Topic by Pianophile

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Topic: String length in relation to other parameters

Dear All,

I've grown very fond of the K2 Warm preset, and I currently use it for pretty much all of my classical Pianoteq work.

String length for the K2 is 211 cm. If I change the string length to 274 cm, there is an obvious change in timbre for the bass strings but I don't notice much of a change in the middle and high registers. With concert-grand string length, the mid-range does seem to sound just a tiny bit less full than with the default length.

I was wondering if string length interacts with any other Pianoteq parameters. If I change string length, should I change the strike point too -- and if so, how? Or what about things like impedance and Q factor?

Any help with this would be much appreciated!

Best wishes,

Pianophile

Reply by dv

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Re: String length in relation to other parameters

Pianophile wrote:

I was wondering if string length interacts with any other Pianoteq parameters. If I change string length, should I change the strike point too -- and if so, how? Or what about things like impedance and Q factor?

I noticed the same thing and wondered the same question.
Even more in general, it'd be great if there were a "cheatsheet" with a list such as "if you increase X, consider increasing also Y and Z".

Happy Easter to those who celebrate it!

Where do I find a list of all posts I upvoted? :(

Reply by dazric

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Re: String length in relation to other parameters

+1 for the 'cheatsheet' idea, I think a lot of users would appreciate that!

Intrigued by the string length / strike point question, I compared the strike points of Steinway B and Steinway D. Instructive, but I'm not sure if it would be appropriate to just copy the Steinway D values if increasing the string length of K2. I suppose the answer is 'try it and see...'

Reply by Philippe Guillaume

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Re: String length in relation to other parameters

Pianophile wrote:

String length for the K2 is 211 cm. If I change the string length to 274 cm, there is an obvious change in timbre for the bass strings but I don't notice much of a change in the middle and high registers.

It is due to the fact that when changing a grand piano size, the string length varies only a little in the upper medium range, and even less in the upper range. Only the low medium and bass ranges show a significative variation in length. In other words, the string lengths are not proportional to the piano size.

Philippe Guillaume's Website

Reply by Key Fumbler

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Re: String length in relation to other parameters

I would just rebalance with microphone positions, levelling and EQ. Leave hammer positions as they are. That's just my way though. Everything there to experiment with.

Reply by Pianophile

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Re: String length in relation to other parameters

Philippe Guillaume wrote:

It is due to the fact that when changing a grand piano size, the string length varies only a little in the upper medium range, and even less in the upper range. Only the low medium and bass ranges show a significative variation in length. In other words, the string lengths are not proportional to the piano size.

Thanks for explaining this, Philippe. Do you recommend changing other parameters too when I change the string length? I'm thinking of strike point, but longer bass strings means a larger soundboard, so I wonder if, for example, dynamic range should be changed along with string length?

Reply by Philippe Guillaume

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Re: String length in relation to other parameters

Pianophile wrote:
Philippe Guillaume wrote:

It is due to the fact that when changing a grand piano size, the string length varies only a little in the upper medium range, and even less in the upper range. Only the low medium and bass ranges show a significative variation in length. In other words, the string lengths are not proportional to the piano size.

Thanks for explaining this, Philippe. Do you recommend changing other parameters too when I change the string length? I'm thinking of strike point, but longer bass strings means a larger soundboard, so I wonder if, for example, dynamic range should be changed along with string length?

I wouldn't change anything else as long as you feel happy with the timbre. Strike point is relative (it is a ratio), so it may remain unchanged. Dynamics does not necessarily increase with the piano size. The volume may usually increase a little, but this is not a true "parameter" (in the sense that with VSTs one rarely uses the full volume of a real acoustic piano, which is very loud).

Philippe Guillaume's Website

Reply by Pianophile

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Re: String length in relation to other parameters

Philippe Guillaume wrote:

I wouldn't change anything else as long as you feel happy with the timbre. Strike point is relative (it is a ratio), so it may remain unchanged. Dynamics does not necessarily increase with the piano size. The volume may usually increase a little, but this is not a true "parameter" (in the sense that with VSTs one rarely uses the full volume of a real acoustic piano, which is very loud).

Thanks, Philippe!

Last edited by Pianophile (11-04-2023 18:45)