what to do about a mellow sound and substancial loss of power.........................

[antares]

> From: Stéphane Collin <collin.s@skynet.be>
> Reply-To: pianotech@ptg.org
> Date: Wed, 30 Jan 2002 13:24:59 +0100
> To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
> 
> CamembertsHello.
> 
> When I do the voicing of a piano, I am often confronted with this problem :
> how can I reduce the agressivity of the attack, without loosing the beautiful
> overtones in the body of the sound ?  When dealing with a set of hammers that
> sound agressive in a particular piano and trying to cure the agressiveness, I
> always end up with a mellow sound and substancial loss of power.  While some
> times, I have pianos that are and clear, and powerful, yet not agressive.  Any
> ideas ?  Thank you.
> 
> Stéphane Collin (Brussels, Belgium)

Stéphane and list, 

there are basically two voicings. One is first voicing, the other one is
second voicing.
During first voicing, we make a cushion, like the suspension in a car.
A car without suspension is extremely uncomfortable and so is a hammer
without a cushion, or without any absorption of energy.

The first voicing is the most important one because it determines the future
quality of the (hammer) sound.
Applying a cushion 'may' start half way up to the crown and ends somewhere
beneath the crown, all depending on the name of the instrument.
Applying too little cushion causes a sound that will always be too loud, too
shrill and with too many high overtones.
Applying too much cushion is absorbing too much energy, it dampens the
energy and the eventual power of the (hammer) sound.
The way the intoneur sticks his needles into the hammers (with what force
and hoe deep and how fast) also determines the final result.
Every person involved in voicing piano hammers is different from others, has
a different temperament and has a different perception of what is beautiful
and necessary, hence (one of) the differences between instruments from the
same factory.

The second voicing takes place after shaping and filing the (first time)
voiced hammers and also after a pounding machine or after the piano has been
played for a while.
This process also involves the fitting of the hammers to the strings and
again a perfect tuning.
It is the finishing touch. the fine tuning of the volume of sound.
During this second voicing, applying more cushion should not be necessary
anymore, so the intoneur now uses two other areas of the hammer ; one is
near the crown, to diminish loudness and sharp overtones, the other is all
the way down, below the cushion area (except Yamaha!), to use stored and
unused power.

This short story should give you a basic idea about the art of voicing.
Profound knowledge about this field only comes after voicing very many
instruments.


friendly greetings
from

Antares,

Amsterdam, Holland

"where music is, no harm can be"

visit my website at :  http://www.concertpianoservice.nl/