a 7’ Grotrian Steinweg for a concert. The pianos were on opposite ends of the stage. When I got there, the organist was practicing and stopping to tune the organ, people were talking all around me, AND halfway through the Bosendorfer, the cleaning lady started vacuuming the carpets in the theater! This had no effect on me because I was using PianoSens that only “hears” the string. I was able to do a very precise- and I mean do perfect unisons and pound them with all the noise around me.
When I went to the concert the next day, the pianist was literally pounding the daylights out of the Bosendorfer. I thought the hammer shanks would break! He would jump up in the air and slam down for the final chord. Through the entire concert NOT ONE unison slipped. AND when both grands were played together, it sounded like one piano. They were dead perfect with each other. I was so amazed. Without PianoScope and PianoSens a quality concert tuning like that in an insanely noisy environment would have been impossible. I only wish I had had this technology 30 years ago! By the way I’m almost 72, I’ve been tuning since 1973 (51 years) have a Masters in Keyboard Performance and I’m a Life Member of the American Federation of Musicians.
Sent from my iPhone