A few comments have been made regarding a dislike for the tone of rowsome drones,and I suppose it all comes down to personal choise!!
I like the sound of rowsome drones as I think they have a nice strong hum to them that that sits nicely under a bright crisp chanter . I,m not keen on drones that have a buzzy tone as I think it dominates the overall sound to much !!!
What your thoughts on the subject???
RORY
As long as they compliment the chanter, I’m satisfied.
Was it Peter L who likened Rowsome drones to a tractor engine?
My Rowsome drones humm loudly. The chanter is very bright (don’t you love the euphemism?) and is not overwhelmed. They get on fine.
My Wooff drones buzz quietly and converse nicely with the chanter.
For me buzz is better, but there is certainly a place for humm.
To me there’s a crucial difference between drones that just make a sound as a background to whatever else is going on, the passing tractor, and the ones that seek to blend into and overall blended unity of sound that creates a cloud of harmonics flying around the player, union pipes remember?
I am not a particular fan of the Crowley/Rowsome metally background hum. Some Taylor (ish) type concert drones get it right though.
I sure that how one has the reeds set up (sound familiar?) makes the biggest difference.
Sound - drones or chanter - of bagpipes IMO is very complex (pitch; sound, loudness, „performance“) and my quest for the optimal dronesound was quite difficult.
First of all - as you said - it depends on personal choice: S. b. compared the sound of flat pipes with an old Harley and that of concert-pitch with high rotating two-strokes of little ccm (Kreidler in Germany). I would like to confine on concert-pitch drones here.
In addition, there´s many „non drones inert“ factors that have a big influence on the sound – the reeds (as written here in many posts); (if it is a recording) the equipment and the soundman; the player; the accoustics of the room („now that you say it I smell it, too)…
An example: Liam OFlynns Sean Reid Rowsome is thought to have the nicest sounding drones ever by many (singing – not just droning). However, what is nice? Sound and loudness are two different things. I think we could agree on „richness“. Clearly a „rich“ tone (having many overtones) is much nicer (and easier to tune) than a pure sinustone. Now - only very few of us have the chance to hear this set played solo with the original Rowsome-reeds by Mr OFlynn in a room with nice accoustics from a distance of about 2 meters. We rely on recordings. IMO the very best recording is „The Well Below The Valley“. The black „Planxty“ album I would rate as „not convincing“ and the „Planxty At Vicar Street 2004“ as „extremely poor“ (sometimes I have the notion of s. b. peeing into an empty buckett). All this, however, is just my personal opinion (and there is a big difference whether it is a plastic or a tin buckett) This „Planxty At Vicar Street 2004“ recording upset me a grat deal: Every instument but the pipes on this recording sound well. Is it the (sick) soundman? Or are it the reeds? Many Planxty liverecordings sound poor. Does Mr. Flynn employ „travel-reeds“?. Or is it just my personal taste?
Anyway – I am a big fan of drones with a rich, singing quality and disappointed of drones that just have this technical „sinus“ sound.
Cheers,
Hans
I love the sound of keenans drones in the early days. Were they a Crowley set or a Rowsome.?
Crowley drones and regs, Rowsome chanter.
I really like the sound of Debbie Quigley’s (K&Q) drones. The bass drone seems to dominate with a nice dark hum. It really sounds good. You can hear her drones quite well on the CD Live from North Hero.
I also love the sound of Mick O,Brien,s W rowsome drones !!!
Some flat pitch sets drones just sound like wet flatulance !!!
RORY
Mickey Dunne has some spiffy little resonators on his drones. I don’t know if their sound would be described as a buzz or a hum, but they’re the best sounding drones I’ve heard. I was blown away by them, anyway.
the reality is that there are a number of people involved in piping at various levels that enjoy making negative comments about anything to do with Leo Rowsome - both about his piping and his pipes. It almost got to the stage where it was/is regarded as politically incorrect to have some regard for Leo.
Strangely, his chanters/sets seem to sell instantly, and for a premium, whenever they come up for sale, and major figures in piping- Liam O’Flynn and Paddy Maloney to name just two, insist in continuing to play his sets.
I have to admit that I get somewhat extremely p*****d off with these people, who I regard as being without any understanding of the major part that the Rowsome’s have played (pun not intended) in the development and survival of the pipes.
Emer, I think it is very well possible to see Leo Rowsome as a pivotal figure who almost single handedly ensured piping survived through the lean times of the 1930s and 40s by supplying tuition,reeds etc and give his work a fair assessment.
I don’t like the sound of Rowsome drones, I know very well why I don’t like them. I like some aspects of the sound of Rowsome chanters, the sound most of the pipers had we started listening to, a specific character in some notes that nobody else’s chanters have. But at the same time it is also fair to note some definite flaws in the design of the same chanters. I knew quite well some now deceased close friends of Leo, people who kept him in the highest regard as a friend and as a piper and people who I would hardly call ignorant when it comes to music and piping, yet they commented in a matter of fact way on exactly the same things that come up over and over again when looking at Leo’s work. It’s not blasphemy. You can give someone’s work a fair assessment, see the good and the bad and still come out positive or you can put someone on a pedestal and cover over any negative sides. If you want to throw judgements about any of this around, which would you call the more ignorant way of looking at it?
Would it be fair to say that, in all honesty, it really is a matter of taste?
For me (and let me state that I am no expert on the matter), Leo’s chanters have a tonal quality I find almost nasal… not that it’s a bad thing. But my preferences lie (for concert sets) with a tone that tends to be a little bolder yet not brazenly so.
I also prefer drones that have what I can only describe as a lively buzz to them, but regardless of tone or texture, the important thing is that drones and chanter are balanced to the point where the drones do not ‘out volume’ the chanter and where both are complimentary to the other.
IMHO, arguing which drone tone is better is much like arguing which wind direction is better, I do not see much value in it.
Listening to Kitty Lie Over, I notice a big difference between the drones of the two sets played by Mick O’Brien. Are they both made by Froment?
Yes. Might have been recorded at different times/studios? They are of course in two different keys.
Its mis-quotes like that ,that cause trouble!!
It was never asked which is better ,it was asked which do you prefer !!
RORY
PS Ithink south is the best direction ,I always like going south ,somehow it feels like your going downhill
One’s B and the other’s Bb (IIRC) but I wouldn’t have expected such a difference in sound, particularly if they’re both the work of the same maker.
Ah, but the assertion is not that the drones sound different; it’s that the recordings of the drones sound different…
Bill
Maybe, but in the recordings, the bass drone of the Bb set seems more dominant. Whether this is due to the recording or not, I don’t know. Why don’t we get MOB to drop by my house some evening next week with both sets so I can hear them for real!!
Late entering this particular debate.
FWIW, I prefer humming vs buzzing drones, as the latter introduce to my ear a high treble, oscillating frequency (almost a rapid tympanny), particularly from base drones, that interferes with my enjoyment of the music.
Whatever, the drones should be in balance with themselves, as well as the chanter, which when achieved should mitigate any buzz, and ensure the drones and chanter sound all the harmonics available together equally, in a perfect blend of sound.