Weinrich/wapin

michael wathen michael.wathen@wapin.com
Sun, 18 Feb 2001 14:20:04 -0500


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Roy Peters forwarded some of the discussion about Wapin to me.  Thanks =
Roy.  I have subscribed just long enough to participate in a technical =
part of the discussion.

Ron N...

You have it backwards.  Wapin, we believe, reflects the initial struck =
displacement of the string into a plane that is 90 degrees to that =
struck direction.  If the piano is a grand piano, then Wapin, pushes =
most of that vertical displacement to a horizontal displacement.  The =
string does take on an elliptical motion in both Wapin and nonWapin =
pianos.  The difference with Wapin is that the major semi-axis of this =
elliptical motion is in a direction that is 90 degrees different from =
the struck direction. =20

The Weinreich model described is the accepted paradigm.  It is a =
theoretical model which can only be derived by inference. In reality the =
real model is much more complex.

Wouldn't Wapin mean that the increased sustain robs the power?

Not, necessarily.  We believe that Wapin captures the energy of a =
displaced string and prevents it from being leaked off to the soundboard =
before it has a chance to setup a standing wave.  The means there is =
more reserve energy in the string that can gradually be given off to the =
board over time, after the standing waves have setup.  In short, the =
energy is given over to the board in a harmonic form rather than a =
nonharmonic form.  This could explain the fact that there is no =
percieved loss of power and a greater clarity. =20

This is what we believe.  However, the science is extremely complicated. =
 It is very time consumming and difficult.  Last fall at the Ohio State =
Seminar we did an installation on a Mason & Hamlin.  The installation =
was the new method that can be accomplished without restringing.  We did =
some before and after tests.  Jim Coleman's brother, Bob Coleman, is a =
retired scientist from NASA.  He hastily agreeded to do the tests.  His =
background in in Finite Modal Analysis.  He helped developed this method =
for finding changes that would occur in the the Space Shuttle after it =
returned from orbit.  His technique is still in use at NASA.=20

The Mason and Hamlin showed mixed and inconclusive results that were =
most likely due to sampling anomolities and hastily made testing =
procedures.  Bob Coleman was not as discouraged as I was.  He hears the =
difference.  He is an accomplished pianist in his own right.  He has =
eagerly volunteered his professionalism and expertise to do more with =
Wapin.  This spring I will redo the action in his home piano.  I will =
voice and tune and make it the best I can.  He will then make all his =
measurements.  In the summer I will return to install Wapin without =
restringing.  He will then make new measurements.

I was discouraged about our first results last fall but his take on the =
thing is that he hears the difference and that some of the best science =
occurs when you are not quite sure what it is you are looking for.  We =
shall see.

On another note...
Jon Ralinovsky, technician at Miami University in Oxford Ohio will be =
hosting the Cincinnat Chapter meeting, February, 26.  Miami bought two =
new Baldwin Rs recently.  He took the bold step of adding Wapin to one =
of these Badlwin Rs.  For the meeting he will move the two Baldwin Rs =
into one room so that we can compare these two very similar pianos in an =
attempt to acoustically verify a Wapin difference.  I have no idea =
whether or not we will hear a difference. Kudos to Jon for trying this =
experiment.


Michael Wathen, Wapin. LLP

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