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<p>Delwin D Fandrich wrote:
<blockquote TYPE=CITE><style></style>
<blockquote dir=ltr
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000080 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">And
doesnt the stored energy in compliance flex have to be released some how
regardless... doesnt some of this end up coming out on the hammer / string
impact end of the <<equation>> ?</blockquote>
<div dir="ltr"><font face="Comic Sans MS"><font color="#000080">Yes it
does ... and, no it doesn't. Once the action saturation point has been
reached the excess energy is released after the hammer has struck the strings
and has rebounded to check. After that it no longer matters how much energy
is stored in the key and action mechanism.</font></font></div>
<br> </blockquote>
<div dir="ltr"></div>
<div dir="ltr">We know that none, or no significant amount, gets released
at impact, before rebound has a chance to get the hammer off the string
?</div>
<div dir="ltr"></div>
<blockquote TYPE=CITE>
<blockquote dir=ltr
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000080 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">Then...
action saturation.... when is too early ?? or is there such a thing as
too early or too late saturation ?...</blockquote>
<div dir="ltr"><font face="Comic Sans MS"><font color="#000080">I'd say
it is too early any time the key bottoms out before the hammer strikes
the string(s) under "normal" playing conditions.</font></font></div>
</blockquote>
<div dir="ltr"></div>
<div dir="ltr">I suppose this is a good point to start with anyways. Probably
rather easy to find a rough measurement for this.</div>
<div dir="ltr"></div>
<blockquote TYPE=CITE>
<div dir="ltr"><font face="Comic Sans MS"><font color="#000080">I'll leave
the pounder trying desperately to destroy the piano with a great and marvelous
display of his or her great virtuosity and utter lack of musicality out
of the discussion. But even with normal playing some lag between the key
motion and the hammer motion is inevitable with any mechanical action made
up of compliant materials and springy levers. Only by reducing the compliance
and/or bendability of the various components you can delay action saturation.
But by doing so you also make it harder on the hands and arms of the pianist.</font></font></div>
</blockquote>
<div dir="ltr"></div>
<div dir="ltr">Yes.... leaving the musicality bit out of the discussion
for a moment... perhaps certain degree of action compliance relative
to any given hammer mass is desirable ?...</div>
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<div dir="ltr"><font face="Comic Sans MS"><font color="#000080"></font></font></div>
<p dir="ltr"><font face="Comic Sans MS"><font color="#000080">Del</font></font></blockquote>
<p><br>The reason Im asking is one August Forster grand I have at the University.
Students just love this thing,,, yet it is the biggest piece of junk we
have. It has a high ratio figure 6.3 on the Stanwood scale, (that would
be higher on all other scales I am aware of) It has reasonably heavy hammers,
Strike Weights starting at 12.4 and ending at 5.8. Relatively low
levels of key leads. FW's start at 30 grams and end up around 0 . Very
heavily adjusted assist springs and low levels of friction.
<p>I get the same comment over and over from students... its heavy... but
in a good way. I have a few instruments to compare that have very different
configurations... in particular our Stanwoodized Steinway that has a bit
heavier hammers, a much lower ratio, no assist springs and same BW.
They prefer the "feel" of the Forster.
<p>So I'm just trying to get a better understanding of why this could be.
Which facets of the action that influence directly how its touch is percieved
can be responsible.
<p>Thanks.
<p>RicB
<p>--
<br>Richard Brekne
<br>RPT, N.P.T.F.
<br>UiB, Bergen, Norway
<br><A HREF="mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no">mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no</A>
<br><A HREF="http://home.broadpark.no/~rbrekne/ricmain.html">http://home.broadpark.no/~rbrekne/ricmain.html</A>
<br><A HREF="http://www.hf.uib.no/grieg/personer/cv_RB.html">http://www.hf.uib.no/grieg/personer/cv_RB.html</A>
<br>
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