Re: Software Re: Looping Drummers who play tabla

["Emile Tobenfeld (a.k.a Dr. T)" <emile@foryourhead.com>]

At 9:35 PM -0400 6/21/01, shreeswifty wrote:
><x-charset iso-8859-1>Someone already has emile
>did you not see my post?

Sorry, I jumped in at the end of a thread during a busy work day.

Cool. It would be more tempting if it weren't Win only.

How interactive is it. I'm imagining something where I can 
interactively change the various tabla machine parameters described 
below, and send a clean, well-timed MIDI stream to my sampler (which 
of, course might have totally different sounds in it)

The TalTrax CD is tempting me more.What is the difference between 1 and 2>

>http://www.swarsystems.com/SwarShala/Cafe/
>Pat Pagano, Director
>South East Just Intonation Society
>http://indians.australians.com/meherbaba/
>http://www.screwmusicforever.com/SHREESWIFT/
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Emile Tobenfeld (a.k.a Dr. T) <emile@foryourhead.com>
>To: <Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com>
>Sent: Thursday, June 21, 2001 8:24 PM
>Subject: Software Re: Looping Drummers who play tabla
>
>
>>
>>  A software version of this would be really cool. (I used to write
>>  music software, but I'm way too busy with video software these days,
>>  so don't ask me.) Someone who knew Max and Indian music theory could
>>  probably cook one up.
>>
>>  At 8:00 PM -0400 6/21/01, James Pokorny wrote:
>>  >>I also have a "tabla machine"
>>  >>
>>  >more info please.....michael
>>  >
>>  >Sure.  Tabla machines have been discussed on-list before, and the
>>  >archives contain some pointers for sites to listen to some of these
>>  >devices, as well as places to purchase them. 
>>  >
>>  >Basically, the "tabla machine" is an electronic device preprogrammed
>>  >to play the "theka" or basic pattern of beats in a "taal" (rhythmic
>>  >cycle) of Indian music.   I've worked with two different machines,
>  > >the Taal Mala and the Riyaz Master Pro.  Each of these has a
>  > >selection of preset taals, most of which are in common use in Indian
>  > >music, some more obscure or lesser-heard taals are represented as
>>  >well.  There are controls for volume, pitch (since the smaller drum
>>  >of the tabla pair is tuned to the tonic of the vocalist or
>>  >instrumentalist), and tempo.  There are also controls for "speed"
>>  >(as opposed to tempo) since the theka usually changes when playing
>>  >at different speeds.  This control varies the theka for "vilambit"
>>  >(slow), "madhya" (medium) and "drut" (fast) speeds.  Within each of
>>  >these speeds you can also accelerate/decelerate the tempo. 
>>  >
>>  >From my experience with the two machines I've used, I prefer the
>>  >Riyaz Master Pro.  However, to be fair, the version of Taal Mala I
>>  >had was from about 10 years ago -- in fact, it was the first
>>  >"electronic tabla."  It used very plinky/thuddy synthetic tones that
>>  >tried to replicate the high and low drum sounds of the tabla, and
>>  >had a very tinny speaker that only seemed to function properly at
>  > >distoring volumes.  But I've heard an updated version of the Taal
>  > >Mala which uses sampled tabla and sounds very good.  The Riyaz
>  > >Master Pro also uses sampled tabla sounds and has a good speaker.
>>  >
>>  >One major caveat, though - none of these machines are going to sound
>>  >anything like a live tabla player.  They were designed as a practice
>>  >tool for vocalists and instrumentalists.  In India you generally pay
>>  >a tabla accompanist a fee to come over and practice with you,
>>  >particularly if the tabla player is senior to you in terms of age or
>>  >experience.  While practicing, perhaps 95% of the time the tabla
>>  >player will play a steady "theka" while the vocalist or
>>  >instrumentalist practices rhythmic improvisations within the
>>  >framework of a composition.  So the tabla machine serves this same
>>  >purpose - to give that "theka" to practice over. 
>>  >
>>  >My advice if you're interested in a tabla machine (or any other
>>  >Indian instrument) is to see if someone you know is going to India,
>>  >then ask them to bring one back for you since the markup in the West
>  > >tends to be shockingly extreme.
>>  >
>>  >James
>>
>>  --
>>
>>  "The reasonable man adapts himself to the world. The unreasonable man
>>  persists in adapting the world to himself. Therefore, all progress
>>  depends on the unreasonable man.
>>
>>  --  George Bernard Shaw
>>
>>  Emile Tobenfeld, Ph. D.
>>  Video Producer Image Processing Specialist
>>  Video for your HEAD! Boris FX
>>  http://www.foryourhead.com http://www.borisfx.com
>>
>
>
>
></x-charset>

-- 

"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world. The unreasonable man 
persists in adapting the world to himself. Therefore, all progress 
depends on the unreasonable man.

--  George Bernard Shaw

                Emile Tobenfeld, Ph. D.
Video Producer                  Image Processing Specialist
Video for your HEAD!                    Boris FX
http://www.foryourhead.com              http://www.borisfx.com