Loopable percussion (was: Tabla...)

[Matthias Grob <matthias@grob.org>]

This thread seamed to go OT, but we are simply looking for percussion
instruments that are easy to loop (no feeback and interference problems):

>>oh, yes, a highly developped instrument. I just had a session with a good
>>player.
>>The only problem for me was the very defined pitch of the high drum. Most
>>drums are pitched in some way, but you can still play any tonality - not 
>so
>>with tabla, right?
>
>Most drums have a pitch but usually there are enough overtones to smooth
>over obvious harmonic clashes. The defined tonality of the daya ( the high
>drum) can be a problem in certain situations.

Do you like the defined tonality in other situations or would you actually
prefer a modified tabla which has "enough overtones to smooth over obvious
harmonic clashes"? Could this be achieved by uneven tension of the skin or
irregular form of the black mass (whats its name?) on it?
Do we disrespect the milenar indian culture?

I come back to this, because I feel there is no small handy expressive
loopable electric drum instrument on the market. The Wave Drum was almost
ideal, but it should be possible to build one with a cheap processing (just
pitch and dynamics), with piezo pickups and a microphone to get some
variety. The indian technology with the weight on the skin seams to be the
solution to keep the instrument small and give it a nice sustain. Or should
it be used just for the bass drum?

Dr. Cummings wrote:
>sounds like fun - i've been "attaching" piezos to cymbals with plumber's
>putty. they also work great on kalimbas, pieces of wood ...

Yes, serious solutions. What is "plumber's putty", please?

>EAR IDEARS:

>- send the signal into a resonator or short delay with high feedback for
>an analog "WAVE DRUM"
>- send piezo-cymbal sounds into a pitch shifter
>- swallow a piezo with a vey long wire attached (don't laugh, it's been
>done)

and then what, hit your belly? Listen to the stomac?

>be careful not to get any between the piezo-element and the drum/cymbal
>surface. the key to a non-distorted sound is to have the piezo-element
>completely flush with the vibrating surface. the other thing you may
>want to consider is a preamp circuit.

Very correct. I usually drill a 3mm whole and glue it in to make shure the
waves pass THROUGH it. The element is blinded but as naked as possible. It
works nice on any solid material. The preamp needs to be close because so
far I could not find a flexible fine cable that is suficiantly blinded and
the cable itself transmits sound waves to the pickup.