Heavy Hammers / High Ratio / Ric

[Delwin D Fandrich]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bill Ballard" <yardbird@vermontel.net>
To: <davidlovepianos@earthlink.net>; "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: September 24, 2003 8:58 PM
Subject: Re: Heavy Hammers / High Ratio / Ric


> At 1:32 PM -0700 9/24/03, David Love wrote:
> >My view is, to what benefit?  <snip>Since I've never found any tonal
benefit
> >to very heavy hammers, I wonder why this would be desirable.
>
> I'd guess Ric is being theoretical here. Imagine that the pianist's
> continuum of key velocity (how fast he can push the parts) can be
> divided into twenty increments, and if the hammer velocity is the
> product of the key velocity and the action ratio, then with a higher
> action ratio, there will be a greater spread between the slowest and
> fastest hammer velocity and presumably a greater range of whatever
> tone the hammer will produce (either quantity/volume, or
> quality/color). Hence a greater range of expression for the pianist's
> aforementioned key velocity.
>
> Keep the matter hypothetical and you don't have to worry about action
> saturation, but it still begs David's question: for a high action
> ratio built for maximum amplification of key velocity, what is it
> that a heavy hammer has to offer in this situation.
>
> Bill Ballard RPT
> NH Chapter, P.T.G.
>

It may beg the question, but the hypothetical begs reality. In a real
action, action saturation simply is and it won't go away by changing lever
ratios or by putting on heavier hammers.

Hammer velocity is not the product of key velocity and action ratio except
on the regulating bench or at very light pianissimo levels. Beyond this
hammer velocity increasing lags key velocity until the action saturation
level is reached. And beyond this point the two are completely independent.

Del