 | erdos0 |
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Tue Jan 3, 2012 12:56:36 am
http://www.npr.org/blogs/deceptivecadence/2012/01/02/144482863/double-blind-violin-test-can-you-pick-the-strad?sc=fb&cc=fp
Researches conducted a double blind study of the sound of Stradivarius and Guarneri violins with some contemporary ones. Professional violinists played them and could not correctly identify which ones were the supposedly superior classics.
This does not surprise me at all. It reminds me of something that a luthier told me. He does special fine tuning of violins prior to performances. The sound doesn't really change much. He just makes minor cosmetic improvements and installs new strings. Occasionally, customers are not satisfied with the supposedly enhanced sound. When this happens, he tells them to go for a walk while he does a bit more fine tuning. During this time, he does nothing to the violin. In almost all cases, the customer is satisfied after the extra fine tuning that never happened.
Tue Jan 3, 2012 1:01:17 am
This does not surprise me either. I mean it is the violinist who makes the beautiful music. I think it comes down to who is playing it.
Though there is something beautiful when I see pictures of the old violins...just imaging the stories.
Tue Jan 3, 2012 1:01:25 am
However, I am not anti-audiophile. Much of it makes no difference, but some of it does.
Tue Jan 3, 2012 1:02:11 am
re: comment#1
This does not surprise me either. I mean it is the violinist who makes the beautiful music. I think it comes down to who is playing it.
Though there is something beautiful when I see pictures of the old violins...just imaging the stories.
They had the same violinists play different violins why wearing sunglasses.Though there is something beautiful when I see pictures of the old violins...just imaging the stories.
Tue Jan 3, 2012 1:06:30 am
re: comment#3
They had the same violinists play different violins why wearing sunglasses.
I still don't think there would be a difference in the sound that is created. I have no doubt the violinist's felt they could hear a difference because of their love of the instrument. I think an instrument is an instrument and the player is the key not how old something is *or how new*.
I hope my interent works better soon. I want to read the article.
Tue Jan 3, 2012 1:07:34 am
I still can't really tell the difference between HD and SD on a large enough TV.
Tue Jan 3, 2012 1:09:39 am
re: comment#4
I still don't think there would be a difference in the sound that is created. I have no doubt the violinist's felt they could hear a difference because of their love of the instrument. I think an instrument is an instrument and the player is the key not how old something is *or how new*.
I hope my interent works better soon. I want to read the article.
Though I play no instuments so I could be very wrong. I have heard people play 'crappy' guitars and blow away the guy who has one that costs thousands just because of the talent.I hope my interent works better soon. I want to read the article.
Tue Jan 3, 2012 1:27:41 am
re: comment#5
I still can't really tell the difference between HD and SD on a large enough TV.
It's easy on the very large ones. It's more difficult on the small ones.
Tue Jan 3, 2012 1:28:05 am
I have fake Stradivarius, its quite old and needs some repairs.
Tue Jan 3, 2012 1:29:52 am
re: comment#7
It's easy on the very large ones. It's more difficult on the small ones.
I have the opposite experience.Tue Jan 3, 2012 1:30:19 am
re: comment#8
I have fake Stradivarius, its quite old and needs some repairs.
I don't know what type mine is, but I'm sure it's not Stradivarius. It has a label inside which states "handmade in Europe".Tue Jan 3, 2012 1:31:29 am
re: comment#9
I have the opposite experience.
Maybe you are referring to viewing the large ones from normal viewing distance. Viewing large televisions from a short distance makes it very easy to see the difference.Tue Jan 3, 2012 1:38:42 am
re: comment#2
However, I am not anti-audiophile. Much of it makes no difference, but some of it does.
ok so i went to take a shower and thought about what you were trying to say and my head did not understand. i get that it is the same player playing the old and new violins. I don't think that there would be a difference in the two violins because the same person would be playing and thus would have the same talent on either instrument.Tue Jan 3, 2012 1:38:48 am
re: comment#11
Maybe you are referring to viewing the large ones from normal viewing distance. Viewing large televisions from a short distance makes it very easy to see the difference.
