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Commissioned a 112 Key Stuart & Sons Piano


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On the continuum of piano <——> synth/electronic I fall right of center so I am VERY far from a piano expert, but I really enjoyed this thread and seeing an instrument that is “more” than everybody else’s is cool. Thanks for sharing your journey and the preview of your upcoming instrument.

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Thanks for the kind words TJ!  I've also got a lot of synths in the studio, and one of the things I'm interested in is putting them with the piano in both traditional and non-traditional contexts.  This video by Ashley Hribar is improvised and way outside a traditional jazz or classical context.  It gives some idea of the sound-design kind of things one can do with the instrument.  What could be done with these timbres and synths?  That is a space I think deserves some exploration. 

 

There's a whole crop of young classically trained players who are taking harps and other instruments and using electronics, FX, etc to take their instruments into many new places.  I think that my new piano is an ideal candidate for this kind of experimentation given the extreme outer registers.  Combine that with sampling & pitch shifting techiques and some truly otherworldly things await.  But they will all have the complexity and interest of a real acoustic instrument, despite no longer sounding exactly like a piano. 

 

This is part of the "piano for a new century" vision.  Not only to take traditional piano tone and technique into new places, but also to explore new sounds made by the very same instrument. 

 

I expect it to be a lifetime of exploration.  This larger canvas invites the kind of "off the page" creativity that Ashley demonstrates here.

 

 

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  • 4 months later...

Hi Nathanael,

 

I was just wondering if you know about the "Lumatone"?

(I saw that you have a Roli in your studio)

 

280 isomorphic keys - more than enough to cover the full range of your 112, even if doubled up to include quarter-tones as well!

 

I've got one coming soon, and the Pianoteq 8 VST waiting on my laptop. Pianoteq has extended the compass of their modelled Steinway D to go down to A-1 (13.75Hz).

That's a very fortunate coincidence indeed!!

 

Their software is amazing - you can customise so many features of the piano, such as string length, hammer voicing, touch sensitivity, pedal effects (I've rigged up 8 pedals!), room reverb, tuning/temperament, mic placement, etc.

 

Best wishes,

 

Mark

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On 5/10/2023 at 5:38 AM, Mark959 said:

Hi Nathanael,

 

I was just wondering if you know about the "Lumatone"?

(I saw that you have a Roli in your studio)

 

280 isomorphic keys - more than enough to cover the full range of your 112, even if doubled up to include quarter-tones as well!

 

Best wishes,

 

Mark

Interesting. Had not heard of it. I sold the Roli on a few years ago. I just couldn’t get on with the key waves. With the Osmose now here, I have the expressive keyboard that works with standard keyboard technique. Somewhere I decided that it’s a lifetime to explore the black and white key pattern given by the piano, organs, etc. So, I’ve passed on the Continuum as well. Brilliant and so expressive. I just don’t wish to spend the time it takes to learn it well. 
 

 

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On 11/6/2022 at 8:14 PM, bfields said:

How high do the dampers go?

The highest damper will be on the note A6 - The Steinway Model D and Bösendorfer Imperial stop at G6.

Stuart pianos have the longest sustain, so this is great for staccato passages in the higher registers.

I played a Steinway Model A yesterday, and was surprised that the dampers stopped at D#6!.....and it only had two pedals!!

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On 12/21/2022 at 11:06 PM, Nathanael_I said:

In response to the question about straight stringing vs cross-stringing, this has a definitely audible result. There are two tracks below, both of the same piece. Each played on a 102 key instrument. A Stuart and Sons, and a Paulello. Both use bridge agraffes, XM piano wire, etc. The Stuart and Sons piano is cross strung in the traditional manner. The Paulello is straight strung and the harp is completely barless.   They are within an inch or two of each other in length. 
 

Gerhard Willems plays the Stuart and Sons. David Bismuth plays the Paulello.  Listen to the harmonic complexity and color.  Particularly in the bass.  
 

you can easily find a Steinway version of this. Angela Hewitt recorded it on her Fazioli, but you will have to buy the CD - it’s not on Spotify.  This is an excellent piece to use as recordings are also available on Bosendorfer.  The differences in tone and construction techniques are quite obvious even in $100 headphones 
 

 


Honestly I like the clarity of the straight strung piano.  It still has complex harmonics but isn’t muddy.  Complexity can be over done.

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On 5/18/2023 at 3:00 PM, Radagast said:


Honestly I like the clarity of the straight strung piano.  It still has complex harmonics but isn’t muddy.  Complexity can be over done.

That’s what I love about this pair of recordings - the difference is quite audible. There is an added clarity on the straight strung instruments, and the harmonics sustain differently.  I suspect it would serve early music up through Mozart well, much like a Steingraeber & Sohne. Magical “classical” sound.  For bigger, louder or darker work, I do prefer cross-stringing, which I suppose is obvious from my choice. But what a world we live in that these options are available and even documented on Spotify!  I’m glad you took the time to listen critically, because it’s not subtle and one could easily choose differently than I have. 
 

Fazioli also has a thinner sound that is so intoxicating to play, but I don’t prefer it on recordings generally. I’ve long suspected that Fazioli’s outstanding action prep has much to do with player perception of expressiveness, and the clarity is welcome on lower register voicings for sure. 
 

It is very hard to beat the drama of a fine Steinway for recording dramatic music. The timbral complexity is interesting when the visual element is removed.  Many of the European pianos are more even top to bottom, but they just don’t have that over-the-top drama thing going on.  I chose the path of greater complexity on the bright side, but also softer with the half blow. For me, a best-of-both worlds, but as I said at the outset, I’ve plenty of room for others to find their joy elsewhere. 
 

piano tone is every bit as much a choice one can make as guitar tone…

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  • 2 months later...
  • 1 month later...

Not quite yet. The piano moves daily toward completion. It will complete over next several months. It will then sit in the factory until spring.  It needs to settle and Wayne will adjust it throughout to stabilize it. This happens with all high end grands. Not uncommon for them to season in factory for a year. So, it’s giving me time to gut and rebuild my studio with the help of an acoustician.  But I remain excited. The soundboard is in the case and Wayne tells me it is fully meeting his expectations for resonance. This was welcome news!

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