The Yamaha Disklavier is a conventional 88-key acoustic grand piano enhanced with MIDI capabilities, enabling the instrument’s mechanism (hammers and soft/sostenuto/sustain pedals) to be triggered by a computer.  According to the study of music, physics and engineering the lowest and highest pitches audible to the average human ear are produced by frequencies between around 16 and 16,000 cycles, or C0 and C10 – the wide frequency range of the pianoforte encompassing over seven octaves of this ten-octave range, or all the MIDI note values between A0 21 to C8 108.  The title ‘Panc hazar chakra kai andar’ or ‘Within Five Thousand Cycles’ refers to this ‘27.5 and 4,186 cycles’ range of the instrument, which the piece attempts to explore within the context of John Cage inspired piano preparations (utilizing machine screws, flat mudguard and standard washers, plastic and brass olives, paper clips, cup head bolts, hex full nuts, white board and fold back clips), North Indian ‘Hindustani’ derived cyclic rhythmic patterns, analogue synthesis, digital effects processing, studio generated harmonic resonance or 'sympathetic vibrations' and modern digital hard-disk recording technology.

North Indian ‘Hindustani’ classical music theory recognizes tala as the essence of rhythm.  According to the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, “In the general sense a tala is a fixed and cyclically repeated time-span for music, articulated into segments by beats of the hand or of a percussion idiophone, or latterly in Hindustani music by a configurative drum pattern.”  The avard or ‘time-span’ of the complete cycle is further organized around the concept of vibhag or ‘partition’ (the idea of subsections suggesting additive metres, not divisive) and matra or ‘count’.  The tali or ‘beat’ is the accented beat of the tala, and in performance is marked with a beat of the hand, while khali or ‘empty’ is the unaccented beat, represented with a silent wave.  The first beat and count of the tala cycle is called the sam or ‘together’, and its time-point is notated with an X.  Each subsequent tali after that is allocated a number, while the khali is marked with a 0.  The tabla drum (which consists of the dayan and bayan, a right- and left-hand drum respectively) utilizes a mnemonic system of right-hand, left-hand and combination strokes known as bols (based on the consonants of the Devanagari alphabet: dh, gh, g, k, d, (t), t, (r), r and n) to establish thekas or patterns of bols.  It is the combination of all the above elements that form the concept of tala.

The rhythmic structure of ‘Panc hazar chakra kai andar’ is based around the juxtaposition of two contrasting tàlas, Jhumra (14/4 or 3 + 4 + 3 + 4) and Champak sawari (11/4 or 4 + 4 + 1½ + 1½).  Jhumra and its 14-beat cycle is represented within the main melodic and harmonic structure (tracks 3 and 4), as well as within the rhythmic pulses of D1 26 and D7 98 (tracks 1 and 8) – the first tone undergoing a 22-cycles ‘notes for rests’ substitution, with the next concluding 22 cycles delivering an arch form structure; the latter being a transposed ‘three-quarter pulse-echo’ imitation.  Champak sawari and its 11-beat cycle on the other hand is represented by a descending ‘hemitonic pentatonic’ interpretation of its tabla bols (track 2), with the sam (C8 108) displaying a separate and distinct preparation; as well as an ascending interpretation (track 7), with the sam (C1 24), again dissimilarly prepared.  The compositional process utilized in the first ostinato pattern is a 14-cycles ‘rests for notes’ substitution, and the reverse for the second – in both cases this scheme is repeated in the next 154 beats.  The final element of the piece is essentially a repeating ‘horizonally-four-note’ rhythmic figure (given added interest by an interlocking imitation) based on a D minor six-nine chord, which is introduced in its entirety at the mid way point, to then undergo ‘rests for notes’ substitution.

To achieve the ideal semi-mechanical rhythmical fluency, the piece must contain real-time performances, which should not be quantized 100%.  The result should be notes within the target range of 3.125% of pulse (or half the value of a hemidemisemiquaver/sixty-fourth-note).

All Disklavier tracks should be recorded utilizing an Audio Technica 4050 Condenser Microphone, or similar microphone (with a close-miking technique; the placement being central and approximately 600mm above the strings), and a Fostex D-160 16-track Digital Multitrack Recorder, allowing for the separate treatment of effects.

Track 1

velocity = 85 – 93
gate time = 6.25% – 8.33% of pulse (hemidemisemiquaver/sixty-fourth-note – demisemiquaver/thirty-second-note triplet)

Track 2

velocity = 69 – 77
gate time = 6.25% – 8.33% of pulse (hemidemisemiquaver/sixty-fourth-note – demisemiquaver/thirty-second-note triplet)
 

Track 3

velocity = 61 – 77
gate time = the result of real-time programming
 

Track 4

velocity = 45 – 61
gate time = 1400% of pulse (dotted minim/half-note + semibreve/whole-note + dotted minim/half-note + semibreve/whole-note)*The logic of this elongated gate time is to avoid the use of the sustain pedal, thus eliminating unwanted mechanical noise.

