Volta Violinatron V6RL 6-string hybrid electric violin with speakers, reverb & looper

A new kind of hybrid violin, the Volta Violinatron offers both unplugged and amplified performance, but is not acoustic-electric...at least not in the traditional sense. What it is is a chambered body electric violin with built-in powered speakers, which amplify the pickup sound with reverb. This 6-string model has a bonus feature--a built-in looper that lets you record up to 5 minutes!

The Volta Violinatron is the brainchild of Russian-born classical violinist Marat Gabdullin, a professional symphonic violinist who also plays electric. He came up with the idea when playing his fine acoustic violin outdoors, where the sound dissipated and sounded dead and scratchy because there was no natural reverb. Looking at one of his amplifiers he wondered if he could simply scale the circuit and speaker down to fit into a violin, while keeping it lightweight, playable, and great sounding. He succeeded.

The functions of this instrument are amazing, but before we talk about them can we take a moment to appreciate the look of this violin? There is an awesome contrast between the matte black body finish and red-dyed gloss finished neck/scroll and red bridge. With its speakers and dramatic trim this violin looks like a high-end stereo system in an expensive street racer.

There's never been an easier way to create a looped performance. Normally you would need an electric violin (or acoustic with pickup), a looper, and an amp to create loops, however, this special edition Volta Violinatron as an incorporated looper with up to 5 minutes of record time and, with built-in speakers, requires no other gear to play along with yourself! The loop functions are controlled by a button located on the bass-side upper bout. This gives you access with your left thumb without interfering with normal violin playing. Start and stop your recording and playback with a quick tap!

Sound comes from two 1.5-inch tweeter drivers. The two active speakers are located on the lower bouts of the violin nearest the player. Up top on the bass side of the fingerboard is a resonator that helps open up the sound of the chambered violin body.

The chambered body design serves several purposes--it retains a traditional full violin shape while keeping weight to a minimum; it allows for acoustic resonance within the instrument, adding to the richness and complexity of the tone; it creates a closed resonating environment, which eliminates feedback, making this a great performance violin whether using the onboard speaker system or plugging into a loud PA and stage monitoring system.

Tone from the piezo pickup system is quite nice, and is augmented by the integrated reverb effect. Two knobs control the pickup output and the reverb level independently, so if you want it loud and dry or soft but echoing, you can achieve either, and everything in between.

The included reverb effect works only through the onboard speakers, facilitating a very realistic in-room playing experience, even if playing outdoors. The output that you would send to an amplifier or PA does not retain the reverb effect, however, so you can color your clean sound separately using your favorite pedal board effects.

While the speaker system is battery-powered, the pickup system operates passively, allowing you to perform plugged in without relying on the battery.

A dart shaped violin case is included.

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