Technology in tune with Pan

[Pan Times]

Trinidad and Tobago Guardian

[George Rampersad]

With regard to the post on “the first electronic steelpan”, I have never played this instrument and would therefore be grateful if someone who knows/plays this instrument could enlighten me with answers to a few questions I have. Simple yes/no answers would be fine with me.

Thanks and have a pleasant day.

 

1. Can anyone confirm if this so-called “electronic steelpan” was made BEFORE Bertie Marshall made the “Bertfone” in the late 60s? Yes/No

 

2. Does this instrument have the unique overtones of pans made of steel, resulting from resonance due to the connection of all the notes on the same metal surface? Yes/No

 

3. If the Africans rearranged the wooden bars on their balafon and placed them in a circle, does that make it a steelpan? Yes/No

 

4. As in the previous question on the balafon, if an instrument is made of plastic and rubber and the notes are arranged in a circle, does that make it a steelpan? Yes/No

 

5. With regard to electronically generated audio signals: If Yamaha samples the sound of steelpans and generates those sounds electronically as audio signals, the instrument is called a synthesizer. As an electronic instrument generating audio signals, isn’t this instrument a synthesizer with the notes arranged in a circle? Yes/No

Thanks.

 

[Claude Gonzales]

This was THE FIRST ELECTRONIC STEELPAN INVENTED (THE PANKAT)!!! Well, one could say that it did not have a SKIRT -- but that would be SPLITTING HAIRS!!!