My old Roland MT-32 synth comes tuned at 442Hz. If I want to use it with my other synths, I have to manually re-tune it to 440Hz.

Sometimes I just leave it at 442 and it really doesn't seem to make a difference.

I don't know if I can hear the difference, after all, it isn't even 1%.

We use equal temperament so our instruments a not really in tune with themselves anyway.

I do know that orchestras tune up to whatever the oboe is tuned to though.

So if the orchestra (and the oboe) is tuned to 440Hz and the piano playing the concerto is not (445Hz), is it going to cause a problem? Can anyone really hear the difference?

I also know that sometimes when making a backing track, I'll detune the highest horns in the brass section a but sharp to make them sound brighter (it's like stretch tuning a piano). But are they sounding brighter because of their native frequency, or because they are a tiny bit higher than the rest of the band?

I don't know. I'm just thinking out loud here.

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