Pianotech

  • 1.  Peterson PitchGrabber, a second look.

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 08-28-2024 23:29

    PitchGraber spectrum test. Recorded on iPhone via lightning using the VoiceMemo utility set to lossless. Noise floor -54, vocal test -34 spoken about 3 feet from soundboard under the keybed with bottom board removed at 75-80db. C2–G7



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    Steven Rosenthal RPT
    Honolulu HI
    (808) 521-7129
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  • 2.  RE: Peterson PitchGrabber, a second look.

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 08-28-2024 23:38

    Hi Steve,

    I don't think the embed worked…



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    Nathan Monteleone RPT
    Fort Worth TX
    (817) 675-9494
    nbmont@gmail.com
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  • 3.  RE: Peterson PitchGrabber, a second look.

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 08-28-2024 23:47

    That was odd. Try now. 8-/



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    Steven Rosenthal RPT
    Honolulu HI
    (808) 521-7129
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  • 4.  RE: Peterson PitchGrabber, a second look.

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 08-28-2024 23:52

    Yep, link works now!



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    Nathan Monteleone RPT
    Fort Worth TX
    (817) 675-9494
    nbmont@gmail.com
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  • 5.  RE: Peterson PitchGrabber, a second look.

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 08-29-2024 17:52

    So, I want to make sure I'm seeing what I think I'm seeing/hearing here (I know I'm mostly repeating things you already typed):

    • Noise floor looks like it's around -54dB
    • At the beginning you're talking at the soundboard, and it peaks at about -34dB
    • The actual notes are in more the -18 to -6dB range, so they are significantly stronger than the voice that's getting picked up
    • The note partials generally seem to be all accounted for as clear peaks on the spectrum graph, at least up to 4-5kHz or so.  (More may be present, I realize there's some auto-zooming going on here).

    Is that correct? If so I think that sets a good baseline for what the pitchgrabber will do when it's working correctly and plugged into a compatible jack.

    It might be interesting to see a side-by-side comparison with the response from a normal mic, as well as going all the way down to A0 and up to C88...  But I realize we can't always get to everything.



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    Nathan Monteleone RPT
    Fort Worth TX
    (817) 675-9494
    nbmont@gmail.com
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  • 6.  RE: Peterson PitchGrabber, a second look.

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 08-29-2024 22:53

    Nathan, thanks for the summation. Yes, the notes mostly were -12 to -4dB; I think the important thing is that all the partials -appearing as peaks- are there and seem to be proportionate as well as consistent from note to note. I made another recording with a DR-40 audio recorder and the levels were more even and tone quality a little better, it starts on C1, I can publish that. 

    Good idea about the side by side recording, I guess I could use 2 devices simultaneously and sync them up in Logic Pro. By normal mic, I assume you mean one in a device we use for ETD apps.

    Btw, the voicing problems apparent in the recording are actually real problems with the piano but the recording seems to amplify them. Interesting.



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    Steven Rosenthal RPT
    Honolulu HI
    (808) 521-7129
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  • 7.  RE: Peterson PitchGrabber, a second look.

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 08-29-2024 22:59

    Interesting point about the voicing! 

    I didn't mean anything too fancy by "side by side". They could even be separate videos. And yeah a phone mic recording of the same piano would make sense since that's what we normally use...



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    Nathan Monteleone RPT
    Fort Worth TX
    (817) 675-9494
    nbmont@gmail.com
    ------------------------------