Hygrometer

[Don]

Hi Terry,

My point is that both institutions spent thousands of dollars more than a
damppchaser would have cost initially and with poor results.

The same article by Mr. Tasciotti suggest a pitch change of about 1/2 of
what I have measured in homes on a regular basis. It his "opinion" that a
whole room control is better and nothing more than that. There is no
"scientific" evidence presented. I do have pictures that show what happens
to regulation on a grand piano when a damppchaser system is added. They are
not "evidence" but they do "suggest" that more research should be done.

I was an advocate of whole room control and had a home with two studios
where humidity and temperature were maintained independently from the rest
of the house. Each room had a dehumidifier, humidifier, heater, and
air-conditioning unit. The system was useless whenever we wished to record
because of noise. It was annoying when teaching as well. It could have been
improved on from a Hvac point of view as far as sound is concerned (at
great expense). The piano for which I once had measured data was a Yamaha
C-7. The stability improved after a dammpchaser system was installed. This,
again, is not "proof".

At 10:07 AM 9/2/02 -0400, you wrote:
>So they don't have $150 to fix the "exquisite control of humidity and
temperature" system, but they would have had the $2,000 to spend on a "full
blown DC system"?
>
>I feel we are getting nowhere with this discussion. One more quick try:
>
> If a well designed, installed and maintained whole room/house/facility
climate control system is operated properly, it will maintain a constant
climactic environment for all areas of the piano equally. The best
designed, installed and operated DC system will likely not quite do that as
well, but should be good enough. NEITHER system will work very well if they
are not plugged in or are not functioning properly! 
>
>My point in stating this initially, did not address which system was
less/more expensive. My home does not have whole house humidity control. I
can't afford it. I have an H2 humidistat and 195 watts of DC rods under the
soundboard. Pitch never even drifts 1 cent. I believe my piano would be
better off with whole room/house humidity control, but that would be more
cost than I am willing to spend.
>
>From "The Piano Quarterly", a publication of Steinway & Sons, "Climate
Control and Stabilizing Pitch" by Lou Tasciotti (off the Dampp-Chaser web
site): "It would be ideal to stabilize the total environment that the piano
is in..." And yes, it does go on to say that is difficult to attain,
especially in extreme climates - but the point is that it is a
preferred/better goal/ideal.
>
>Terry Farrell, B.S.F., B.S.G., M.S.H, N.A.A.M., N.G.W.A.M., L.P.G.,
G.A.R.N.G., Assoc. PTG, LDD
>  
>----- Original Message ----- 
>From: "Don" <pianotuna@accesscomm.ca>
>To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
>Sent: Monday, September 02, 2002 8:32 AM
>Subject: Re: Hygrometer
>
>
>> Hi Richard,
>> 
>> Please notice the word *local* as in location. Where I live the only
>> practical way to achieve "perfect" control on an "art gallery" level is to
>> have three layers. A large building with an outer shell where there is
>> little attempt to control humidity except to keep it low enough to prevent
>> damage to outside walls, then a "buffer zone" where humidity is kept
>> somewhat higher, and finally a super controlled area where the delicate
>> object of arts are kept. 
>> 
>> If we accept that building costs are say $20.00 per square foot (a
>> ridiculously low price) and that a full blown DC system costs $2000.00 (a
>> ridiculously high price) one can certainly see the "economics" of this
>> approach compared to the box within a box within a box.
>> 
>> In any event this "three layer approach" is the exact situation that our
>> local gallery has. They have a small grand piano. It is rarely able to
>> survive a twenty-four hour period where it can stand in tune due to
>> humidity changes.
>> 
>> One of our local music schools has a similar structure--but with a very
>> small recital hall. The room had exquisite control of humidity and
>> temperature. One summer the humidity controller failed. There was no money
>> in the budget (a paltry sum of $150.00 was needed) Of course that winter,
>> the soundboard on the instrument cracked and all the hammer shanks warped. 
>> 
>> So I repeat my claim. Give me a "perfect" room in the "real world", and
>> I'll add a "perfect" DC system in my local, and improve on the stability of
>> the instrument.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> At 09:38 AM 9/2/02 +0200, you wrote:
>> >Don wrote:
>> >
>> >> Hi Terry,
>> >>
>> >> No a room/house/facility is *not* better because they always in my local
>> >> fail to provide good enough humidity control, because of budget
>> >> restrictions. Give me a facility that is nearly perfect--and I'll add a
>> >> well equipped properly installed damppchaser and improve on stability.


Regards,
Don Rose, B.Mus., A.M.U.S., A.MUS., R.M.T., R.P.T.

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