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Technology
The RP90 features three unique applications of sound design technology
including "physical models" to simulate the internal characteristics of a
piano soundboard.
Natural String Resonance
The first physical model technology, patented by Generalmusic as " Natu-
ral String Resonance ", allows all of the complex harmonics normally
produced by the piano soundboard to be faithfully reproduced. This
means that a note's individual sound will always be slightly different
depending upon which other notes are currently being held, (and conse-
quently which strings are un-damped and free to resonate in sympathy).
If you hold a low "C" and let the note decay, the strings for that note are
still un-damped for as long as the key remains depressed. If you now
strike another "C" higher up the keyboard, (staccato), you will hear the
sympathetic resonance of the low "C" strings in response to the new note
played. This natural effect replicates exactly what happens on a grand
piano. If you experiment with different combinations of notes you will hear
harmonic colours particular to each. Because this effect is produced by
physical models and not by samples or DSP effects, the result is a
musically and technically accurate simulation of a piano's soundboard
and virtually infinite combinations of harmonics can be produced.
Damper Physical Model
The second technology, patented by Generalmusic as " Damper Physical
Model ". When the damper pedal is depressed, the damper physical
model will simulate the effect of sympathetic resonances being produced
by the un-damped strings. You can hear the effect of the Damper Physical
Model by comparing the sounds of notes played in the highest octave of
the instrument with and without the damper pedal depressed.
Advanced Release Technology
The third and final technology applied to the piano sounds in the RP90 is
" Advanced Release Technology ", (patent pending). Sample based elec-
tronic pianos traditionally use envelope generators to control what hap-
pens when a key is released. This simply allows the sample loop to
continue for a set period of time until it's amplitude is reduced to zero by
the envelope generator. In an acoustic piano, vibrating strings are
silenced by the action of a damper making contact with the string. When
this happens, depending on the velocity with which the key was struck and
the length of the string itself, certain frequencies are damped earlier than
others producing a distinctive harmonic "ring" as the different frequencies
in the string's tone dissipate throughout the piano soundboard. The ART
in the RP90 simulates exactly this feature with complete accuracy
throughout the 88 note range.
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