From REC.MUSIC.MAKERS.BAGPIPE

Subject: Re: electronic practice chanter
Date: Sunday, June 18, 2000
Author: Lawrence Gould <lsg@not.LSGould.com>

On Tue, 13 Jun 2000 22:12:11 +0100, Vicki Swan
<vix@muckle.demon.co.uk> wrote:

>I am desperately in need of getting my hands on an electronic piping
>practice device. Does any-one have an address (e-mail or snail) phone
>number or website of a maker.
>

I highly recommend the Techno-Chanter from Anders Fagerstrom
(Stockholm, Sweden; http://members.chello.se/technochanter/). This is
what I wrote about the Techno-Chanter on my website (www.lsgould.com)
"The Techno-Chanter measures 9" long by 5/8" diameter, runs on three
1.5V watch/camera batteries, and cost $250. I chose the transparent
pipe casing (versus the solid black pipe) because the technoweebie in
me likes looking at the electronic circuitry inside. The
Techno-Chanter has screw heads to replicate the holes in a
conventional PC. There's nothing mechanical about the Techno-Chanter;
your fingers on the screw heads close an electrical circuit, which
generates the notes. It's absolutely unforgiving in terms of crossing
noises. Plus, because the Techno-Chanter requires earphones, you can
play it anywhere without waking the dead. (It does attract attention
and start conversations on planes and trains!)"

I should also add that the "hole" spacings are the same as that
in a long practice chanter and a bagpipe chanter (give or take given
the chanters are mostly made by hand).

I believe Fagerstrom's web site lists distributors of his
techno-chanter.

Pipingly,
Larry

Subject: FAGERSTROM'S CHANTER REVIEW
Date: 07/11/1997
Author: CGlendin <cglendin@aol.com>

This is longer than I like for email but was easy to cut and paste. It is the review of Anders Fagerstrom's Electronic
Practice Chanter from the EUSPBA publication called "the VOICE" and for those who are in the market, this may be of
some help--especially those looking for dates.

||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
BABE MAGNET

There are many reasons to walk the cutting edge of technology. For those who are serious about the advancement of their
craft, testing a new product in the crucible of clinical analysis leads one to the unemotional choices of rational thought: Is
this a good product? Why is this a good product? Is this a bad product? Why is this a bad product? But during that
testing process, when you discover the power of that product to lure members of the opposite sex, sense and sensibility fly
out the window as the visceral supplants the rational.

"Wow, man! Who cares how good or bad this thing is... chicks dig it!" Of course there is a story here and I will tell it, but
first...back to the crucible. Anders Fagerstrom's Electronic Practice Chanter has just hit the market and for those keeping
a running tab of nationalistic achievement, chalk one up for the Swedes.

First, there is nothing that could take the place of a sweaty,
gut-wrenching toot on the grand and glorious Great Highland Bagpipe. For the stamina it takes to maintain quality tone,
the top players are those who learn early that being good on the practice chanter does not necessarily translate into being
good on the bagpipe.
Although a brisk walk around the block hardly prepares you for a marathon, it does lay the groundwork, and in the same
way, this little electronic wonder keeps your fingers limber and, most important, honest, as it magnifies even the slightest
hint of a crossing noise. You will find, as you listen to the glaring clarity of your fingers, that you will develop zero
tolerance for sloppy fingering-even the slightest whisker of laziness is magnified by the unforgiving accuracy of those
cursed electronics. This is a good thing.

And good things come in small packages. While maintaining compactness, Anders also offers, touch-sensitive controls for
pitch, volume and sensitivity. Since headphones provide the output, the individual becomes a veritable biosphere of sonic
self-gratification. You can practice without bothering anyone. This feature alone is worth the price and may even be paid
by those nearest and dearest to you.
I have heard that you can also patch the instrument into computer speakers and, this being the case, can probably feed
into a preamp and ultimately wail in the high reaches of decibel nirvana doing a back-up riff with Dire Straits.

