TaalPulse

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).

TaalPulse is an easy-to-use, smart and reliable three-in-one lehra machine for the student of hindustani (northern indian) music that may play lehras (cyclical melody), thekas (rythmic base) and tampura (drone instrument) all at the same time.

Squeak is the platform used to run TaalPulse.

TaalPulse is designed to run on mobile devices with small screens, and at the same time to be usable without a stylus. Thus buttons are big and the functionality is divided into 5 pages.

Pages are accessed by pressing the icons on the left of the screen. Playback is started and stopped useing the buttons at the top of the screen.

The Pulse page permits to change the pulse of the lehra, theka and drone. The main pulse control affects the lehra and theka, and is expressed in BPM (Beats Per Minute).

The pulse of the drone instrument is independent from the main pulse and is not expressed in any particular unit.

The Pitch page permits to adjust the tuning of the Sa (tonic note). The keyboard permits to select a base note, based on the standard tempered scale.

The fine tuning control permits to further adjust the pitch: a full move to the left represents a semitone lower and a full move to the right a semitone higher. The "0" button permits to reset the fine tuning to the center.