[CAUT] damper return noise/una corda

[Ed Sutton]

And the timbre change you want requires one string out of phase to "yank 
down" some of the rising sound, as I understand it. It is a more level kind 
of sound, isn't it?
If you had three tiny. independent mono-chord dampers on the tri-chords, it 
might work...
Perhaps if you cut the trichord into two or three short sections, it would 
damp more effectively. I like to do it this way because I prefer faster 
damping. Since I don't set up for a 2 string shift. I don't know what it 
would do.
Ed
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Fred Sturm" <fssturm at unm.edu>
To: "College & University Technicians" <caut at ptg.org>
Sent: Thursday, May 06, 2010 6:43 PM
Subject: Re: [CAUT] damper return noise/una corda


> On May 6, 2010, at 1:33 PM, Ed Sutton wrote:
>
>> 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.
>
> Yes, and that point of travel is where I don't miss a string, where  all 
> strings are always struck. I have one of the Ds under my care set  up that 
> way, and it doesn't have the problem. I am gravitating to just  doing that 
> as a matter of policy.
> One of my other Ds had had that problem in a fairly obvious way for  some 
> time, but I was in a bit of denial about it. It was the older one  in our 
> recital hall, and needed new dampers - and action parts in  general, had 
> the old hammers with too short tails among other issues.  So I finally did 
> the work last summer, and, well, the damper issue  remained, even with 
> brand new felt. I thought fussing with them would  ease the problem. I 
> have fussed a few times when I had the  opportunity. I guess I have made 
> improvements, but the problem is  still there and quite apparent at times.
> I have been stubborn about it because I do like to have that change  of 
> timbre moving from three strings to two, along with u c voicing. It  gives 
> a much broader palette to work with. But I am about ready to  throw in the 
> towel.
> Regards,
> Fred Sturm
> fssturm at unm.edu
> "I am only interested in music that is better than it can be played." 
> Schnabel
>