General:

Some notes on the regulators are more pressure sensitive than others so it's critical to tune the regs at the pressure which you play the chanter at with drones on.

Regulator reeds do not need to have a wide lip aperture & play very well with the lips closed down, however if they are too closed then some octave jumping may occur on the bottom notes. If they are too open, then double-toning may occur on some of the higher notes & tuning will be problematic.

The large pistons effectively lengthen & shorthen the bore and affect some notes more than others. In fact, for most notes the effect is negligible, while for B on the small reg & G on the middle reg, the effect is great.

The small tuning pin can be used for fine tuning. Attached to the small pin inside the bore is a wire. By wrapping some PVC tape round the wire at tonehole locations, the bore is effectively narrowed & the note flattens. This will also affect any other note to one degree or another. Usually the notes lower down are affected most.

Like chanter reeds, all regulator reeds have slightly different tuning and some are more suitable than others for your particular regulators & the pressure you play at. If all else fails, make another reed.

While there are no major tuning problems with the Bass reg, the tenor & middle regulators have tuning complications due to tonehole positions. In making the regulators, the problem is getting the keys to fit into the space between the ideal tonehole positions. Some compromise is usually necessary.

If a reed doesn't "speak" easily, check that the reeds are still airtight by closing the lips & sucking. If leaky, re-bind or rub some wax over the existing binding.

Tenor Reg:

The tenor regulator has five notes - F#, G, A, B, Cnat.

Tune the Cnat to harmonize with the A on your chanter by adjusting the reed in or out.

The B is primarily tuned using the big piston. The further in the big piston is, the sharper the B will be, however this will affect the tone quality of the A note. Unfortunately the quality of tone is better for the A when the piston is further out but then the B will be too flat. So find a position where the B is just in tune & the A should sound fine. Also remember to tune to the B&G on your chanter, not to an electronic tuner (which should read about 14 cents flat if everything is in tune).

The A can be flattened with tape on the wire if a little sharp after the above process.

The G and F# can be tuned in the same way as the A. Watch the G because it can be quite pressure sensitive.

Middle Reg:

The middle regulator has four notes - D, F#, G, A.

Tune the A to harmonize with the A on your chanter by adjusting the reed in or out.

The G is a tricky note & tends to be very pressure sensitive. The big piston affects this note a lot & its usually better to have the piston further in which tends to stabilise the note. Use tape on the wire to flatten the note if necessary. The problem with tonehole spacings described above is why tuning the A & G is usually quite problematic. The A is usually slightly flat & the G is usually slightly sharp. This is because its difficult to physically get these toneholes further apart & still fit the keys around them (any key design). Some subtle pressure manipulation is sometimes required while playing.

The F# & D should then be in tune or slightly sharp & can be flattened with tape.

Bass Reg:

The Bass regulator has four notes - G, A, B, Cnat.

Tune the Cnat to harmonize with the A on your chanter by adjusting the reed in or out.

Flatten the other notes with tape as necessary.

The big piston doesn't really affect pitch much but can affect tone on some holes especially the G.