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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hi Trent,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><FONT face=Arial
size=2></FONT></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=252114821-04032005><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff =
size=2>How
would you put in context the "margin of error" that might apply to your =
theory
below? I don't know enough about these technologies to definitely =
dispute
your theory, but I wonder about some things, mainly whether the =
magnitude and
frequency distribution of the differences in recording technology really =
would
have the effects on perceived voicing that you suggest.
</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=252114821-04032005><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff =
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=252114821-04032005><FONT face=Arial size=2>As I =
said in a
previous post, the sound in those old recordings sounds "colored," more =
times
than not, at least to my ears. On a piano, voicing is the process =
of
balancing the relative amplitudes of the fundamental and the numerous
partials. The same thing can be done electronically, whether =
intentionally
or not.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><SPAN =
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face=Arial color=#0000ff =
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<DIV dir=ltr><SPAN class=252114821-04032005><FONT face=Arial =
color=#0000ff
size=2>One thing that I am thinking is that "hardness" in tone can =
come from
peaks in the 3-5kHz range, and those old microphones and tape recorders =
wouldn't
necessarily record that range in misleadingly low
proportion.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><SPAN class=252114821-04032005><FONT face=Arial =
color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><SPAN class=252114821-04032005><FONT face=Arial =
size=2>I would
trust the older recording equipment to be sensitive in this range, of
course. That's not to say that the equalization settings were =
flat!
Even so, I'm skeptical that the "glassiness" heard in many pianos comes =
from
sound in as narrow a band as 3-5kHz. I would think it comes from a =
very
broad distribution of spectral energy in the higher frequency ranges, =
going on
up to the limits of our frequency sensitivity.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><SPAN class=252114821-04032005><FONT face=Arial =
color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><SPAN class=252114821-04032005><FONT face=Arial =
color=#0000ff
size=2>I would be surprised if recordings from the 50's are that =
deficient below
10kHz, and my gut sense is that any large differences in voicing quality =
will be
evident even in recordings truncated at 10kHz.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><SPAN class=252114821-04032005><FONT face=Arial =
color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><SPAN class=252114821-04032005><FONT face=Arial =
size=2>Perhaps, but
I don't think this tells you the whole story.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><SPAN class=252114821-04032005><FONT face=Arial =
color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><SPAN class=252114821-04032005><FONT face=Arial =
color=#0000ff
size=2>If there were some general frequency balance pattern present, =
like a
tendency towards a hump in response around 250Hz or something, I could =
see how
you could get an impression of a mellower, deeper tone. But I have =
never
heard of anything like that being the rule, but maybe something like =
that was
common.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><SPAN =
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size=2></FONT></SPAN></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><SPAN =
class=252114821-04032005>I've
heard a number of recordings that sounded as though they were made =
inside an oil
drum. <grin> However, I'd characterize that as the =
exception,
rather than the rule. I do suspect it was common not to strive for =
utterly
flat response and to adjust for what sounded the
best.</SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT face=Arial><FONT color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=252114821-04032005></SPAN></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><SPAN class=252114821-04032005><FONT face=Arial =
color=#0000ff
size=2>I'm also curious about where you mention large tape heads, =
because my
layman's understanding has been that the width of the gap and the tape =
speed
governed range more than anything, and also that some of those old Ampex =
machines and the like were, and are, very very good.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><SPAN class=252114821-04032005><FONT face=Arial =
color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><SPAN class=252114821-04032005><FONT face=Arial =
color=#0000ff
size=2><FONT color=#000000>It's not just the gap. It's also =
the inductive
properties of the tape head. A component with high inductance =
can't be
driven well at high frequencies. I *think* the bias =
frequencies used
back then were much lower, limiting the upper end of the frequency
response curve. But this is where I would need to =
defer to
someone like Horace, who probably knows more about these
machines.</FONT> </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><SPAN =
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<DIV dir=ltr><SPAN class=252114821-04032005><FONT face=Arial =
color=#0000ff
size=2>It would be interesting to hear from some of those who have =
noticed
qualities in a variety of recordings from different periods. I =
would
expect some instruments (trumpets, flutes, triangles, cymbals, human =
voices to
some degree) to have a very similar spectral balance today as they did =
in the
50's. So in these recordings where the piano sounds less bright or =
hard,
do the other instruments also sound mellower or muted or muffled? =
And how
about organ recordings with lots of high frequencies -- mightn't that be =
noticeable?</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><SPAN class=252114821-04032005><FONT face=Arial =
color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><SPAN class=252114821-04032005><FONT face=Arial =
size=2>Excellent
point! It would be very useful to use other instruments as a
reference. I don't know which of the instruments you suggested =
would be
constant throughout the ages. I would suspect trumpets and human =
voices
change with the styles. Flutes would be relatively constant, but =
generally
devoid of really high spectral content. Cymbals might work, as =
well as
triangles. Violins have been very carefully standardized, and the =
spectral
content of an entire violin section might provide a useful "average" =
spectrum
with which comparisons can be made. </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><SPAN =
class=252114821-04032005><FONT
face=Arial color=#0000ff =
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<DIV dir=ltr><SPAN class=252114821-04032005><FONT face=Arial =
color=#0000ff
size=2>I wonder if there's been a call for brighter and brighter =
pianos since
the 40's to cut through the mix with a lot of amplified =
instruments. In
any case, I too am glad to hear that I'm not alone in my general =
preference
for a wider timbral range and usually a warmer or more mellow sound and =
that
Barbara has been receiving a lot of appreciation from musicians for her
work.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><SPAN class=252114821-04032005><FONT face=Arial =
color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><SPAN class=252114821-04032005><FONT face=Arial =
size=2>I too
;-) As I've said before, I'm a big fan of the American Golden Age =
pianos,
and I really hate lacquered hammers. However, the skeptic in me =
wonders if
the Golden Age pianos sound today anything like they sounded back =
then. I
don't trust musical recordings enough to look to them for
answers.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><SPAN class=252114821-04032005><FONT face=Arial
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><SPAN class=252114821-04032005><FONT face=Arial
size=2>Peace,</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><SPAN class=252114821-04032005><FONT face=Arial
size=2>Sarah</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><SPAN class=252114821-04032005><FONT face=Arial =
size=2><A
href="http://www.graphic-fusion.com">www.graphic-fusion.com</A></FONT><=
/SPAN></DIV>
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