<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40" xmlns:v = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word"><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2604" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE>  </STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY lang=EN-US vLink=purple link=blue bgColor=white> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hey Dave,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I think Joe's comment does have = some merit.  I *do* understand the practice room problem of = loudness, but I remember just "hammering away" at the voicing anyway, to help keep = things under control (and so I could bear to tune the pianos).  I remember = visiting a fellow university tech, taking a look at a particular = piano in a practice room and asking if that was the tone quality he was shooting for. (I mean, there is some difference between that granite sound = and just plain loud.)   His immediate response was, "It's only a = practice room."  Well???  </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Then we went up to a recital hall to = have a look at one of the instruments there.  Holy Toledo, I just about = fell over playing the first chord.  He admitted that his assistant was = supposed to have voiced it, but obviously hadn't.  But he also said, that = that was how everybody liked them (and added the comment that some of the = petite girls needed help in producing volume--you might be able to imagine my = reaction to that).  But, he was told when he first arrived on the job = that "they like things bright here."  Well, who can argue with = that?  I didn't ask him who said that, but I might the next time I see = him.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>So, it sort of brings up the "school = sound"-- and who determines it.  In my case, I set it and got lucky because = it was well received.  I do remember one professor telling me of a = visiting pianist (from a big university) making comments about the pianos here.  "If only I could have pianos like this in my = studio."  I *think* he was talking tone quality, because those were 1970s Teflon = Steinways with original everything (they weren't terrific = *playing* instruments because I was fairly limited in what I could do since my predecessor had = repinned the parts with telephone poles and we had no parts budget).  Anyway, my reaction to his comment was, "Well, why = doesn't he say something to his technician?"   I knew who the head = tech at that school was at the time and I knew he was a competent technician.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>So.....there are a lot of determining factors.  Folks get used to a certain sound, folks who are afraid = to ask for something different, etc., etc., etc.......</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I have a customer who recently replaced = her worn out, little old no name grand with a 1940s B--all original.   Something was said about how she liked the sound and touch of the used = one better than the new.  I knew why---it felt and sounded most like = her old piano--desperate for regulation, complete with dampers bouncing = on the backs of the keys.  :-)</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Barbara Richmond</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 dir=ltr 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=dporritt@mail.smu.edu = href="mailto:dporritt@mail.smu.edu">Porritt, David</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> Saturday, March 05, 2005 = 8:07 AM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> RE: Modern Tone</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV class=Section1> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Joe:<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Your “tin can” comment below is close, = but no cigar.  We have 10 practice rooms reserved for piano majors with = 10 Steinways (5 Ms, 4Ls and a B)  The rooms are tin cans.  If = you can imagine a room with a B that can hold the B, a bench and a small to = medium sized student.  How do you get a sound that isn’t too = loud?  I have encouraged students to invest in some kind of hearing = protection.  Generally they do leave the short lid closed with the music desk = sitting on top of the piano.  In spite of the fact that this makes the music = awkwardly high, it’s better than going deaf before lunch.  I = have steamed the hammers (doesn’t last) I’ve fabric softened the hammers = (doesn’t last and causes the hammers to loose their shape) needled the hammers (really = nothing lasts).  These pianos are played very hard and in a room about 5% = of the size room these pianos were made to fill.  In our case at least = it’s not the pianos, but the rooms.  <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">All our rooms do have walnut paneling and in = the next year there is to be some acoustic modifications made to them.  = The goal is to reduce volume in the rooms and cut down sound transfer between = the rooms.  (Right now we have a lot of Mozart/Liszt collaborations = that you don’t want to hear!)  <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">When you think practice rooms, remember that = these are often really nice pianos in extremely small rooms!<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">dp<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">David M. = Porritt</SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><A = href="mailto:dporritt@smu.edu">dporritt@smu.edu</A></SPAN></FONT><o:p><= /o:p></P></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>