Yes, testing a string is not easy if you can't make a direct comparison
with some other known value (see my report on the synthetic loaded
bass). A change of room could make more difference than a change of
string or instrument. Then of course with a recording, the mics and
recorder all have their own tone. As you imply, probably, you can
abstract from the recording quality if the string you hear is
immediately compared with a known string on the same instrument, and
recorded in exactly the same conditions.
However, blind tests of Strads (etc) against modern violins seem to
show that perception can also be strongly effected by a musicians
expectation or prior knowledge. If you hope an instrument (or string)
should be good, you will possibly hear it as such. Apparently, a blind
test can cancel some bias, and give quite different results than
expected.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/03/science/in-play-off-between-old-and-n
ew-violins-stradivarius-lags.html
Indeed, when I spoke to two lutensists about the new synthetic loaded
strings: a lutenist who uses loaded gut and another who uses
wirewounds, their expectations immediately became apparent; the loaded
gut player expressed his fears that the synthetic loaded bass would
probably sound plasticky, and the wirewounds player asked me whether
the new string was as true as wirewounds, or a little false like loaded
gut strings. This fear or expectancy would no doubt bias their
judgement of the new string. Blind testing would possibly counteract
this.
I can't pretend to be less biassed, I think we are all biassed by the
strings we are most used to, which become our norm from which all else
is compared.
Regards
Anthony
__________________________________________________________________
De : "t...@heartistrymusic.com" <t...@heartistrymusic.com>
A : "lute@cs.dartmouth.edu" <lute@cs.dartmouth.edu>
Envoye le : Mercredi 7 mars 2012 8h08
Objet : [LUTE] Re: Violin strings out of spider's thread
I saw this two days ago on BBC, and after listening to the "sound
bite"
I thought, "There's no way to compare. Give me a sample sound bite
of a good violin with Thomastik strings, and the SAME violin with
spider
silk strings. Then I will have a basis for comparison." With their
current
sound sample I can't tell if it's the violin that's responsible for the
overall
sound and tone, or the string(s). Still, very cool.
Tom D
> Yes- I got the news from one of my lute students yesterday. I heard a
> sample sound bite on the radio on the way home from work today,
> somewhat strange sounding- reedy, "webby", a touch ethereal &
> otherworldly in a nice way. How the hell did they harvest and process
> it? About 12 years ago some archery folks tried to gather spider silk
> for bow strings (apparently the strength to mass/weight ratio is
> unbelievable) but they got tangled up in a sticky, nasty web mess and
> abandoned the project.
>
> Dan
>
> >
> On Mar 6, 2012, at 12:41 PM, Anthony Hind wrote:
>
> > Violin strings out of spider's thread:
> > [1]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17232058
> > Anthony
> >
> > --
> >
> >
> > To get on or off this list see list information at
> > [2]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
>
>
>
Tom Draughon
Heartistry Music
[3]http://www.heartistrymusic.com/artists/tom.html
714 9th Avenue West
Ashland, WI 54806
715-682-9362
--
References
1. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17232058
2. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/%7Ewbc/lute-admin/index.html
3. http://www.heartistrymusic.com/artists/tom.html
