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How do I smooth out violins?

I have a decent system (bit of a mixed bag) but know that I can achieve a smoother, more integrated, and more relaxed massed violin sound. I listen to a ton of orchestral music and notice that massed violins in their upper registers (1500-3500 Hz) often jump out from the mix and sound a bit harsh, unlike what one hears live. Right now, I have the following:

Spendor SP1/2E
McCormick DNA-125 (original)
NAD 1600 (pre/tuner)
Marantz CD3000
Audioquest Sidewinder ICs
Audioquest Type 4

Would a tube pre help (maybe a AA M3A)? I'm thinking that the NAD may be the culprit. Any advice from those of you who have quested for "real" violin sound is very much appreciated.
bojack
peter_s
1,332 posts
 
I think you're going to have to play around with substitutions a bit. Do you have any friends with gear, who would be willing to bring it over? I'd focus on the preamp and source (CDP). What about your room. Is it overly "live"? I'm assuming that you hear this affect on multiple recordings, so it's not just the recording.
jallen
502 posts
 
Need tubes somewhere. Try a cj or quicksilver preamp or something similiar first.
almarg's avatar
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almarg
9,670 posts
 
... Massed violins in their upper registers (1500-3500 Hz) OFTEN [emphasis added] jump out from the mix and sound a bit harsh, unlike what one hears live.
As I read it the information provided does not exclude the possibility that it may be a recording issue, as Rok2id suggested.

Have you found this to occur with orchestral recordings that you know to have been recorded with "purist" microphone techniques (e.g., 2 or 3 well placed mics), and that you can say with confidence have been well engineered in other respects? Or have all of the recordings on which you have perceived this problem been heavily multi-mic'd, with the forest of microphones that are typically used for orchestral recordings released by many of the major labels?

Regards,
-- Al
plato
1,543 posts
 
I think the tube preamp is a good idea along with the cables and power conditioning measures that Elizabeth mentioned.
sidssp
1,077 posts
 
Mass string is very difficult to reproduce well with digital source. I suggest you start with the CD player. But if you want silky strings, I am afraid you might have to change over to vinyl. IMHO of course.
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