A COMPUTER model that reproduces the tinkling of a piano promises to help restorers of antique instruments choose the best materials.
Modern materials are often more durable and less prone to insect infestation than the original ones. But replacing worn parts with new materials can alter the sound of an instrument – something conservators are keen to avoid. This is where a model developed by physicist Nick Giordano at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, comes in handy.
Giordano has built a computer model that takes information about a piano’s size and the materials making up its strings and soundboards to…
