[sdiy] Synthesized Bagpipes

[Kenneth Elhardt]

Sam Ecoff writes:
>>Understand that bagpipe music has no rests. The sound
flows continuously, and notes are articulated through a series of
ornaments which come between each note. If you haven't ever checked
it out, look for some bagpipe music. You'll be really surprised.
Also... bagpipes have a *very* limited note set, and can only play in
the key of B-flat (how weird is that?)<<

Bagpipes can only play 9 notes.  Bagpipe music is printed going from G4
(that's the G above middle C) to A5.  No sharps or flats.  But if you want
to play it on the keyboard, you'd play C# and F# instead of C and F.  Then
you'd want to set the transpose on your keyboard up 3 semitones moving the
whole range up which is where the bagpipes are actually sounding their
notes.  It should also be noted that if you really want to get anal about
it, those two sharped notes I mentioned above are just an approximation.  If
you could, you'd want a tone that falls between C and C# and F and F#,
because those two notes are 1/4 of a semitone inbetween.  Microtonal.  In
addition, the bagpipes always have drones sounding printed at A3 and A2 (but
really 3 semitones up from that).

As in my piece, the ADSR in put on hold, for no breaks.  And I play all
kinds of little groupings of grace notes and such, like the real players.
They're usually played so fast though, that you don't really hear them as
individual notes, but as a kind of strange sounding attack at the beginning
of the sound.

Mike B. writes:
>>Another key to getting a convincing pipes and drums effect is having
multiple tracks of fake "bagpipes", and having them not all play
perfectly together, especially with regard to the characteristic
little squeaks, squawks, and ornamental trills, that are played by
each player in the ensemble (as well as slight timing discrepancies
and tone differences among the snare drummers in the corps).  Using
an ambience effect that simulates a bit of distance from the
listener, as if the sound is being heard from across a large open
field, can also help.  Ken's demo, as impressive as it is, could
benefit from some (or more) of that.<<

Since I was improvising the music, I wasn't able to go back and play more
trackes.  Instead I recorded my midi performance and ran that three times to
my synth.  Then I slid the tracks slightly apart to get a slight
delayed/ensemble effect.  It wasn't until days later I found out that Cubase
has a randomize feature, which had I known about, my one midi performance
could have been randomized everytime I used it.  I also hadn't planned on it
marching by.  But later thought I could fake that with the original stereo
recording.  It wasn't long enough to have to come from too far of in the
distance.  I was thinking is was more like it coming down a street in a
parade, and even searched around the internet for sounds of groups of people
and other city noises to put in, but it was difficult to find what I wanted.

-Elhardt