I've just taken up the carpet and stripped the paper in our dinette. My fiddle sounds so much better, it seems to sing out really well. Now to pursuade my wife that we don't need to fit a carpet and really thin wallpaper is very trendy! What type of room acoustics do you prefer for your instrument.
I know some people spend a lot of time playing in the bathroom for the same reason. Something about all that tile and bare floors. Just don't take it in the shower with you.
The fiddle, and many other instruments, were designed centuries ago to be played in rooms where wall-to-wall carpeting was unknown, and walls were either plaster, stone, or wood-panelled with pictures hung on them. Soft, acoustically absorbent, chairs were pretty rare too. That's why I practice in the kitchen whenever I get the chance - not the bathroom because that has far too much reverberation.
Young Dan lives in some new flats, and I keep pestering him to get all the neighbours to go out so we can play in the stairwell. Not cos I don't want them to hear us, but cos they shout a lot and I don't want to hear them.
Found a splendid little cove on the beach about 5 miles south of Mallaig last summer, with the best imaginable outdoor acoustics. It's between the Morar river and Camusdarach if you want to try it. Sit on the rocks on the south side, about 5 yards seawards from the spring high tide line.
My practice room has several string instruments hanging on the walls including a Japanese Koto which has lots of strings. I get lots of sympathetic vibrations which sounds good. But the kitchen is my favorite place.
I, too, prefer hardwood floors and a smaller space for playing. It's amazing how much sound is lost from my pipes when I go outside, in the open. Very different experience.
I've never played in the bathroom and don't intend to do so -- any excess humidity might be a bit much for my reeds.
Our house was built in 1940, and the living room has excellent acoustics. We have oak floors, high ceilings, plaster walls and ceilings, and just enough small carpets and furniture to absorb all the extraneous vibrations that would otherwise occur.
You generally need some reflective surfaces and enough volume to create adequate acoustics. Stay away from acoustic ceiling tiles, wall-to-wall carpet, heavy drapes, and low ceilings. Bathrooms and outdoor spaces are fun, but the humidity can work against many ITM instruments.
I love hard plastered and tile structures, like you find in Mexico, and last summer in our flat on Corsica. The echo allows, on my flute anyway, for notes to appear to be held longer than you are actually blowing, which can be a big advantage. It's that 3 dimensional quality that is so intriguing.
There's a natural amphitheater near us here in New Mexico, a place where water coming over an escarpment has carved a big semi-spherical concavity into the rock, where you can play a measure of music and have it come back at you clearly. When you match the rhythm of the echo you can play duets. Quite magical. I want to try Canonic Sonatas there one day. A Canonic piece is one that is written as one line of music but played by two instruments a measure apart. The first instrument starts out and the second instrument comes in at the beginning after the first instrument has played the first measure. With the right delay, one instrument can achieve the same effect.
Anyway, perhaps the penultimate crux of the epitome when it comes to echo was Paul Horn's album "Inside" which was recorded inside the Taj Mahal. The security guard was about to eject Paul and the sound man until he heard the sound of the flute. He decided it would not be sacrilege after all to let him play and proceeded to sing along with Paul some Arabic prayers which are also on the album. Quite far out.
Chris
In our church-type thing there is one spot right in the center of the room that is really great acousticly.It just makes everything sound beautiful and perfect somehow.
We had a fiddle fest there once,and everyone was taking turns sitting in the "sweet spot." Or arguing as to who's turn it was.
The room has tile flooring,wooden walls up to a few feet from the ceiling,and then some kind of fluffy stuff to absorb sound.
There's a piece of duct tape on the floor marking the sweet spot(!).I want to go there sometime when nobody's there,and play.
-Kelly
We once played some kind of event in a ballroom that had a six foot diameter recessed parabolic reflector in the ceiling right in front of the stage. I think it was supposed to be some sort of cheezy lighting effect thingy. You could stand under it and enjoy the natural amplification for a while, but it was misaligned with the floor so it had kind of an ugly reverb that set your teeth on edge after a while. I was wondering if they put it there so that the band could hear what the bride was whispering to the groom during the first dance ("No dear, you can't have my bank card access code...").
In the Old Port of Montreal there are three huge disused grain silos. They now lie empty and until they rust away completely there are large speakers installed in one of them that play sounds collected over the internet. You can then listen to the reverberations via microphones inside the silo. If you want to try playing your instrument in the Silo check out http://www.silophone.net/
Room acoustics
Room acoustics
I've just taken up the carpet and stripped the paper in our dinette. My fiddle sounds so much better, it seems to sing out really well. Now to pursuade my wife that we don't need to fit a carpet and really thin wallpaper is very trendy! What type of room acoustics do you prefer for your instrument.
# Posted on August 3rd 2004 by Daver
Re: Room acoustics
I know some people spend a lot of time playing in the bathroom for the same reason. Something about all that tile and bare floors. Just don't take it in the shower with you.
