back check, a magical mystery tour.

[Sarah Fox]

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Hi Andre, Bernhard,

I admit fully that I'm a novice and that I've never played around with =
this sort of thing.  But still, the effect you discuss seems a bit odd.  =
I can understand the adjustment having an impact on the feel/touch of =
the action, of course.  Makes perfect sense.  I suspect there would be =
no performance benefits, per se, with regard to the action, but the =
creation of that certain "feel" could indeed give the action a more =
"positive" feel and give the pianist "inspiration."

But the sound???

If I am understanding you correctly, Bernhard, I think you are saying =
that there is a bit of an added bump or jolt when these two action =
events (the checking of the hammer and the bottoming of the key) occur =
in synchrony.  This bump or jolt of course causes the strings to vibrate =
a bit more.  Correct?  It would be a similar effect to holding down the =
damper pedal and knocking on the case with one's knuckles.  Right?  If =
this is true, then would I be correct in assuming the benefit of this =
2mm distance would mostly be felt much more with the damper pedal =
depressed, as the impulse would generate a low-level ringing throughout =
all 88 notes?

Just speculating further, could the noise of the action itself, apart =
from string vibration, be contributing to a certain "crispness" in the =
sound?  Yes, I know action noise is bad, but what I'm hearing here is =
that it is sometimes good, at least in certain respects.  A lot of =
things that are "bad" are really "good."  Impurities give rubies and =
sapphires their color.  Carcinogenic breakdown products give barbeque =
its delicious flavor.

Either way, if the sound is indeed affected, it seems to me that the =
benefit would be from the introduction of broadband noise, which is a =
peculiar concept, to say the least.  Perhaps it is the same sort of =
openness that is experienced with the front and rear duplex segments =
unmuted.  Perhaps there is a tradeoff between "clean" and "dirty" sound, =
the "dirty" sound having more of a feel of openness.  I'm not saying =
this should or should not be the case -- or that any particular goal is =
good or bad.  I'm the first to admit that I deplore most percussion =
instruments, but still I miss them when they are removed from the mix, =
and so I must reluctantly admit that they do play an important role in =
the total sound of the music!  ;-)  I'm also the first to admit that an =
overly "clean" sounding piano or a "nonechoic" room sounds unnaturally =
"dead" to me.  This is ironic, since much of the energy in my research =
was focused on similating "perfect" acoustic environments with perfectly =
flat sound and no echoes.  (But I HATED spending time in the booth, 'cuz =
it just felt creepy.)=20

Does any of this seem to describe the effect that you are discussing?

Peace,
Sarah




  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: antares=20
  To: Pianotech=20
  Sent: Tuesday, August 17, 2004 12:03 PM
  Subject: Re: back check, a magical mystery tour.



  On 17-aug-04, at 9:50, Bernhard Stopper wrote:


    Hello All,
    =20
    the energy of the hammer returned to the backcheck and the energy of =
the key to the keyframe become synchronous with the said 2 milimeters. =
If this two blows are synchronized, there is a higher pulse wave running =
through the instrument giving more additional energy to the string than =
when this two blows are time offset (and may cause phase losses when =
reaching the string).
    =20
    As a second effect of this two blow synchronization at the 2 =
milimeters s that the player gets the impression when he reach the key =
bottom (what produces a reaction force on his finger) and the blow of =
the hammer backcheck (what produces also a reaction force on his finger) =
that he touches the string with his fingertips what gives him more =
inspiration while playing.
    =20
    kind regards,
    =20
    Bernhard Stopper
    =20


  Hello Bernard,
  I appreciate your comment and highly value your knowledge.
  It may be because of the fact that both you and me are not Englese, =
but I did not really understand what you are saying.
  Could you try again?
  (as I said before : I am just a jerk with a hammer)

  (;

  friendly greetings=20
  from
  Andr=E9 Oorebeek

  Amsterdam -
  The Netherlands

  www.concertpianoservice.nl
  www.grandpiano.nl

  "where music is, no harm can be"

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