Watch Met orchestra cellist play the first 3-D printed cello
mainThis is David Heiss on CNBC today, and he’s playing the future.
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The future sounded ghastly.
Yup.
If there were an aural equivalent of the phrase “butt ugly”, this would be it.
The truth is, it can only really function as an electric (amplified) cello, because it doesn’t appear to have any significant resonant capabilities of its own. Even as an electric instrument, it doesn’t sound as good as electric cellos that have been around for some time.
If THAT, as the cellist claims, is “tomorrow’s sound world”, I hope I shan’t live to hear it.
ROFL at “huh! it’s a different instrument!”
Yes, that is most certainly is.
Self-promotion and advertising bluster aside, this isn’t the “sound of the future”. It’s just a really silly technological experiment, nothing more. The simple fact that it needs to be amplified (which makes it that “different instrument”) means it has no real-life applications other than for those “cello guys” or half-naked “cello girl” who make videos whose sole purpose is… videos and YouTube hits.
No self-respecting musician would possibly use this in a professional context. This is nothing but a gimmick, a token of our modern obsession with the prowess of technology which neglects the simple fact that a quality instrument cannot be “printed,” but rather takes an enormous amount of craft, dedication, time and patience to make. I think the video clip speaks — or perhaps rather sounds — for itself.
The traditional wooden bow looked out of place. A black carbon-fibre CodaBow Classic like I use would have sounded no worse and looked more high-tech.