Circuit Bent Tabla Machines
I purchased my first tabla beatbox in 2002 from Radel, a manufacturer of cool electronic instruments for Indian classical music. I developed a set of modifications by adding a keypad for left and right hand. These generate various glitches by activating circuit bends to the chips inside. The keys can be pressed individually or in combination. Almost all of the combinations have a different sound… very playable.
The photo above shows the first machine I bent, which is now in the hands of electronic artist Sin:Ned.
… and this newer one lives with European percussionist Ingar Zach.
Besides the Cyndustries VC Tabla, these are the only examples I know of circuit-bent tabla. There are other currently available tabla machines to try; the Taal Tarang, Riyaz Master, and the Sur Sangat.
I actually have owned the Sur Sangat and tried circuit-bending it with customary dilligence, but came up with nothing nearly as spectacular as the Taalmala Digi-60. Inside the Sur Sangat there is quite a bit of circuitry- involving discrete logic, sound samples on EPROM, and a microcontroller. The manufacturer used an abrasive tool to erase the part numbers from the semiconductors, presumably a move to protect the intellectual property. Recalling my circuit bend attempt on this one, I got some lo-fi effects that were not too spectacular, and none of the re-trigger / stutter glitching that makes the Radel Digi-60S so much fun to play.
Eventually I will try the Riyaz Master and Taal Tarang…
Judging by the appearance of the controls, Cyndustries VC Tabla is based on the Riyaz Master.
1 Comment
Jump to comment form | comments rss | trackback uri