Monthly Archives: July 2005

Music, Pipes / Folk / Instruments

Electronic pipes

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Last Updated or created 2023-07-25

While they are not the real thing, and sound mostly bad. These little electronic devices are great on the move.

Great for using with headphones. Nice to have one of those in your backpack on holiday.

I’ve bought a Technochanter in 2004 and a deger in 2005, both with their benefits.
(I’ve got a little batterypowered mixer with dual output, so Coline and I can play a duet in silence 🙂 )

Technochanter at the top, the black one is the Deger

Both can play accidentals like natural C/F and more.

Links

http://www.fagerstrom.com/
https://www.deger.com/

I designed a electronic bagpipe in the 90’s myself, but it never was a success. ( Shall update this page when I find the schematics )

In 2010 I bought a Yamaha QY100 seqencer. I can connect the deger using a DIY midi cable, and use its buildin instruments.

Specs deger:

  • Same size and finger spacing as a long practice chanter.
  • Dual output: PHONES and MIDI! Headphones and MIDI devices can directly connect to the DegerPipes Chanter. It’s also possible to connect the phones output to an amplifier or a stereo.
  • The chanter contains all electronic components as well as the battery. No external box or additional equipment is needed.
  • Authentic Bagpipe sound including drones generated by wavetable sound synthesis. Highland Pipe and Smallpipe sounds integrated.
  • Perfectly tuned chanter scale and drones by usage of crystal oscillator and microprocessor control.
  • The Pitch is adjustable in a range of more than three octaves. This enables you to play together with other instruments in any key.
  • The drones volume is variable and can also be switched off.
  • Through MIDI output every MIDI compatible tone generator or other MIDI equipment can be used (for example PC with notation program).
  • An extended cromatical scale is available allowing you to play tunes which are not playable on the real pipe chanter.
  • Driven by a cheap standard 9V Battery, Accumulators are also usable.
  • Up to 100 hours of playing with only one battery.
  • Automatic power off after a minute of no activity.
  • A Metronome is integrated within the Chanter.
Deger Midi Cable

Specs Technochanter:

  • Fits in your pocket: only Ø16 x 225 mm (Ø5/8″ x 9″)
  • Uses earphones (not included): therefore perfect to play on buses, trains etc. Ideal for the commuter.
  • Natural C and F.
  • Pitch alterable.
  • Unforgiving at detecting crossing noise.
Finger Chart


Below a link to the QY100

Sun in the stream on my Uilleann Pipes