# Posted on August 3rd 2004 by Don
Re: Room acoustics
The fiddle, and many other instruments, were designed centuries ago to be played in rooms where wall-to-wall carpeting was unknown, and walls were either plaster, stone, or wood-panelled with pictures hung on them. Soft, acoustically absorbent, chairs were pretty rare too. That's why I practice in the kitchen whenever I get the chance - not the bathroom because that has far too much reverberation.
Trevor
# Posted on August 3rd 2004 by lazyhound
Re: Room acoustics
Stairwells, and empty silos.
# Posted on August 3rd 2004 by rocking bow
Re: Room acoustics
Young Dan lives in some new flats, and I keep pestering him to get all the neighbours to go out so we can play in the stairwell. Not cos I don't want them to hear us, but cos they shout a lot and I don't want to hear them.
Found a splendid little cove on the beach about 5 miles south of Mallaig last summer, with the best imaginable outdoor acoustics. It's between the Morar river and Camusdarach if you want to try it. Sit on the rocks on the south side, about 5 yards seawards from the spring high tide line.
Dave
# Posted on August 3rd 2004 by showaddydadito
Re: Room acoustics
My practice room has several string instruments hanging on the walls including a Japanese Koto which has lots of strings. I get lots of sympathetic vibrations which sounds good. But the kitchen is my favorite place.
Mary
# Posted on August 3rd 2004 by Antikhntr
Re: Room acoustics
I, too, prefer hardwood floors and a smaller space for playing. It's amazing how much sound is lost from my pipes when I go outside, in the open. Very different experience.
I've never played in the bathroom and don't intend to do so -- any excess humidity might be a bit much for my reeds.
Best,
Jonathan
# Posted on August 3rd 2004 by j.hohl.kennedy
Re: Room acoustics
Our house was built in 1940, and the living room has excellent acoustics. We have oak floors, high ceilings, plaster walls and ceilings, and just enough small carpets and furniture to absorb all the extraneous vibrations that would otherwise occur.
You generally need some reflective surfaces and enough volume to create adequate acoustics. Stay away from acoustic ceiling tiles, wall-to-wall carpet, heavy drapes, and low ceilings. Bathrooms and outdoor spaces are fun, but the humidity can work against many ITM instruments.
# Posted on August 3rd 2004 by Audeamus
Re: Room acoustics
I love hard plastered and tile structures, like you find in Mexico, and last summer in our flat on Corsica. The echo allows, on my flute anyway, for notes to appear to be held longer than you are actually blowing, which can be a big advantage. It's that 3 dimensional quality that is so intriguing.
There's a natural amphitheater near us here in New Mexico, a place where water coming over an escarpment has carved a big semi-spherical concavity into the rock, where you can play a measure of music and have it come back at you clearly. When you match the rhythm of the echo you can play duets. Quite magical. I want to try Canonic Sonatas there one day. A Canonic piece is one that is written as one line of music but played by two instruments a measure apart. The first instrument starts out and the second instrument comes in at the beginning after the first instrument has played the first measure. With the right delay, one instrument can achieve the same effect.
Anyway, perhaps the penultimate crux of the epitome when it comes to echo was Paul Horn's album "Inside" which was recorded inside the Taj Mahal. The security guard was about to eject Paul and the sound man until he heard the sound of the flute. He decided it would not be sacrilege after all to let him play and proceeded to sing along with Paul some Arabic prayers which are also on the album. Quite far out.
Chris
# Posted on August 3rd 2004 by unique
Re: Room acoustics
In our church-type thing there is one spot right in the center of the room that is really great acousticly.It just makes everything sound beautiful and perfect somehow.
We had a fiddle fest there once,and everyone was taking turns sitting in the "sweet spot." Or arguing as to who's turn it was.
The room has tile flooring,wooden walls up to a few feet from the ceiling,and then some kind of fluffy stuff to absorb sound.
There's a piece of duct tape on the floor marking the sweet spot(!).I want to go there sometime when nobody's there,and play.
-Kelly
# Posted on August 3rd 2004 by seisflutes
Re: Room acoustics
I played outside a couple of weeks ago (the whistle) and I lost all tone ... as the wind blew across I lost all power...
Bathrooms are great to sing in.
# Posted on August 4th 2004 by dave73
Re: Room acoustics
We once played some kind of event in a ballroom that had a six foot diameter recessed parabolic reflector in the ceiling right in front of the stage. I think it was supposed to be some sort of cheezy lighting effect thingy. You could stand under it and enjoy the natural amplification for a while, but it was misaligned with the floor so it had kind of an ugly reverb that set your teeth on edge after a while. I was wondering if they put it there so that the band could hear what the bride was whispering to the groom during the first dance ("No dear, you can't have my bank card access code...").
# Posted on August 4th 2004 by Gzeg
Re: Room acoustics
In the Old Port of Montreal there are three huge disused grain silos. They now lie empty and until they rust away completely there are large speakers installed in one of them that play sounds collected over the internet. You can then listen to the reverberations via microphones inside the silo. If you want to try playing your instrument in the Silo check out http://www.silophone.net/
# Posted on August 4th 2004 by lildogturpy