surprising ...

Birl · Post by **Birl** » Thu Jul 28, 2005 1:10 pm

what do you think about that ?
http://www.vpipes.com/

I'm bluffed

.....

Joseph E. Smith · Post by **Joseph E. Smith** » Thu Jul 28, 2005 1:11 pm

Nothing new, really. Personally, I don't much care for electronic chanters... I'll qualify that by saying they don't do a thing for me.

Seriously though, learning the UP chanter in concert with bag and bellows is the best (and really the only...) way to go. Even practicing, it may be dicey to become too used to the 'feel' of these things, thereby interfering with the 'feel' and muscle memory that comes from the working of a real chanter.

Birl · Post by **Birl** » Thu Jul 28, 2005 1:25 pm

well, I agree with you Joseph, but I just wonder how does it work ?? The sound (I mean what I get through my computer) is very close from real pipes.
I would exchange my pipes for nothing with those electronics stuff, even if it can be usefull in a flat with nasty neighbouring

Joseph E. Smith · Post by **Joseph E. Smith** » Thu Jul 28, 2005 1:34 pm

A lot of people really like the sound, and going by their account of it, it is surprisingly good. I do not like the sound, though I will admit that the mere thought of a synthetic chanter may have shaded my opinion.

Reepicheep · Post by **Reepicheep** » Thu Jul 28, 2005 2:03 pm

(... statement below made as I am donning my asbestos boxers...)

I, for one, would buy a set in a New York minute... and I will if I have the $ when they finally become available. The main reason is that I have no time that I can practice when my kids aren't sleeping. With a set of vpipes I could work on fingerings and tunes at any time... early a.m., late p.m., on my lunch hour, on the commuter van...etc... and not bother anybody.

I will say, tho, that (like the comments I have seen about the Fagerstorm and Ross GHB electronic chanters) one is not likely to learn much more than fingerings/tunes on the vpipes... it ain't no replacement for the real thing. If one wants to learn to play, he or she will definitely need a practice set as well.

Too bad the vpipes won't be as cheap as a Fagerstorm...

Peace!
Reepicheep

carel · Post by **carel** » Thu Jul 28, 2005 2:05 pm

Uilleann Pipes emulator (without regulators)

daveboling · Post by **daveboling** » Thu Jul 28, 2005 2:11 pm

I can't wait until the first person shows up at a session with one of these abominations, a worn-out flourescent ballast (for drones), and a Casio keyboard (for regs), and wants to take a turn.

I guess a Marshall stack will become the modern version of a D set (something to reach out to the far corner of the hall and "touch" someone.

dave boling

djm · Post by **djm** » Thu Jul 28, 2005 2:11 pm

Carel wrote:Uilleann Pipes emulator (without regulators)

Uilleann Pipes emulator without the "uilleann". This has been hashed around several times here before. They may sound like crap but they meet a need for those who need to practice through headphones. If they meet your needs, go for it. Let others here know how great/terrible they are.

djm

PJ · Post by PJ » Thu Jul 28, 2005 2:14 pm

The website is a single page with no photos (can't open the soundfile on this PC). Available soon? Doesn't look very convincing.

texasbagpiper · Post by **texasbagpiper** » Thu Jul 28, 2005 2:24 pm

That's what I was going to say. Has anyone ever seen this product, or know who is making them....

Joseph E. Smith · Post by **Joseph E. Smith** » Thu Jul 28, 2005 2:29 pm

Reepicheep wrote: The main reason is that I have no time that I can practice when my kids aren't sleeping. With a set of vpipes I could work on fingerings and tunes at any time... early a.m., late p.m., on my lunch hour, on the commuter van...etc... and not bother anybody.

... yes, and I understand fully this reasoning, whaddya going to do otherwise? However, I am skeptical regarding the "synchant's" capacity to do you good over-all.... I mean, there isn't any way for it to faithfully reproduce the subtle tones created by the deftly applied finger... leave alone the fact that it cannot (... er.... yet... ) reproduce the response the chanter will make toward the application of tecnique and half holing.

I, personally, consider 'simply going through the motions' counter productive and almost a step backward, dividing into two, the work and muscle memory one has striven hard to achieve from basic finger positioning for any given tune.... thus doubling the work and likewise reducing the pleasure.

But, that's only my 'slant' on things.

ausdag · Post by **ausdag** » Thu Jul 28, 2005 2:40 pm

Just listened to the sound file....sounds pretty bloody good I'm almost suspicious that it isn't actually a real chanter.

Cheers,

DavidG

flanum · Post by **flanum** » Thu Jul 28, 2005 2:48 pm

Wasnt there something in the Davey Spillane tutor about him working on "electronic" up's?

Aso on a bit of a different note, has anybody seen the sketch by Malachy Burke in the current edition of JMI of a pipng class?? excellent

MarkS · Post by **MarkS** » Thu Jul 28, 2005 5:47 pm

Joseph E. Smith wrote:Personally, I don't much care for electronic chanters...

Aw, c'mon Joseph, everything has a purpose. For instance:

I think this would be a great interface for an X-Box or Playstation game. "Uilleann Piper Adventure", yeah, that's it. You hook up this electronic chanter, see, and you get to "be" Rowsome, Ennis, or Clancy.

Hey, I'd pay 30 bucks for a game like that! Of course, I'd have no time to play it, what with all the practicing on the "real" pipes...

Joseph E. Smith · Post by **Joseph E. Smith** » Thu Jul 28, 2005 5:56 pm

MarkS wrote:
Joseph E. Smith wrote:Personally, I don't much care for electronic chanters...
Aw, c'mon Joseph, everything has a purpose. For instance:

I think this would be a great interface for an X-Box or Playstation game. "Uilleann Piper Adventure", yeah, that's it. You hook up this electronic chanter, see, and you get to "be" Rowsome, Ennis, or Clancy.

Hey, I'd pay 30 bucks for a game like that! Of course, I'd have no time to play it, what with all the practicing on the "real" pipes...

... well... OK... but you'll have to show me how it works....