Mira Bella

for kalimba and live electronics

Jason Charney ! 2013

Mira Bella
for kalimba and live electronics

Mira Bella refers to the brand of Dominican cigars once housed in the body of the instrument for which it was
written, and all sounds in the piece come from the instrument itself. The instruments creator, an artist based in
Baltimore, began making kalimbas as gifts for his wife.




Approx. duration: 8'30''

Please notify composer of all performances. | www.jasoncharney.com | jasoncharney@gmail.com





Technical Requirements

A kalimba with at least 11 tines is required, tuned as follows:



Extra tines may be tuned to pitches in this scale. Though an instrument with a piezo pickup for direct input to the audio interface is
preferable, a condenser microphone may be used to amplify the instruments signal instead.

A digital audio interface with at least one audio input and stereo output is required, attached to a computer running the Mira Bella software.
The software is available at www.jasoncharney.com/mirabella. It requires Max 6 Runtime, available from Cycling 74 (www.cycling74.com).
The computer may be placed in position on stage, or by the house mixer. In either situation, the screen must be visible to the performer. A
USB foot pedal must be within the performers reach to advance the cues (triggering the space bar). Delcom Products manufactures an
ideal product (Item #703600 in their catalog).

Channels 1 and 2 contain the processed and dry audio signals. Channel 3 contains a mono mix of channels 1 and 2 for monitoring.

Setup

Always click the Audio On/Off toggle in the upper right hand corner of the patch first. Set input levels as high as possible without
clipping or feedback. The dry output signal should be equal to or slightly louder than the processed output signal.

Cues 2 and 8 contain events triggered by input amplitude crossing a certain threshold. Set the desired input level first, then press the button
marked open amplification detection levels in the main window of the patch to set these levels before beginning the piece. To set the
thump level, slap the body of the instrument with an open palm loudly (as in cue 2). To set the tine level, softly alternate two tines as
quickly as possible with the fingertips (as in cue 8). For each technique, move the slider down until the technique makes the indicator flash.
Each slider should be at the highest possible position (least sensitive setting) that still triggers the flash.



Performance Notes


Press the foot pedal to advance the cue. The number in the score
corresponds to the cue number displayed on the screen. The
software opens to cue 0; cue 1 starts the piece. Foot pedal is
disabled for 2 seconds after triggering to prevent double presses.

Continuously rub the bottom of the instrument in a circular
motion with fingertips. Feathered beams indicate faster/slower
motion.

Scratch the body of the instrument with fingernails.

Smack the instruments body. Use either a flat palm on the
bottom (slap) or knuckles on the top (knock) unless specified
otherwise.



Pluck the tines behind the bridge. Fingernails produce a clearer,
more resonant sound.

Tap the tines in front of the bridge with a flat palm and let ring.

Glissando across the tines in front of the bridge with variable
direction and speed.

Glissando across the tines behind the bridge with variable
direction and speed.

Play the tines with the thumbs normally at the indicated pitch.

The times indicated at the top of each system are approximate, suggested timings. As the piece relies heavily upon improvisation, the
performer may adhere to these timings or change the length of sections and interchange playing techniques as they wish. Bracketed events
on the time stave indicate a specific timing; a countdown will appear on the screen when they are triggered. Boxed events that interrupt
continuous gestures (depicted with arrows) are suggestions; these interceding gestures should be ad lib. Events on the elec. stave are a
visual representation of the general sound processes happening in the electronics. The discrete events are not necessarily synchronized with
the performance and processing that happens in real time.
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0 1 2
0:00 0:15 0:22
delay resonance shule, rubslap buer
0:32 1:10 1:20
4 3
begin drone cresc.
countdown: ... ...2...1...
1:30
harmonic drone tight delay
2''
''
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5 6
2:00 2:0
begin recording backtine buer - 10'' max end recording, keyslap buer
2:45

8
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4:10
4:50 5:15
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countdown: 15... ...2...1...
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5:50
grain buer
6:30 :00
drone cresc.
12
13
:15
drone dim., tight delay harp-like gliss cresc.
14
8:20
all audio ades