Re: SwarShala (free indian music program)
On a related gear note: The electro harmonix ravish sitar pedal!?!
Should be out this month and looks really cool. Now I don't expect true sitar sounds but anything that can get me in a meditative zen mode is appealing. So far I am really impressed by the features. Here is one video I found, check out the tone after 4:20 for a brilliant oriental sound.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPYf0fYfbu0&feature=player_embedded#! There are many other great sounds but they are too bright and digital for me. Luckily they have 2 tone knobs for the lead and sympathetic strings. I'd turn those down alot! And there are seperate outputs for those effected tones as well. I think those tones are decent but to proccess them independantly could really make them sound good, and less harsh/ digital. Im really hoping this is a serious pedal and not a gimmick like the adds and some videos seem to portray. Here are some specs:
• LEAD – The main strings played on the sitar. These strings can be plucked and bent at the player’s will just like a guitar’s.
• SYMPATHETIC STRINGS – There are 11 to 17 sympathetic strings within the body of a sitar that ring out at all times. They cannot be plucked. These strings are tuned to the key and scale determined by the player. Playing lower notes will encourage lower tones to resonate and playing higher notes will similarly encourage higher tones to resonate.
– Special Features of the Ravish Sitar –
•
Independent timbre controls for the lead and sympathetic string tones.
• Independent volume controls for dry, lead and sympathetic string voices.
• Play in all twelve chromatic keys in major, minor and exotic scales.
• ]
Create your own custom sympathetic scales; up to 17 notes, including microtones•
]Freeze the sympathetic strings by holding down the PRESET footswitch.
• Fade and freeze sympathetic strings with optional expression pedal.
• Control the decay of the lead sitar notes.
• Modulate the sympathetic notes to create movement similar to that of a tanpura.
• Bend the pitch of the lead voice from one semitone up to one octave with an optional expression pedal.
•
Separate outputs for main mix and sympathetic strings.• Selectable Q control on lead voice allows variation from organic to synthetic.
• 10 fully programmable presets or leave it in What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) mode.