The season 3 premier is upon us, people. There were a lot of quality contenders for this soundtrack slot. Mashups, covers and original tracks abound. Jason Yang’s cover of the Game of Thrones theme by Ramin Djawadi is all-around solid, though, and also pretty epic. The track incorporates acoustic and electric violin, and was recorded before the start of season 2. Play this on loop when the premier is over and you’re already starved for more. More »
It is taken for granted that generally speaking, Stradivarius violins are among the most sought after in the world, but what really matters is, just which hands is the violin in question being played with? Give a Stradivarius violin to a beginner and you will most probably be better hearing off a cat screeching orchestra, but when a maestro picks it up, now that is art in motion. Here is a rather unconventional take at what a violin could be in the future, thanks to technology lecturer Dylan Menzies who decided to fall back on the clever amalgamation of using software as well as lasers which will translate the positioning, speed and motion of a traditional wooden bow, all into music. In other words, Dylan introduces the O-Bow Laser Violin to the world.
The optical sensor-driven O-Bow will come encased in copper, complete with a groove for the bow, and this system of his will fall back on synthesis software in order to translate data which has been sent from an optical flow sensor, and that will help track the speed, motion and angle of a wooden rod in high resolution as though it is moving across it. Right now, the 5th prototype of the O-Bow has been completed, and it remains to be seen whether something like this will ever hit the market commercially.
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: SubPac Subwoofer Helps You Feel Your Music, The Vamp Adds Bluetooth Connectivity To Most Speakers, 
Playing a violin requires far more finesse than just dragging a bow across its strings. There are subtle nuances in motion, pressure, and speed required that take years to master. Or, you can wait for Dylan Menzies to perfect his easy-to-play optical O-Bow and just skip all the practice and rehearsals. More »
Like many complex 3D-printed projects, this violin isn’t entirely made on a 3D printer but it’s interesting nonetheless. It is a violin that costs about $12 to build and uses paper, 3D printed parts, and some cheap wire to make an instrument that, while not pretty to look at, is definitely capable of making some sort of music.
The project, run by Alex Davies, is definitely in the extreme DIY vein. To make the violin, they 3D printed a mold for the body, laid material over it (in this case, paper) and prepared a neck out of cardboard. Here’s the bill of materials, such as it is:
Flour and water for the wheat paste.
A 3D printer, and maybe 4 dollars worth of plastic.
Some picture hanging wire, pilfered from my room mate.
A drill, with a few drill bits.
A bottle of chai tea liquor.
The team even went so far as to make their own strings using a bit of wire and a drill. They used 3D-printed ABS plastic for some of the parts and used papier-mâché for the body, which seems to work fine. It’s obviously no Stradivarius but the fact that it’s even slightly playable is a great bit of luck and, with a bit of refinement I could see this as a real, usable product. In fact, the paper “exceeded expectations” in the sound department.
The trick with 3D printing is that it can be used to make many things but not everything. Ideally most 3D printing projects should require as little hands-on crafting as possible but this is obviously not always the case. However, the DIY movement has to start somewhere, even if it’s with a poor, beleaguered violinist causing a handmade instrument to yowl in pain. You can read more about the project here.
In my younger years, the violin was one of the many instruments I was made to learn. Unfortunately the lack of frets on a violin made it quite tricky and seeing the fool-proof Violin concept makes me wish that it was a reality back in the day. Designed by Jaewon Hwang, the WAVE electric violin concept has been designed in such a way that it will make learning the violin a piece of cake. It won’t turn you into a master player or a superstar composer, but it should give you the hang of the basics.
Basically this concept violin comes with tactile and braille-like indicators built into the violin which will tell players where their fingers ought to be placed. It even comes with an accelerometer to ensure that players are seated/standing in proper form (violinists will know what I’m talking about). In fact, it has been designed so that when it detects the player is not in the proper form, the electric violin will turn off and force players to readjust their stance. Pretty cool, huh?
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Jabra WAVE – now in red and with A2DP support, White Samsung Wave 3 seen in the wild,
I don’t know much about violins, but this one looks like it belongs in a heavy metal band. It is the Stratton Skull 5-String Electric Violin by Stratton Violin, and it is completely bad-ass.
The price tag for such a violin? Well, it will cost you $3,000.(USD) That’s a lot of money, but on the other hand, if you have a violin like this, you will probably end up having some adventures. Like getting into a violin duel with the devil. In Georgia. Where you have to defeat him and send him back to hell. Sorry. This thing reminded me of that song.
The in-your-face appearance of this five-string Stratton electric violin is more than just bravado; a Barbera Twin Hybrid bridge provides a rich, full tone, focused and strong. The Barbera works great with acoustic styles, but is uniquely well-suited for use with effects, performing exceptionally well in high-volume situations.
Are there any violinists out there who would rock this thing on stage?
[via Likecool]
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