Key Leads and Inertia

[Isaac OLEG]

Hello Sarah, and all

A too light key certainly dos not allow to play Marcatto or even
staccato with the same , eh, density !

I have a spring only balanced action in the shop, the touch is light
and the pianist is feeling more the inside of the action than with a
lead balanced key. That can be a good thing, but I believe then that
the top action have to be redesigned to provide a good feel .

Nowadays the key inertia is certainly a comfort element up to some
point.

The springs have other advantages and they can certainly can be used
(are unavoidable sometime), but not so much that they slow the top
action return - the action may work up and down !

Say that the action is something very evolved is of course true, but
not absolutely compared to motors or any late 19 century invention.

Greetings

Isaac OLEG

Entretien et réparation de pianos.

PianoTech
17 rue de Choisy
94400 VITRY sur SEINE
FRANCE
tel : 033 01 47 18 06 98
fax : 033 01 47 18 06 90
cell: 06 60 42 58 77

> -----Message d'origine-----
> De : Sarah Fox [mailto:sarah@gendernet.org]
> Envoyé : lundi 28 avril 2003 23:54
> À : oleg-i@wanadoo.fr; Pianotech
> Objet : Re: Key Leads and Inertia
>
>
> Hi all,
>
> Isaac wrote:
> > Nowadays lead being a necessity, seems primordial to
> conceive the most
> > optimum match between the strings, soundboard system+ &
> the hammers
> > to avoid unnecessary balancing .
>
> Could springs not be employed instead of weights?  Lower
> inertia would mean
> that more of the energy from the pianist's hand could be
> transferred into
> kinetic energy of the hammer, rather than dissipated in the
> form of heat
> when a more massive key bangs into the front rail punching.
>  Also, springs
> can move very quickly (faster than gravitational
> acceleration), so the
> system would be balanced and more responsive over a large
> dynamic range
> (therefore still assisting, rather than hindering, during
> ff passages).
> Piano actions are quite evolved, true, but it seems they
> have so far yet to
> go.
>
> Peace,
> Sarah
>
>