<!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 6.00.2716.2200" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#d8d0c8> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hi Wim.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>There is a major difference between the = oblique hammer pattern and the una corda pattern.  In the oblique hammer, = on a hard blow, the three strings of the unisson have a positively different = sound, the right string having much more upper partials than the left one, being in = contact for much less time with the hammer.  The blend of the three = different sounds create a much more expressive dynamic range, which you couldn't = achieve with hammer voicing (I believe so, maybe I am wrong).</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I didn't hear false beat issues, I = think because of the great difference in sound between the three strings.  Indeed, = at a certain moment, in high trebble, you are right, the awful tone is unavoidable.  Also, in the low tenor, the effect is = inaudible.  But I heard some nice things in between.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I must agree, I don't expect such a = system to last for decades.  But that is another ethic interesting question.  = Better sound for a less long time, or other way round ?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Regards,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Stéphane Collin.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV>----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black"><B>From:</B> <A title=Wimblees@AOL.COM = href="mailto:Wimblees@AOL.COM">Wimblees@AOL.COM</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A = title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, May 29, 2002 = 7:08 PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Oblique = hammers</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT size=2>In a = message dated 5/29/02 9:39:55 AM Central Daylight Time, <A href="mailto:collin.s@skynet.be">collin.s@skynet.be</A> writes: = <BR><BR><BR> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px = solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px" TYPE="CITE">It doesn't work on the low tenors, neither on the high = trebble, but elsewhere, waw ! <BR>I'm just afraid for premature wear of the = hammers and maybe some trouble at the flange center pin, carrying so an = unusual torque.  </BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR>Stephane <BR><BR>The sound you = get might be pleasant to you, but I think it is a sound that is not "normal" for a = piano. The effect you have is the same as using the shift on a grand. Instead = of hearing three strings, you only hear two. What the oblique hammers on = an upright is doing is the same thing. The hammer is only hitting gone or = two strings on a soft blow. <BR><BR>But on a normal to hard blow, the = hammer is creating a certain amount of distortion in the tone because the hammer = is hitting the strings at an angle. One of the procedures in voicing is = making sure the hammer is making contact with all three strings at the same = time, because if it doesn't it creates a false beat. Each one of the three = strings are activated at a different time, creating false beats. <BR><BR>And = this is not even taking into consideration the tremendous amount of stress on = the center. Is it worth having to replace the butts and flanges more = often, to get the unique sound you are getting. <BR><BR>Wim</FONT> </FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>