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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Roy Peters forwarded some of the =
discussion about
Wapin to me. Thanks Roy. I have subscribed just long enough =
to
participate in a technical part of the discussion.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Ron N...</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>You have it backwards. Wapin, we =
believe,
reflects the initial struck displacement of the string into a plane that =
is 90
degrees to that struck direction. If the piano is a grand piano, =
then
Wapin, pushes most of that vertical displacement to a horizontal
displacement. The string does take on an elliptical motion in both =
Wapin
and nonWapin pianos. The difference with Wapin is that the major =
semi-axis
of this elliptical motion is in a direction that is 90 degrees different =
from
the struck direction. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The Weinreich model described is the =
accepted
paradigm. It is a theoretical model which can only be derived by
inference. In reality the real model is much more complex.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Wouldn't Wapin mean that the increased =
sustain robs
the power?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Not, necessarily. We believe that =
Wapin
captures the energy of a displaced string and prevents it from being =
leaked off
to the soundboard before it has a chance to setup a standing =
wave.
The means there is more reserve energy in the string that can gradually =
be given
off to the board over time, after the standing waves have setup. =
In short,
the energy is given over to the board in a harmonic form rather =
than a
nonharmonic form. This could explain the fact that there is no =
percieved
loss of power and a greater clarity. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>This is what we believe. However, =
the science
is extremely complicated. It is very time consumming and =
difficult.
Last fall at the Ohio State Seminar we did an installation on a Mason =
&
Hamlin. The installation was the new method that can be =
accomplished
without restringing. We did some before and after =
tests. Jim
Coleman's brother, Bob Coleman, is a retired scientist from NASA. =
He
hastily agreeded to do the tests. His background in in Finite =
Modal
Analysis. He helped developed this method for finding changes that =
would
occur in the the Space Shuttle after it returned from orbit. His =
technique
is still in use at NASA. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The Mason and Hamlin showed mixed and =
inconclusive
results that were most likely due to sampling anomolities and hastily =
made
testing procedures. Bob Coleman was not as discouraged as I =
was. He
hears the difference. He is an accomplished pianist in his own
right. He has eagerly volunteered his professionalism and =
expertise to do
more with Wapin. This spring I will redo the action in his home
piano. I will voice and tune and make it the best I can. He =
will
then make all his measurements. In the summer I will return to =
install
Wapin without restringing. He will then make new
measurements.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I was discouraged about our first =
results last fall
but his take on the thing is that he hears the difference and that some =
of the
best science occurs when you are not quite sure what it is you are =
looking
for. We shall see.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>On another note...</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Jon Ralinovsky, technician at Miami =
University in
Oxford Ohio will be hosting the Cincinnat Chapter meeting, February, =
26.
Miami bought two new Baldwin Rs recently. He took the bold step of =
adding
Wapin to one of these Badlwin Rs. For the meeting he will move the =
two
Baldwin Rs into one room so that we can compare these two very similar =
pianos in
an attempt to acoustically verify a Wapin difference. I have no =
idea
whether or not we will hear a difference. Kudos to Jon for trying this
experiment.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Michael Wathen, Wapin.
LLP</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>