Soma - DVINA

Dvina by Soma Laboratory – a two-stringed electroacoustic minimalist beauty.

Features:

• Two stringed electro-acoustic instrument inspired by classical Persian and Hindustani classical music
• Neodymium magnet captures vibrations directly from the strings
• Playable by strumming, plucking, or with a bow
• Minimalist design with no removable parts
• Custom-built transformer
• Lightweight and portable, fits in a compact container
• Neck length: 88 cm; Scale length: 52 cm; Weight: 1.2 kg

From the makers of the elusive and intricate instruments such as the Pulsar 23 and their noise drone hit, the Lyra-8, comes something new and utterly simple. Dvina is the first electro-acoustic instrument from SOMA Laboratory and aims for a “do more with less” approach. This two-stringed instrument is apparently inspired by classical Hindustani music, although you can obviously use it for whatever it is your heart desires. It’s supposed to be played while resting against your shoulder, bowed, stringed or plucked.

What makes Dvina special is the way the sound is captured. The instrument itself, consisting of only two wooden pieces and two strings lacks a body to naturally amplify the sound. Therefore it needs an instrument amplifier. Unlike traditional coil/magnet or piezo pickup systems, it uses a neodymium magnet hidden in the neck to capture vibrations. These vibrations are amplified by a custom-made transformer before being routed through its output to the rest of your effect-chain of choice. This design makes it extremely resistant to electromagnetic interferences and makes the sound very rich and clean.

In Vlad Kreimer’s own words:

"Two sticks, two strings, no frets, it’s as simple as possible, everything unnecessary has been removed. It’s only you and your spirit, mastery and imagination. This is a very simple but powerful instrument, with a strong connection to your body."

Sometimes going back to basics can be an extremely liberating feeling – something capable of unleashing a barrage of creativity. If that speaks to you, then perhaps so would the Soma’s Dvina !