Fellow Rasikas,

I am pleased to inform everyone that I have released a new mobile Tanpura app which offers high fidelity stereo audio recordings from professional Tanpuras, tuned by a professional performing musician, recorded in a professional studio environment. This app works on iPhone and iPad devices (and of course also on iPod touch devices). I am also working on an Android version that will be released shortly. You can read more about it and also purchase/download it by visiting http://www.RealTanpura.com.

Unlike many other shruthi petti / tanpura / tambura apps that produce the audio using mathematical algorithms that modify a single recording sample to be played at different frequencies, this app offers true stereo audio recordings of the Tanpura at each shruthi with no mathematical or synthetically produced sound. You will hear the full range of harmonics and richness you expect to hear from a real acoustic Tanpura.

Your feedback is warmly welcome! Please do get in touch with me if you have suggestions, ideas, or any other comments.

Best regards,
Arvind.

Is there a way I can test this one out? I already have iTanpura on my iPhone and was wanting to see the difference in the sounds generated. Thanks

Dear Nadasudha,
I have downloaded iTanpura Lite and Real Tanpura. Real Tanpura sounds rich. It sounds like what it is-digitally mastered real Tanpura sounds.

ITanpura sounds better and purer( synthesized and simplified sound profiles?) to my ears. I am hearing it on IPad 3 without external speakers.

ITanpura Lite has many more features including Ma/Pa, swarmandal raga presets and two Tanpuras etc.

The best way is to perhaps download it and assess it yourself.

I have the full version of both iTanpura and RealTanpura. I somehow prefer the sound of iTanpura as well. The dual tanpura and sruti peti features are good too.

Real Tanpura also lacks the ability to exclude Ma, Pa or Ni - useful for ragas without the panchamam. In iTanpura this can be done by a custom preset.

Thanks Rsachi and Mohan for your input. It helped me make a decision.