does anyone have a good source in the u.s. for electronic shruti boxes, and do you have recommendation and preferences about brands (even those available only in India)?
thank you so much.
Lily
thank you so much.
Lily
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California
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Re: electronic shruti boxes
Mon, February 19, 2007 - 2:32 AMI don't, but nowadays it is so simple to use freeware software and samples that are readily available on the mall
to just burn 10 minutes of tambora droning or harmonium droning and burn it to a CD that you can play
through an amp.
I made a drone tape for the Israel/American Frame Drummer Eliana Gilad (for her performances promoting piece in
Israel and Palestine. it didn't take me longer than about an hour to create.
Go find a copy of the British Magazine called FUTURE MUSIC is you don't have enough money to buy software.
They have a DVD with every copy of the monthly magazine (that costs about $17 on the news stands) that has a complete
electronic software suite of both DAWs, Romplers, Vst effects and Vst Instruments and all the tutorials for how to learn how to use them.
Then there is a wonderful freeware sample site called SAMPLESWAP where you can find the right samples to play in the software.
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Re: electronic shruti boxes
Tue, February 20, 2007 - 1:23 AMI've heard a device by "Ragini" which I thought sounded pretty good.
Nice enough for a guy I know who plays Dhrupad on a Rudra Vina.
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Re: electronic shruti boxes
Wed, February 21, 2007 - 1:16 AMoh, and I forgot to mention..............I have a small tribe here called SAMPLE SWAP.
That might be a good place to ask for people's recommendations on finding good
tambura or harmonium samples.
Googling free sound indian sound samples usually pulls up a bunch of things as well.
And, hi Andy!!!!!
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Re: electronic shruti boxes
Wed, February 21, 2007 - 11:23 AMTwo sources, if you really want the complete features of a sruti box/electronic tanpura.
Samples are nice and free, but there is the matter of tuning the secondary notes in the correct Indian just intonation - the pa, ma or ni that alternates with the sa's (the root pitch) - and reproducing the semi-rhythmic pattern in which a tanpura should be plucked/stroked. All depends how faithful you want to be to the original.
The standard by far is the Raagini Pro (digital.) Many, many performers now use that one. It has the advantage of running on rechargable batteries (8 AA's), with the charger built in. (The most current model, anyway.) I got mine from the Ali Akbar College of Music store:
www.aacm.org/shop/index.html
That's in San Rafael, so closest to you.
There's also Keshav Music in NYC. Christian is a nice guy, he ordered me a swarmandal from India. Indian musicians I've met speak highly of him.
www.keshav-music.com/ -
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Re: electronic shruti boxes
Wed, February 21, 2007 - 5:50 PMI bought a kanjira from Keshav. Its junk...it arrived with part of the head unglued. I re-glued it......it lasted about a year. Its unplayable now and is just collecting dust.
Beware (as always) of buying sight-unseen. -
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Re: electronic shruti boxes
Thu, February 22, 2007 - 1:14 AMthose this veers off topic, Kanjiras from everything I can ascertain are now illegal to bring into the United
States from India because the monitor lizard whose skins are used for them are an endangered species.
I heard of a guy who unwittingly brought 7 of them into the country in his luggage, not knowing they were illegal
and, miraculously, customs didn't open his suitcase.
I was fortunate enough to buy a beautiful large one but it is, literally, the last good kanjira I've seen for sale in about
4 or 5 years.
I love my Cooperman, for what that is worth.............it is not exactly the same but is a very close substitute and it is both
tuneable and virtually indestructible and weather proof at the same time. -
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Re: electronic shruti boxes
Thu, February 22, 2007 - 8:07 AMI love my Cooperman kanjira too....all my Cooperman drums for that matter.....
I think the kanjira from Keshav probably sat in his store for many years.........the lizard skin was soooo dry when it arrived.......
Anyway, I just wanted to share my personal mailorder experience with Keshav. -
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Re: electronic shruti boxes
Fri, February 23, 2007 - 8:27 AMWhat was your follow-up like?
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Re: electronic shruti boxes
Fri, February 23, 2007 - 1:47 AMThe EMU samplers were famous for being able to tune your scales to
any tuning: just, tempered, quarter tone, 19-tone , found scales or whatever.
I imagine there ridiculously inexpensive virtual cousins have the same capabilites.
A little more work, perhaps, but once you have the Indian paradigm programmed in, then
you can apply it to any instrumental samples.
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