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Electronic Sound Modification (rack-mount or pedal effects) A variety of outboard electronics systems are
available. Some offer control of higher quality/flexibility than
in typical amps or PAs. Others feature unique sounds. Reverb and
EQ are probably the most useful to violin players. Electronics in my experience tend to rob amplified sound of its "immediacy". ("Stompbox" effects used by electric guitarists will degrade a hi-fi violin sound.) Research effects
at Harmony Central, and try them at your local music store, going
first through an acoustic pre-amp.
The best basic sound quality is probably achieved
with a short signal path between violin and amp. Time-Based Effects include reverb (to create the sound of an echo or illusion of playing in different sized rooms.) Reverb, used with restraint, can really improve the sound of a "dry" signal. Overuse will diffuse your sound. My suggestion is to look for a used Alesis reverb. A related effect is "delay". A good use with violin is to create a doubling of the signal to thicken the sound, or at a 25-30ms double, mimic the resonance between the top and back plates of the instrument. Extreme delays can allow you to layer sounds together. Dynamics Processors (Compressors, Limiters, Gates) I haven’t found much use for these because they affect the subtle attack and decay characteristics of bowing. Guitar players often use compression for sustain (to mimic the sound of violins!) Using a very slight compression can make your bowing sound smoother. Sound modeling and other effects Electric guitarists use a wide variety of electronics to radically alter their sound, and I’ve experimented with some of them. Two major problems are fidelity and response to bowing accents. Effects are often looking for discrete notes, and violin glissandos are may not be tracked well. Other items of interest are transposing effects for playing both bass lines and creating the sound of string sections. The inexpensive octave/transposition and mid priced harmonizer electronics don’t work very well with violin. The higher priced equipment may be suitable. Check out Zeta's midi violins if you are headed in this direction. A wah pedal can be a very effective sound. Richard Greene used one with Seatrain on "Thirteen Questions". A vocoder or "talk box" (as used by guitarist Jeff Beck and others) would be interesting to hear with violin. Not many violinists have used guitar effects for shaping sound in rock music. There is room for innovation! Using Equalization (EQ) Controls Parametric and graphic EQ electronics are often
featured on pre-amps, powered mixers, and as floor pedals or rack-mount
units. EQs are sophisticated tone controls and can also be used
to eliminate feedback by cutting frequencies where it exists.
The trick is to use them for "fine tuning" without affecting
the overall tone of the instrument too much! On a graphic EQ (pictured) this
means keeping the controls pretty close to the base line. I tend
to cut the highest treble frequencies and sometimes the bass slightly.
Boosting or cutting frequencies to any great Many of the new acoustic amps come with "sweep" parametric EQs used to notch out feedback. Here’s a non-technical example of how it works on my Trace 50RBK: If the control is at 12 o’clock on the dial, and there is feedback on a G note, moving the control to another location will eliminate it. There are always secondary feedback tones though. If the D note begins to feedback, adjust the control again. In locations on the dial where there is no feedback present, there will be variations in tone and "resonance". High resonance is an indication that feedback is about to occur. I've been aiming for more of a "dry" midrange sound, and adding reverb. If you have a standard parametric EQ, you can eliminate bow noise and thump at around 80hz, and adjust for the piezo frequency bump @ 250-400hz. (I have also read of a characteristic 3khz resonance in acoustic instruments.) Finally, electronic feedback eliminators may be useful, but I’ve never tried one. Accessories Volume Pedals I've found volume pedals only necessary in loud vocal-oriented settings. Place them between the preamp and PA/amp, and adjust for maximum volume at the forward position. I find they are easier to use if a low minimum volume is set, rather than setting the minimum to zero. A volume pedal is not appropriate for use with a microphone, and don't buy them used. Cables and Connectors Carpenter ¼" output jack assemblies clamp on to the side of the violin (with brackets like the ones used to secure chinrests.) They are highly recommended, and can be wired to pass two signals through a stereo cable. They are sold through the Stewart McDonald catalog. Some pick-up manufacturers suggest clipping or tying the output jacks to the violin tailpiece. Don’t do it! A hard tug on the cord will damage your violin (or pull the plug across the top of the instrument which will also cause damage.) I’d suggest changing connectors on pickups featuring mini-jack connectors. They can be replaced with a ¼" jack, so that any standard instrument cable can be used. Use a high quality cable, and keep some spares. I have a female to female ¼" connector for stringing together two cables, and will walk out from the stage area during the sound check. Its interesting to hear what you sound like from the audience, and if the sound is balanced w/other instruments. Doing this with a mic is not recommended, it will feed back. Headphone monitors It can be hard to hear yourself on stage.
Having the violin sound in an earphone is very helpful for achieving
good intonation. The expensive solution is a wireless monitor
If you use the preamp or amp signal, make sure the sound mix is already balanced for the audience and other musicians on stage. A headphone monitor will allow you to turn the stage monitors away from the violin, eliminating a source of feedback. One of Fishman’s Blender preamps has a headphone output, but I believe its price is about $300. Solid Body electric instruments If you’re playing at high volume levels, a solid body is a good solution. There are many commercially available solid violins, and some are beautifully designed. They tend to be expensive too. If you have no experience with electric violins, I'd suggest adapting an inexpensive acoustic violin with a Barbera or using a Bowtronics first. (If you are new to the violin I would not recommend starting with a solid instrument.) See Bowed Electricity for builder's links, or search "electric violin" on AltaVista. Barbera's heaviest bridge is a great choice for a solid violin and many builders feature it. Any of the pickups listed above can be mounted on a solid body except the McIntyre. Body vibrations, which may cause feedback would be mostly eliminated, though the same vibrations contribute to a resonant acoustic sound. This also means, in my opinion, the sound of a solid body violin will not be affected much by the composition of the body. A headphone monitor would be especially useful for keeping good intonation. To adapt an acoustic violin for high volume playing: lessen body vibration by adding additional sound posts or a block under the bridge. Ben Mink, who played with kd Lang, used dowels to replace the sides of his violin (and created a diorama inside with little plastic cows grazing...) Other Thoughts All prices on equipment quoted here are from music stores
or the internet in early 2001. I’d suggest Guitar
Center
or Musician’s Friend
for the lowest prices. (Sometimes smaller chains or local stores will match their
prices.) Both have catalogs. Most of the information here is applicable for mandolins
too, (unless you’re looking to play with the tone of an electric
guitar. For that sound, read my
article on electric mandolins)
Please send all comments, corrections, and suggestions via email
to mojo@tiac.net If you are interested in publishing this article or an adaptation, please let me know. -- thanks, Joel Glassman
Babs says,"Be kind to your audience and get some good equipment!"  
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degree will degrade the tone,
and the need for radical EQ settings probably indicates another
problem. (Maybe the battery in your preamp is dead?) Using a basic
graphic EQ for eliminating feedback is not recommended. Most are
not precise enough-though the one pictured above is.
sending the PA mix to a custom-molded earplug. My solution is to
send the signal to a headphone amplifier. Any headphone
amp will work but the following is small enough to belt mount:
