Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Blog: Algorithm Spells the End for Professional Musical Instrument Tuners

Algorithm Spells the End for Professional Musical Instrument Tuners
Technology Review (03/27/12)

University of Wurzburg researcher Hay Hinrichsen says he has developed an algorithm that makes it possible for electronic tuners to match the performance of the best human tuners. Hinrichsen's algorithm involves a process known as entropy minimization. First, Hinrichsen uses the equal temperament method and then divides the audio spectrum with a resolution that matches the human ear. The method then measures the entropy in the system and applies a small random change to the frequency of a note and measures the entropy again. Hinrichsen says the algorithm is comparable to the work of a professional tuner. He notes that the software can be added to the features of relatively inexpensive electronic tuners. "The implementation of the method is very easy," Hinrichsen says.

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