Bowed Saw?
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- KVRist
- 467 posts since 21 Feb, 2005
Has anyone run across a sample of a bowed saw? It's a regular hand saw, twisted slightly into an "S" curve, then played with a violin bow. It works on the same tuning principle as a broomstick bass.
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- KVRAF
- 9217 posts since 23 Jul, 2002 from Pequot Lakes, MN
No I haven't. However, one of my brother in laws has three differently tuned saws (due to the length and alloy composition). I could sample them the next time I see him 
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A spectral heretic...
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- Skunk Mod
- 21249 posts since 10 Jun, 2004 from Pony Pasture
It's easy to play the saw with a mallet or other tapping device. Never had a bow to try it that way though.
Where the wind family has the slide whistle, the string and idiophone(*) family must share the saw.
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(*) idiophones -- I think we've all tried to hold a conversation with someone wearing a pair of these, haven't we? :-S
Where the wind family has the slide whistle, the string and idiophone(*) family must share the saw.
_____________________________
(*) idiophones -- I think we've all tried to hold a conversation with someone wearing a pair of these, haven't we? :-S
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- Skunk Mod
- 21249 posts since 10 Jun, 2004 from Pony Pasture
Hm, after thinking about this this I don't know whether samples would give the characteristic sound if you applied pitch bend, which is essential to musical sawing... probably it would depend on what sample player you used. Best results would be if the bends were recorded in the samples at performance time.
If you do record or sample your own, two hints: The saw should be clean for a sharp, clean tone; doesn't have to be brand new, but rust or debris will dull the sound (though you might want that). And for the cleanest tone and fewer aches, don't hold the tip of the saw with your fingers -- instead, saw a kerf near one end of a small "handle" of decent hardwood, slide that over the small end of the saw, and use it as a grip.
If you do record or sample your own, two hints: The saw should be clean for a sharp, clean tone; doesn't have to be brand new, but rust or debris will dull the sound (though you might want that). And for the cleanest tone and fewer aches, don't hold the tip of the saw with your fingers -- instead, saw a kerf near one end of a small "handle" of decent hardwood, slide that over the small end of the saw, and use it as a grip.
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- KVRAF
- 11380 posts since 3 Feb, 2003 from Finland, Espoo
A bowed saw sounds surprisingly much like a theremin, that is, nearly a sinewave. The character comes from the pitch "seeking" which is very hard to get exact. A bowed saw player very often slighly offshoots the target pitch and which gives a certain sound to the whole performance.
I had the luck of recording a brilliant bowed saw player not so long ago. Stereo Schoeps pair set to spaced omni worked really well. Can't make any samples of the performance tho, sorry.
Edit: I forgot to mention that the same dude had me recording him playing bowed banjo after that (no kidding!). All I can say is, AAaaaaarrrghhhh my ears!
I suggest recreating the sound with a synth. Mixing sine and triangle waves and maybe add some upper harmonics with a second sine. Then the rest is all about how you sequence it.
Cheers!
bManic
I had the luck of recording a brilliant bowed saw player not so long ago. Stereo Schoeps pair set to spaced omni worked really well. Can't make any samples of the performance tho, sorry.
Edit: I forgot to mention that the same dude had me recording him playing bowed banjo after that (no kidding!). All I can say is, AAaaaaarrrghhhh my ears!
I suggest recreating the sound with a synth. Mixing sine and triangle waves and maybe add some upper harmonics with a second sine. Then the rest is all about how you sequence it.
Cheers!
bManic