hertz question.

hertz? cents? not that stupid of a question..I don't know either.

I THINK a half step is around 40-50 cents, but I don't know how that translates to hertz

 

A halftone is 100 cent.

There can't be a fixed hertz value for a halftone.

Here's why:

A octave up means double frequency.
For example, when low E is 81 Hertz, then the octave is 162 Hertz.
So the halftone frequency difference between the low E and F is 6.75 Hz (81/12).

Now in the next octave (E 162 and E 324 Hz) the difference between E and F is 13.5 Hz (162/12).

 

OK, this means you calibrate a to 432 Hz instead of the international standard of 440 Hz.

You need to find a tuner with a calibration range that wide or a Hz tuning mode like Korg DT3.
My Korg AT-2 only goes down to 438.

 

You should be able to calibrate the tuner to 432 and then tune as usual. Check the manual.

Usally just press the CALIB button until a LED lights up over or under the right number (432).

Then tune as usual (needle to the center).

 

How does your band do it?
Just make your guitarist or keyboarder record a reference tone for you (best record on computer and burn on CD, audio tape isn't pitch accurate).

 

Hmmnnn....I believe fundamental low E on a bass guitar is around 41Hz,no?

 

A semitone is not a constant number of hertz. We're working with a geometric progression here, not arithmetic. Meaning, to get to the next note, you don't add, you multiply. The difference, in hertz, between say C1 and C#1 is less than the difference in hertz between C2 and C#2.

Just remember, an octave higher represents a double in frequency. So, A=440Hz, and the next A higher is 880Hz. Whereas the A below is 220Hz. You see? The the difference between the lower two As is 220Hz, whereas the difference between the higher two As is 440Hz. Yet, it's the same interval...

So, if you've got a frequency, and you want to work out the frequency of the note a semitone (half-step) higher, you have to multiply by the 12th root of 2, (or, 2 to the power 1/12), which (if I've done my calculation right) is 1.05946 (to 5dp - it's actually a surd).

So, if A=440Hz, then Bb=466.16376, etc. But the steps between the notes are ever increasing, even though we always perceive it as the same interval.

Does that make sense?

 

Low E on a bass, yes. JMX might not necessarily have been talking about that in particular.

 

432Hz...

Why???

If you're working with an instrument that can't be tuned into standard pitch then tune by ear, using that instrument as a reference.

Wulf

 

How do the rest of the band tune up? Tuning to A=432Hz seems pretty esoteric to me, so presumably they must have gone there as an intentional choice and spent some time working on getting the whole tuning business together.

Wulf

 

Seems like a wierd thing to do. Why 432? Just a random number or what?

Wouldn't you rather tune to 440 and leave yourselves the possibility of playing with someone else on the planet? j/k

Or maybe that's the ploy... if someone sits in, they'll be way sharp and sound awful

 

Oops, you're right - I somehow picked the wrong frequency.

But that doesn't affect the validity of my post really.