Does anyone know of any electronic uilean chanters? If so, how much do they cost? Where can I get one? If you need to get in touch with me, my email is wfspark@yahoo.com, or you can post as well. Thanks.
William F. Sparks
here](http://www.larkinthemorning.com/product.asp?pn=BAG258%22%3Ehere) you go.
they don’t appear to be uilleann-specific, but they’re tunable over a wide range, and they do appear to have enough sensors (the electronic equivalent of finger holes) for us.
if you buy one, post and let us know what you think!
walt
oh, and look: here’s](http://www.larkinthemorning.com/product.asp?pn=BAG256%22%3Ehere%27s) another one.
w.
These are both highland pipe chanters/synthesizers. If you’re going to go for one of these, the Deger chanter is the best I’ve seen. I’ve had one for about six years now. It will do smallpipe and highland with chromatic ability as well tunable to any key. And if you drop the pitch and turn on the metronome, you can make reels sound like techno. Move over Martin Bennet.
Marc
Previous discussion:
http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php?t=17126&highlight=emailed&sid=418ec04cd3089cc1dfd360dc122f4ae7
ah, quite right - mea culpa. i was thinking the highland pipes had six fingerholes on the front rather than seven, but a look at my highland chanter cleared that right up.
yea, verily i say unto you: duh.
i read somewhere that Davy Spillane wants to make - and maybe is working on - an electronic equivalent to the full set. don’t know how that might be coming along though.
w.
Guy named Boyd in Chicag had a fully functional MIDI interface for recreating Highland pipes, and I mean fully functional, not like the Degers pipes, these actually simulated the response of Highland chanters, it’s a lengthy difference to explain, including burning custom chips and making custom sensors to make gracenotes and so forth sound realistic, but he was also halfway done on an uilleann version as well and I saw the prototype of that.
Then he had a stroke and some health issues, and I think the project was abandoned.
Royce
The Lord moves in mysterious ways … 
djm
The guy from Gaelic Storm plays a Deger on their compilation CD. Sounds kinda nifty.
Wouldn’t you want one with a switch on the bottom so that it recognises stacatto fingering when it’s on the knee but plays solely legato off the knee?
I’d use a midi practice chanter that could do that.
Regards,
H.
The Hevia-Parador company in Spain will be launching a midi bagpipe soon that will be an actual instrument for stage performance… just think, perfectly in tune in any situation… no word on pricing or fingering yet.
Patrick.
Patrick,
Jose Angel Hevia plays this electronic bagpipe on his last two CD’s. www.hevia.es They were developed by a company called VersionMidi which has been folded into the Spanish bagpipe company Hevia, Parada y Aragon I think. I had some correspondence with Version Midi last year. Here are the pix and information they sent me.
MIDI-PIPE SGM200 Model. SYSTEM TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS.
The MIDI-Pipe is composed of the following elements:
-
An electronic pointer of identical measures to the traditional that
substitutes the holes by optical sensors. -
A “bag” of similar volume to the real that it does not need be blown, though yes pressed. Of constitution permanently semi-rigid, that furthermore permits the “requinto”. A controller that governs the two up described elements and furthermore implements a MIDI
Interface.
The operation of this electronics bagpipe is apparently simple, the controller “sees” the execution of the fingers on the Pointer and of the elbow on the “bag”. Across the MIDI interface it sends the information to a informatic system the one which, after the procesed, play the sound pre-programmed.
This new instrument is not a substitute of the traditional bagpipe but rather a help, since emphasize the following advantages:
-
Never to be out of tune and it is entirely chromatic, it distinguishes all the tones and semi-tones and it is programmable to each tonality. It’s 32 bagpipes in one.
-
Encompass any type of finger positions existing (Asturian, Galician, Scottish, Irish, Balkan, etc.) or non-existent (possibility of adjustment to persons with some discapacity, or particular needs of the executing).
-
Direct composition by computer with the wide fan of possibilities that this us offers.
The System MIDI Pipe, in addition to SGM200 (Patent Register P-9801170, WO99/65015 and US 6,225,540 B1) is composed of a module of audio and of some simple component
more. The type of modules that accompany to the bagpipe and the other
complements are adapted according to the needs of each user (options, price,
future possibilities of expansion, etc.)
Chanter:
- Fingering on optical sensors, noise and false contacts free. Resolution: 12.500 impulses/sec.
- Sensor for vibrato in the little finger of the right-hand.
- In bottom of the chanter, sensor for staccato in ulliean pipes mode.
- Mini - keyboard in back for performance with the right-hand thumb on:
- Sensors slides for control of pitch change.
- Controlling for program change, mode up and down.
- Sensor for parametric controlling (pitch enable, dron off, ulliean mode, etc.)
Bag (support):
- Carbon fibre ergonomic semirigid support with constant control of pressure and second octave level.
- Console for user adjustments, through keyboard and retro-illuminated backlight green display with two lines of 20 characters located in the lead upper part, for control of following values:
- Adjustment level over pressure for control of the chanter/dron sound-start on.
- Establishment of pressure level for second octave.
- Independent volumes control for chanter, drone and 2-º drone.
- Drones control On/Off.
- Independent control MIDI channels for chanter, drone #1 and drones #2 - 3.
- Control of independent MIDI note value for drones.
- Asturian compatible finger positions, Galician, Scottish, and whistle Possibility programming of personal fingers settings.
- Two complete chromatic octaves (with control of pressure and dominant until of the second octave with fingerings).
- Control of transposition.
- Library sounds “Cornamusas de Europa” in compatible AKAI format
- Soft cover-bag quilted trip.
I played at a Fest., in Asturia, Spain in 2002 and there were 2 bands using the very same instrument, Llan de Cubel and Dixebra, who I believe are both recorded.
I couldn’t cope with a bag you don’t squeeze.
Alaln
How much are these wonders, Anima? It could be the new teddy bear in every pipers bed! If it works, cool!
well, the description says, “A “bag” of similar volume to the real that it does not need be blown, though yes pressed.”
i’m pretty sure that means you squeeze it.
walt
I wasn’t talking about that type of bag…
Alan
Marc,
I could never pin them down on the price.
I do also believe that you have to squeeze the instrument to turn it “on”
Was it a deger? I saw them in concert at the Birchmere in Virginia and it was a techno-chanter.
Said right in the liner notes of “Special Reserve” that it was a Deger.
I just bought that album yesterday 
Although the live performance one they used was very tiny. And my Deger is on order Should have it in a few days.