Measuring center pin resistance

[Phillip Ford]

>Hi Phil.
>
>I liked this post.
>Precision of measurements is a great concern.  Even better would be 
>defining clearly (and in my opinion this only can be done by 
>empirical tries) how precise you need to be to be pertinent in what 
>you are doing.

I agree.  Given that the pianist is the one that is going to make use 
of the results of all this action manipulation, then achieving a 
level of precision that gives results that he can neither feel nor 
hear is wasted effort.  But to establish the level of accuracy of 
each parameter empirically would mean varying parameters one at a 
time and then doing a battery of tests with skilled pianists to see 
how small a change in that parameter is a detectable change (a 
statistically significant detectable change) and how sensitive 
pianists are to changes in that parameter.  You also have to be sure 
that you've truly isolated the one parameter that you think you're 
testing for.  For instance, if you want to test for changes in key 
front weight, you need to be sure that you haven't changed key 
inertia in the process.  If the pianist detects a change, you then 
wouldn't know if it's from changing front weight or inertia.  All of 
this is easier said than done.

>   Every measurement you do in a piano should be accompanied by a 
>relative error of measurement discussion (which should be easy)

I'm not sure what you mean by this.

Phil Ford

>  and an evaluation of which precision of measurement is still 
>pertinent in relation to the goal you reach (which would need a 
>lifetime careful observations).
>
>Best regards
>(and admiration for your scientific abilities)
>
>Stéphane Collin.