This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment Thank you for taking so much time for an explanation, and for the due respect of course. I do understand how different amounts of aftertouch can create a different feel, but it=92s not really relevant to my point about the stop, landing or whatever one chooses to call it. My point was much simpler and requires only one sentence: a harder punching feels harder at the bottom and a softer one feels softer, and some people prefer a softer feel. Changing the aftertouch has completely different ramifications for action performance. One can still regulate that action within normal specifications of aftertouch with a softer more compressible punching. While the player, due to their ability to compress the punching through a wider range, may, in effect, be able change the amount of apparent aftertouch available, it is primarily the greater compressibility of the punching which will be responsible for the difference in feel. =20 =20 You still don=92t believe it? Try it yourself! =20 David Love davidlovepianos@comcast.net=20 -----Original Message----- From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of antares Sent: Saturday, May 07, 2005 11:30 AM To: Pianotech Subject: Re: CRESCENDO GRAND PUNCHINGS and something about aftertouch........ =20 On 7-mei-05, at 19:34, David Love wrote: Why would more aftertouch create a more cushioned stop? I do have some customers who prefer a very soft feel at the bottom of the stroke in spite of the fact that it creates greater difficulty in regulating the dip as a very delicate touch is required to determine just exactly where the "bottom" of the stroke is. Nevertheless, for a variety of reasons: arthritis to personal preference, there have been times when customers have preferred a much thicker woven punching to a thinner and firmer one. I don't think greater aftertouch would have accomplished the same thing.=20 David Love davidlovepianos@comcast.net=20 With all due respect David.... As I said before : more aftertouch is a waste of energy and time. Why? Because aftertouch is a movement AFTER all 'the work' has been done. What is 'the work'? It is the mechanical work an action has to perform in order to cause a piano hammer to go up, hit the string(s) and come to a rest in the back check. meanwhile, we hope that the jack did escape from under the knuckle without causing any trouble for the work the hammer had to do. If all that has been accomplished, 'the work' has been done. Aftertouch comes after the work. It literally means that you do some work for nothing. Why would one do want to do something for nothing? Because it is safer to have at least a tiny surplus of movement because many actions have problems more or less. Problems 'more or less' can be caused by a multitude of reasons, which most often can be combined in three conceptions : worn parts, bad regulation, friction. If this "work for nothing" is incorporated in 'the work', the mechanical way, it always causes a more or less softer touch, caused by loss of energy, caused by : worn parts, bad regulation, friction. Actually, aftertouch is bad regulation, because it is a loss of energy, and thus time. But it is necessary, because an action regulated too sharply, is highly dependent on the newness of the action parts, the regulation of the action, and friction within keyboard and action. Because most actions (generally speaking) are so so so regulated, always have friction, and usually are not new, a minor aftertouch is necessary to compensate for these. A very small aftertouch is called a 'hard landing'. It means that a very small part of the 'action', 'the works' is wasted. It also means that all the movements of keyboard and action combined are translated into the finger of the technician/pianist as working very directly, and thus very efficiently. Usually a hard landing is translated in an aftertouch of between 0 and 0,5 mm. Many pianists prefer this 'hard landing' because the action feels very precise, and that means that the pianist gets the impression of a fast and precise working action. In other words : the pianist feels that he/she plays on a very sharp and trustworthy piano. The technician though, has to re-regulate this instrument after every concert. A medium aftertouch is a little safer for the pianist and for the technician, because of the slightly bigger aftertouch. A medium aftertouch is typically 0,5 mm and is called 'medium landing' It means literally that after the mechanical work has been done (including bad regulation and friction) there is always that small surplus of mechanical 'safety', meaning that the jack has a little more space to come out from under the knuckle, so that the hammer will not bounce back on the jack. This extra movement, this waste, will however cause for a softer feeling. A big aftertouch is called a 'soft landing'. It only means even more mechanical 'surplus', mechanical 'waste' and is translated in an aftertouch of 1 mm or more. I can not imagine why any pianist wants a soft landing, but they are there. We have a saying : "customer is king". If the customer wants a soft landing, we'll let him/her have it (as long as they pay). A soft landing is the ultimate waste of mechanical energy and time. Why time? because the movement in the action is delayed. This delay causes the feeling of more softness. The more aftertouch, the more softness. You still don't believe it? Try it out for yourself. EAR friendly greetings from Andr=E9 Oorebeek www.concertpianoservice.nl "Where music is no harm can be" ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/d2/03/74/2d/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
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