<HTML><HEAD>
<META charset=US-ASCII http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1106" name=GENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff">
<DIV>
<DIV>In a message dated 1/30/2008 3:41:06 PM Pacific Standard Time, paulrevenkojones@aol.com writes:</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"><FONT face=Arial>Aftertouch, as a component and resultant of regulation, becomes so apparent!</FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style">I've always thought that the various effects of aftertouch were underrated. When I was first learning, it was presented as a "safety factor" in case of compaction of the knuckles, etc., so the action would still have escapement. However, other things happen. For instance, if we increase the aftertouch - and let's take the simplest case of removing a punching at the front rail - the repetition travels farther, pushing the hammer into the string after letoff. To correct it, we lower the drop screw. However, that means it's on the drop screw longer before letoff occurs, it compresses the spring more, and tends to have more resistance and a spongier feel. Conversely, shortening aftertouch makes the contact with the drop screw later in the sequence, and speeds up the repetition.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style">I also haven't seen mention of its effect on checking. If the checking is as high as possible without the hammer tail dragging on the check on the way up, then we allow the key to go down farther, the backcheck moves farther, catching the hammer higher, which is also good for repetition. As everything in the piano, a tradeoff.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style">I don't have a fixed distance for aftertouch - it's dependent upon how the action feels. Over the last two days, I have regulated a new Kawai RX-3 and a new Mason & Hamlin A. For a variety of reasons, the Kawai would accept more aftertouch than the M&H without balking, although it wasn't necessary. The jack drag in the M&H was great enough that the minimum seemed the only choice.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style">On a performance instrument, I usually start without very much aftertouch, maybe .025-.030. Some pianists feel insecure without the resistance at the bottom, and for them, it's usually enough to put the hammer line up 2-3 mm and run the drop back up, which doesn't take long, and they don't usually notice the loss of power. There's usually not time in a concert situation to change the dip.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style">Anyway, there's more going on than "safety factor."</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style">Bob D</FONT></DIV><BR><BR><BR><DIV><FONT style="color: black; font: normal 10pt ARIAL, SAN-SERIF;"><HR style="MARGIN-TOP: 10px">Start the year off right. <A title="http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp00300000002489" href="http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp00300000002489" target="_blank">Easy ways to stay in shape</A> in the new year. </FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>