Fun
My PC is coming back in a week I think, and meanwhile I’ve got my Tascam 788 set up in the living room. It’s connected to a phantom-powered mixer and 4 mics, which are aimed at various parts of a 9 1/2’ hand-made Hurdy-Gurdy.
A Hurdy-Gurdy is, basically, a box supporting a string with a bridge at one end and tuners at the other. At the bridge, there’s a wheel which turns against the string creating an action similar to that of a bow- like you’d play a cello, etc. The melody mechanism is keys or levers along the melody string, shortening the string by increments based on the tempered scale we use, right…
There can also be one or more drone set-ups with wheels turning against additional strings. The thing has a crank you turn for each wheel, which makes for a pretty bizarre looking piece. This particular Hurdy-Gurdy requires three people to play it.
The effect is like a bagpipe, and it’s great for old-timey sea chanties, reels, and more archaic sounds. Jimmy Page is playing one in the film “The Song Remains the Same”, out front of Alistair Crowley’s old castle, if you’re interested in an example of the visual. Google it; maybe you’ll get a better explanation of what it is. The guy who helped design it and plays it is also writing a piece for it. Should be wack…
Anyway, we’re recording it this morning. If I can get some pix of the set-up I will, and will post 'em. With all the mics and boom-stands around it, my living room looks like a scene in a Dentist’s office. I’m using the ring shock-mounted boundary mics- AT-871R’s- for the two drone wheels, and an AT-4033 is on the Melody wheel. A Studio Projects B-3 is up above, in Omni setting. There are also two Direct Outs from the instrument. I’ll post a clip when I get 'er done.
I love the Hurdy Gurdy. Lark in the Morning has a kit for one, I soooo much would like to get it.
Where’d you get yours?
Actually this one was built by a guy in Canada for a friend of ours. He’s writing a piece for three of them- a small one you can carry and play with a strap, a 6’ “Drone” Hurdy (4 strings of fixed tuning on a single wheel), and the 9 1/2’ one. He’s been staying at our house, and the 9 1/2 footer has it’s temporary home set up in our living room. Naturally, I had to record it!
We recorded it today- Steve (our friend) played the melody keys while his wife and I turned the cranks, amidst a small “stand” of mics pointing at the bridges, strings and body of the thing, with the 788 rolling.
Gotta say, listening to it afterward over a beer on my little Fostex monitors was an arresting experience! It was at first less of a musical experience, than it was the sonic equivalent of finding oneself suddenly in an unfamiliar scene: The sounds were unexpected- as if from a moment out of the life of some sailor on a 16th century whaling vessel… or something… But after the tune got it’s focus in my ears, it became very musical and engaging. Glad we did it.
Post coming.
P.S. I’ll get the name of the builder if you’re interested.
Nine and a half feet? Did I read that correcty?
You MUST post a clip. 
Sure, who’s the builder?
| Quote (TomS @ Oct. 30 2006,07:52) |
| Nine and a half feet? Did I read that correcty? You MUST post a clip. Sure, who's the builder? |
Yes, 9 1/2'.
Not what you take into Boston's T-Station to go busking with! I'm trying to get my sister-in-law's digi camera. And I'm mixing down the tracks on the 788 tonight, I hope, and will post an mp3 to Motagator. By then I'll have the builder's name too.
Oh, yes, a picture of that would be very cool too.
9 feet 6 inches. Jeepers.
Hey, make a sample CD of that - you’d have the market corndered.
| Quote (TomS @ Oct. 30 2006,18:39) |
| Oh, yes, a picture of that would be very cool too. 9 feet 6 inches. Jeepers. Hey, make a sample CD of that - you’d have the market corndered. |
A soundfont thing might also be hip…
Hey, I downloaded Blade enc to my Blade folder in n-Track v3.3, but I can’t seem to get it to be recognized. Is there something I should do besides extracting it in that folder?
FWIW, I also can’t get it to find the .wma DLL I also downloaded.
Oh, update: The Hurdy-Gurdy is 10’.
Here are two tracks from the recording. I set pans and levels just enough to get some separation of sounds (it’s dense)- and sparse EQ for the same reason. Two DI’s from the instrument itself are also in the mix, besides the 4 mics around the bridges and an Omni OH.
There are two techniques for turning the “rattling” wheel- the first is non-rhythmic; then later (on the second track) it gets into a rhythmic attack. The tunes are “Hurdy 1”, and “Hurdy 2”.
Copy/Paste: www.motagator.net/bands/243/
Here’s a website for the guy who plays it (at risk of gratuitously promoting my friend). There’s a so-so picture of the instrument you hear on it:
Copy/Paste: www.as220.org/~stevenjobe/
Um, I’m an idiot, I can’t make the links work. 
I have a bad track record with this kind of thing, probably something I did! I edited the previous post, try the “copy/paste to url” feature I “wrote in”… 
| Quote (Sloom @ Oct. 31 2006,11:05) |
| Oh, update: The Hurdy-Gurdy is 10'.
|
Is it (albeit slightly) happier than the day before ?
Maybe, since we all played it… does make me feel a little compromised…
Good God, sloom, that is fabulous. What an incredible sound.
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| Quote |
| Good God, sloom, that is fabulous. What an incredible sound. |
You wouldn’t think that after ‘French Music and Dance’ night at our local village hall
There’s usually about 4/5 hurdy gurdys there. I usually take my fiddle along to try and drown out the buzzing. 
| Quote (pasher @ Nov. 01 2006,11:47) |
| Good God, sloom, that is fabulous. What an incredible sound. |
You wouldn't think that after 'French Music and Dance' night at our local village hall
There's usually about 4/5 hurdy gurdys there. I usually take my fiddle along to try and drown out the buzzing. "Hurdy Gurdy" is Scottish Gaelic for something like 'Terrible Noise'... and I can't believe you go away from your endeavor with much in the way of feelings of accomplishment, Pasher! God bless you... I guess...
Where do you live, where they have such a night?Tom, thank you- meaning I'm glad to hear that someone else is 'getting it'! I swear that I don't know where else to find this dense and complex a woody-stringy sound. Otherwordly, right?
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| “Hurdy Gurdy” is Scottish Gaelic for something like ‘Terrible Noise’… and I can’t believe you go away from your endeavor with much in the way of feelings of accomplishment, Pasher! God bless you… I guess… Where do you live, where they have such a night? |
lol - There was a monthly session in a village called Ockbrook, between Nottingham and Derby (UK). I’ve not been for a couple of years so not sure how popular it still is, but there was quite a crowd there. The music was interesting but the dancing was a bit sedate for me.
Pa
Sounds like something different, for sure! Sedate dancing to a hurdy… I’d be picturing a raucous jig or a reel!
What are you into with your fiddle, Pasher? Orchestra? Chamber? Rock band? Vigilante Hurdy-Gurdy Killer?
Incredible sound, Sloom. I really, really really want you to make a sound font of it.
| Quote (TomS @ Nov. 02 2006,08:56) |
| Incredible sound, Sloom. I really, really really want you to make a sound font of it.
|
We're actually discussing that. It's not at the highest spot on my own list, because of other life stuff! But it's on the list... I think I'll go download that soundfont editor though. I'm "on the page".