Instrument questions and answers.
 

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I'd hazard a guess that it was some sort of proto-MIDI language. These devices came out before the great MIDI standardization project but the concept is still the same. In fact, you can get converters for them so someone out there has to know the language that they use.

sitar making

here's an page from a sitar maker that runs through the various parts of the instrument. the thing you're referring to is a tumba (resonator)...there's an outline of the functions it has (or is supposed to have) on the page.

interesting idea for a thread.

thinking about a question that might be relevant to it.

all that's in my head at the moment concerns microtonal tuning systems, whether anyone is using them and what they're doing with them...but this may be more a compositional question than an instrument one (it's both really, but more general)....

Personally, I don't do much with microtonal tuning systems (except when I play violin and then it's usually by accident :) ). I find some of the music fascinating.

I do enjoy some of Harry Partch's stuff ... I think it's more interesting to watch him play than listen though. It's sort of how I feel about a lot of the more esoteric music--it's more interesting being there experiencing it than listening on a CD (not just experimental music either). Not that I ever saw Harry Partch live ... I'd only have been like 6 years old.

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