Those cunning false notes so vital to the kitchenpiper are here too--C natural and F natural as well as a "Piobaireachd"
high G that has been shaded to the flat side, although I'm afraid that perpetuates a mistake of the modern pipe chanter...
but let's leave those worms in the can.

SOME PROBLEMS
-- Don't leave the headphones plugged in! The directions say that "plugging in the headphones and fingering an E turns
the chanter on." This leaves the impression that when you stop fingering, the juice is off. Au contraire. Since replacing
batteries can cost as much as nine dollars (three cadmium batteries at three dollars each) fifty hours of play is rather short
when the headphones remain plugged in over a weekend. Ask Mike Green.
-- With this rather light, nine-inch tube of plexiglass there is no upper support, so it tends to move around a bit. I have
found it easier (although it looks a little stupid) to rest the end of the earphone jack on my lower lip to free up my fingers.
-- Although it has not presented much of a problem, the sensors, even though raised a bit, are frighteningly like trying to
read braille. If the heads were a little bigger I think I might be happier.
-- For playing in the back of a DC-10, even the highest volume level is not quite voluminous enough and since that's the
ideal venue for this instrument, I might suggest a bit more beef...which brings me back to my story:

On a flight back from a show in Kentucky, I found myself so rapt in cleaning up the fingering to the fifth part of
"MacAllister's Dirk" that I missed the announcement to do the "seat back/tray table/electronic device" thing.

A rather icy Barbie doll, who had been our stewardess, tapped me on the shoulder and with a Stepford smile told me to
lose the electronics. As I began to unplug and disconnect, she asked, "What is that?"

I told her.

To my embarrasment, she fell to her knees at my feet. "You play the bagpipes?!"

"Yes," I said, "please get up."

Not only did she not get up, she put on the headphones and gushed, "Oooo, play me something."

Always eager to start trouble, my friend, Brian Meagher turned around and said, "Wait, isn't that dangerous? What if the
plane..."

"Shut-up!" she said waving him off. "Play," she said to me, so I did.

It was a unique experience, sitting in silence and fingering a melody in faith while the whole back of the plane watched
the heavy-lidded bliss of this stewardess as she left this realm-daily departures care of Anders Fagerstrom's Electronic
Practice Chanter.

Brian is buying one as we go to press.

Charlie Glendinning
Ashton, Maryland

Subject: Re: Electronic Pipes Opinons?
Date: 10/22/1999
Author: Charles D. Starrett

<pipwriter@my-deja.com > wrote:

> I use the fagestrom electronic chanter (get info at
~http://www.algonet.se/~afager/), and rarely have any problems with dry
> hands as you can adjust the sensitivity of the chanter [...]

I still do have trouble playing in light rain, but I suppose the correct solution is, "don't do that!" :-)

>
> Because of the size, it's ideal for carrying around in your pocket and
> brushing up on a few tunes whenever you get a free moment.

I gotta agree with this. I wouldn't amplify the Fagerstrom for public consumption, but for portability and private practice
it's the bomb! It's as small as it can get while still maintaining full chanter hole spacing--very convenient! I also get a small
twinge of superiority as others are walking around just listening to music on their headphones and I'm actually making
it...or maybe that twinge was from playing it in the rain... :)

Subject: Re: Electronic Pipes Opinons?
Date: 10/21/1999
Author: pipwriter

I use the fagestrom electronic chanter (get info at
http://www.algonet.se/~afager/), and rarely have any problems with dry
hands as you can adjust the sensitivity of the chanter very easily to suit the moisture on your hands.

Because of the size, it's ideal for carrying around in your pocket and brushing up on a few tunes whenever you get a free
moment.

Since getting one about 2 years ago, I've convinced over a dozen friends to do the same, and I don't believe any of us have
had any problems or complaints.

Alan corrie
members.aol.com/pipwriter

From: Brad Morrison
Subject: Re: electropipes: christmas
Date: 29 november 1999 18:06

I'm offically high tech now.

One of the members of this very newsgroup sold me a used Fagerstrom
electronic chanter. It's great!

I'm surprised how well it mimics the fingering and technique of the
real chanter (in fact some mistakes are more evident on the electronic
chanter).

