Report by Cornelia Borrmann An acoustics researcher from the state of Saxony is trying to use modern methods to build violins with a particularly desirable sound. Instruments today have to carry across ever larger concert halls, so they mustn’t be as fragile as their historic models.And who would want them to be as expensive? One violin maker coats the inside of the instrument with a layer of artificial resin. This makes it more stable, so that thinner wood can be used, thus expanding the acoustic range. Tomorrow Today visited the acoustics expert to see how concert violinists test the instrument.