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  • Oswald Alexander. The E-pan and PHI instruments do not actually make the pan sounds. All electronic music sounds must first be sampled from their natural instruments. I agree it would never be the same. The mere fact of acoustically recording the instruments through high tech mics specially built to record samples at various velocities-striking speeds for percussion instruments and volume for other instruments, they will lose something. But electronics also offers ways of rebuilding those somethings that were lost on recording. A 99% sound to the human ear cannot  recognize any difference to its real sound.   What we here in T&T must understand is, if we don't strike the balance with the steelband electronic  sounds, others will and in fact others are doing it. There is no illegality if they do it as well. Because the sound of the steelpan is not Copyrighted or Patented. What may be patented is the actual instruments both acoustics G-pan and the E-pan and PHI. The E-Pan and PHI are called by the technical name midi controllers. Midi controllers are not the cause of the sound. They merely play back and control the various nuances of the electronic sounds which have been mastered in the electronic sound labs. The software as well  which is used to play them also are not the cause of the sounds as well. They involve very intricate tuning and tweaking of the electronic instruments used  as well. Not the original instruments but the electronic tuning and tweaking. When they are run through various amplifiers and speakers, they also have to be tweaked and tuned accordingly to get back the close to 99% original sound. So its also no easy tasks as well. But if the sound of pan does not go through this evolution, it can in fact fail the instrument as well as a full fledged electronically recordable instrument. Electronics won't fail the instrument but will pass it tremendously into the 21st century scheme of things. We also have to remember that the acoustic instrument also used electronic instruments to help tune and evolve its making. If you can get hold of both Bertie Marshall and Ellie Mannette videos or writings you will be convinced that they were building an electronic instrument. Both wanted it evolved as well. It is here now and will stay even longer than the acoustic instrument. Who knows what will happen to the acoustic instrument in 50 or 100 years time. But electronics will stay and would have improved as well. 

    • Sidd.I don't know where you got the idea that I said the PHI and the E-PAN actually made pan sounds.I said." it would be interesting to compare them.".....since they all sampled real instruments,but most likely with different hardware and possibly with different software....there would surely be differences in tones.....I should add Indigisound which has a great library.....Soniccouture also has some steelpan samples

      I had the great fortune of being taught to build amplifiers,with ECC 83s and EL 84s,6L6s,KT88s,which saved my parents from providing all of college school books and uniforms,so I think I understand the rudiments of electronics and sound reproduction. 

      "Bertie Marshall and Ellie Mannette videos or writings you will be convinced that they were building an electronic instrument." Sidd, having been up close and personal with Bertie playing his Bertfone,I saw a pan that was amplified,with the player having the ability to manipulate the sound using mechanics as those found in acoustic pianos and organs.I should also tell you that there were other people amplifying pans at the very time Bertie was doing so,thought not as intense,and surely not as sustained,

      You are quite naive to believe that synthesizers which have been around since the 50s would be around and the Pan would disappear.

      In Pan!

      • Oswald: Yuh missing the main point!!!

  • With all the new technology there still isn't any music, it look like the locals are waiting until someone in foreign put out some music to follow AFTER.

    • Cecil: Thanks for helping me make my point!!!

      WHERE IS THE MUSIC?

      • I agree with this as well. But I am addressing this. Visit the link above Cecil.   Yes I think most people follow rather than do it themselves. 

  • Extensive sample library,but it's another synthesizer....with sampled Pan sounds included......the beauty of electronics,but digital sounds must be in "0s" and "1s", therefore they can never,ever sound as warm and pleasurable as the actual instrument they imitate. The best CD can never reproduce the sound one can get from a properly mastered analog vinyl, played with a good magnetic cartridge and needle.

    It would be interesting to compare this to the PHI and the E-Pan.

  • My argument remain the same, the steelband and the sound of a pan are not the same. The sky is the limit for those that use the sound of the pan. Steelbands have to find out how they fit into what's going on.
  • I agree with your input and I know that. But Cecil still kicks against it tremendously. I also went on to say that it is the only way that the sound of pan will really return to the 21st century carnival and will in fact make pan instrument a household name where every other young person may want to play at least a tenor pan. It will be used by some of the biggest international recording stars and that's when it will happen for pan. I can make hundreds of such predictions and it will happen. Not because I am a foreteller but because it is the only way out for the pan instrument as well as the pan instrumentalist right down to the bass. T&T is still in the forefront of this technology and we are still the owners and originators of both the authentic sounds of pan both acoustic and now electronic. What belongs to someone by the will of the universe, no one can take away. It is left up to pan musicians to fully appreciate both aspects of the sound of pan. Welcome to the 21st century.
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