It's not that hard to collect that data, it's hard to assign it to taste in tonal preference. Voicing also confuses the issue. Tone is just much more complicated than touchweight dynamics. I think Steinway remains popular because they are still coasting on their early iterations when they did a much better job of matching string scale, soundboard design and hammer weight and density: i.e. low tension, lightly ribbed and thinned panels and light and soft hammers. Their current productions don't much resemble those from the 1920's. David Love davidlovepianos at comcast.net www.davidlovepianos.com -----Original Message----- From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Richard Brekne Sent: Wednesday, May 30, 2007 11:32 AM To: caut at ptg.org Subject: [CAUT] Voicing method/analogy I agree with all of this. It is of course impractical for not to say impossible to collect the kind of data hammer weight/density to soundboard/scale configurations as Stanwood did for action preferences. It just would be very interesting to see what such data would reveal. It might also shed some light on why the Steinway sound has dominated so to theee degree these past 100 + years. But alas.... I fear speculation and the like is where we are forced to reside on this subject.... that is unless something about all this can be quantified in some fashion as significantly as that mass of data Stanwood complied allowing for a statistical perspective of some value. I'm looking forward to your presentation. I am sure it will be though provoking. Cheers RicB Data revealing anything meaningful about user end preferences with respect to tone are not likely. There's too much variability when it comes to tonal preference. Limited exposure to various combinations within a particular instrument also make collecting such data impractical at best. Action response is a much simpler thing. That being said, it is fairly easy to demonstrate even with simple thought experiments why hammers of different weights and densities will produce different types of tone on soundboards of varying weight and/or condition especially when combined with scales of different tension levels. I'm in the midst of a two part presentation at the local chapter which offers an introduction to the ideas. Once refined, I hope to be giving it on a broader level. David Love davidlovepianos at comcast.net www.davidlovepianos.com As for comments about appropriate hammers with respect to denseness and weight relative to soundboard responsiveness. These are interesting to be sure, and tho I do not discount them in any sense of the word, I do miss the kind of data that sheds light on user end preferences of the sort that Stanwood has provided for actions, and I tho such data will probably never exist... I do wonder at what it would reveal. Cheers RicB
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