Peter K-G

That's a bold statement

You are probably right. A box with strings, the player and the audience is all that's needed. All boxes are equally powerful

Robert, I claim that my violins are more powerful because i place the STLs at a narrower angle. They also have more resistance to the bow. Question to the study: Why was unusual plates used? Low freqencies, heavy top and light back.

Sure, but not if your decision secuence is like 1. copy the arch of a known violin or use some templates 2. graduation/thickness

If tap tones are not important but archings are... Tap tones are a consequence of arching and wood properties. Too late to start thinking about tap tones after you have made the arch height and shape.

Quite often with the sound post close to, or right under the right bridge feet.

Agree, but I have also seen fiddlers "frantically" moving the sound post around (destroying the top) in late summer, when the problem is the fiddle, that usually sounds fine, except in summer when they usually play.

Humidity does a lot more to the violin than tightness of the sound post.

Too late to decide modes and weight after you have done arching. Arching and volume dictates what you can do with your plates

Yes, there is a strong correlation between humidity and loudness! But it depends very much on your violin. Some are louder when humid and some when dry

I was thinking that this is so well known, that it didn't need explicit explanation. Rephrasing: You can only compare free plate modes like M5 and M2 (there are many others) and B1 modes on a finished violins, if you know their EMC at the time of reading the frequencies. Ex.(with chinrest) In mid winter my violins B1+ modes are ~535-540 Hz and in late summer ~520-525Hz. Free plate mode M5 (winter/summer) ~350-355 Hz/335-340 Hz

To OP You have discovered that you can not compare frequencies with others and hence the effect they may or may not have on the sound. You can only compare frequencies M5, M2 and B1 modes on a finished violins, if you know their EMC at the time of reading the frequencies.

Deciding plate thinkness without knowing wood density is just silly! There is a hugh differens between 0.35 - 0.45 top and 0.55 - 0.65 back

35 back plates are the best, then again I have only made 35s so it's hard to tell, they sound alike though.