Whoa! OK, that I didn't know. About syns' being able to play in different systems of intonation. I don't have a decent 'modern' synthesizer kicking around. But a tool like that would be great for getting perspective on different intonation systems. On that, how many different systems of intonation would we be talking about? On your synthesizer that is. Sounds mind boggeling. I don't think a midi fiddle would help me out much because, my problem is that I can't seem to decide what pitch to make my note at. I have a good ear. I can mimick almost anything. But when I write a fresh string piece and then try to play it my pitch is all over the place and sounds like a room full of 'old time fiddlers'. (there is nothing wrong with old time fiddlers, or a room full of them if that is the sound you are going for, but it does not sound like a string section. And here's the big question! What system of intontation should a string section play in? For that matter. What system of intonation should a string player learn to play in? The closest thing I can do is try to lock on to 'A440tempered'. So many questions. You see, I have this friend ... who's ears might not be as good as he thinks they are thus when ever he has a problem he blames it on tempered tunning.

You said in a former post that brass and string players don't play in tempered tunning. Is this true? Arn't they supposed to be trying to all play along with whatever insruments in the room are fixed to a temperment, like the piano? Or is it that they are under no obligation to play to temperment when they are playing as an ensembles? These questions (and many more) are in no way retorical (lest they be mistaking for smug retorical questions) and have kept me awake at night on numerous occations.

Toad