[CAUT] damper return noise/una corda

[Ed Sutton]

Fred-

You might try fidgeting with the keyframe stop screw.
Perhaps there is a point of travel which can give you some of the sound you 
want, but not buzz the dampers too much.
What is needed is a new kind of damper that moves in from the agraffes with 
a sort of wiping/rolling motion...try a soft wall painting roller! Tell that 
to George Crumb.

Ed Sutton


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Fred Sturm" <fssturm at unm.edu>
To: <caut at ptg.org>
Sent: Thursday, May 06, 2010 2:30 PM
Subject: Re: [CAUT] damper return noise/una corda


> On May 6, 2010, at 11:33 AM, Zeno Wood wrote:
>
>> I remember hearing Ed McMorrow's take on this.  When the hammer  strikes 
>> the two strings, the third string is out of phase, which  causes noise on 
>> a slow damper release.  However, his solution was to  tell the pianist 
>> not to do it.  FWIW.  YMMV.  Etc.
>
>
> Yep, I've heard that explanation, and it makes sense, sort of. I'd  love 
> to see a high speed video  of it. Ed's "solution" isn't  practical. It's 
> not just slow damper release, it is also "half damper  release." IOW, not 
> quite a full "foot off the pedal" but lowering the  dampers rapidly (and 
> immediately raising them again) just enough to  clear most of the harmony 
> and set up for a new harmony. Far too much  of the time there is a noisy 
> zing that results, almost louder than  attack sound. I do it exactly the 
> same way without u c and no problem.
> But the slow release of the pedal at the end of a piece is something  that 
> would be a great effect if we as technicians could make it so.  What a can 
> of worms that is, trying to refine that beastie.
> Regards,
> Fred Sturm
> fssturm at unm.edu
> http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/FredSturm
>