Duo-Art Zero Setting
By Darrell Clarke
G'day all,
Duo-Art dynamics have certainly generated some "loud noise" in this forum, most of which has been very constructive, except maybe my reference to earplugs! It is clear that "too loud" is very subjective and those in the audience not actively listening are very likely to find the volume of typical live or recorded playing a little uncomfortable.
But, getting down to basics, when I first rebuilt a Duo-Art some years back, I used the Vestal Press Technical Series Number 5 (by Michael Kitner) as a guide. What puzzled me at the time, and still does, was his zero-setting procedure. Michael used the regulating screws to just begin to close the regulator pneumatics and then setting the vacuum to 5" using the regulator spring tension, later making corrections using the test roll. He claims this method reduces the chance of loss of expression control. Do the possible higher spring tensions result in higher vacuum at the top end, or does it just affect the operating range of the regulator? He ends up with vacuum around 40" at the top! Maybe with a well restored action, the results are similar with either method. Has anyone tried this and made a comparison?
On the topic of hammer voicing, one hammer on my 1921 Steck has been replaced in the past and is noticeably softer. A full replacement would make quite a difference to the sound, but probably only a few dB to the total loudness. Something else to consider is the unwanted mechanical sounds which will be more noticeable with softer overall playing. Life is always full of tradeoffs.
Another question: In the past, I have used synthetic (Bilon?) material for the accordion pneumatics because it is supposedly more stable. The job was done over 10 years ago and has given no trouble at all and has rarely needed readjustment. The Steck was done by someone else about the same time using leather which is now deteriorating and needs replacing. Should I use leather again or synthetic? What are others' experiences?
Thanks,
Darrell Clarke |
(Message sent Fri 30 Aug 1996, 17:59:00 GMT, from time zone GMT-0600.) |
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