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Acoustic treatment for windows and a piano

Hello all,

This is my first question after much lurking and a few thread replies. I appreciate everyone who contributes to this community - I’ve learned a lot from you. 

My listening room is 13.5’ wide and 16’ long. On the left side wall I have an upright piano (hard surfaces, reflective), with some acoustic tiles above the piano to dampen reflection. I have a big rug covering most of the hardwood floor, with a thick pad under it. The ceiling is typical bare drywall.  

On the right side wall I have two large glass windows, two separate window cases. I have typical wood Venetian blinds on each window section. 

My problem: Despite a lot of tweaking and positioning, my highs have amazing clarity but are still a bit harsh and fatiguing. I’m thinking I need to treat the windows, it’s likely I’m getting a lot of reflection off them and the hard wood blinds - but maybe the piano is a problem, too, or maybe I’ve reached the limits of my gear. 

Key system points: Rega RP8 TT with Hana SL; Tavish Vintage tube phono pre; Rega Elex-R integrated; Martin Logan Motion 40i speakers. I have good quality interconnects and speaker cable, and I have some sort of vibration control on every component. 

My questions:

1. Is the piano likely part of the problem? If so can I do anything with it? It’s a very nice piano that I play daily so it’s not going anywhere, and I really can’t rearrange the room due to layout. 

2. Are the windows likely part of the problem? If so, would you recommend drapes, acoustic blinds, or something else?

3. As I’ve improved my system, I’ve begun to suspect the amp is maxed out for sound quality. It feels like the speakers could give me a bit more with a better amp. Is it possible the harsh highs are from the amp alone? I’ve read the Elex-R amps can be lean in the highs, and that’s exactly what I’m experiencing. 

Thank you for any thoughts! 
phasemonger
edcyn
1,876 posts
 
You guys made me go check out my my piano, a 19th Century Mason-Hamlin upright. Anyway, the strings for the piano’s top eighteen keys are entirely undamped, and could conceivably resonate sympathetically. The strings for those keys, however, are under extreme tension. They did not respond one iota to my repeated shouts into the piano’s interior. In other words, I don’t think that, because it’s a musical instrument, the piano might be bolluxing up the stereo’s imaging. I do have to say, though, that any piano is a substantial piece of furniture, with a wealth of hard flat surfaces.
phasemonger OP
23 posts
 
Thanks edcyn, I’ll check to see if I have any undamped strings, and yell at them!
dekay's avatar
dekay
5,563 posts
 
I suspect that placing a weight on the damping pedal (if your's has one) might not be a good idea in the long run, thus the simple damping method I mentioned.

Long story (not bothering to tell it) is that hollow stringed instruments (especially pianos) have an effect on room acoustics.

Discovered this when making live recordings in large domestic rooms/basements (basic mono tape recorders, but really good microphones) in the mid 60's.

We had a Baldwin Acrosonic upright that was a very nice sounding piano (would even be so now if properly refurbished).

DeKay
audioman58's avatar
audioman58
4,138 posts
 
I prefer still points under my equipment a bit pricy but the smaller ultra can be had just over $400, also your first reflections very important, on line you can  get 2x4 ft panels with acoustic egg crate foam inside with different color fabrics or scenes .I made A little base where the panel sits in perfect  like book ends in a way, you just put outside a foot or two  from where you speakers are in front to the side  ,it works great on reflections off the wall or whatever . When not using the piano ,either have made or buy a 
slip cover ,this too will avoid all reflective surfaces. My friend have a Big Baldwin grand piano and has a nice slip cover with elastic sewn into the edges it tucks down around and  under the frame.
4krowme's avatar
4krowme
542 posts
 
  My father used to tune pianos on weekends, and he showed me a little about them. First depending on the note, the deepest notes of a piano are one big string tightly wrapped around another large string. As you go up the scale, it becomes just one string being struck, then higher up 2 strings, and finally at the top 3 strings are being struck in order to produce the volume needed. 

 My thinking would be to press the 'soft pedal' down and keep it there, with a weight, giving the most damping of all the strings. Make sure that the top is down, and find a mattress sized sheet of memory foam to cover the piano with. 

 As for glass panes, I have used a quilt on a rack to hold it upright and put it in front of the window. Done. Same can be done behind the system. Incredible difference that you may or may not like. Adjust accordingly.
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