Steinway "pinning" dilemma

[Horace Greeley]

Jim,

At 08:51 AM 10/10/2003 -0600, you wrote:
>List,
>
>Last week we were given a Realtime Spectrum Analyzer. We didn't know
>exactly what to do with it. Hmmm... Anyone want to suggest some tests to
>run?

If Tim remembers Chris' mechanism more clearly than I do, maybe he can give 
you some details.  The thing that made that series of demonstrations so 
phenomenal was the ability to so precisely control the blow.  If memory 
serves, there is a pretty good engineering school at BYU - maybe some 
enterprising students could come up with something in their (copious) free 
time.

I don't think that Chris would present his work as being the end of the 
experiments - rather, as places from which to begin.

Pinning makes a difference.  Now you have precisely the toy, errrr, tool, 
to demonstrate that fact.

I wonder, given the changes/advancements in computer technology since Chris 
did most of his work...perhaps there is a way to more graphically represent 
things, real time, as well as getting the numbers out.  The analyzer Chris 
used was a B&K, with numbered lights for a read out...very useful; but a 
little more difficult to immediately apprehend.

Horace




>Jim Busby BYU
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: caut-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of
>Tim Coates
>Sent: Friday, October 10, 2003 7:05 AM
>To: College and University Technicians
>Subject: Re: Steinway "pinning" dilemma
>
>Does anyone remember the classes Chris Robinson did using a Realtime
>Spectrum Analyzer (borrowed from Kurztweil Company)?  I know it was in
>Philadelphia about 12 years ago.  Using a mechanism to create an even
>blow and recorded with the analyzer he showed how repinning to proper
>specs (at that time 6 grams) changed dramatically the tone of a
>particular note.
>
>Pretty eye opening.  Previously people speculated about the tonal
>affects of proper flange friction.  He showed it scientifically to be
>true.
>
>Tim Coates
>University of South Dakota
>University of Sioux Falls
>
>Fred Sturm wrote:
>
> >> --On Wednesday, October 8, 2003 7:55 PM -0600 Roger Jolly
> >> <roger.j@sasktel.net> wrote:
> >>
> >>>
> >>>> Hi Fred,
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>                   4gms of friction seems to be the optimum for tone
> >>> production, _as it keeps the knuckle firmly in contact with the
> >>
> > balancier_.
> > snip
> >
> >>> Regards Roger.
> >>
> >
> > Roger,
> >     Looking at this more carefully, I have to disagree with you as to
> > the mechanism for the tonal effect of firm pinning. From the point of
> > view of the hammer being thrown to the string, I think mass, inertia,
> > and leverage are plenty to maintain firm contact between knuckle and
> > jack. Where lack of firmness has its effect is in the wobble that is
> > introduced during the throw of the hammer, and even more so the wobble
>
> > upon impact with the string (ie, what the hammer does during the time
> > it remains in contact). So from a purely tonal point of view, I don't
> > think friction per se plays a role.
> >     Where it does have an effect is in the neuro-muscular response of
> > the pianist. I am convinced that a fine pianist can feel the
> > difference between 2 and 4 grams friction in a hammershank center, in
> > terms of what needs to be done to create the final velocity of the
> > hammer, and that 4 grams will be found preferable in allowing more
> > nuanced control. But even more important is evenness from note to
> > note. Better all 2 gram than higglety pigglety with an average of 4
>grams.
> >     All of this is more in the realm of mental picturing than
> > measurable physics, because it is next to impossible to separate one
> > factor from the others with any reliability. You have to assume
> > travel, square hanging of hammers, evenness of felt density and
> > elasticity, evenness of shank firmness/sponginess, etc., etc. But when
>
> > all you do to a fly away action is repin it, the result is usually
> > quite dramatic, at least in my experience.
> >
> >
> > Regards,
> > Fred Sturm
> > University of New Mexico
> > _______________________________________________
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> >
> >
>
>
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