voicing

[Richard Brekne]

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Ron Nossaman wrote:

> >Since string winding tension ect has a large effect on the harmonic content
> >and power, please educate me on how you integrate the bass string
> >scaling/design with the Z of the board.
> >A direct formula will suffice.
> >Regards Roger
>
> * Again, that's scaling, and is graphable and reasonably predictable in the
> design stage. As for the soundboard, I agree. A direct formula would
> certainly suffice. Harold Conklin published what he called a characteristic
> impedance formula for strings in "Thoughts on Thoughts" in the Journal that
> is quite helpful in scaling. Technicians have always believed in hammers.
> They have partially accepted, and are beginning to believe in string
> scaling. They don't yet believe in soundboards, but when the right people
> with the necessary mathematical knowhow start believing in soundboards
> enough to actually explore the possibilities, we'll eventually be able to
> graph that on the spreadsheet too. Until then, I have to go on the basic
> concepts of impedance, as introduced by Del, and discussed at great length
> on the list, and personally observed cause and effect relationships. Kind of
> like voicing.
>
>  Ron N

Brings up a really interesting point about soundboards that probly most tuners
dont consider much. The soundboard is not just a something that projects the
sounds of the strings as they are played. A soundboard also has its resonate
fequencies or modes. Different degrees of thickness, types of wood, quality of
wood, size and shape of the finished board, etc etc, will result in a different
set of values. Strings that have frequencies that correspond two these modes or
resonant frequencies in the soundboard will typically have short decay times as
the board is very effiecient at these. String frequencies that are off resonance
with regard to the soundboard have long decay times. We are dealing with impedance
matching (strings to board) here. Decay of the piano tone being varied also means
that to some degree or another the quality / timbre of the sound varies.

Now most of this is way over my head and is of course way more involved, tho these
things are known and known well by some of the better piano manufacturers. I have
not heard that restringing programs take any of this into consideration (perhaps
it is not possible yet or perhaps it is not needed ??). Being aware of these
characteristics of a soundboard, and how to identify them to some degree with your
ear, helps in making decisions with regard to what field technicians can and
cannot accomplish with voicing problems.

Personally, I'd like to know more about all this. Is it possible / helpfull, to be
able to measure the frequency modes of a soundboard when attempting to rescale and
existing piano ? Perhaps this is too expensive or time consuming ?

Nice post by the way Ron.

Richard Brekne
I.C.P.T.G.  N.P.T.F.

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