Forgot to say that the lower strings on an modern violin (G, D, and
A) are usually made of a plastic or gut core with a metal alloy
(steel, aluminium, gold, silver) wound around. You would have to
check with every single string. On my violin the D and A didn't react
on a magnet, but the G did.
The cheaper strings contain more steel and the chance of succes will
be bigger!
Michel Havenith
--- In motm@y..., "Michel Havenith" <anymail@x> wrote:
> The E string of a modern violin is usually made of steel or a steel
> with gold alloy. I checked with my violin and the E string reacted
on
> a magnet. Buy a cheap string, they have the most amount of steel!
>
> Michel Havenith,
> Netherlands
>
>
> --- In motm@y..., "sucrosemusic" <sucrosemusic@y...> wrote:
> > OK, I don't know what violin strings are made of, BUT if they're
> > ferrous, I'd wire up an electromagnet, just a coil of some sort,
> and
> > put in in the 'sweet spot' on the strings where either of the
> pickups
> > on an electric guitar are placed. Placing it at different
position
> > will affect the sound, because certain harmonics will be easier
to
> > get into motion in certain spots.
> >
> > Find out if you can get violin strings that are ferrous, though.
> > That's the key. Also, you're going to probably need to amplify
> your
> > signal quite a bit before your electromagnet will wiggle the
> strings
> > noticably (estimate around 20 watts, but who knows) since you're
> > basically making a speaker, but without a cone... or a permanent
> > magnet... etc etc. It'll be weak. It'll work. It won't work
> with
> > nylon strings.
> >
> >
> > --- In motm@y..., elhardt@a... wrote:
> > > I've always thought that transducers were another name for
> pickups,
> > and doing
> > > an internet search that seems to be what they are. They convert
> an
> > acoustic
> > > vibration into an electrical signal. But when reading about the
> old
> > Ondes
> > > Martenot keyboard instrument, they say that one of the speakers
> (or
> > diffusers)
> > > uses a transducer to drive the strings on one of these
diffusers.
> > Is there a
> > > device that I can use that takes an electronic signal and
> converts
> > it into an
> > > acoustic vibration for setting a string in motion or driving
the
> > bridge of an
> > > acoustic instrument? Something other than a speaker that is.
I'm
> > still thinking
> > > about setting a violin in motion using a synthesizer.
> > >
> > > -Elhardt