This weekend, my wife and her sister wanted to go shopping. I tagged
along to the mall, and when I got bored, I'd sit down and practice.
It's nice to be able to practice virtually anywhere. And, actually,
there was a great deal of interest.

Thanks to all who provided advice!

Brad

Subject: Re: Electronic practice chanter
Date: 04/02/1997
Author: Kevin Scott

Doug White wrote:
>
> Keywords:
> In article <3341D81E.2136@pop3.concentric.net>, piobaire@pop3.concentric.net wrote:
> >Okay, Sports fans I just heard a demo of a new electronic practice
> >chanter. It is about 9 inches long and 5/8ths of an inch in diameter.
> >Made of clear plastic it is light and easily stored in your pocket. You
> >can use the same headphones as your walkman or just play it without. The
> >finger holes are the same as the GHP and it uses three ni-cad batteries.
> >It has a nice tone and is not too loud. The only person that I know that
> >is bringing them in from Scotland is Mr. Lynn Miller, the owner of The
> >House of Bagpipes. If you would like more information call him at 415
> >452-4220, pacific time. It may not be for everybody but I'm concidering
> >it as I write.
>
> This sounds suspiciously like Anders Fagerstrom's electronic PC. It's
> actually made in Sweden, and the only difference I can see in your
> description is that Anders's design uses three button cells, which I
> don't think are Ni-Cad. For anyone interested, he has a web page:
>
> http://herb.algonet.se/~afager/
>
> with nice pictures. I got mine a litle over a week ago, and have been
> very pleased with it. It's well made, and just the ticket for a
> portable, discreet practice device. It is VERY sensitive to crossing
> noises, which is very useful.
>
> Doug White
Thanks for the news. I'll check it out and see if it is the same device or a copy. I test drove the gizmo that I described
yesterday and ordered one. I'll post the results so all will know.
Kevin

Subject: RE: Electronic bagpipes
Date: 11/29/1996
Author: Farr Warner LTC

Paul, I have one of the ones from Fager in Sweden and think it's great. It's actually an electronic PC, i.e.. no drones, and
is really meant for earphones but will power a small speaker. I use it on airliners, etc. to practice. Rocky

----------
From: Gretton + Willems[SMTP:100605.635@CompuServe.COM]
Sent: Thursday, November 28, 1996 8:56 AM
To: Bagpipe Digest

I would be interested in hearing opinions on electronic bagpipes OTHER THAN
the Bazpipe and those made by George Boyd.

I have tried out the Bazpipe for myself, and a set of George's MIDI pipes are
in
the post to me. Unfortunately, George says that his normal (non-MIDI) model
will
not work in Europe.

What do people think of the electronic pipes made by Naill, Iolaire (Inverness),
that other chap in Scotland, Anders Fagerstrom (Sweden) etc.

Cheers,

Paul

Subject: RE: electronic bagpipes
Date: 12/06/1999
Author: Brad Morrison

Andrew:

I have a Fagerstrom - and I really like it!

Brad Morrison

Subject: electropipes: christmas
Date: 12/10/1999
Author: Mike Reid

 The site for the Fagerstrom Techno-chanter (electronic practice chanter) is
http://www.algonet.se/~afager/ . I bought mine last Sep from Jim Scott,
http://www.scottshighland.com . I really enjoy it and I take it on all my
trips and play in the airport, on the plane and in the hotel room. Also,
great to get some practice in at my desk at work, riding the bus or in the
car (when someone else is driving :) ). It is small, lightweight, and comes
with a padded sleeve case and earphones (but other earphones work as well).

Mike

Mike and Kelly Ann Reid
reidm@webruler.com
Brad Morrison <BMorrisoNOBMSPAM@concentric.net.invalid> wrote in message
news:0a0133f8.c83111b8@usw-ex0102-010.remarq.com...
> Ewan, thanks for the info.
> That's a bit pricier than I was hoping for. Have you heard any info on
> the swedish electronic chanter (can't remember the name). The Ross
> model looks a little bulky, and I've heard is more temperamental.
>
> Brad
>