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Please note this is an archived topic, so it is locked and unable to be replied to. You may, however, start a new topic and refer to this topic with a link: http://www.fiddlehangout.com/archive/54891
RinconMtnErnie - Posted - 03/10/2021: 18:02:46
I'm not someone who generally likes mutes, but I came across this one while looking for something else. I bought one and I really like it. Here is the manufacturer link viowiess.com/shopindex/pm, which has some pictures but none on a bridge. Here is a SW Strings link that has a picture on a bridge: swstrings.com/product/accessor...in/M200CP . I thought about taking my own picture with it mounted but that's probably not necessary.
It is a 3D-printed, laminated mute with internal magnets. As the manufacturer claims, it has a very low profile. So there is a very clear view of the bow ribbon beyond the bridge. Because of the magnets, it sits quite firmly. That's good for me as I'll leave it on most of the time at home. The magnets do slow things down putting it on and taking it off.
I've been using it on an instrument with synthetic strings. I had a wire mute on that instrument, so I'm just leaving the wire mute on the afterlength.
My only comparisons are with the wire mute and an Ultra practice mute. Of course the wire mute has a low profile and good tone, but is not really a practice mute. What I really dislike about normal practice mutes like the Ultra is how far they stick up above the bridge. Volume reduction is comparable to the Ultra. I'd need a sound meter to say anything more precisely.
I like this one enough to buy another for my cross-tuned fiddle.
The Violin Beautiful - Posted - 03/12/2021: 11:29:03
Paul is a friend of mine and I have been following his development of these mutes over the years. The leather mutes are the best I’ve used for the orchestral setting. The 3-D mutes have been an excellent new development, and it’s great to have a practice mute option that isn’t either dangerous to the instrument or poor-sounding.
I have a few of the mutes myself and highly recommend them to all players.
jgarber760 - Posted - 03/13/2021: 08:51:58
I needed a mute the other day but the only one I had was the heavy metal one that makes the fiddle sound like it was solid lead. I would love to have a mute that just reduced the sound overall but still maintained the overall tonal range. It sounds like the Prizma mutes are closer to what I want. Has anyone used those and, if so, which one?
Edited by - jgarber760 on 03/13/2021 08:52:24
The Violin Beautiful - Posted - 03/13/2021: 11:03:49
I have one (viol) and have seen them on several customers’ instruments. They do work very well. I think a lot of their success comes down to their careful attention to the infilling in the various layers, which differentiates them from solid rubber mutes.
The Prizma is an orchestral mute, so if you’re looking for something that drastically reduces volume (e.g. for playing in a hotel room), the Catrpilr practice mute is designed for that purpose.
jgarber760 - Posted - 03/13/2021: 13:59:14
I am looking for something that just reduces volume overall but still maintains the range treble to bass More or less.
The Violin Beautiful - Posted - 03/13/2021: 18:11:31
All mutes will reduce volume, but the weight, shape, and material affect the tonal range you get. Adding mass to the bridge will change the character of the sound in addition to reducing loudness.
The orchestral mutes are useful because they don’t drastically reduce volume, yet they do change the timbre. Some pieces or sections of pieces sound much better with the sound modulation of the mute. Here’s an example:
youtu.be/K-kffItjtS4
If you try playing the piece without a mute, it’ll just sound wrong immediately!
I think any of the Wiessmeyer mutes will give you a good result. It just depends on how much you want to lower the volume.
jgarber760 - Posted - 03/14/2021: 17:50:49
I figure I might try one Prizma and one 3D Sound mute. According to descriptions, Prizma maintains the high end and 3D the low end. My heavy metal one makes it way too quiet and no range of any tone. Similarly but not so bad are some common wooden clothes pins.