Different thickness plate affecting tune?

[10centNickle]

If I made a plate with different heights, for example, thin on the left gradually getting thicker, like a crescendo, would it make the tune change as you pressed the keys from left to right?  This is ignoring the fact that the switches would not be even.

[Sup]

The sound would change yes.

[tp4tissue]

This is an interesting idea, but keys already sound different between left and right.

I don't think this would make a tremendous difference to make the extra machining worthwhile.

If it was much much longer,like a meter, you may be able to hear something.  But at 28cm, it's terrifically rigid, won't produce a significantly different tune based on position.

It might work with a soft material though.

[Leslieann]

Variable thickness could change the pitch, but only a tiny amount and even that depends on the material, it will also significantly increase the cost of the board as the switch mounts have to have a set size, it can't just be whatever.  Also once the initial ring happens it will envelope the whole plate, so you can change the initial sound but after that it will be uniform across the keys. You would be better focusing on changing the overall sound rather than individual keys.


The rest of this also refers to your other post..
As with most factors of a keyboard it's all subtle and based on many other factors. Yes, each change will do a specific thing but the amount depends on everything else connected to it.

A great way to think of it is like this, putting foam into a fully lubed thick solid aluminum keyboard with silent reds is noticable because everything in it is so subtle, however putting that same foam into a Model M you wouldn't notice at all over the rest of the noise. Where does your board fit, likely somewhere in between and each and every other change will alter how much impact that plate change will have. Taking the aluminum board in the example above, all you need is not do the stabs and it changes the entire board. Switch to clicky switches and the stabs no longer matter. The plate could have a decent impact if it's the loudest part of the board but as soon as anything else is swapped it gets drowned out again.

[10centNickle]

So what are some ways I could change the individual pitch of keys?

[Leslieann]

Buy a piano.

[tp4tissue]

Buy a piano.

TP4 recommends the New Yamaha DGX670

[10centNickle]

Shame, thought I was on to something there.