Muted Magic

• Solo violin played with a mute
• Natural flow of captivating performances
• Vast arsenal of expressive articulations
• Captured on Stage A of Vienna Synchron Stage
• 11 Microphone positions
• Several positions on stage (center, solo, 1st chair)

Perfectly mixed with production-ready presets. Playing the violin with the mute is a style of its own – not just a filter on the sound, but a different way of approaching the instrument altogether. The brilliance softens, the overtones tame, and what remains is something quieter, more intimate, almost confessional. Musicians interact with the changed sound and adapt their phrasing, dynamics, and expressive language accordingly. Synchron Solo Violin 1 (sordino) captures this distinct playing style in extraordinary detail, performed by Marina Dimitrova, concertmaster of the Vienna Synchron Orchestra, in the large hall of Vienna Synchron Stage.

A Familiar Virtuoso, a New Voice

Synchron Solo Violin 1 (sordino) features the same exceptional artist behind the “senza sordino” collection: Marina Dimitrova, concertmaster of the Vienna Synchron Orchestra. Hailing from Bulgaria, she studied in Sofia, London and Vienna and has performed with the London Symphony Orchestra, the Radio Symphony Orchestra Vienna, and the Vienna Chamber Orchestra, as well as at festivals such as Salzburg and Wien Modern. With the mute in place, her playing takes on a different quality altogether – more restrained, more inward, yet no less expressive. Every shading of the bow becomes audible, every breath of phrasing essential.

A Complete Muted Palette

The sampling sessions covered essentially the same comprehensive set of articulations as the original Synchron Solo Violin 1, but every note was recorded with the mute in place. Short notes include various spiccatos, staccatos, détachés, ricochet, and saltando. Long notes come with different attacks, releases, and slides. Legato variants include normal, agile, slurred, portamento, and zigane. Sforzatos, tremolos, trills, harmonics, and pizzicatos round out the palette. The Crossfade Editor in the Synchron Player allows for seamless blending between articulations, letting composers shape transitions with the same precision and musicality the original collection is known for – only this time, in a softer, more intimate light..   

Microphone Setup

• Room Mic (Mix)
• Tube - Close 1
• Mid 1 (L/R)
• Main/Room Mic – Decca Tree Stereo (L/R)
• Main/Room Mic – Decca Tree Mono (Center)