Chandra & David's Homepage - http://www.chandrakantha.com

Here is some software that may be of interest to students and practitioners of Indian music.  Please note that this software is presented as-is.  No guarantees or endorsements are made and they are to be used at your own risk.

TaalPulse

Version - 1.1

Author - Guillaume Pothier

Email - gpothier@gmail.com

Website - http://taalpulse.sourceforge.net/

Description - TaalPulse is a software Lehra, Theka and Tampura machine for the student of Hindustani music. It is designed to run on portable devices (such as Compaq iPaq) but it also runs on desktop computers (Windows, Linux and MacOS).

Cost Free / Open-source

Requirements - Should work anywhere Squeak works. Known to work on Windows XP, MacOS, Linux - also on the following handhelds: iPaq 3970 (with Linux) and HTC Tytn (with Windows Mobile 6). Requirements are about 200MHz CPU and 64MB RAM.

Riyaz Studio (Mini)

Version - 1.20C

Email - rs_support@riyazstudio.com

Website - http://www.riyazstudio.com/

Description - RiyazStudio combines tanpura and tabla machines in a responsive and easy-to-use Windows-based practice environment for North Indian classical music.  It's the first software that actually sounds like a real tabla player - using real recorded theka loops rather than placing individual tabla bols at preset intervals.  A single pitch control controls both Tanpura and Tabla.  The theka style changes automatically with the tempo - from vilambit to ati drut - and style can also be adjusted without changing tempo.  Tempo can be set by tapping a key at the desired speed.  An optional display shows your position within the cycle.

- This is the RiyazStudio mini (11MB download) which plays only teental - with SaPa and SaMa tanpura - The full RiyazStudio (74MB download available from http://www.riyazstudio.com/) plays nine taals - with SaPa, SaMa and extra tanpura tunings

Cost - $39.95

Requirements - Microsoft Windows 95-XP / Vista Mini version takes up 100MB hard disk space.  Full version takes up 756MB.

"Tabla Guide" for Windows

Version - 2.1

Author - by Manjit Singh Trehan

Email - mtrehan@iupui.edu

Website - http://tablaguide.tripod.com/

Description - This is a software based "Tabla Peti".  It plays the thekas in a variety of tals and tempos.

NOTE - Current version also contains a Raga section for accompaniment and practice

Demo version has six tals which you select and then you can vary the playback speed.  The registered version contains more.  There are also individual bols which can be played by clicking on the key.

Requirements - Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP, 32 MB RAM, 5 MB free disk space, sound card, speakers

Cost - $25.00 (Shareware)

Indian Music Font

Modifications by - David Courtney

Email - david@chandrakantha.com

Description - This is a variation of the venerable "New York" TrueType font that has been part of the Mac OS for years.  The difference is that some of the extended ASCII characters have been replaced with the special signs used for Indian notation.  Since these special characters are buried within the extended ASCII code you may need to use a font utility to find them and to be able to fully utilize this font.

An example of what this font will do is shown below:

Cost - free

Requirements - Any computer which supports TrueType Fonts

Metronome

Author - Manjit Singh Trehan

Email - mtrehan@iupui.edu

Description - This one is a metronome that can be customized to fit the structure of a tala (taal).

Cost - free

Requirements - Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP, 32 MB RAM, 5 MB free disk space, sound card, speakers

"Sargam" Music Font

by - Leo de Kruis

Email - leodekruis@planet.nl

Description - This is based upon "Arial Bold". It is TrueType font.

An example of what this font will do is shown below:

Cost - free

Requirements - Any computer which supports TrueType Fonts

"MusiQwik" Musical Font v.4.0

Author - by Robert Allgeyer

Website - http://www.icogitate.com/~ergosum/

Description - This is a font that allows virtually any word processor to create staff notation.

MusiQwik is a handy font for writing a line of singable music.  It can depict clefs, key signatures, time signatures, measures, fermatas, and repeats.  Notes range from two ledger lines below the staff, to one ledger line above it.  This is the range typically used for ordinary songs and hymns.  Whole, half, quarter, eighth, and sixteenth notes and rests may be depicted, with or without dots.

Here is a screenshot, converted to a gif image so that you can see it without the font installed.  Except for the black bar at left, all of the musical notation was done with MusiQwik.

Please note that there is no warranty implied, nor support given.  It is presented "as-is"

Cost - free

Requirements - Any computer which supports TrueType Fonts

SwarShala v.3.07 (Demo)

Author - by Swar Systems

Email

• sales@swarsystems.com (Outside India)
• info@sudeepaudio.com (In India)

Website - http://www.swarsystems.com/SwarShala/

Description - SwarShala is a wonderful tool for anyone interested in Indian classical music, whether beginner or advanced, by providing means of learning, practicing and composing this style of music.  Such a user will be able to create fully customized practice sessions with the required instruments, cycles, pitch, tempo, acceleration, etc... and select them to be played at wish.

Cost - Demo is free, the full versions cost

Requirements - i486 or Pentium processor-based personal computer, Microsoft Windows 95/98/Me/2000/XP or Windows NT 4 with Service Pack 3 or later, 32 MB of RAM (64 to 128 MB recommended), 30 MB of available hard-disk space - NOTE - JAVA must be installed and working for this software to function.  If you have trouble go to http://www.swarsystems.com/

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This page last updated Sept 1, 2007
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