Nordiska

[Stephen Airy]

On Sat, 6 Sep 2003 18:02:24 -0700, "Delwin D Fandrich"
<pianobuilders@olynet.com> said:
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Farrell" <mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com>
> To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Sent: September 06, 2003 3:12 AM
> Subject: Re: Nordiska
> 
> 
> > Quite true. A good car stereo can do a very good job of demonstrating the
> effect of good bass. Turn the subwoofers down (covering up to 100 or 150
> Hz) and several $K stereo can sound about a shallow as an AM transistor
> radio - maybe more clear, maybe louder, but just as "small". Good full
> bass
> just seems to transform the whole package. I believe it is much the same
> with a piano.
> >
> > 'Course, a dy-no-mite subwoofer coupled to a 9V 1962 transistor radio
> ain't a-gonner impress anyone either! A complete sound requires a
> complete
> package.
> ---------------------------
> 
> On reflection I didn't think much of my previous response to this, so now
> you get Part II.
> 
> Your point is well taken. And for many people nothing will do but the
> whole
> multi-channel system complete with three-way, umpteen-driver systems
> complete with ThunderBox (R) sub-woofers. But, consider...
> 
> The vast majority of speaker systems sold for home use have a significant
> low frequency drop-off starting in somewhere around 100 to 150 Hz. And
> this
> includes speakers selling well into the $2K and $3K range. (Real world
> frequency response tests, not manufacturer's claims.) A few go all the
> way
> down to 60 to 80 Hz without too much distortion. Still, according to my
> casual survey of several years back, most of these systems are sold
> without
> benefit of any sub-woofers. Yet by most reviewers and owners these
> speakers -- by themselves and without the benefit of sub-woofers -- give
> them excellent reviews in terms of overall musical response and listener
> enjoyment.
>
Also, I've noticed that on most systems, when you switch on the bass
boost or turn up the bass, the range emphasized is around 100Hz to 200Hz,
almost in the middle of the piano.  When I turn up the bass, I want it to
emphasize the 16Hz to 64Hz range  (bottom 2 octaves of a Bosendorfer
Imperial).  I have heard headphones,though, that had a fairly good sound
down to the bottom of the piano.
 
> How can this be? They lob off roughly the first one to two-and-a-half
> octaves of the piano? They get by with this by delivering excellent
> performance through their primary range and by giving (often)
> substantially
> reduced, but still musically acceptable performance down below their
> primary musical range.
> 
> The small piano will fit into the same category. True it will never
> deliver
> the "good, full bass" you crave. And it will not be purchased by those to
> whom this is of primary importance. Still, in spite of being maligned and
> condemned by 98.73% of all piano tuners and technicians for nearly a
> century now there continues to be a strong demand for them. Why? Well,
> there are a number of folks for whom the piano is not the absolute focus
> of
> their lives. (I realize this is hard to accept, but extensive market
> surveys seem to imply that this is true.) But they still like the idea of
> having a piano around. Kind of like the guy who may not ever show up at
> the
> Olympics as a member of the US Rifle Team but still likes to go out and
> pop
> a few targets. As well, there are a few folks out there who really do
> like
> the piano, who really want a grand piano and who live in a 900 sq/ft
> condo.
> 
> Why shouldn't these folks be able to enjoy the best musical experience
> possible? Why must they be relegated to the pathetic piano-shaped objects
> typically offered in this size range?
> 
> By giving the instrument an excellent, smooth and dynamic mid-bass, tenor
> and treble it will already offer more musical excitement than most of the
> pianos offered in the 170 to 180 cm range. It doesn't really have to be
> the
> most powerful, knock-your-socks off piano in the industry. Power isn't
> everything. (As was illustrated by a performance of mostly Chopin I was
> unfortunate enough to witness a couple of months back. The pianist was
> pounding away at the poor piano with a ferocity that would have surely
> demolished anything around in Chopin's day. Possibly because the piano --
> a
> well-known concert grand -- was simply incapable of anything resembling
> musicality.)
> 
> I remain adamant and unrepentant: the small piano is capable of good
> musical performance. That they do not consistently deliver this should be
> an embarrassment to our industry.
> 

I actually agree with you on this, Del.  I have played several spinets
which I liked better than some short <5' baby grands.  (I recently played
a very nice sounding Baldwin Acrosonic spinet, which in my opinion
tonally surpassed a 60s to 80s (don't have the serial # off hand so I
can't date it right at the moment with my Atlas) Wurlitzer spinet which I
had thought had a very nice sound  (and even the low bass wasn't all that
bad, although it didn't have much power  (that's probably the problem
with my mother's YC PG150 - too much power and too little tone although a
couple low bass notes do have some fairly strong upper harmonic that
sounds somewhat "off"))

> Del
> 
> 
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-- 
  Stephen Airy
  stephenairy@fastmail.fm