[Audio Empire]

On Wed, 4 Jan 2012 15:55:01 -0800, Jenn wrote
(in article ):

In article , bob
wrote:

On Jan 4, 1:10*pm, Jenn wrote:

A hotel room? *Not an appropriate place to test what it is that makes a
Strad a Strad: *subtle tonal differences in a performance hall, and the
projection power across all frequency ranges and timbres in such a hall.

This is not a fact; it's a claim. What's more, it's a claim for which
we have (surprise, surprise) no empirical evidence.

Feel free to ask some players who hear and play Strads.


Now, it might be the case that Strads sound better than modern violins
when pushed to their limits in a large hall. But I've never heard
anyone enthusing about the glorious sound of a Strad who noted, "Of
course, you can only really hear the difference in a large hall."

Large isn't the issue.

Which one would you rather take home? *This brings into question the
issue of playability, set up, strings, familiarity, etc.

Then there is the issue of which specific instruments are used. *Not all
Strads or Guarneris or Costcos are equal, obviously.

I'm surprised that those here who preach about biased tests in audio
aren't all over this.

Because there's no bias here. Every violin was tested in the same
environment. Hence, no bias. It would be impossible to test violins in
all environments, of course, but someone who wants to claim that a
different environment would produce a different result assumes the
burden of proof.

If one is testing the tonal qualities of a performance instrument, it
makes sense to perform the test in the environment where the instrument
is to be used. Otherwise, it's like testing the handling ability of an
automobile while the auto is in a garage in park. If one tests the very
thing that makes an instrument special in an environment that is built
to mask those very qualities, the test is biased.



I don't think that analogy works. A violin will sound like a violin in a
small space or a large one. Keep in mind that musicians in the 17th century
most often played in trios, quartets, quintets, etc. in people's homes. The
idea of the full symphony orchestra, in a large concert hall was a product of
the second half of the 18th century and found it's golden era in the 19th and
20th centuries. I don't think that these Cremonese violin makers ever
"voiced" their instruments in large halls. Most were built, tested and tuned
in the violin maker's shop.

These violins, violas, cellos, and bass viols were simply what these men did
for a living. I'm sure that none ever thought that these instruments would
some day be revered icons if the violin makers' art.

Also there is, apparently, a company near Boston which molds instruments in
the violin family from carbon fiber - no wood. Those who own and perform with
them report that they sound better (whatever they mean by that) and they play
louder than any classic instrument, including those from the Cremonese
masters. One concert cellist even went so far to say that he never performs
with his Amati anymore because the carbon fiber cello is immune to
temperature and humidity changes and he can ship it as luggage rather than
book a seat for it in first class like he had to do with his wooden
instruments. He said that it always sounds the same and requires no time to
"acclimatize" to it's new surroundings. In the interview I heard, he said
that he could play a concert in Calgary Canada in January one night, and then
throw the cello in the baggage compartment of a commercial jet, and play
another concert in Guatemala the next night with the cello suffering no ill
effects of either the temperature change from cold and dry to hot and humid,
or the flight in the belly of the airplane at 35,000 feet!