If a harpsichord contains just one set of strings at normal concert pitch, its disposition is called 1 x 8'.
The disposition of an ottavino would be called 1 x 4', meaning it has one set of strings at four foot pitch.
Their dispositions are described as above, using digits to count each type of choir.
[1] The harpsichords of the celebrated French makers of the 18th century, such as Pascal Taskin, were more often 2 x 8', 1 x 4'[2] (the 4' choir sounded simultaneously with one or both of the 8' choirs, combining to produce a sound with 8' pitch, but an edgier tone quality).
German makers occasionally included a 16-foot choir (one octave lower), which combined auditorily with the 8-foot choirs to produce a deep, sonorous tone; thus an instrument built 1710 by the German builder J.