I feel inclined to point out that we have one of the foremost authorities on silk strings contributing to this list, Alex Rakov. While spider silk may vary slightly from typical silkworm stuff, I'm sure they behave in a similar fashion. Alex? RA > Date: Wed, 7 Mar 2012 12:59:04 +0000 > To: [email protected] > CC: [email protected] > From: [email protected] > Subject: [LUTE] Re: Violin strings out of spider's thread (objective blind test?) > > 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 : "[email protected]" <[email protected]> > A : "[email protected]" <[email protected]> > 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 >
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