<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1458" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hi Andre, Bernhard,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>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."</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>But the sound???</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>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.</FONT> <FONT face=Arial size=2> 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?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>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.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial = size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>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.) </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Does any of this seem to describe the = effect that you are discussing?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Peace,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Sarah</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black"><B>From:</B> <A title=antares@euronet.nl = href="mailto:antares@euronet.nl">antares</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A = title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, August 17, 2004 = 12:03 PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: back check, a = magical mystery tour.</DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><BR></DIV><BR>On 17-aug-04, at = 9:50, Bernhard Stopper wrote:<BR><BR> <BLOCKQUOTE><?fontfamily><?param Arial><?smaller>Hello = All,<?/smaller><?/fontfamily><BR> <BR><?fontfamily><?param = Arial><?smaller>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).<?/smaller><?/fontfamily><BR> <BR><?fontfamily><?param = Arial><?smaller>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.<?/smaller><?/fontfamily><BR> <BR><?fontfamily><?param = Arial><?smaller>kind regards,<?/smaller><?/fontfamily><BR> <BR><?fontfamily><?param = Arial><?smaller>Bernhard = Stopper<?/smaller><?/fontfamily><BR> <BR></BLOCKQUOTE><?fontfamily><= ?param Arial><?x-tad-bigger><BR>Hello Bernard,<BR>I appreciate your comment and highly value your = knowledge.<BR>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.<BR>Could you try again?<BR>(as = I said before : I am just a jerk with a = hammer)<BR><BR>(;<BR><BR><?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily>friendly = greetings <BR>from<BR>André Oorebeek<BR><BR>Amsterdam -<BR>The = Netherlands<BR><BR>www.concertpianoservice.nl<BR>www.grandpiano.nl<BR><BR= >"where music is, no harm can be"<BR></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>