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![]() ![]() If you are having problems with recognition, check these tips to troubleshoot. By the 1930s, with the coming of the Great Depression, as well as the advent of the radio and phonograph, the piano’s popularity started to wane.Yousician works with acoustic and electric pianos and MIDI keyboards, without built in sound modules. Pianos had their heyday in the 1910s and ‘20s, when they became a mainstay in the middle-class North American household. The great advantage of pianos is their ability to play notes softly (pianissimo) or strongly (forte) based on how hard the keys are pressed. By the eighteenth century, the piano had dramatically risen in popularity, surpassing its predecessor, the harpsichord. The piano, or the gravicembalo col piano e forte, as it was originally called, first came to be in the shop of a harpsichord maker named Bartolomeo di Francesco Cristofori in the town of Padua, Italy. Billy Joel A Brief History of the Piano But magnificent creatures like these can never be replaced.” There are other materials that can be substituted for piano keys. ![]() But a preference for ivory keys does not justify the slaughter of 96 elephants every day. And I realize that ivory piano keys are preferred by some pianists…. Yamaha, for example, uses mineral plastics to create a simulated ivory material it calls Ivorite. However, improvements in plastics technology have allowed for the creation of plastic materials with grippier textures, some that are very similar to ivory. Ivory keys also yellow over time.Ī complaint about early generations of plastic piano keys was that the keys felt slippery. Credit: Anthony Correia / īeyond the critical factor of conservation, plastic keys are also less expensive, easier to work with, and less prone to damage than ivory, which chips and cracks easily with abuse or temperature variations. ‘Piano man’ Billy Joel performs in New York in 2008. The flipside of this argument is that ivory’s natural porosity makes these keys harder to clean. Similar to tire tread, a porous texture provides traction for the fingertips. Some piano players prefer the classic feel of ivory due to its porosity, which provides better responsiveness. While pianos with ivory are no longer constructed, there are still many older pianos with ivory keytops in use. However virtually all pianos made since the 1970s use plastic for their keytops or keys. Unfortunately, illegal poaching of elephants for their ivory continues today. In 1990, a global treaty was signed, banning trade in all kinds of elephant ivory. International trade ivory from Asian elephants was banned in 1975 when the Asian elephant was placed on the endangered species list. Global trade in ivory in past centuries led to the slaughter of millions of these majestic creatures. Ivory typically comes from the tusks of elephants. Unfortunately, illegal poaching of elephants continues today. Ivory from elephant tusks is no longer used to make piano keys and there is a global ban on trade of ivory. But then ivory became a preferred material due to its polished appearance, durability and texture. The earliest pianos built 300 years ago had keys that were made entirely of wood. Low- to mid-end digital pianos will use keys that are 100 per cent plastic, while high-end digital pianos have keys similar to their acoustic cousins. Thermoplastics like ABS liquefy, which allows them to be injection molded and shaped. (The black keys are made of ebony or another hardwood that’s been stained black.) The plastic often used for piano key tops is a kind of acrylic called ABS – acrylonitrile butadiene styrene – an opaque thermoplastic polymer. It is only the thin top of the white keys that is made of ivory or plastic. ![]() ![]() In acoustic pianos, the keys themselves are made of wood-often spruce or basswood. Most pianos have 52 white keys and 36 black keys for a total of 88 keys. ‘Tickling the ivories’ is a euphemism for playing the piano that’s persisted to today, even though piano manufacturers no longer use ivory in their manufacture-and for good reason. ![]() ![]() ![]() It’s very tempting to wonder about the full version’s features. If you’re taken with the sound of the free edition, beware. The sound of the pitch shifter is optimized for vocals rather than other instruments, and this seems in evidence with smooth transitions but where Graillon 2 excels is in its voice modification properties. Adding only 23 milliseconds of latency makes it a pitch shifter than can be used during tracking on reasonably fast systems. The free version features pitch shifting and pitch correction, while the reasonably priced full edition adds some extra tools. It may be what you need.