As we all continue to mature with respect to the advancement of the steelpan and its technology, I guarantee you have never seen any steelpan player doing this before. Hear hat this professional artist have to say about how this technology makes him more versatile.
As we all know by now the E-Pan is not in competition with the acoustic steelpan. It is there to add to the steelpan family. It is not there to replace the acoustic steelpan. Everyone has their opinion, but just as the acoustic piano and acoustic guitar have electronic versions I think it's fair that the steelpan player should have access to an electronic version of their tool as well so that he/she can take advantage of the digital aspects of music today. MIDI is also a big part of producing music in today's world. Before this invention, a steelpan player could not enjoy this capability. The whole world listens to synthesized music which is produced from a keyboard (the electronic version of an acoustic piano). What most people seem to forget is that the pan player has been losing lots of work in the studio because the keyboard player can press the steelpan tone on his instrument reproducing the steelpan tone while he players the keyboard in the same conventional way of playing a piano for the different calypsonians, pop singers etc. So, the steelpan musician loses the opportunity to work that job in the studio and is pigeon holed into playing the stereotypical gig. I can go on and on, but even keyboard players in live performances have about three different keyboards on stage simultaneously (A Yamaha Motif, Korg and a Roland). Why? Because those three different keyboards come with different advantages and according to the song or what the musician is trying to interpret he relies on the different instruments to express his music. Having said that, the steelpan player can have the acoustic instrument and the electronic instrument on the same stage as professionals have been doing lately. THERE IS NO ELECTRONIC INSTRUMENT THAT PRODUCES TONES/SOUNDS THE SAME OR BETTER THAN THE ACOUSTIC. The E-Pan comes with 6 different steelpan tones including one from the 1940's, those Steelpan tones were not demonstrated in this video. In addition the E-Pan has a USB port which allows the user to upload their own steelpan tones. Everyone has different levels of hearing. Be that as it may, that feature that the E-Pan comes with will take care of your acquired hearing so you can upload whichever steelpan tuner's signature tone you like. Each steelpan has its own sound / DNA. It is all unique to the different steelpan makers. EVERY STEELPAN LOVER HAS THEIR FAVORITE STEELPAN TUNER so this feature takes care of that.
This RENDITION arranged and played by one of steelpan's young virtuosos - Freddy harris3 .com https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVj-KJlxnLc&list=UUSZwxi2wUXHUnQxIlFONkGA

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  • Salo, you are correct, Freddy surely gave the E-Pan a work out there. Good demonstration.

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