Regulation and Voicing

Regulation is the adjustment of the mechanical aspects of the pianos to compensate for the effects of wear, the compacting and settling of cloth, felt, and buckskin, as well as dimensional changes in wood and wool parts due to changes in humidity.

The three systems involved in regulation are the action trapwork and damper system. The action is the mechanical part of the piano that transfers the motion of the fingers on the keys to the hammers that strike the strings. It is comprised of over 9,000 parts which require adjustment to critical tolerances to be able to respond to a pianist's every command. The trapwork is the assemblage of levers, dowels and springs that connects the pedals to the action affecting sustain and dynamics. The damper system is the mechanical part of the piano that stops the vibration of the string when you release the key and is controlled by the key and pedal systems.

Voicing

Voicing is the adjustment of a piano's tone or quality of sound. Tone can be changed withoutaffecting the pitch. For example, turning the bass or treble knobs on your stereo changes thetone but does not alter the notes the musician recorded. A skilled piano technician can voice apiano to change its tonal personality from mellow to bright or robust to delicate. The degree ofchange possible depends upon the piano's design and condition.