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The E-Pan™
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The e-pan ™.
It is with a spirit and sense of great pride and excitement, that we
announce the long awaited arrival of the e-pan.
The e-pan name is the abbreviated short form chosen for the electronic
steelpan. This novel idea was created using high-tech electronics to
advance the invention of the traditional instrument. To lend some
background, the steelpan, also known as the steeldrum, is an invention born
of the people of Trinidad & Tobago. It is an acoustic musical
instrument indigenous to that nation which remains to this day, the only
such invention of the 20th century and with the dawn of this new century
and millennium it manages to retain that title.
The inception of the steelpan can be traced back to the 1930's. Since then
and throughout the decades, the "cause célèbre" has
witnessed advancement through numerous innovations. Considering the track
record and history of most musical instruments, to accomplish that much is
such a relatively short period of space and time is a remarkable testament
to the talents, skills and creativity of the people of T&T.
To get a better sense of the history of the instrument, we suggest you
peruse the internet further, starting with the link that follows which is
an excerpt extracted from the website of PanTrinbago (The World Governing
Body for Steelpan), as good a source and authority as anyone can get.
THE E-PAN - A SHORT HISTORY
Now with regards to this latest innovation, from the very start we made the
decision to temper eager anticipation with a heavy dose of bridled restraint,
as we chose to remain deliberately cautious in timing the release of this
"electrifying" news to the global pan community and public at
large. Out of honour to the pioneers that originated and developed the
instrument and art form, we strive to remain mindful and respectful of the
persons in the "Pan Mecca" home in T&T. It is not our fashion
to disregard the natural tendency to jealously and zealously guard the
noble legacy and birthright of the people, which all things being considered,
is normal and understood. Learning from the experience of those who went
before, we sensed it was the wisest way to go.
Hence the delay in breaking the news earlier to avoid stepping on toes by
making sure all the t's were crossed and the i's dotted, to best avoid the
pitfalls of doing things the wrong way around. This venture has met the
challenge of such an endeavour head on, by putting the horse before the
cart through ensuring that all IP rights have been duly and properly
protected.
The e-pan was inspired to create a novel innovation, "by the people,
of the people and for the people".
It has revolutionized the manner in which the "steelpan" sound is
delivered, while maintaining the basic and traditional way the instrument
is played. The evolution will allow the pannist-musician to remain focused
on playing the instrument by concentrating on the performance of music and
development of the art form. This can now be done while far less attention
is paid to the cumbersome and rigorous logistics hitherto involved with
stage setting and sound delivery, especially for large and outdoor venues
that are well-known as challenging environments for steelpan acoustics.
The advances that have been made are the results of careful observations to
study and analyze the prevailing problems, then using sound application of
high technology to provide solutions.
The e-pan not only delivers a true reproduction of the unique
"steelpan sound", it also delivers the full range of the
orchestral symphony such as violin, guitar, piano and horns, which can also
be blended with other sounds to favour and flavour experimentation,
enhancing the musical versatility of the pannist. This will allow and
afford them greater opportunities for valuable work, whether performing
solo or as "accom-pannist".
The prototype is undergoing fine-tuning and development and will soon begin
alpha and beta testing before the finalized market-ready product is
unveiled at an event launching.
So to give a brief preview of what can be expected, we will highlight some
of the basics of the family of instruments. As a prelude, the e-pan works
on the idea and principles of sound reproduction akin to the electronic
musical synthesizer.
The Virtual Prototype demo on the Home Page as well as drawings contained
here-in are artist renditions of the conceptual design of the e-pan. The
actual working prototype is undergoing R&D as it is being finalized. We
will publish updated info so you can "preview" developments as
soon as they become available. The finished prototype is going to somewhat
resemble the artist rendition, however, the finalized production version
will be as attractive as the conceptual drawings.
News Update NEW
!
Since the initial announcement of the e-pan invention,
in the interim other innovations continue to be unveiled along with
inherited IP protection of the steelpan
musical instrument. In the opinion of many over the years since its birth,
progress has been stymied and delayed for far too long as it were, the wait
frustratingly retarded for different reasons, where it suffered over/under
influence from varying degrees of economical unwillingness and political
indecision. In spite of the unfortunate controversies, which seem to
perpetually crop up whenever these ventures give rise, the people of
T&T stand to benefit. This is accomplished through the clever
attachment of resident IP afforded global recognition by way of the various
conforming international treaties and conventions recognized by
institutions governed under WIPO. Unfolding changes should in effect serve
to challenge conventional thinking and spark notions for an invigorated
narrative. This will most likely stimulate dialogue and the emerging
conversations should hopefully provoke contributions, which have a
positively meaningful influence on the entire community at large to move
pan forward. The journey has now seen a cycle of both private and
governmental sponsorship to surmount hurdles, despite up-and-down levels of
nourishment and support. Congratulations to all those who made the right
effort to see this through from start to finish.