If that explains why I can tell the difference on my laptop monitor but not on a 52" TV, then sure, why not.Tue Jan 3, 2012 1:53:02 am
re: comment#10
I don't know what type mine is, but I'm sure it's not Stradivarius. It has a label inside which states "handmade in Europe".
Mine has this:
I think 1724 is the fake date and 1904 is the real date it was made.
Tue Jan 3, 2012 2:26:04 am
re: comment#12
ok so i went to take a shower and thought about what you were trying to say and my head did not understand. i get that it is the same player playing the old and new violins. I don't think that there would be a difference in the two violins because the same person would be playing and thus would have the same talent on either instrument.
It does largely depend on who is playing the instrument--give Eddie Van Halen a shitty guitar, he'll still sound like Eddie Van Halen--but some of it is in the instrument itself. Different types of wood and different string gauges produce different qualities of sound--brighter, duller, more muted, faster decay, less sustain, etc. The differences are often miniscule, but they are present. Even poor intonation (at least on guitar; I dunno about violin) can be heard by someone with well-trained ears.
The thing here, though, is not that there was really so much difference in sound. It's more that people THOUGHT they could tell a difference when there wasn't any. IOW, they were just being prima donnas.
Tue Jan 3, 2012 2:32:47 am
re: comment#15
It does largely depend on who is playing the instrument--give Eddie Van Halen a shitty guitar, he'll still sound like Eddie Van Halen--but some of it is in the instrument itself. Different types of wood and different string gauges produce different qualities of sound--brighter, duller, more muted, faster decay, less sustain, etc. The differences are often miniscule, but they are present. Even poor intonation (at least on guitar; I dunno about violin) can be heard by someone with well-trained ears.
The thing here, though, is not that there was really so much difference in sound. It's more that people THOUGHT they could tell a difference when there wasn't any. IOW, they were just being prima donnas.
Thanks for the information. It is funny i just saw rufus wainwright on a show starting playing and he strummed the guitar and said: Oh, not on this one I am not. And he got another guitar and said it was out of tune as well. I could not hear a bit of difference in the third guitar and the first two he tried.
The thing here, though, is not that there was really so much difference in sound. It's more that people THOUGHT they could tell a difference when there wasn't any. IOW, they were just being prima donnas.
That is my inexperience with the instrument showing and his expertise.
I had forgotten that story.
Interesting conversation tonight.
Tue Jan 3, 2012 2:43:03 am
re: comment#12
ok so i went to take a shower and thought about what you were trying to say and my head did not understand. i get that it is the same player playing the old and new violins. I don't think that there would be a difference in the two violins because the same person would be playing and thus would have the same talent on either instrument.
There are subtle differences in the sound that violins produce, which result from differences in the type of wood used, tension in the frame, and natural imperfections. This part is a scientific fact. The faulty assertion was that certain types of violins, like Stradivarius and Guarneri, have superior sound. The differences are either too subtle to detect without special machinery or the old classics actually sound worse in some cases.Tue Jan 3, 2012 2:46:08 am
re: comment#13
If that explains why I can tell the difference on my laptop monitor but not on a 52" TV, then sure, why not.
That is a different issue. Computer displays have discrete resolutions. Televisions have scan lines that can change frequency and spacing. The underlying technology is fundamentally different. Also, computers have special antialiasing techniques for smoothing text. There are different methods of antialiasing which can create differences in apparent image quality. Televisions do not antialias text and don't need to, because broadcast typefaces are specially crafted for smoothness.Tue Jan 3, 2012 2:46:29 am
re: comment#14
Mine has this:
I think 1724 is the fake date and 1904 is the real date it was made.
♥
I think 1724 is the fake date and 1904 is the real date it was made.
Tue Jan 3, 2012 2:46:32 am
re: comment#17
There are subtle differences in the sound that violins produce, which result from differences in the type of wood used, tension in the frame, and natural imperfections. This part is a scientific fact. The faulty assertion was that certain types of violins, like Stradivarius and Guarneri, have superior sound. The differences are either too subtle to detect without special machinery or the old classics actually sound worse in some cases.
Thank you. That is really interesting information. (seriously)