has any of you pipers tried the Deger electronic practice chanter (http://www.deger.de/)...?
Is it Expensive? Does it play like the real thing (or anywhere near).
Tell me about it!
Deger electronic practice chanter
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Dionys
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This is a Highlands Bagpipe practice chanter. GHB, not Uilleann Pipes. Honestly, it'd have to be cheap to draw my attention as a practice chanter if I had any inclination towards the GHB. You can pick up a decent practice chanter for the GHB for under $50 pretty easily. The Midi feature is neat, though, but could just as easily be addressed with a mic/tone to midi translator program.
Dionys
Dionys
I am a student of the GHB and I am using a Deger chanter, so I figure I can answer this one.
I prefer a real practice chanter (I like a Walsh delrin chanter) for regular practice. I think everyone does. However, I have two young children and my only practice time will have to be after they are in bed and asleep. Right now, our home is too small for a real practice chanter. The silent nature of the Deger chanter is its big selling point. And I really do like that.
The finger spacing is the same as on an average GHB chanter (most practice chanters are a little smaller - go figure). The chanter allows several options that can be great. First, you have a choice of hearing it in GHB pitch (higher) or "smallpipe" pitch, which sounds like a practice chanter. You can turn the drone sound on or off and even adjust the volume of the drones in relation to the volume of the chanter. The whole thing has a volume control. There is a built-in metronome. And it is the size of a long practice chanter, so it is actually fairly compact.
For $350 or so, I would not have purchased one. The one I am using belongs to my dad, who is now focussing on drumming. If I had the disposable income, I would have gotten one myself. I like it better than any of the other versions on the market at this time.
The Deger chanter will not replace the regular practice chanters, but can be a very useful tool for folks who want a quiet practice instrument. I'm just waiting for someone to market a tinwhistle version.
-Patrick
I prefer a real practice chanter (I like a Walsh delrin chanter) for regular practice. I think everyone does. However, I have two young children and my only practice time will have to be after they are in bed and asleep. Right now, our home is too small for a real practice chanter. The silent nature of the Deger chanter is its big selling point. And I really do like that.
The finger spacing is the same as on an average GHB chanter (most practice chanters are a little smaller - go figure). The chanter allows several options that can be great. First, you have a choice of hearing it in GHB pitch (higher) or "smallpipe" pitch, which sounds like a practice chanter. You can turn the drone sound on or off and even adjust the volume of the drones in relation to the volume of the chanter. The whole thing has a volume control. There is a built-in metronome. And it is the size of a long practice chanter, so it is actually fairly compact.
For $350 or so, I would not have purchased one. The one I am using belongs to my dad, who is now focussing on drumming. If I had the disposable income, I would have gotten one myself. I like it better than any of the other versions on the market at this time.
The Deger chanter will not replace the regular practice chanters, but can be a very useful tool for folks who want a quiet practice instrument. I'm just waiting for someone to market a tinwhistle version.
-Patrick
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elbogo
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Actually, I was able to listen to this Deger last year at an Irish pub here, and heard several members of a great piping band from Canada, and others, take turns playing it.
It was rather amazing the different sounds that can be had. From the GHB all the way to something that sounded very close to the Uilleann pipes. This thing covers a large spectrum of sounds.
And, it was attached to a small amplifier, plugged into speakers and made a great sound. To extend the quietness factor, one could as well purchase an amplifier, or connect it to a stereo system, then use earphones to practice if necessary.
It was rather amazing the different sounds that can be had. From the GHB all the way to something that sounded very close to the Uilleann pipes. This thing covers a large spectrum of sounds.
And, it was attached to a small amplifier, plugged into speakers and made a great sound. To extend the quietness factor, one could as well purchase an amplifier, or connect it to a stereo system, then use earphones to practice if necessary.
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marcpipes
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I've had a Deger chanter for about 3 years now. I absolutely love it! I can sit and go through tune books for hours without bothering anyone. It's helped my sight-reading immensely and has also been great help when writing tunes. I've used it at gigs(running it through a boombox) where real pipes would be too loud. The only drawbacks I can see are as follows:
1.The D is a tad sharp.
2.You can't do slides between notes.
3.It can make your fingers a little bit lazy when you get back to the real pipes.
But you can smoke while you play too;)
It's pricey, but I think it was money well spent.
Marc
1.The D is a tad sharp.
2.You can't do slides between notes.
3.It can make your fingers a little bit lazy when you get back to the real pipes.
But you can smoke while you play too;)
It's pricey, but I think it was money well spent.
Marc