<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" = xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" = xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" = xmlns:st1="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" = xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"> <head> <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; = charset=us-ascii"> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 11 (filtered medium)"> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" = name="City"/> <o:SmartTagType = namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"/> <o:SmartTagType = namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PersonName"/>  <style>  </style>  </head> <body bgcolor=white lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple> <div class=Section1> Barbara:<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> I hate that attitude about practice room pianos.  We are = trying to teach artistic playing after all.  I’m really looking forward to = more possibilities after the acoustic treatment to the rooms.  Hopefully = I’ll be able to treat the pianos like pianos without the voicing constraints = of their being in tiny hard panel wall rooms.  I’d like any of = our practice room pianos in my home.  They’re just a problem in those = little cubes.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> dp <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <div> David M. Porritt<o:p></o:p> <a = href="mailto:dporritt@smu.edu">dporritt@smu.edu</a><o:p><= /o:p> </div> <div> <div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'> <hr size=2 width="100%" align=center tabindex=-1> </div> From: = pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of Barbara Richmond Sent: Saturday, March 05, = 2005 10:43 AM To: <st1:PersonName = w:st="on">Pianotech</st1:PersonName> Subject: Re: Modern = Tone<o:p></o:p> </div> <o:p> </o:p> <div> Hey Dave,<o:p></o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> 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???  <o:p></o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> Then we went up to a recital hall to have a look at = one of the instruments there.  Holy <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place = w:st="on">Toledo</st1:place></st1:City>, 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.<o:p></o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> 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.<o:p></o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> 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.......<o:p></o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> 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.  :-)<o:p></o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> Barbara Richmond<o:p></o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o:p> </div> <blockquote style='border:none;border-left:solid black = 1.5pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 4.0pt; margin-left:3.75pt;margin-top:5.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt'= > <div> ----- Original Message ----- = <o:p></o:p> </div> <div style='font-color:black'> From:</span= > <a href="mailto:dporritt@mail.smu.edu" = title="dporritt@mail.smu.edu">Porritt, David</a> <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> To: <a href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org" = title="pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech</a> <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> Sent: = Saturday, March 05, 2005 8:07 AM<o:p></o:p> </div> <div> Subject: RE: = Modern Tone<o:p></o:p> </div> <div> <o:p> </o:p> </div> Joe:<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> 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> <o:p> </o:p> 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> <o:p> </o:p> When you think practice rooms, remember that these are often = really nice pianos in extremely small rooms!<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> dp<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <div> David M. Porritt<o:p></o:p> <a = href="mailto:dporritt@smu.edu">dporritt@smu.edu</a><o:p><= /o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o:p> </div> </blockquote> </div> </body> </html>