JS Bach - G Suite Sarabande on NS cello

[wozir123456]

Dear Vesselin,

your Sound on the CR-5 is amazing - congratulations on that and of course your fantastic playing!

I'm playing the CR-6 for a while now, having a really hard time trying to get an at least useable sound out of it, so I'm even more suprised to hear your fantastic cello tone...I read you are using the Thomastik strings, but what about your amplification (or everything else)?

Grateful for any advice,

Wolfgang

[vessobesso]

@wozir123456

Hey Wolfgang, the amplification on this concert was quite bad, old broken multiuse ampli. All depends on the cash you can give. Normally using Roland acoustic bass amplifier, it gives nice sound, a bit of reverb efect changes a lot too. Best is to get your instrument, go to the music store and spend few hours inside testing : )

[MsCellobass]

Hey sounds pretty good! Would u say what bow you r using?

[vessobesso]

@MsCellobass

Thanks! The bow is Artino carbon fiber, gives quality of good wood bow for reasonable price even if it's a bit lighter. Like to use it on classical music with acoustic cello too.

[hman3669]

i was looking into getting one of these to try and learn, so i was wondering if its possible to use D'Addario chromes on it.

[UncleTito72]

@hman3669 Chromes are guitar strings, made to be tuned in 4ths. Are you planning on tuning this like a guitar?

[hman3669]

@UncleTito72 i was thinking about it. I wanted the NS designs Omni Bass but its just too expensive.

[Kamaza9]

hi! I'm thinking of buying this model as a practice/travel cello for when the main purpose of my travelling is not music, but I still need to practice.

can you tell me anything about the "feel" of the cello? does it feel like a real cello?

you mentioned instability. would one be able to get used to that? or maybe find a solution so that it would touch the upper body and gain stability?

thanks!

[vessobesso]

@Kamaza9 They have special adjustment "End pin" that gives this stability, but it has to be purchased apart and is quite expensive. It gives good feeling for cello and is easy to tune in nosy concerts where the monitoring is not that good. Missing a bit the feeling of the body, specially when I jump to 4th position and there is not body behind as I'm used on acoustic, this problem can be fixed with skilled luthier by adding small adjustment where the 4th position is E (Mi) on A (La) sting.

[Kamaza9]

@vessobesso thank you for responding.

I took those comments into account. I ended up buying a similar model and I also find the 4th position strange like this. but it works. I might consider adding a piece there, though, because playing without it would change my hand position and that would be counter-productive. but as a practice cello it's great.

do you actually play concerts on yours? do you play newer things only or also traditional music like in this video?

[Trismegistus10]

Just ordered a 5 string CR version! Can't wait to get playing again. I studied quite seriously for 10 years in the 1970's only to drop the cello for classical guitar studies with Eli Kassner in Toronto, and Peder Riis in Stockholm. I've missed the cello ever since I stopped playing, but I just couldn't justify spending $15k on a good instrument. With all my amps, effects, processors, etc, I'm going to have a lot of fun with this cello!!!

[TheFolksinger]

Lovely. Thanks for posting.

[EccentricObserver]

I don't know if this is the right place to ask, but you seem to know a lot about the Ned Steinberger CS cello at least. Their new model (the cheaper NXT) comes without a preamplifier. Do you think it would be a viable option to buy the NXT with an external preamp? I most certainly won't sacrifice any sound quality at all, but at half the price of the CS model, it's certainly enticing if I can manage to get the same level of performance out of it.

Great performance as well! :)

[vessobesso]

Used Korg AX3A for some reverb, sound is direct from the microphone of the camera... NS gives best electrical cello sound I think, could complain a bit about the stability of the instrument that is essential for good intonation and the electrical supply that originally is by 2 units of 9 volt batteries that get wasted after one performance. It is possible to adjust it working with portable computer electro adapter. 

[UncleTito72]

This is marvelous. It does not sound like an electric cello. It really does sound quite acoustic. Superb. What Strings are you using?

[vessobesso]

@UncleTito72 Thanks : )

The strings are Thomastik Spirocore (the red one)

[IAMSTRINGS]

This is sooo cool. Thank you. I just bought a CR6 and am trying to learn how to play it. Doesn't come with many instructions. :)

I'll watch all of your NS vids.

Thanks again.

[mbrsart]

Sounds amazing, if a little washed out. I'm assuming this was recorded through a microphone in the studio and not direct input. Regardless, this is probably the most real sounding electric cello I've ever heard.

[UncleTito72]

@mbrsart This is an NS Design CR5. They use a preamp in their electronics. The majority of electric cello makers do not use a preamp. Even instruments costing in the thousands, which is surprising to me. They only use a piezo pickup under the bridge, which naturally gives that nasal, scratchy and lo fidelity sound. I can't believe people spend thousand of dollar on an instrument that has crappy electronics. I'm glad NS addressed this issue. These are the best sounding electric cellos.

[mbrsart]

@UncleTito72 That, and their pickup is unique. I've heard preamp-equipped electric instruments, particularly cellos and violins in their lower range, sound nasal, scratchy and congested. The biggest thing about those is that they use pickups that have under-string transducers instead of pickups like the Realist or the NS Design Polar pickup. The NS Design instruments truly have a realism that others just can't achieve going DI.

[vessobesso]

@mbrsart It's a live performance, sound is from the camera microphone. Some high frequency disturb after uploaded here, think youtube has some compression. You're wright - best electrical cello sound...