MOTM

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