A technique used in communications receivers that allows the receiver to select a transmission of a narrow-frequency bandwidth in close proximity to other transmissions: the bandwidth is spread over a wider physical or electrical range so that tuning is made easier. An example is the use of a gearing system to desensitize the rotation of the tuning adjustment in order to allow finer frequency selection. A similar effect can be obtained by a coarse and fine electrical adjustment where electronic tuning is employed.