Otto Musica Artino Practice mute For violin/viola

I have been searching for a good mute for my violin. I usually practice at night, as I work the night shift. I also work from home, so I usually practice at home. I live in apartments with very thin walls, so practicing at night is not very good for my neighbors. I started using a standard rubber mute, but I always liked the increased dampening of the metal mutes. Why? Because while the rubber mutes work well for preventing my neighbors from hearing me play, when my family comes over to stay for a few days, they can still hear me practicing with the rubber mute on.I always wanted a metal mute, because they dampen the sound extremely well. The trade off is that they change the sound of the violin. The change is noticeable enough for me to not like the metal mutes. This mute has been perfect for me. It mutes the sound of the violin like a metal mute, but it does not change the sound, like a rubber mute.The only issue I can think of with this is that you have to be careful because it does not fit the same way a rubber mute fits. You press down on a rubber mute a bit to sit it on the violin bridge, but for this, it is merely placed on the top of the bridge. It can seem to be loose, or not fit well, but it works fantastically and is secure. Also, some people complain this mute blocks their view of the finger board when they are playing. I can see the fingerboard perfectly with this mute on, and it does not obstruct my vision in any way when I am playing, but I feel the need to mention it here, as some people say this does happen with them.I am very satisfied with this purchase, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for substantial muting on their violin for practicing.

I was debating between getting an electric violin (was fortunately in a position to do so) in addition to my acoustic, or going with a much more affordable mute, so I could practice after my 4-year-old daughter goes to bed. After watching several YouTube demonstrations and product comparisons, I definitely wanted to give this rubber-coated metal mute a try.Heads up - it's very difficult to discern the exceptional difference the mutes are making in the YouTube videos. What can be captured via microphone versus what you actually experience in the same room as a muted violin is night/day difference. Which brings me to my point - I couldn't believe how well this product worked. I ordered it thinking that it would be nice to have, even if the difference was less noticeable, but for less than $20 and taking up negligible room in my case, it could come in handy if I decided to team up with a live acoustic guitar or something. To my surprise, it dampens the sound well enough where I would be comfortable practicing a room or two away from my (historically terrible) sleeping daughter.I -did- go ahead and order an electric violin, and I'm not regretting the decision. Probably because I'm a pretty raw beginner, I noticed myself experiencing some tonal issues and sound quality confusion. I chalk this entirely up to my lack of skill and comfort with the instrument, and feel that if I had more experience, accuracy, and instinct of what to be feeling for, it wouldn't be an issue. As it is, I found myself pressing harder and bowing more aggressively to try and correct, which I can only assume would lead to bad habits down the road.TLDR: It works great, better than you can tell by watching internet reviews. Might want to be careful if you're a very fresh player who isn't yet acquainted with what your unmuted strings should sound like.

I took up the violin recently and found practicing at home a bit embarrassing for me and annoying for my spouse. A friend who is an outstanding fiddle player suggested this mute. I like that it has a rubberized coating so it doesn't scratch the bridge. Others have noted that it doesn't gone all the way on, but it really doesn't need to to. It will depend on the thickness of your bridge. It doesn't go all the way on mine either, but if I put it on as far as it goes and give it light tap as the directions suggest it doesn't fall off and works well to mute the sound. I wouldn't want it resting on my strings anyway. It does change the tone of the violin somewhat, but not enough to be unusable. It's for practice after all and it doesn't interfere with fingering or bowing which is what I'm concentrating on now, When no one is home I can play at full volume, but this really helps me practice more often and longer. The plastic case and foam that cradles the mute is a nice bonus. Seems to be good quality and should last for years.

Good quality, effective