Dataset for Analysing Effects of Piano Pedalling Techniques

In this dataset, specifications with different conditions of pedalling techniques and piano touch were encoded as MIDI files, which were used to render audio using a Yamaha Disklavier grand piano. MIDI specifications for rendering isolated notes played with pedalling techniques on the sustain pedal include: - pedal timing: anticipatory, rhythmic, legato; - pedal depth: 127 (full pedal), 96 (three-quarter pedal), 64 (half pedal); - note velocity: 96 (forte), 84 (mezzo-forte), 49 (piano); - pitch: MIDI note value in [28, 32, 36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60, 64, 68, 72, 76, 80, 84, 88, 92, 96, 100, 104]. The above specifications on note velocity and pitch were used to render normally played isolated notes. To estimate partial frequencies and train NMF template for specific piano transcription, we generated all the 88 notes played at the mezzo-forte velocity without any pedalling technique. Apart from isolated notes, repeated notes (same note played repeatedly with an accelerated speed) and trills (rapid alternation between two adjacent notes) at three note velocities played without or with three depths of the anticipatory pedal were generated. Similar specifications were used to render chords and arpeggios (a group of notes from a chord played one after the other in an ascending/descending order). However, specifications on pitch were different: - for chords: major, minor, diminished and augmented triad chord with MIDI value of root note in [36, 48, 60, 72, 84, 96]; - for arpeggios: notes in C major chord going up two octaves, including four arpeggios that correspond to MIDI note value in [[36, 40, 43, 48, 52, 55, 60], [48, 52, 55, 60, 64, 67, 72], [60, 64, 67, 72, 76, 79, 84], [72, 76, 79, 84, 88, 91, 96]]. The same Disklavier piano were also used to playback MIDI files of four well-known pieces, including the third movement of the Piano Sonata No. 17 (Op. 31 No. 2-3) composed by Beethoven in 1801-02, Etude Op. 10 No. 3 composed by Chopin in 1832, the Ballades Op. 10 No. 1 composed by Brahms in 1854, and Jeux d'eau composed by Ravel in 1901. The SMD dataset already had the MIDI files of these four pieces, which were performed by professional pianists on a Disklavier. The recording was carried out at the Yamaha recording studio in Milton Keynes, United Kingdom, in March 2017. The instrument was a Yamaha Disklavier grand piano which was tuned directly prior to the recording session. The audio of the above MIDI rendering were recorded at a sampling rate of 44.1 kHz and a resolution of 24 bits, using the spaced-pair stereo microphone technique. A pair of Earthworks QTC40 omnidirectional condenser microphones was positioned about 50 cm above the strings. The positions were kept constant during the recording.