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THE MUSIC TRADE
APRIL 27, 1918
9
REVIEW
**
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e«F
The Ultimate Ideal of the Player Will Be an Instrument So Constructed as to
Afford Greatest Ease in the Maintenance of Pianissimo Levels, With Pro-
gressive Increase to Fortissimo Made Possible With Absolute Smoothness
It is only to be expected that the evolution of
the piano player action should take place along
lines of least resistance. It is only to be ex-
pected, in fact, that the necessity for evolving
a machine practically able to do the work of
playing the piano well enough to sell and stay
sold should be recognized and understood long
before any refinement on such ideas could even
be conceived. Therefore, it is not at all sur-
prising to find that the bottom-action of the
player-piano mechanism should have been de-
veloped originally along lines of rough-and-
ready utility. Nor is it any more surprising
that by this time there should decidedly exist
a desire for a new and improved conception of
the functions and design of this essential ele-
ment.
The most recent development that has come
to the writer's notice is exhibited in the new
bottom-action now being put forth by the Otto
Higel Co. after designs by George P. Brand.
The notions set forth in this design are suf-
ficiently important to justify us in calling them
a new departure; while the intentions of the
designer and the ideal towards which he has
directed his efforts represent what, in our opin-
ion, is a promising line of thought, bound to
lead to good results.
Flexibility
Various experiments made by the writer have
been described in this Player Section. The ob-
ject of these has been to improve and make more
flexible the expressive equipment of the player
mechanism. Now it is evident from all that
has been done in the past and from all the ex-
periments that have been made, that the founda-
tion of expressive playing is to be found in the
design of the bellows-system. The writer has
indeed convinced himself that, so long as the
bellows-system must carry the load of the
motor, automatic-tracking device and other
non-speaking pneumatics, it will never be as re-
going, the power level will rise always above
sponsive as it might and could be. But he has
that required for very light playing, or at least
also convinced himself that the separation of
the speaking from the non-speaking elements, will be right up to it. Try to maintain a level
in respect of their sources of power, is not yet pianissimo on such a system and you will be
within the range of practical manufacturing, al- unable to keep the large equalizers closed suf-
Therefore, any change in the load
though it can be accomplished in private in- ficiently.
stallations both effectively and conveniently. will drop you below the lightest power on which
But, allowing for this obstacle to complete ex- you can play; or else will jump you up above
pressiveness, the fact cannot be gainsaid that it and give you an increase in loudness, for the
the bellows-system may be brought to a stage duration of some notes, until you can bring it
of expressive efficiency beyond what has so far down again. That is really why the ordinary
been demanded, although not reaching what player-piano is not as good as it might be on
soft playing. That is why, curious to say, it is
will some day be decidedly required.
really much harder to play softly than loudly.
Beginning at the Wrong End
Small Equalizers
It has seemed to the writer that the principal
But
if
we
should
adopt a system whereby a
cause of what may be called lack of flexibility
in the expressive capacity of the bellows-system special set of extra equalizers might be used,
is to be found in the fact that the emphasis adapted to provide the necessary steadiness on
has been placed, in the course of design, upon light power, then the problem might be solved.
the wrong end of the scale. Reasoning from For instance, they would obviously have to be
analogy, one would suppose that the object of slow in closing and quick in opening. But this
the designer would be to make it easier to play means, in the present case, closing on very light
softly, and harder and more strenuous to pumping, even though slow closing. It also
play more and more loudly. But, in fact, the means quick opening in the same conditions
orthodox design of the bellows is intended to of pumping. Therefore, the equalizers would
give the greatest ease in playing at a point have to be small in proportion to their spring
Small heavily-sprung equalizers
above the comfortable middle range of loudness, weighting.
while facilitating jumps of to fortissimo, but might give the very power-level needed and en-
making the maintenance of a real pianissimo able the bellows to maintain a steady flow of
very low pressure, adapted to keep speaking
very difficult, if not impossible.
pneumatics going on very light playing for an
The Large Equalizers
Of course it is easy to see that a bellows- indefinite time without interfering with the non-
system, with large equalizers slow to close and speaking elements, such as wind motor, etc.
Brand's recent work has led him along these
slow to open, and lightly sprung, is at its best
on level mezzoforte passages, where the speed lines and he has adopted the general idea set
does not change and the level of loudness is forth here, with a considerable measure of suc-
well maintained. Such a system will also lend cess. But it is obvious from what has been
itself to sudden upward jumps in power, owing said above that the implications of the idea are
to the capacity of the equalizers to close quick- far broader than their application to one man's
ly; but it will not be at all good on very light work. The point of real importance is that we
power. In the latter case the difficulty will be have a line of view opened up towards what
that, in keeping the non-speaking pneumatics the writer believes to be the ultimate ideal of
the player-piano; namely, greatest ease in the
maintenance of pianissimo levels, with progres-
sive increases in power to the maximum made
possible in the most flexible manner.
Equalizers in Series
Of course, it must never be forgotten that all
this is but stepping towards perfection. The
We have made
want of flexibility of the ordinary bellows-sys-
tem, and the consequent painful effects of touch
cabinets for over
that are commonly heard in the playing of
40 years.
player-pianos, are not defects to be laughed
away. Nor are they to be wholly solved by the
adoption of palliative measures. The fact is
AH our goods are
that perfection will probably never be reached
guaranteed.
until it has become possible to build a series
of equalizers in steps, overlapping each other,
each with a different spring weight. The sole
Y o u t a k e no
object of the equalizer system is to permit the
c h a n c e s when
bellows to carry a variable load simultaneously
you have the old
with a fixed load. The real trouble lies in the
fixed load (motor, etc.). If we could get rid
reliable line in
of that we should be much better off. But so
your show rooms.
long as we cannot, we must try to make a de-
sign which will not shut us off from the en-
joyment of the piano's most effective tonal
Send for o u r
range; namely, from its middle strength down
latest catalog to-
to its lightest whisper.
THE SALTER LINE
Of
and
Have stood
the test
Salter
Mte.Co
day, showing our
complete line.
339 N. Oakley Blvd., C h i c a g o
There is no doubt whatever that the notion
of normal soft playing for the foundation of the
bellows-system is the correct notion, based on
the correct analogy with piano playing, on the
natural feelings and desires of the ordinary
music-lover and on the best mechanical logic.
Along some, .such lines as have been indicated
above,iihi^ftteal will probably be attained.