€” Pertinent information about the piano make, model, condition, comments about voicing, etc. (In the case of the piano this would normally be “impulsive.â€) €” A description of the type of sound measured. €” The weighting networks and SPL meter settings used. €” The type and serial numbers of the instruments used. €” A sketch of the measurement site including the placement of the piano and SPL meter(s). And a typical SPL measurement report would include: These are not precision devices precision SPL meters run into the thousands. The sound pressure, or sound power, readings you get from inexpensive SPL meters is an approximation only. It would also be important that the panel configuration of both be the same i.e., front boards on, tops either open or closed but the same for both, etc. In the case of the upright piano it would be important that the distance between the back of the piano and the adjacent wall be the same. Both pianos must be in the same acoustical environment ideally this would be an anechoic—sound absorbing—chamber or room. Exactly the same notes must be struck with exactly the same amount of force. The meters must be placed a precise distance from the piano. To be able to compare the sound power produced by two different pianos standardized test methods must be used. The “I†characteristic has a time constant of 35 milliseconds. To measure impact, or impulse, sounds a meter having a standardized “I†(Impulse) characteristic is needed. First, what type of sound are we measuring? The sound envelope produced by the piano is not a steady-state sound it has a high proportion of initial impact sound that rapidly decays to a fraction of the initial value. To measure sound power in any meaningful way requires some thought and preparation. Measuring sound power—the amount of sound energy being produced—is not as simple as going out and buying an inexpensive, uncalibrated sound pressure level (SPL) meter, holding it in the general vicinity of the piano and hitting a few keys. You’re asking for a simple answer to a very complex issue. How many decibels does your pianos produce? Not visible in the photo is a draped wall (the drapes cover a room-length window) Here in a photo I took to show my recording set-up you can see the rug under the piano (which makes a BIG difference) and the "rug" on the wall behind the piano which helped mellow the room. (The room has been treated with drapes, a small rug under the piano, and a wall hanging on one wall, to mellow the sound a bit.) It's a little shorter (7'4 instead of 7'6") but I don't think the soundboard is any smaller in area, especially with the 4 extra notes. The Bosendorfer, with the Spruce rim (solid spruce, not plywood like most other pianos) is just a little bit gentler and sounds better in a house. One of the reasons I upgraded my C7 to the Bosendorfer 225 was that the C7 was just over-the-top shrill and loud in my house. I would love it if someone made a large piano (for clarity, bass, etc) that was somehow designed to be quieter! I'm not sure how this would be done perhaps with less tension on the strings,etc I do sometimes wear earplugs when I'm practicing for long periods to avoid "exhausting" my hearing. I've never tried measuring the volume, but I usually practice with the top down unless I'm recording. I would say my piano is "too loud." It's a 225 cm piano in an ordinary living room.
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