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Interview with Dr. Edward Pong of UltraAnalogue Recordings

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Inside Ed’s string workshop:

LL: So it all began with tweaking stereo equipment. Now, what got you started in string instruments?

EP: It all grew from making a violin. First of all I am very fond of wood and woodworking. I thought, “How hard is it to make a violin?” One day I bought a book on the subject and that was the start! The book is a thin paperback, published in 1994, called “Violin Making Step by Step” by Henry A. Strobel. It is very concise, and you can actually do a pretty good job just by reading it.

Inside the violin, there’s a component in the middle called the sound post, located near the treble side. It fits between the top and the back to offer the support needed because the strings exert tremendous pressure on the wood. And on the other side, there is what’s called the base bar. It’s kind of like an I-beam that’s glued in on the inside of the front. Since the front is made of spruce, you can easily break it with your fingers. So you need to counteract the pressure exerted by the strings. This is what I learnt from the book. I had no concept of what’s inside the violin, and how it’s put together.

Putting a sound post in is a near impossible job: first you have to size the length of the post; it has to fit the curvature of the top and the back intimately under the foot of the right side of the bridge, and it can’t be too far in. It’s a real art to fit the sound post. So after finishing my violin, I sought advice from Toronto-based Ric Heinl, a fourth-generation violin expert from Vienna. He took the time to fit the post for me. He said that I didn’t do too badly. He even encouraged me to take up this hobby. We got to know each other better and better.

I learned and heard a lot of “real” instruments at George Heinl & Co. and that was our start with string instruments. I have since made several violins. One of which in fact was on loan to Jin-Shan Dai of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO). I even made a replica of their principal violist Teng Li’s 1697 Amati. It remains to date my best instrument. When I played a recording of Li playing her 1697 Amati and my copy of it, only one person at the Heinl shop managed to pick the right instrument!

Ed’s own “re-creation” of a viola by Amati of the 1697 vintage

Making string instruments to me is so much fun. When I see someone playing my fiddle on stage, I get really flattered! I’ve almost finished a quartet of string instruments. Soon I’ll be ready for a quartet concert, if I can get people to play them!

LL: When you use the word “replica”, you mean in terms of the geometry?

EP: Yes, size, shape, and arching.

Right now I’m making a copy of “Alfred”, the cello that once belonged to Janos Starker. It was the instrument Starker used in his European concerts. Apparently he kept a cello in the U.S. and another one in Europe. I always find the fact it was made in 1707 fascinating, because Alfred was already 10 years old when Bach wrote his cello suites. Now that’s old!

The instrument’s back and ribs are made of poplar; it has a tremendous amount of varnish left for an old instrument. Back in earlier days, collectors really looked after him.

This is my version of the cello so far. I’m working on the front at the moment. This is poplar, a softer wood. And Alfred itself is made of poplar. The native colour of the wood is actually white. The amber tone comes from sunlight, and by fuming the wood with ammonia. Fuming makes it harder, and then you can make the wood thinner and thus more resonant.

Close-ups of the real “Alfred” cello Front Close-ups of the real “Alfred” cello Back

Ed’s work-in-progress replica of “Alfred”

A side-by-side view of the real Alfred and Ed’s unfinished replica

LL: So when you copy an instrument, you do it not by sight, but by precise measurements?

EP: Correct.

4 Responses to Interview with Dr. Edward Pong of UltraAnalogue Recordings


  1. Adam says:

    A very interesting interview. I’m curious, are some of these recording available via CD or vinyl to the average audiophile, and if so, what would we expect to hear different on these recording recorded and produced by Dr. Pong?

    I ask because while reading about the extremes of one man’s hobbies can be interesting and motivational, it can also be sad, since I’ll never be able to hear his system. So what is my possible take home? How can I share in Dr. Pong enthusiastic pursuit of exalance?

  2. Edward Pong says:

    Dear Adam,

    If you go to my website: http://www.ultraanaloguerecordings.com in the store section, there is 1 CD available. My main focus is to offer a tape copy of the master tape which will sound very different from any other source material….it will shock you. The dynamics, low level detail, emotion are all much more realistic.

    You will need a 2 track 15 ips tape deck to play these tapes. Most Studer decks would be fine. Like LP’s, if you have an outboard tubed playback amp for the Studer, you will hear more from the tapes.

    Please feel free to e-mail me if you have any other questions!
    Best
    Ed

  3. Edward Pong says:

    Dear Adam,

    I forgot to tell you, the CD was made with a DSD recording of the master tape, it retains much of the analogue qualities of the master tape. The purity of sound from the silver transformers will be heard.
    Ed

  4. Adam says:

    Thank you for your response Dr. Prong. I look forward to hearing your recordings.

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