Ĭalling itself a live voice changer, Graillon 2 Free Edition from Auburn Sounds is on the special effect side of the fence. ![]() Still, with a lean processing engine, it won’t hog resources. For autotune effects, it’s a solid contender, but it’s tricky to subtly correct a vocal track with major pitch swings. GSnap isn’t as flexible as commercial tools and note-by-note editing isn’t a strong point (though the MIDI capability is a workaround). You can use a MIDI keyboard to enter the correct notes of the vocalist’s performance and then use the MIDI notes to guide the pitch correction process. What GSnap does is move this process to post-recording. This is a before-tracking fix that’s only as good as the singer’s note memory. A producer or arranger sits at a piano and plunks out notes for the vocalists, trying to corral errant pitch or wandering harmonies. ![]() It’s an automated way of replacing a common studio scene. Its main claim to fame is the way you can use MIDI to adjust your pitch correction, a feature found in a few free plugins. GSnap from GVST is still a solid contender for no-budget plugin users. When free versions of pitch correction plugins emerged, Graham Yeadon was at the forefront. Given that there are 33 other plugins in the package, MAutoPitch is a treasure trove you should check out. There is a commercial version of MAutoPitch, but the free plugin isn’t crippled in any way, though it doesn’t have all the advanced features that the upgrade has. Being able to dial in wet/dry balance easily gives great-sounding automatic double-tracking (ADT) effects that are a breeze to adjust. Pitch correction has two general modes: subtle error correction and as a special effect, the so-called “T-Pain sound.” MAutoPitch handles both and then some. That it can be mentioned in the same breath as the leaders as a free plugin is impressive. I don’t think MAutoPitch outperforms either of these plugins, but it’s fast and easy to get results. Big-ticket pitch correction packages such Antares Auto-Tune and Melodyne can sometimes take some wrangling to fine-tune. In fact, ‘simplify’ is perhaps the best way to describe the MAutoPitch approach. What’s more, its interface is one of the most natural and intuitive you’re likely to find in pitch correction software, which by nature is difficult to simplify. One of these, MAutoPitch, is not only a great value at zero dollars, it’s got a few tricks up its sleeve that even the big players in the field don’t have. Melda Productions offers a 34-effect free bundle that’s a tremendous package, particularly if you’re new to the plugin world. ![]() ![]() ![]() It’s built to last and has everything a handyman or contractor can ask for. The bottom line here is that DEWALT makes quality table saws, and the DWE7491RS is no different. This is great for giving the lungs a break, as they tend to take a beating in this line of work. The DWE7491RS features a 2- 1/2 inch dust port at the back and another 1- 1/2 inch port on top of the blade. It can easily handle cross-cutting 1X material used for dados, rabbets, mortise, and tenons.ĭust is another common problem that we all hate when doing some woodworking. That should be good for some pretty big jobs, and you can rest easy because this saw has a rail extension to stop the board from breaking or tipping over the saw, which would be a disaster.Īnother noteworthy feature of the DWE7491RS is the cross-cutting capability. ![]() The DWE7491RS has a 32- 1/2 inch rip capacity! Ripping large boards on this unit is like nothing else. The cover is a great addition if kids will be anywhere in the area. In order to be turned back on, you have to press the green “on” button that is covered by a safety flip cover. The saw will shut off automatically and not come back on when the power comes back. Say, for example, someone kicks out the extension cord on the job site, or there’s a power outage. With a motor reaching up to 3850 RPM, this saw can rip through hardwood, pressure-treated lumber and tough job-site materials. This lightweight, durable DEWALT 10-inch 15 Amp Compact Job Site Table Saw delivers powerful rip-cutting performance. On the subject of safety, the DWE7491RS has an awesome power loss reset feature. DEWALT 15-amp Corded 10-inch Compact Job Site Table Saw with Site-Pro Modular Guarding System. It can even be locked and unlocked with just one hand to make any necessary adjustments! You don’t have to worry about that with this saw as it has to have the sturdiest one on the market. There are three different types of miter saws to choose from: compound saws, which are great for making angled cuts on two planes, dual compound saws and sliding compound saws. We all know it’s dangerous to have a crappy pinion fence. A miter saw gives you the ability to cut a variety of angles, perfect for projects involving crown moulding, door frames and more. One highlight of this table saw is the quality rack and pinion fence. Then when finished, it can be picked up and chucked in the back of the pickup. It only weighs 110 pounds, too, so it can be rolled quite easily from different parts of the job site. PortabilityĪre you a contractor on the move? If so, you will like that the DWE7491RS can be transported around with the rolling stand. If at a 45-degree angle, it can make cuts at 2-1/4 inches. If cutting at a 90-degree angle, the DWE 7491RS can make cuts at 3-1/8 inches. ![]() The powerful 15 amp motor can slice through wood like butter and is built with quality parts. This saw comes in at 26 x 22 inches making it a good size for most jobs. ![]() |
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