I don't know anymore. I thought my hearing was getting worse considering my wife and daughter can hear higher frequencies that I can't even detect now (as I'm getting older).

I have a Yamaha PSR S-700.., and my ears must be more in tuned to the piano than I thought. Several notes in the lower register (just below middle C) in the default grand (and several other pianos) have an issue that my ears really seem to be tuned into.

These notes suffer from a very notable loop point that also has a negative sonic reaction with the preset decay of the notes. When added to a few other adjacent notes (these individual keys) can sound a little out of tune. I've also noticed that problems with these notes arise when sustaining them as well.

It's worsened by the keyboards default EQ settings too. The only way I've been able to put it within tolerable levels is to do some heavy EQ'ing to get a better balance.

The keyboard isn't defective either. It's functioning properly..., but for some reason my ears appear to react to these particular notes that appear to suffer from sample stretching, and other sample related issues.

I'm also wondering if it's possible that the S-700's speakers (and cabinet design) might amplify the problem more. I've been doing a lot of testing by completely flat-lining the EQ and working up from there.

Squeak,

Its a known fact that women can hear higher freq much better than men, and men usually suffer more industrial deafness for obvious reasons, why not get your hearing tested, what sort of a job did you have when you worked.


Tony

Yeah.., I know women do typically hear higher frequencies.., but for me that wasn't the case (until the last few years). My wife has great hearing.., but for years I was capable of detecting higher frequencies than she could.

I had a hearing test not too long ago.., and I do know my higher frequency range has declined. I attribute that to the many years I spent playing in rock and alternative bands. I played keys and guitar. A lot time was spent with my Gibson or Fender standing in front of a Marshall full stack (my ears would ring for days after doing some shows).

I tested other keyboards I have too.., and I'm almost certain it's down to the sample quality of those particular notes. Which isn't too surprising either considering that the S series is the semi-pro market for Yammie. Add in compression of sound sets and things like this can become an issue for those I guess that have hearing that may be more sensitive to that range.

You just skated over the hearing test and never mentioned the full results, are you saying they are better now than when you were young, you must have some hearing damage, my hearing aids have corrected a lot of the damage. Most people who have a hearing test simply don't want to wear hearing aids, I didn't now i can't bear to have them out. When I first got in the car with my new hearing aids in and couldn't stand the jingling of the keys against the dash as I was driving.

Keyboards and organs have to be tuned a little different than an acoustic piano. An acoustic piano is not perfectly in tune with itself when you take into consideration the fundamental and the upper harmonics. When a piano is tuned, the middle or temperment octave is set and then as you go up or down in octaves those notes are tuned to upper partials rather than to the fundamental. On top of that each piano is a little different.

On an arranger keyboard, essentially a portable organ, not only is the middle octave tuned with the same temperment, but the upper and lower octaves need to be tuned to the fundamental of the middle octave rather than upper partials. If you play a perfectly tuned piano with an organ or keyboard you will find out that they are not perfectly in tune with each other.

If you should want an acoustic piano to be tuned identically to an organ or keyboard then the piano will not sound quite natural.

This was explained to me by a professional piano tuner when I was a piano dealer.

This may be what you are hearing. The Yamaha keyboard is tuned perfectly with itself and not like a regular piano.

Now that I think of it, it may be that the electronic keyboards are slightly detuned as much as they can to make it sound as real as possible. But this is the general idea as explained to me.

Scott,

It all makes sense, " WHAT DID YOU SAY "!!!!


Tony

It a big improvement as you get older you can't hear the feedback
Col

Hi Tony

haha. Maybe this will help. If you play a note on a piano, you will hear the loudest or fundamental note the most. You will also hear other pitches, partials or harmonics only softly.

So if you play the note C on a real piano, you will also hear these partials in this order: G, C, E, G, Bb, C, D, E, F# etc. The partials keep getting closer to one another.

To get an acoustic piano in tune you need to take into account all the partials. When a piano is tuned the tuner strikes the fundamental note and then they usually tune the octave higher using the partial that sounds one or two octaves above the fundamental tone. Or something like this gibberish

Let me get this straight....you drive a car with the ignition switch on the dashboard...like we had in the 50's..Just how old are you?

A little more info to help fill in the picture. A piano is tuned to itself. Each piano is tuned differently because of the differecne in wood, strings etc.

A well tuned piano will not neccisarily sound in tune with another well tuned piano.

Example, during one of the Olymics around 100 Kimball pianos were set up in the arena. They tuned all the pianos the same, some average setting used on an electronic strobe. All the pianos were in tune with each other, but each piano was out of tune with itself.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano_tuning