Topic by Jake Johnson

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  • Jake Johnson
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Topic: Could\should there be lid impedance, etc settings?

Do pianos differ much in the thickness and density of the lid wood? Is the lid always the same--very dense to just project the sound, or does it absorb some frequencies, and also vibrate enough to be heard as an oscillator? (Seems too thin and loosely coupled to just reflect the vibrations--surely it vibrates on its own a lot. Enough that its an oscillator that has its own sound?)

Anyone know the details about specific instruments? Does a Hamburg model B Steinway have exactly the same lid as a Hamburg model D or a bright Yamaha?

I'm not just trying to find new parameters to play with--the position of the lid comes into play here, as we already know: as the lid closes, its composition will have different effects on the sound according to the degree to which it reflects some vibrations back down to the strings and soundboard or vibrates, yes? If the lid is closed, and thus (loosely) coupled on all its edges, its density\impedance\q-factor come into play as though it were a second soundboard? (I'm aware, of course, that we already have settings for the lid position--I'm just wondering how different lids would have different effects as said lid closes on said piano.)

Just thinking aloud...and yes, probably also just wanting new parameters to toy with.

And I guess this leads to other questions--could there be impedance, cut-off, and Q-factor settings for the sides of the piano? For the harp? (Don't worry--I'm not going to ask for control over the number of hinges connecting the lid to the body, their impedance, etc...)

Last edited by Jake Johnson (19-07-2008 19:19)

Reply by Beto-Music

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  • Beto-Music
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Re: Could\should there be lid impedance, etc settings?

I remamberm a video showing Liberate's excentric piano, and in one ocasion it had a acrilic transparent lid.

It's very probable that acrilic had a different behavior to the sound.

Reply by Jake Johnson

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  • Jake Johnson
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Re: Could\should there be lid impedance, etc settings?

Well, I was serious, since the lid and its position affect the sound of a piano, but I understand your response.

So, to create the Liberace piano, we may need to model:

The resonance of the candelabra.
The effect of the candelabra on the standing waves on the lid over time. Assuming that said candelabra would move horizontally as the instrument was played: interactive candelabra harmonic displacement.
The resonance and spatial dispersion of sequins on the performer. Few formal studies of the acoustic properties of sequins have been completed. Sequin resonance is relatively unexplored. Dispersion of vibrations into space, however, is predictable, requiring only that the model accounts for the number of sequins, their impedence, the angle of each sequin in relation to the sound source, and how many times the listener has heard the Lawrence Welk Orchestra play "Misty."