I was fiddling with Pianoteq in MuLab and came across an artifact parameter: Piano Length. I thought, "Why two controls for the same parameter?", but, as I soon discovered, piano length was its own parameter. Changing it produces a different sound I can only quantify as "sound color", unless I'm just perceiving it as an illusion. What exactly does "Piano Length" change that's different from "String Length"?
Soundboard? Cabinet?
I've often wondered about asking for a Zoom tweak to be added to the Microphone display (make no mention of being able to ditch the lid altogether). But it's possible the piano image we see as it stands is but a dummy, unrelated to any particular instrument except in the particular of how far the lid opens.
Perhaps one could test that by loading 2 instances of PTQ with different instruments. Suppose the depiction's different. Then next action's to load the 2 instances with the same instrument, but different 'Piano Length's (via presets).
See what happens.
ADDED: not related to the above 2 suggestions, entire string length from wrestpin to iron frame is another possibility. The PTQ designers delve into the different sounds produced by the 2 lengths from bridge-to-wrestpin and from bridge-to-frame, after all.
The startup of that issue historically derives from Steinweg's being advised by Helmholtz, and settling on a particular piano-formant (which I know nothing about, but since the tension for any string's identical, only the lengths would be operant, and you don't want to change either tension or fundamental string-length).
Which would leave only the length from bridge-to-wrestpin available to supply the variation in variable string length. That altered arrangement would certainly alter tone color but not main pitch.
Alter color NOT according-to-Steinway, or to whatever designs his competitors retaliated with.
I was fiddling with Pianoteq in MuLab and came across an artifact parameter: Piano Length. I thought, "Why two controls for the same parameter?", but, as I soon discovered, piano length was its own parameter. Changing it produces a different sound I can only quantify as "sound color", unless I'm just perceiving it as an illusion. What exactly does "Piano Length" change that's different from "String Length"?
The "Piano Length" is actually available only as a VST parameter and represents the size of the soundboard, independently of the string length. A different soundboard brings another color to the sound, which is what you have indeed observed.
EDIT: BTW, version 3 VST parameter reads "Piano Size", not "Piano Length".
The "Piano Length" is actually available only as a VST parameter and represents the size of the soundboard, independently of the string length. A different soundboard brings another color to the sound, which is what you have indeed observed.
Hi Philippe,
I'd never noticed this VST parameter either, so I went looking for it in Pianoteq 4. I didn't see it in the VST parameter list, but I do see a parameter labeled "Character".. is this in fact the same parameter?
Philippe, this is strange...
If I remamber well in version 2, the piano lenght produced the same effect of the string lenght adjust of actual version 4.
Or is the version 3 (VST) piano lenght adjust a bit different from version 2?
Anyway what about let both adjust in version 4 ?
@ vic_france: the "Character" parameter is something else, it is now obsolete (it is there only for compatibility with versions 1 and 2).
@ Beto-Music: in Pianoteq 2, piano length had the meaning string length. From version 3, "String Length" means string length. In Pianoteq 3, the VST parameter "Piano Size" had the meaning soundboard size. It is now obsolete (no more present in version 4).
Is the version 4 adjust String Lenght, a combination of string and soundboard adjust?
Sorry if I insisted a bit.
:-)
Is the version 4 adjust String Lenght, a combination of string and soundboard adjust?
Sorry if I insisted a bit.
:-)
No, "String Length" is string length, nothing else .
Well... Wouldn't be logic that if someone want to adjust a givem pianoteq piano to sound like a imperial piano, to have available not just string lenght adjust but also soundboard lenght?
Or is soundboard size no longer hight quality enough to the actual quality standart?