Track 5

velocity = 45 – 61
gate time = 12.5% – 16.67% of pulse (demisemiquaver/thirty-second-note – semiquaver/sixteenth-note triplet)
 

Track 6

velocity= 45 – 61
gate time= 12.5% – 16.67% of pulse (demisemiquaver/thirty-second-note – semiquaver/sixteenth-note triplet)
 

Track 7

velocity= 69 – 77
gate time= 6.25% – 8.33% of pulse (hemidemisemiquaver/sixty-fourth-note – demisemiquaver/thirty-second-note triplet)

Track 8

velocity = 85 – 93
gate time = 6.25% – 8.33% of pulse (hemidemisemiquaver/sixty-fourth-note – demisemiquaver/thirty-second-note triplet)
 

[A] Accessit Noise Gate

input= 10, trip gain= 5, depth= 5, release= 5

[B] Akai S3000XL MIDI Stereo Digital Sampler (internal effects card)

ring modulation (frequency= 1000Hz, depth= 55%), distortion (depth= 25, output= 60), 4-band eq (low freq= 500Hz, level= +00dB; mid1= 250Hz, level= –10dB, width= 50; mid2= 2KHz, level= –12dB, width= 75; high= 9KHz, level= 9dB), chorus (speed= 0.5Hz, depth= 40, feedback= +30) and reverb (type= gated 2, predelay= 45mS, time= 99, diffuse= 99)

[C] Alesis Quadraverb Simultaneous Digital Effects Processor
configuration= lezlie-dl-reverb; mix: master effects level= +50, delay output level= +99; delay type= mono delay, delay input mix= 0, delay time 402mS, delay feedback= 50%

[D] Musitronics Mu-tron Bi-Phaser

sweep generator 1: rate= 2.5, shape= sine wave; sweep generator 2: rate= 6.25, shape= sine wave; phasor A: depth= 5.75, feedback= 5.5; phasor B: depth= 7.25, feedback= 3

[E] Akai S3000XL MIDI Stereo Digital Sampler (internal effects card)

4-band eq (low freq= 180Hz, level= +06dB; mid1= 250Hz, level= +00dB, width= 50; mid2= 6k3Hz, level= –02dB, width= 50; high= 500Hz, level= +00dB) and reverb (type= small room, predelay= 15mS, time= 30, diffuse= 40, near= 55, LF damp= 25Hz, HF damp= 2k0Hz)

[F] Harmonic Resonance

To achieve harmonic resonance or ‘sympathetic vibrations’, the following equipment should be utilized: Allen & Heath Saber 48Ï16Ï2 mixing console, Tascam M-208 8x4x2 mixing console, Optro Dual Monitor 109 ‘50 watts RMS’ power amplifier, Electro-Voice SH-150ER ‘200 watts’ speaker (2-way horn loaded stage system).  Place the Electro-Voice speaker underneath the Disklavier at least 200mm off the ground; feed the speaker the natural recorded signal via the Allen & Heath Saber Mixing Console’s auxiliaries, utilizing the other mixing console and amplifier as a power source; depress the sustain pedal on the Disklavier and record the resulting harmonic resonance.

[G] TC Electronic Stereo Chorus + Pitch Modulator & Flanger pedal

mode= chorus, speed= 1Hz, intensity= 3, width= 3

[H] Lexicon MPX 100 Dual Channel Processor

input= 3, mix= 6, output= 5, effects level/balance= 9, adjust= 9, variation= 8, program= hall, chamber

[I] Frostwave Funk-A-Duck Resonant Envelope Filter pedal

output level= 10, envelope ‘up sweep’= 7, input range= 8, resonance= 5, frequency= 3, envelope speed ‘attack/decay’= 4.5; low pass filter= on.  The advantage of using an envelope follower controller filter sweep on the prepared sound (as opposed to basic filtering) is that the filter intensity will increase and decrease in accordance with dynamics, creating a more varied texture

[J] Arp 2600 Monophonic Analogue Modular Synthesizer

To achieve an LFO/Sine Wave filter sweep, the natural recorded signal should be routed through an Arp 2600 Monophonic Analogue Modular Synthesizer (patching: preamplifier output to voltage controlled oscillator VCO-2; voltage controlled oscillator VCO-2: low frequency oscillator= keyboard off, initial oscillator frequency= ¾ position between .03Hz and .3Hz; voltage controlled filter/resonator VCF: initial filter frequency= ¼ position between 1KHz and 10KHz, VCO 2/sine Wave= 5.625)

[K] Musitronics Mu-tron Bi-Phaser

sweep generator 1: rate= 2, shape= sine wave; sweep generator 2: rate= 1.75, shape= sine wave; phasor A: depth= 7.5, feedback= 8; phasor B: depth= 8.75, feedback= 9.5

[L] Accessit Noise Gate

input= 10, trip gain= 7.5, depth= 5, release= 5