acoustic? ACOUSTIC???

[Les Smith]

On Fri, 13 Feb 1998 JIMRPT@aol.com wrote:

>   At long last.......... the final comment is.......Dear Les, please, the
> digital, electronic, electric,et al,  keyboards are fine and lets call them
> that, but please they are not "pianos" and the term "acoustic piano" is rather
> like using the term 'a female woman' or, 'a male man'.
>  Stubborn, obstinate, opinionated, hard headed,.....yeah I'm all those things
> but I am a "tooner", eh what?
> Jim Bryant (FL)

Hi, JIm.

I agree with most of what you say, of course, however the term "digital
piano" isn't mine. It's, unfortunately what the industry chose to call
them and the name stuck. I agree that it isn't accurate, because they're
really digital synthesizers, which mimic an incredible array of instru-
ments and sounds. "Keyboard" however conjures up the image if a three
octave Casio job that could be had one time for $39.95. That's as inac-
curate as the term digital piano. Nevertheless, I certainly didn't mean 
give you indigestion! 

I have a longish post, or two, coming up on HT's, key color, key-speci-
ficity and a bunch of other related ideas. I really believe, however,
that a high-end, digital thingamabob (!), gives the pianist or tuner
a way to expolre HT's in a way not possible anywhere else. And I agree
with Ed's idea the knowing just one other temperament besides ET can
open up your eyes and ears to another whole world of tonal possibili- 
ties. For example, did Beethoven REALLY choose the key of C#m for the
"Moonlight" Sonata, because of the "color" associated with that key?
That's what we always hear. By running the piece through all twelve
keys, you can decide for yourself. Would it have sounded better in
D# minor? If you think so, you can play it in that key in a digital
thingamabob!  Likewise, using the transposer in conjunction with
the temperament selector, you can run a series of pieces from dif-
ferent eras through the same temperament and see if that temperament
would really be suitable for someone who plays a wide range of music
on their acoustic (there I go again) piano. A temperament that works
with one era's music might not work as well with another era's. That's
an important thing to know, because people can't retune their piano
every time they play a piece from a different era. Not, of course,
unless it's a digital thingamabob. 

Anyway, the digital can provide you with an excellent resource with
which to explore HT's, if you are so inclined. It will give you an
idea of what will work on a piano and and with what styles or types
of music. If you can locate one--at a college, or university where
you tune, at a dealer whom you do work for, or maybe one of your
regular clients owns one in addition to the piano you tune-- you
might find it worthwhile to spend some time with it and discover
it's possibilities. 

In terms of reproducing piano sound, digitals still have a long way
to go, but they're getting better all the time. As you pointed out.
piano sound is a very difficult to try to reproduce electronically
primarily because of its complexity and the fact that it varies as
the volume changes. With a modern hammer essentially soft on the out-
side and harder on the inside, as volume increases, the quality of
the sound changes as more higher harmonics come into play. This
change is what is so difficult to reproduce digitally and the lack
of this gives the digital thingamabob that "sameness" of sound you
noted. All that is changing. By taking many more samplings of the
sound, the tone-quality is improving constantly. It's largely a mat-
ter of memory capicity. Big boosts in memory capacity to accomo-
date the greatly increased samplings may someday lead to a digital
reproduction of,piano sound that is virtually indistinguishable from
the original. At least that's what some people believe. Also involved
in the sound reproduction is the means by which you hear it. If you're
listening to it through a set of headphones, or through a couple of
small, built-in speakers, what you hear is going to sound pretty
poor. OTOH, run the digital output through a equally  high-end        
external sound system and you might be surprised at what you hear.    
Maybe a little worried, too. :) 

I believe that digitals are a tool which can be used by piano techs
to explore the possibilities of HT's in a depth not possible in any
other way. What one learns and hears can then be applied to their
regular pianowork, or not, whatever they choose. 

My idea of a "modern piano" is my Knabe concert grand bult in 1885.    
I don't own a digital, but i'm aware--to a certain degree- of what's
going on with them. I think every technician should be. I not only
find them fascinating in what they can already do, but I've always
thought that it's a good thing to know the face of one's enemy. :)

All the best,

Les Smith