Topic by LouisFlute

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  • LouisFlute
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  • Registered: 14-12-2022
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Topic: Sustain pedal and resonance after a note is pressed

When I was a schoolboy I remember experimenting with a real piano. I would press a note quite hard (for example middle C) and keep holding that key down and then I would press the sustain pedal. I remember that I could then hear the other strings resonating in sympathy even though the sustain pedal was not depressed when the note was first struck. Also I remember I could do this several times -- release the sustain pedal and the resonance would stop and when I pressed the sustain pedal again then the resonance would sound again. All the time I would keep the single piano key held down with my finger.

Much to my surprise when I tried this on Pianoteq version 7 and version 8 -- I cannot hear any sympathetic resonance when I depress the sustain pedal AFTER a note has been struck. I would have expected Modartt to emulate this effect as they pride themselves on accurately modeling a real piano. I have looked through the settings to see if there is some control that I have missed but have not found anything. I get beautiful sympathetic string resonance from the sustain pedal but only for the notes that I play after I press the sustain pedal.

I don't really need or miss this feature other than perhaps being a better emulation of a real piano which would be nice.

Also I now don't have access to a real piano and so I would be grateful if others could confirm this effect that I remember doing as a child about 50 years ago.

Thanks

Reply by joannchr

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  • joannchr
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  • Registered: 27-01-2022
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Re: Sustain pedal and resonance after a note is pressed

LouisFlute wrote:

When I was a schoolboy I remember experimenting with a real piano. I would press a note quite hard (for example middle C) and keep holding that key down and then I would press the sustain pedal. I remember that I could then hear the other strings resonating in sympathy even though the sustain pedal was not depressed when the note was first struck. Also I remember I could do this several times -- release the sustain pedal and the resonance would stop and when I pressed the sustain pedal again then the resonance would sound again. All the time I would keep the single piano key held down with my finger.

Much to my surprise when I tried this on Pianoteq version 7 and version 8 -- I cannot hear any sympathetic resonance when I depress the sustain pedal AFTER a note has been struck. I would have expected Modartt to emulate this effect as they pride themselves on accurately modeling a real piano. I have looked through the settings to see if there is some control that I have missed but have not found anything. I get beautiful sympathetic string resonance from the sustain pedal but only for the notes that I play after I press the sustain pedal.

I don't really need or miss this feature other than perhaps being a better emulation of a real piano which would be nice.

Also I now don't have access to a real piano and so I would be grateful if others could confirm this effect that I remember doing as a child about 50 years ago.

Thanks

This is called 'after pedal' resonance and works perfectly. To hear it , you have to push the Sympathetic Resonance slider to the extreme right , if you want the maximum effect.

Reply by LouisFlute

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  • LouisFlute
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Re: Sustain pedal and resonance after a note is pressed

I only have Pianoteq Stage and so don't have access so the Sympathetic Resonance slider which is part of the Design panel.

If I listen very carefully I can hear a slight difference with Pianoteq after I press the pedal. I now release I would have been experimenting as child with an upright cross-strung piano and so the effect would be more pronounced as the other strings are much closer together. When I changed Pianoteq from a grand piano to the U4 Upright Piano the effect was more pronounced.

Thanks for your help