Saturday, 11 July 2015
Updates DIY Electric Cello
The cello project is coming up really nice. Here are some fine adjustments made:
•New tail piece gut made of nylon.
•Mounted the passive filter and preamp on the body for easy access.
A 9v battery can easily power up the small preamp (to be installed in the future).
Currently using power AC adapter with adjustable voltage, but the quality of the adapter is low and the voltage dances around a bit. This can lead to distortions but at the moment I am satisfied with the sound coming through.
SMALL ISSUES:
•Everything needs to be tight or else it adds parasite vibratios to the instrument.
•The keys normally used for electric guitars have a part that loosens up over a few months, and needs tightening.
•I made the nut grooves too wide for some strings, so if I don't place a small wood splice in the grooves the string tends to buzz.
This is how the cello looks like right now:
Electric Cello DIY from Liviu on Vimeo.
RECORDING:
•I tried recording with the laptop, but there is a horrible buzzing sound from the AC power supply, and the signal dies after a couple of seconds. And comes back only after I pause playing
•When recording with a microphone the sound is really different, more metallic.
If you made or seen similar projects, please send me a link.
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Amazing job on both the cello and your skills. I too, as an adult, have picked up the cello very recently. My son started playing after school and I had the chance to start playing with him as part of an experimental parent/child project.
ReplyDeleteWe both have access to classic cellos but I am unable to practice for myself when the kids have gone to sleep because even tho it has a beautiful sound it would wake them up :) I am nowhere near your skill as we only get to practice an hour or less every week, and I am mostly a side kick to get him to keep playing, but I would like to practice more on my own.
I've been looking around a bit for electrical cellos, and diy projects and found yours today. It's by far the most ambitious and promising project I have seen. I think I must have a go at something similar.
Would you be able to post a video/audio of you playing it powered off, maybe also saying something in normal voice for comparison? It'd be nice to hear how other people would experience it when played with head phones.
It'd also be very nice if you were able to post a list/links to the items you bought so I don't buy crap/wrong stuff.
From what I can tell the pickup looks like this one, but the rest of the items I am not sure.
http://www.janika.co.uk/BRIDGE-PICKUP-AND-CONTROLS-VIOLIN-MANDOLIN-UKULELE.php
Andreas,
Deletegreat to hear you started learning to play the cello. I hope the following information will help you in your journey.
Before testing any electric cello, try a "cello mute" silencer.
You are right about the pickup. Its the same product in the link.
The white box (active preamplifier kit with equalizer) is now discarded.
They just stopped working one day (home made), so I bought a guitar amplifier.
Since then I use only the cable and piezzo sensor to connect directly to guitar amp input.
The loudness without amplification is similar to normal voice, except for the A and D string on high notes.
Free strings also tend to sound louder than notes using fingers.
As you play with your ear near the strings you dont even need headphones.
Here is a sound test comparing voice, electric cello and acoustic cello:
http://diyfunworks.blogspot.ro/2015/10/this-is-sound-test-comparing-voice.html
Very good info! Thanks alot!
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