The glorious journey of pan
continues from generation to generation. Along the path, inventive minds
nurtured with an entrepreneurial spirit have and will continue to build
with innovative ideas, which do take time to incubate from inception to
delivery. The input of creative genius remains ever progressing despite
stumbling blocks, which is comforting to know. So it is with sincere gratitude
that we feel the need to express our own heartfelt appreciation for the
tremendous support and encouragement sent our way.
As we await the launch of our
product line, we ask that you continue to be patient as the development
process is fine-tuned. The IP rights of the e-pan are fully protected.
To bring you up-to-speed-and-date;
we are pleased to include with this exposé, some embedded
audio-video media clips from our roving e-pan-cam reporter, which
will allow you to experience a preview of our working prototype under
research and development. This will give a better sense of what's coming
down the pike as proof-of-concept.
As the prototype continues to
undergo alpha then beta testing, once complete the next stage will be to
bring our product line to market. Having to wait this long ensures the
process is done right the first, second and subsequent times around as has
been the plan from the very start to commercialize this venture, thus to realize
the gains to benefit returns on investment. Anything less could have
suffered the failures of a premature entry with attended disappointment
that we would all rather avoid. A solid base will also best ensure built-in
value to not only the first generation entry, but future product lines
evolving from that effort as they will also be better equipped with the
necessities to deliver real improvements on enhanced versions.
Nothing short of a pure Herculean
effort is required to accomplish all aspects of this type of business
venture and we remain confident that we will deliver superior products
which you can continue to expect and will be worth the wait. That being
said, we are unable to forecast a launch date just yet, but are doing our
best to expedite the process without compromise while surmounting all the
challenges faced along the way.
Please enjoy the media show and feel
free to continue feedback to us.
We'll be sure to do our best to provide pertinent answers to your
questions.
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DESIGN ADVANTAGES
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Enables musician to play in the
conventional way without having to relearn another method to master the
new instrument, also eliminating the need for studied stage positioning
and maintaining proper intonation
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No need for re-tuning, rusting and
premature replacement
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Durable, compact and light-weight
to facilitate ease of transportation
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Delivers consistent sound and
tonal quality
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Easier for stage set up and
positioning than regular steel drums
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Can be produced in several
enhanced versions to cover the complete orchestral range of a
conventional steelpan ensemble
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Provides access to the sounds of
just about every musical instrument which is built-in to the instrument
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Double Seconds E-Pan
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Tenor E-Pan
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Tenor E-Pan Controller
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Six Bass E-Pan
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DESIGN FEATURES OF E-PAN
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Consists of an electronically
operated instrument which is slimmer and lighter than the steelpan, with
parts made from materials such as rubber, plastic and electric
components/circuitry housed in an industrial plastic covering, where
surrounding skirts are more of an aesthetic consideration, than a design
necessity
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The configuration of the notes
will differ from instrument to instrument (e.g. tenors; seconds, etc.)
with placements recognizing the moves towards standardization
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Jacks for routing input/output signals to amplifiers and sound
systems
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Users can also choose any
particular instrument range as each e-pan will be able to play the
complete range from the highest (tenor) to the lowest (bass)
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Top lip of instrument will have a
control console with a panel that will entail; display window, selection
of buttons for left/right volume controls etc., CD port which can be used
to download a wide variety and selection of sampled sounds and can also be
used as a MIDI port making it possible to interface the instrument with
other electronic or digital instruments and sound modules.
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Instrument design will facilitate
play-along to accompany your favourite songs (karaoke-style)
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ABOUT THE INVENTOR
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 The inventor of the
e-pan: Salmon Cupid,
Salmon Cupid was born in the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago, West Indies. It was there, growing up like so many
youngsters, that he first fell in love with and learned to play the
steelpan.
The native pan men and women of that twin-island nation of the Caribbean have matured into today's pannist musicians
and many have migrated to adopted lands all over the globe, taking the
innovation of the instrument and charm of the melodies with them.
