time, killer 8va

[Ron Nossaman]

>    "Core group" of this list:  Do you guys actually work on pianos or just 
>sit at the computer and talk about 'em all day?

No, we don't. In fact, we are just a large experimental Turing simulation
set up to convince you that you aren't all alone in the world, and aren't
even out here at all. "Core" was closer to the truth than you know.


<G>


>  Such as:  Where exactly 
>is this "killer octave" everybody talks about?  I remember the term used in 
>a Journal article a couple years ago, but had never heard of it before that. 
> I assume it's up in the mid to high treble somewhere.  (?)    --Dave 
>Nereson, RPT, Denver

The killer octave isn't an "exactly" kind of thing. Generally, it's evident
just past the agraffe section, octave 5-6+. Attack distortion, increased
volume, and short sustain are the classic symptoms, and it is usually taken
as a hammer voicing problem. It isn't. It's a soundboard impedance problem.
It happens when the board is too flexible in that area (probably flat or
negatively crowned too), and it probably isn't going to be fixed short of
replacing the soundboard. "Killer octave" is really not a bad descriptive
term since it resists precise location by showing up in slightly different
ranges in the scale in different pianos, and in the same piano under
different humidity conditions. It just doesn't pin down any more precisely
than that, so a rather fuzzy descriptive term seems to apply well enough
for everyone to know what's being discussed - and anyone who has tried to
voice it away will easily agree on the "killer" part. 

There is all sorts of sordid detail in the archives to fill out the rest of
it. Wade forth and pore, take three aspirin, and call us in the morning.
It's interesting stuff if you don't weaken.

End batch run.


Ron N