Maxim Baluyev blogs about Trio Maxim news and events, violins, violin student recitals, photography and anything interesting he finds on the net. Trio maxim Blog. Trio Maxim social.
We just played for a wedding at Cornerstone Sonoma located at the gates of the Wine Country. Grape fields, gardens, boutiques, restaurants, live music. Who could ask for anything more? The weather was very comfortable. What a beautiful spot to have a wedding!
Our best wishes to Desiree and Nick!
Trio Maxim at Cornerstone Sonoma
Recently, I started to experiment with "light painting" photography. I found about this process by watching a tutorial by great photographer Oleg Zotov. It is a very simple process really. In a dark room, the camera is set to a very long exposure from 10 to 30 seconds and then the light source is introduced. It could be done with simple pocket flashlight. It is really fun and easy to do! Experiment with different exposure time to get the best results.
Here are three photos of African mask made by Bakuba Tribe from Zaire. No Photoshop tricks were used to create these photos. The flashlight was fitted with red & blue color filters. Middle photo is plain black and white shot.
ISO 200, F-stop 16, Manual focus.
Please leave your comments!
Lasso & Coins wedding ceremony, also known as Arras & Lazo ceremony is very popular among Filipino, Mexican and Spanish communities. The Lasso, (or Lazo) most commonly made of rosary beads, painted wood or crystal, symbolizes infinite bond of love of the couple. The Lasso is roped around the couple to signify a tight bond they share. Later in the ceremony bride and groom exchange special coins (or Arras) which signify wealth and prosperity and are exchanged as a pledge of dedication to each other.
Trio Maxim has been lucky to take part in this great wedding ritual, and we send our regards to the newlyweds Gabriel & Gabriella!
Trio Maxim half an hour before the ceremony...
Natasha is trying Roberts cello...
This violin was made by famous Ernst Heinrich Roth in the town of Markneukirchen Germany. The manufacturing date is 1930. Enjoy!
Ernst Heinrich Roth violin 1930 Stradivari 1725 copy
Good job guys! Here is the whole gang!
Pictured from the left: Leon, Katelin, Madison, Jiselle, Kimberly and Rianna.
Maxim Baluyev violin students recital 2016
As promised, I am posting two videos for you to compare. A classic 120 year old wooden violin vs brand new carbon fiber violin! Which one is better?
Well, it is up to you to decide. Both instruments are quite capable...
About the setup.
For audio recording I have used two MXL 770 small-diaphragm condenser microphones. Audio processing was done with Audacity software. Video was recorded with Go Pro Hero Sessions.
What a wonderful Celebration it was... Look at these macaroon towers! Our congratulations and best wishes to a lovely couple Sushrut and Shu!
Tower of Macaroons
We just finished working on a new business card design for Trio Maxim. Enjoy!
Max B.
Trio Maxim Business Card
Please click thumbnail to view large photo
Dear Friends,
It has been few months since the acquisition, I have decided to share my experience with you.
This Space Age looking instrument is made by Dr. Jörg Kleinalstede from Germany. Mezzo-Forte violins are entirely handmade and have distinctive guitar-shape design that is popular with other carbon fiber instrument makers such as Luis and Clark.
Unlike it's much pricier counterpart, Mezzo-Forte violins start at€1990.00 or $2250.00 for 4-string acoustic model, and €2450.00 or $2750.00 for 4-string Hybrid (acoustic-electric) model. The company also manufactures carbon fiber violas and cellos.
So far, my experience is very positive. Violin is well build and is very attractive. All measurements including length of the back, stop length, string height are all standard. This makes switching between Mezzo-Forte and conventional violin effortless.
The French made bridge that came with violin is of high quality and very well adjusted, which makes violin easy to play. The weight is similar to a conventional violin, maybe just slightly lighter.
This instrument serves a dual purpose and can be played as an acoustic or electric violin, which is very important to us, since Trio Maxim often performs outdoors and indoors during the same event. Changing from acoustic to electric setup is effortless, just plug in a cable and you are good to go!
All of the parts of the Mezzo-Forte violin with the exception of pegs and the bridge are made out of carbon fiber, including the fingerboard. It is completely impervious to moisture and high humidity which makes it a perfect outdoor instrument.
The sound Mezzo-Forte produces is excellent! It is particularly clear and powerful in upper registers and sonorous in the base. In my opinion, the sound could be favorably compared to much more expensive counterparts made entirely of wood.
Mezzo-Forte violin came with soft custom case and certificate of authenticity from the maker.
For comparison, I will be posting an audio sample of Mezzo-Forte and a handmade German instrument made of spruce and maple wood.
Stay tuned...
- Max B.
