Synth Forum

Notifications
Clear all

Is damper resonance effect only for piano?

4 Posts
2 Users
0 Likes
4,325 Views
 A
Posts: 0
Estimable Member
Topic starter
 

If not what would it be the settings for a typical acoustic guitar as an example?

 
Posted : 28/11/2015 12:04 am
Bad Mister
Posts: 12304
 

There are two ways to view and answer this question.

In the real world of acoustic instruments, the piano (invented circa 1700) has a series of hammers that are designed to strike an intricate arrangement of tuned strings, the majority (all but the highest notes) have a felt damper that falls back to silence the strings. While the key is struck and/or is held either by the finger on the key or the sustain pedal, the felt damper is lifted from the string, allowing that string to vibrate. While the damper is lifted that key and the upper undamped keys will resonant (vibrate) in sympathy with notes that include similar and related frequencies. This is the reverberation system inside the box of the piano (separate and quite different from the 'system' reverb which recreates the entire room in which the piano resides).

Damper Resonance is uniquely a piano thing. Designed with the acoustic piano in mind. Much like the Sustain pedal, it is designed specifically with the piano in mind. This does not mean you can't use the sustain pedal on an acoustic guitar, or on a string orchestra, but it does mean you cannot ask what a "typical setting" would be. There is no "typical" because it really doesn't belong there (not in a "real" world scenario).

You can't ask what's typical because an acoustic guitar and string orchestra do not have sustain pedals, and neither do they have Damper Resonance!

But this is a synthesizer! And therefore there is a kind of built-in creed that acoustic emulation is just one of the things possible - the "Sci-Fi" aspect of synthesis is at the very core of the instrument (some would say it is the most important aspect of synthesizers).

So there are no rules about how you would use it on an acoustic guitar, just as there are no rules about using a sustain pedal on an acoustic guitar.
But if you understand how the Damper Resonance works (on piano) you can experiment and find your own way.

The Damper Resonance has a parameter that allows it to be controlled by the sustain pedal (a Yamaha FC3 or FC3A specifically)... So it is only activated when the pedal is engaged. Study the acoustic piano Voices that have it programmed, you will see on the Full Concert Grand, how this is done.

As an experiment set the D/W (Dry/Wet) value completely Wet - this is accomplished within the Damper Resonance Insert Effect - this will lower the Dry (source notes) and output only the Damper Resonance, you will only hear the ghostly reverberations of those notes with lifted dampers and you will only hear sound when the sustain pedal is engaged. (Seriously, it's like sitting underneath a big acoustic grand's soundboard)... slowly mix in the Dry signal, so the 'effect' is "felt" not so much that it is heard. This is something that is there when you play an acoustic piano, but it does not hit you in the face... It is extremely subtle. Like the Key Off Noise (Element 8) of the acoustic piano, by the time you "hear" it (so you notice) you have too much! Each person will "like" a different amount. It's like 'finger noise' on an acoustic guitar, how much is enough? It's personal taste, really.

I would say (and this is a guess based on my own observations - since we started putting Damper Resonance in our synths) the majority of players do not even hear the Damper Resonance until you remove it completely, which is when they notice "something is different, what did you do?"

So the answer is: you're own your own, if you find it useful for guitar - great, let us know. It is a synthesizer you can use it on any sound you desire - even if it is "sci-fi" it's ok! But there are no rules and certainly no "typical" use case for an instrument that has neither dampers nor a sustain pedal!

Hope that helps.

Although written for the Motif XF the following article applies to the MOXF as well.
Half Damper Explained

 
Posted : 28/11/2015 10:36 am
 A
Posts: 0
Estimable Member
Topic starter
 

Thanks bad mister. I was curious to know if it is designed for piano or it also models other string resonances such as guitar etc?

 
Posted : 01/12/2015 3:47 am
Bad Mister
Posts: 12304
 

No, the fact that it is linked to the sustain pedal kind of solidifies its was designed for piano-type instruments. This should not stop you from experimenting.

 
Posted : 02/12/2015 5:53 pm
Share:

© 2024 Yamaha Corporation of America and Yamaha Corporation. All rights reserved.    Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Contact Us