My whistle playing is being hindered by the little people in the house needing to revise in silence. I have therefore taken the decision to purchase a Warbl 2 after seeing several good reviews of this device and how it could be a useful practice instrument.
I know it is a midi controller and I will need to acquire applications to make some sound.
I am interested in any recommendations of apps to consider. Initially my main interest is as a tin whistle I can play in silence. I know it will not a be a like for like experience but it will be better than nothing and as a beginner still, I need as much practice as I can get. I may have to offload some of my collection of whistles to fund it but whistles are replaceable.
I have an iPhone 12 pro so it is a lightning connector. I am assuming the device will dictate what apps I can use and how I can connect headphones etc.
Iāve no experience of using MIDI, but as well as asking here it might be worth framing your question the other way round and looking on Reddit etc. A search on āMIDI apps for iPhone 12ā might reveal some useful info?
Thank you, that is a great suggestion. I do know there is a member of this forum who has been involved with the development of the Warbl in some degree or other so hoping that person would have some great advice for me
Iām a former brass musician with significant hearing issues including hyperacusis, tinnitus and discomfort (pain) via bone conduction, even when playing a muted instrument. The only practical solution left is avoidance, so Iāve found new homes for my instruments and recently acquired a WARBL2 as a means to play music without having the sound source near my head. Itās perfect for that!
I have an iPhone 13 (also with lightning) and connect the WARBL2 using BLE MIDI without any cables. It also works nicely on my Mac with a few extra steps for MIDI setup. I canāt yet get it to connect to my iPad mini 6 and have a tried all of the usual āfixesā without success. Iām not sure why.
As far as listening, I place the iPhone about 4 feet from my head and adjust the volume so I can barely hear it in my practice (i.e., bed) room and close the door. My wife doesnāt hear anything. There are inexpensive lightning to 3.5mm digital to analog converters (DACs), though the Apple version is out of production, to allow listening through headphones. Bluetooth head/earphones do not work well with this setup due to latency, which doesnāt impact (at least noticeably) the WARBL2 connection/feedback to the device itself. I havenāt tried it with headphones as I donāt have a DAC and donāt want the sound in close proximity to my head in any event.
Whether or not the WARBL2 is a good approximation of an actual whistle, I donāt know. Iāve never played a whistle as it will be far too loud given my hearing issues. Iām most certainly a beginning āwhistleā player, working my way through some method books. I use the recommended Celtic Sounds iOS app and quite like the āwhistleā sound.
The WARBL forum ( WARBL Forum - Index page ) is a helpful resources with lots of information about modifications, etc. The maker is also very helpful and answered all of my questions prior to purchase.
Thank you for your reply. I am pleased you have found a solution to allow you to still play āwhistleā. I have seen the Celtic Sounds app mentioned in various places so that will be top of my list to purchase when the Warbl 2 arrives. I will check out the forum too. I certainly donāt plan to make any modifications and hoping with the right app it will offer me the ability to continue my practice in a more silent form when the kids need to do school work. I can highly recommend the Mary Bergin books and also I really like āThe Essential Guide to Irish Flute and TIn Whisleā book by Grey Larsen. Happy Whistling!
