MOTM

I posted the following to the AH list, but nobody actually tried it and 
responded back.  Now that there is a similar thread going on here, I'll try 
it on this list.  This has to do with using the sound of a body of an 
acoustic instrument with an electronic sound.

I have been wanting to try something for many years but maybe somebody else 
can who has a Cello or Violin and then can tell us whether the results are 
any good.  I have wanted to attach a powered speaker to the body of Cello for 
instance, and run a synthesized string sound into it.  The Cello would act as 
a resonating speaker cabinet and produce the woody sound of a Cello.  The 
Cello would then be mic'd and its sound could be mixed back in with the 
original synthetic string sound in any percentage (or perhaps only the mic'd 
sound would suffice).  I realize cutting out a hole in an instrument may not 
be something you want to do, but perhaps just taping a small speaker face 
down where the bridge normally sits would be enough to see whether this 
theory is useful for creating more realistic string sounds.

-Elhardt

jlarryh@... writes:

>>There might be something to say for this.  The best brass sounds I ever 
heard were produced by a driver with a horn attached  that looked just like 
the bell of a trumpet.<<

I'm pretty sure it could be very useful.  I base this on the fact then when I 
got my first synthesizer in 1979 I had to play it through my families hammond 
organ with Leslie speaker.  I was able to get better cello and violin sounds 
through the Leslie than when moving to speakers that didn't color the sound 
so much.  So using a real Cello body might work well.

>>My wife has a Cello.  Do know how much those damn things cost?<<

Actually they can be bought new for between $250 and $350.  I'm sure the sky 
is the limit on the high end.

-Elhardt

There might be something to say for this.  The best brass sounds I ever
heard were produced by a driver with a horn attached  that looked just like
the bell of a trumpet.  My wife has a Cello.  Do know how much those damn
things cost?  HAHA
Larry H

----- Original Message -----
From: <elhardt@...>
To: <motm@egroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, December 27, 2000 10:38 PM
Subject: [motm] stupid electronics tricks (Cello body?)


I posted the following to the AH list, but nobody actually tried it and
responded back.  Now that there is a similar thread going on here, I'll try
it on this list.  This has to do with using the sound of a body of an
acoustic instrument with an electronic sound.

I have been wanting to try something for many years but maybe somebody else
can who has a Cello or Violin and then can tell us whether the results are
any good.  I have wanted to attach a powered speaker to the body of Cello
for
instance, and run a synthesized string sound into it.  The Cello would act
as
a resonating speaker cabinet and produce the woody sound of a Cello.  The
Cello would then be mic'd and its sound could be mixed back in with the
original synthetic string sound in any percentage (or perhaps only the mic'd
sound would suffice).  I realize cutting out a hole in an instrument may not
be something you want to do, but perhaps just taping a small speaker face
down where the bridge normally sits would be enough to see whether this
theory is useful for creating more realistic string sounds.

-Elhardt

Kinda interesting ideas from everyone along these OT lines here. Maybe Larry 
can take out a hole saw and mount a speaker in his wife's cello while she's 
out of the house and tell us how it sounds -- also how it sounds when she 
hits him over the head with it!

One thought I had along these lines is to build a box of "roughly" similar 
dimensions as a cello for similar frequency response, and mount a speaker (or 
a mic) inside that box to get the resonance characteristics desired.

A couple of more "acoustic synth" ideas which I've stolen are:

1) I read something from Pete Townshend which he had experimented with 
setting up a stereo pair of mics in a room. He then ran a bunch of different 
synth voices through separate amp/spaeker systems which were distributed 
throughout the room in a similar fashion as an orchestra is set up. This adds 
the room ambiance to a purely electronic medium. I fully intend to do this 
when I get an extra room and about ten times as much electronic music 
equipment as I currently have.

2) There was a self titled record released in 1975 from a band called 
Armageddon on which there is a song "Last Stand Before" which has a guitar 
solo played using the following effect: 
a) Mic a piano and put a telephone book on the sustain pedal. 
b) Run the prerecorded guitar solo through a speaker set near the piano sound 
board (probably pretty loud). 
c) At certain strategic points in the solo, turn up the mic (and maybe turn 
down the send to the speaker too) for weird haunting sustained notes. 

I believe this can be done with an autoharp in another room and a dual VCA 
and an envelope follower to control the sustaining notes.


What would be really nice for the autoharp idea is to use some sort of cheap 
but good contact PU. this would also be good for adding outputs to those 
garage sale guitars, cheap sitars, home built log drums, and the other 
similar instruments which many of us have a garage full, and cost less than 
your typical Barcus Berry PU.


More ideas anyone?
JB

In a message dated 12/27/2000 8:55:21 PM, elhardt@... writes:

>jlarryh@... writes:
>
>>>There might be something to say for this.  The best brass sounds I ever
>
>heard were produced by a driver with a horn attached  that looked just
>like 
>the bell of a trumpet.<<
>
>I'm pretty sure it could be very useful.  I base this on the fact then
>when I 
>got my first synthesizer in 1979 I had to play it through my families hammond
>
>organ with Leslie speaker.  I was able to get better cello and violin sounds
>
>through the Leslie than when moving to speakers that didn't color the sound
>
>so much.  So using a real Cello body might work well.
>
>>>My wife has a Cello.  Do know how much those damn things cost?<<
>
>Actually they can be bought new for between $250 and $350.  I'm sure the
>sky 
>is the limit on the high end.
>