So it was with Salmon, that in the early 90's as a "steelpan
ambassador", he migrated to Canada where he currently
resides. He continues to play and teach pan to students in schools all
across Toronto
and the GTA, in effect maintaining strong ties to the pan community at
large.
As he recounted, the idea of the electronic steelpan first entered his mind
back in his youth while on tour with his school band, St. Augustine Senior
(a.k.a. mean green on steel), in Europe.
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INVENTOR'S INSIGHT
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Through his own personal observations, in playing and listening to the
music, he noticed that the quality often came up lacking in the delivery of
the truest sounds and tones. This was so, regardless of venues and even
came into question with recording sessions.
It was further complicated by the complex task required by the pan tuners
to maintain that correct and required sound through repetitive tuning of
the instrument. There is no doubt that these pan tuners are indeed experts
and true artisans in their own right, but that does not diminish the
logistics and recurring expense required to maintain the best sound in a
steelpan. When you bring in the question of sound volume, the effect
compounded the dilution of resulting sound quality, even with
amplification. Capturing the true "ring and ping" steelpan sound
in that atmosphere and environment was too often compromised and remained
elusive, that's up until the idea of the e-pan arrived.
The classical and traditional steelpan musical instrument as it has evolved
to this point and beyond, will always maintain its place. But as pannists
know only too well as musicians and artists, the search for an electronic
version has always been anticipated. Top pannist the world over have long
hoped for that companion electronic version, to allow them to have a
well-tuned durable instrument in their keep. That "dream pan" it
was hoped, would not require the time, effort and cost to maintain,
especially if compared over the life of the steelpan. This would allow
them, especially as solo artist, arrangers and composers, the flexibility
and versatility to practice, explore and create in traditional and new
ways. Only their imaginations, musicianship and artistic creativity will
limit them once this new tool is in their hands.
We have all at one point or another heard the maxim which says,
"Necessity is the mother of all inventions." Well once again that
point was proven as Salmon thought more and more about ways to improve the
status quo and bit by bit, his thoughts began to take shape, form and
structure. As he stated, "The idea was like a muse in my head and all
I could do to think, kept my brain refocusing on it. It has always remained
in my mind as I matured and sought ways to realize my dream to
fruition."
Then and still, pannist and pan-fans would constantly discuss the merits of
the pan sounds of one steelband over the other. In fact, this was often the
difference in advantaging an edge where performance and competition were
concerned. Enormous time and effort is taken to properly place and set up
the pans, so that the "correct" sound will emanate and capture
the ears of the audience and not discount their hard work and practice
rehearsals. Pannist quite often must act in a dual-role as stagehands and
non-electric acoustical engineers. They get the instruments to a
performance area, spend the time to make sure they are set up so that the
audience and judges will hear the sound, conduct repetitive sound checks,
then and only then can they and their band leader feel comfortable in going
forth with their performance. That alone has sometimes allowed one group to
win approval, even though the technical skill and talents of another were
actually better. In the home of steelpan in T&T, pan-fans were and are
still known to have the ability to distinguish and recognize particular pan
sides, just from the sound alone and with no other identification. This is
remarkable, but also revealing.
The rest as they say is now part of the history and of course there will be
the usual debates following the launch of this idea. No different than what
was encountered when the electric guitars and the like first emerged. The
traditionalist and purist amongst them will offer their criticism, but
detraction will also be countered and tempered by pan-fans and progressive
minded pannist all over the globe. Salmon intends to engage the top
pannist, with a concerted focus on the youth and the young in mind and
heart, building a coalition by employing dynamite and dynamic performance
presentations.
He envisions and senses that over time and with prudent marketing, critics
will dissipate and they too will be won over to embrace the instrument. He
foresees it finding a niche and earning its rightful place in the evolution
of pan. From skin-drums to tamboo-bamboo and dustbin cans and
covers…to pan-round-the-neck with the ping-pong and do-doom from
discarded oil drums…to the metallic silver-chrome finished steelpan
from factory-made drums…leading to the futuristic e-pan. Once again
taking pan to higher heights, the mantra that guided him has been the
refrain, "by the people, of the people and for the people".
If you need to learn more about any aspect of this innovation, please do
not hesitate to contact the inventor, asksalmoncupid@napeinc.com.
He looks forward to feedback from you…
Copyright © NAPE 2006
Toronto, Ontario,
Canada
All Rights Reserved
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