source file: m1449.txt Date: Tue, 16 Jun 1998 17:35:01 -0400 Subject: RE: Sixth comma meantone temperament: "per comune opinione perfet From: "Paul H. Erlich" Thanks for the interesting experiences. I posted some time ago to the effect that the optimal meantone tuning for triadic harmony was something very close to 3/11-comma meantone, but for diatonic dominant sevenths something close to Pythagorean is optimal, and for diatonic dominant ninths an even larger fifth is preferable. I don't remember the exact numbers but I can dig it up if you wish (or check the archives). I do think 12tET effectively mediates between these different options. Late last night I tuned my Ensoniq to an approximation of quarter-comma meantone by alternating 697 and 696 cent fifths in the tuning tables. So the good major thirds are all represented by 386 cents in the tables. Since the true tuning resolution of the Ensoniq is 512 notes/octave, these come out as 165/512 octave or 386.7 cents, comparing well enough with the just value of 386.3 cents that it really sounds like true QC meantone.