A while back somebody was offering, very generously I might add, complete leharas on this forum (or was it?). I am not sure what format these were in - streaming audio from a web-site or a CD.I know it is possible to use some software to generate these - I am just too lazy and am not sure how good a job I could do with that. Need Teentaal, EkTaal and JhapTaal - preferably in different tempi and different ragas for practising kaidas.
Are there any commercial lehera only recordings ? I would also like to hear other members opinions on the electronic lehera machines as practice aids.
This Japanese site has some tintal lehras at different tempos:
http://www.iris.dti.ne.jp/~takipony/INDIA/TABLA/LESSON/
Frankly though, I do not like them because they sound raucuous to me. It takes a little doing to download them as MP3 files, and if you need help with that let me know.
There are some excellent lehra machines available in the market. . it might be a good idea to use one of those rather than the digital sounding download. On the machines you can play leharas in different raga's, match the pitch with your tabla, vary the speed and all in all have an excellent accompaniment for your tabla riyaaz.
I have a lehra machine and i'm not too impressed with the sounds of them either. I think the mp3 can have more potential. Someone can place a real harmonium or real sarangi lehra in a loop. Anyone know where we can get this type of thing?
Can you recommend any in particular ? Are there any users of Nagma Pro and/or Sunadamala machines on the forum ? How reliable are these ? Do you find them very useful ?
I am not much interested in the programming capabilities nor do I require a plethora of raags and taals - what I need most is the sound to be very full. Should sound like a musical instrument as opposed to a gizmo. Recommendations would be much appreciated. Warren, Shawn, David ??
Here are a couple of pointers. Digitala (P.O.Box 4042, North Hollywood, CA 91617 email: digitala@aol.com) sells an audio cassette "Learning Tabla with Alla Rakha" which has about half an hour of tintaal lehra probably on sarod. It costs only $8.00 including postage, and may be well worth the money. (I have not heard it.) Also, Batish Institute sells sitar lehra CDs in different taals and tempi. I have not heard them either, but I felt they are pricey ($20 for one taal.)
If you buy them, will you share your comments on them? Good luck!
Mine is a cheap Sunadamala
not very good but it get's the job done .
Lahara machines to me are excellant
for practice purposes.
kulpreet (Feb 05, 2003 01:58 p.m.):
Can you recommend any in particular ? Are there any users of Nagma Pro and/or Sunadamala machines on the forum ? How reliable are these ? Do you find them very useful ?
I am not much interested in the programming capabilities nor do I require a plethora of raags and taals - what I need most is the sound to be very full. Should sound like a musical instrument as opposed to a gizmo. Recommendations would be much appreciated. Warren, Shawn, David ??
jiivan (Feb 03, 2003 12:34 p.m.):
Can you give me some advice on downloading those samples as mp3's? i'm having some trouble with that!
thanks
The takipony site does not allow direct downloading of the sound files to your hard drive. I use the Goldwave software to download the files, although any audio recording software should do. Goldwave is a poweful software and it is a lot of fun doctoring sound files with it. If you do not have it, download a trial version from goldwave.com. Get some experience in recording with this software from various sources such as CD, line in (cassette deck or whatever), etc. and in editing, enhancing and massaging audio files. Set up Goldwave to record from stereo mix (set source= stereo mix) . Now play the desired file on takipony and click the record button on Goldwave. Make a trial recording to optimize the settings on the recorder. I keep both applications on the screen and simply click the one I want to activate. Once the file is recorded, you can trim it, loop it or do anything you want to including storing in MP3, WAV or any other format.
An easier way is to unplug your computer speakers, plug in a cable that splits the output to left and right channels and plug them into the record input of a tape deck. Once you have it on tape, you can digitize it using an appropriate software. This way, though, you may introduce some noise.
I have a Nagma machine and it works great. Yes, it does sound very electronic. . . nothing at all like a harmonium, but it gets the job done - it plays lahara! That's what it's for.
At first, I thought that it might be annoying, but it's not. When you concentrate on your playing, as you're supposed to, the Nagma becomes a background sound, in the back of your mind. It should not be the focal point of your practice experience. From this perspective, the sound "quality" is not important. What's important is that it keeps a regular speed, and keeps the tal of your choice through lahara.
If you will be performing a solo in concert, of course, you would never consider using such a device. . you need a live performer who can follow the ebb and flow of your performance.
If the electronic sound bothers you, then you can record a harmonium, sitar, piano, etc. . on your computer and loop the WAV file, using a program like Goldwave or SoundForge. .
The sound quality does have an effect. Otherwise people would go out and buy $20 metranomes which keep all kinds of tals and all kinds of tempos vs. a $200 lehra machine which does the same. I first bought a metranome and was very happy. But as time went by, i found that it was killing my "roo" (i don't know a good english word for that, perhaps inspiration? mood?). I then bought a lehra machine and was ecstatic for like 4 years! But now i'm bored of the tunes and the same type of sound and my "roo" again is dead. To me, it shouldn't be so hard for makers of lehra machines to provide real instruments playing the lehra and maybe provide some variations in the lehra while it is playing, like real players often do. Anyways, in the mean time, if someone has any lehra loops of real instruments or know where I can get them, please let me know. I tried looping it myself but i couldn't get it right. The cut in the loop sounded very abrupt and it didn't flow.
