Pics of The Don Rickert-Designed Violin Synth Prototype 3

And a little commentary as well...

Here are photos from every possible angle of the new prototype. I am not going to tell you what the string sensing technology is, so you will have to ponder it based on the form factor of the "bridge." What you can easily see is that the actually strings are used on this prototype not only for fingerboard position sensing but for the bowing sensing as well. ALL wiring is concealed and the wireless technology is inside the instrument. There are no external controls on the instrument at this time, so the DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) controls are necessary right now. After some more design research, we will figure out the physical controls that should be on the instrument and what form they should take (e.g. buttons, sliders, knobs, pads, etc.)

The prototype pics do not represent the final final form of the synthesizer, but it is getting close. The next prototype iteration will have a neck angle adjustment feature and a MUCH less obtrusive tuning "thing" (for lack of a better term) that sits where the tailpiece would normally be. Like Professor Dan Overton's (of Aalborg University in Denmark http://media.aau.dk/) "Overtone Violin", we will be using knob type tuners like those manufactured by Steinberger for electirc guitars.

A "Conventional" Electric Violin Spinoff

Also, The basic form factor (the the changes mentioned above) will be the platform for a state-of-the-art electric violin, to be available in a conventionally tuned version and a version optimized for use as a baritone (octave) violin.

The Photos

The woods used are hard maple (some of it "ebonized"), spruce (all of it ebonized) and high-quality Baltic Birch plywood, finished with clear buffed nitrocellulose lacquer (i.e. guitar finish) over amber stain mixed according to Don Rickert's secret recipe...final coat of carnuaba wax. The body is "chambered", meaning essentially a solid body with large chambers to accommodate the various electronics, including several I-CubeX MIDI controllers and a wireless transmitter/reciever.

Click on any of the thumbnails for full-size views.

 

baritone, bowing, bridge, controls, Dan Overton, DAW, Don Rickert, fingerboard, I-CubeX, MIDI, octave, Overtone Violine, positions, prototype, Rickert, sensing, Steinberger, synthesizer, tuning, wireless, wireless

Comments

[Avrum]

Are you planning on selling your violin synths? I've been looking for something like this for years.

[Don Rickert]

Absolutely YES! Development is moving along, including the wireless bow (to capture bowing dynamics) that will be a highly recommended option. See our new site www.AdventurousMuse.com, when it goes live in the next day or so...all you get is an ugly page right now, as have not published the content or CSS to make it look good yet.