Hello, I am actually playing (no, truly I work) with the vertical distance between whippen axe and hammer axe on a little grand. I discovered that here is a place where some creativity lies, and where we can change the tactile feedback a lot. On the same piano I can have a light feel as with an old action, or a more mellow feel as with a well balanced modern one. So much parameters are involved in that I can't explain them all, but it plays a big role in the way the stroke is efficient, allowing to maintain a more even resistance during the keystroke when the distance is shorter (standard height is 64 mm) by one or 2 mm. Adding that with slightly overcentering hammers gives a very good touch and maximum repetition, then we keep a more even pressure till just before letoff because the letoff is more on the spread line. Do some of you check with a square the rake of the hammers on the strings, since I begin to check that, I've seen that most of the strings (in short pianos) are not in an horizontal plane, and that when asking for a 1° rake the hammer is then often yet meeting the strings on it's back shoulder . A colleague of mine goes up to 92 ° rake, telling me it helps to avoid the break of the joint too. Do you consider the hammer may meet the strings at 90°, or is it envisageable that this will only be on forte blows where the shank is slightly flexing ? I am still looking for a computerized model (or math) that works in angular geometry and not only based on fractions and static measures, as all the systems used at this day. I hear of such a project for soundboards, but did not for action geometry. In all the methods I know actually, no mention of action compression in the vertical plane is involved. As it took me a few years to be updated on the attack angle of the keys toward the whippen, I have still a few years in front of me, I've learned to be patient anyway ! Best Regards Isaac OLEG PianoTech 19 rue Jules Ferry 94400 VITRY sur SEINE FRANCE tel : 033 01 47 18 06 98 fax : 033 01 47 18 06 90 cell: 06 60 42 58 77
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