piano/violin

[Delwin D Fandrich]

----- Original Message -----
From: <Duplexdan@AOL.COM>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: June 13, 2001 9:37 PM
Subject: Re: piano/violin


> If i may I'd like to jump in on transducer, Del.My old Webster's New
> collegiate Dictionary , last printing 1950, has this definition:
>
> A device actuated by poe\wer from one system and supplying power to a
second
> system.
>
> It would seem that the transducing characteristic of the soundboard that
Del
> points out is absolutely correct. The only question I feel that mitigates
the
> renaming of the board from amlifier to transducer is :
>
> What kind of power? There is no question that the board transduces the
power
> from the strings to the bridge to the board. But the effect of the
> transduction is exactly to amplify the sound of the strings, is it not?
>
> Dan Franklin, RPT
--------------------------------------------------

There is no 'sound of the strings.' (Well, ok, just a tiny bit. But it is so
slight as to be essentially inaudible.) What is there is the vibrating
energy traveling along and within the string. It is this energy--energy that
is not in any way 'sound energy'--that is changed into sound energy by the
bridge/soundboard/rib assembly.

I wouldn't have started making such a big deal out of this all those years
back except that the concept of the soundboard as an amplifier had led us
directly to the concept of larger amplifiers being better than smaller
amplifiers and, by extension, larger 'amplifier/soundboards' being better
than smaller 'amplifier/soundboards.' In reality, once the soundboard size
reaches an optimum point, anything beyond that is counterproductive. The
idea of larger is better is still, unfortunately, a belief that is central
to some piano manufacturer's design philosophy.

Regards,

Del