Everyday, advancement in technology is slowly replacing the need for humans themselves to perform tasks. People that used to station at carpark entrances are now replaced by machines. And heaven forbid, robots performing unassisted heart surgery.
The latest invention that is also replacing a human’s task is the Virtuoso. It is an amazing violin that is capable of playing by itself. But instead of creating a sophisticated robotic hand to control the pitch, the inventor used an electromagnetic system to achieve the same results. So what we’ll see is the bow bowing magically all by itself in mid-air.
Getting one for your home will surely amaze every guest in the house. But not without a hefty price tag of course. A set will cause a damage of $17,500 to your bank account.
August 25th, 2006 at 3:57 am
What’s the name of this symphony repeatedly played in this clip? (the one repeated at the end)
Very neat invention and sounds very real.
August 25th, 2006 at 6:40 am
The music is “Czardas” by V. Monti.
As a classical music enthusiast, I have to say it sounds as mechanical as it is. Human violinists are in no danger.
You can find older mechanical violins. I saw one once that was part of something called an orchestrion, essentially a music box on steroids. This “violin” used only one string, and had mechanical “fingers” along the entire length to stop the string for the correct note. Instead of a straight bow, it had a wheel that turned continuously.
August 25th, 2006 at 2:03 pm
I agree… this is nothing more than a novelty.
Besides the already evident “no soul” aspect to the music it plays, there is no real saving grace to this. The tone is terrible, its incabable of vibrato (it will be forever stuck playing like a first year violinist) and at the very basic level, it cannot perform expressivo.
The other problem that may not be readily evident is that people who listen to classical music do not go to a concert to listen to music. That can be accomplished at home, often with a much superior orcehstra performing (or even the composer conducting!). One goes to a concert to see a performance! Because the machine is not capable of musical interpretation, then it could be argued that it is not even performing at all… its just replaying the notes. Listening to this play music would be like listening to Ben Stein read through Hamlet, including all the parts. There is nothing here that is exciting or new.
Like the previous poster said, musicians are in no trouble of being replaced.
August 29th, 2006 at 1:50 am
it also cannot do multiple stopping - it only seems do a primitive form of droning using the outside strings (what they call “harmonic resonance”) although they never explain this, and the sound difference is not readily apparent.
considering how much professional musicians get payed (at least in the smaller symphonies in the U.S.), you’re getting ripped off at $17k.