Viola Tone Quality Study Using an Instrument with Synthesized Normal Modes
W. S. Gorrill · The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America · 1973
A viola with electronically synthesized normal body modes provides a flexible means for getting correlation between the subjective observations of tone quality and the known physical characteristics responsible for producing the tone. The Q and the amplitudes of all the normal modes are easily adjustable. It is desirable to have the frequency of a few of the modes variable over a small range. The viola used is somewhat similar to the violins described by Max Mathews and is a development from the instrument demonstrated in 1972. Both laboratory studies and the subjective results of extensive playing in chamber music groups will be described. The instrument will be demonstrated with settings to produce tone qualities typical of several different types of violas.