Rue Posted June 28, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2020 This is just one of many "entertaining" videos suggesting some of the pros and cons a beginner might expect when purchasing a cheap instrument. There are similar videos comparing cheapest/professional examples of practically any instrument you can think of. There's nothing else to read into it...just enjoy the skill of the player! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl Stross Posted June 28, 2020 Report Share Posted June 28, 2020 1 hour ago, twcellist said: We all know that a $69 violin is going to sound and play like crap so this was just more a comical video if anything. What would have been more meaningful is compare modern professional grade against the Strad, but then I’m guessing nobody wants to hear that modern instrument could be better. But it doesn't "sound and play like crap". It's actually surprisingly usable. Showing that was, I think, the intent of the exercise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Burgess Posted June 28, 2020 Report Share Posted June 28, 2020 22 minutes ago, Carl Stross said: But it doesn't "sound and play like crap". It's actually surprisingly usable. Showing that was, I think, the intent of the exercise. I think that highly depends upon where on the scale one's crap threshold lies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl Stross Posted June 28, 2020 Report Share Posted June 28, 2020 5 minutes ago, David Burgess said: I think that highly depends upon where on the scale one's crap threshold lies. Indeed. It's just I was expecting way worse and wonder why it isn't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty Kasprzyk Posted June 29, 2020 Report Share Posted June 29, 2020 My impression was that the Strad was always louder. This may have contributed to Ray Chen often saying he "had to work harder". An Audacity plot (attached) of the last tune in the recording shows that the Strad was considerably louder almost everywhere except at about 800 and 1200Hz. I speculate that the $69 violin's plates are relatively thick and that the output could be increased by reducing their thicknesses. However since this violin was intended for beginning students it's probably not a good ideas to increase its loudness for the family's sake. Before the Strad was regraduated it probably sounded similar to the $69 one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty Kasprzyk Posted June 29, 2020 Report Share Posted June 29, 2020 Just now, Marty Kasprzyk said: My impression was that the Strad was always louder. This may have contributed to Ray Chen often saying he "had to work harder". An Audacity plot (attached) of the last tune in the recording shows that the Strad was considerably louder almost everywhere except at about 800 and 1200Hz. I speculate that the $69 violin's plates are relatively thick and that the output could be increased by reducing their thicknesses. However since this violin was intended for beginning students it's probably not a good ideas to increase its loudness for the family's sake. Before the Strad was regraduated it probably sounded similar to the $69 one. Oops, here's the attachment Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martin swan Posted June 29, 2020 Report Share Posted June 29, 2020 2 minutes ago, Marty Kasprzyk said: Oops, here's the attachment Amazing to see that neither of them make ANY SOUND over 8 kHz! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fiolmattias Posted June 30, 2020 Report Share Posted June 30, 2020 15 hours ago, martin swan said: Amazing to see that neither of them make ANY SOUND over 8 kHz! His mic and youtube audio conversion perhaps gives a clue? I guess that the Youtube prefered algorithm also boostes some areas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blank face Posted June 30, 2020 Report Share Posted June 30, 2020 Probably this is a hint how the recording was processed. Adding a hi-filter at 8 000 cuts off most what’s harsh or shriek, and there was surely something more manipulated (what’s usual). Maybe this is what Martin was pointing out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martin swan Posted June 30, 2020 Report Share Posted June 30, 2020 5 minutes ago, Blank face said: Maybe this is what Martin was pointing out? Yes. I suppose I would make 2 points. 1. judging a violin with everything above 8kHz filtered out is OK if you're deaf 2. this Audacity plot is a nice illustration of how two utterly different sounding violins (one really good and the other laughably bad) can look relatively similar on an Audacity plot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty Kasprzyk Posted June 30, 2020 Report Share Posted June 30, 2020 1 hour ago, martin swan said: Yes. I suppose I would make 2 points. 1. judging a violin with everything above 8kHz filtered out is OK if you're deaf 2. this Audacity plot is a nice illustration of how two utterly different sounding violins (one really good and the other laughably bad) can look relatively similar on an Audacity plot Overall envelope shapes look similar because Ray Chen, as he said, was trying real hard to make them sound similar. If this was a bowing machine or impact hammer test I would expect them to be a little more different. Although the envelope shapes are similar the individual peaks have very different amplitudes which would make the same notes from both violins sound quite different. However the big take away for me was that the Strad's entire envelope shape was about 5-10dB louder. That's a lot. In order to make the $69 play louder it is necessary to play close to the bridge which also brightens the sound. The Strad could be bowed farther away from the bridge and still be adequately loud. This can produce a darker more mellow sound when desired. Thus the Strad had a desirable wider range of sound colors which was apparent to me in the recording. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martin swan Posted June 30, 2020 Report Share Posted June 30, 2020 2 minutes ago, Marty Kasprzyk said: However the big take away for me was that the Strad's entire envelope shape was about 5-10dB louder. That's a lot. Agreed - also interesting that the differences in output are more noticeable around the fundamentals and the upper-mid ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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