Umba-Imba Player

The Umba-Imba Player (1.5 MB) requires Adobe Shockwave Player: get it here.
The Umba Imba player was a collaboration with Michael Caporale. Mike did all of the photography, Photoshop, design, and Umba playing; I did the audio recording, editing, and programming in Director/Lingo.
Instructions: In attempting to offer you a musical experience via the computer and the internet that could fully replicate playing the Umba-imba, we have to concede that it is not really possible.
The instrument is played intuitively and that requires direct audible-visual-tactile feedback. Additionally, stick technique such as multiple mallets, variation of types of mallets, and strength and location of the attack on a key all vary the sounds. So that you may experience it to the fullest in this limited way, we offer you three playing modes, each with distinct benefits: Screen Mode, Pattern Mode, and Keyboard mode. These are represented by the three buttons labeled S, P and K, respectively. In screen mode you can get a good feeling for the sound that each note makes by simply mouse- clicking on any given note. In pattern mode you can get a sense of how phrases or patterns are constructed from sections of the instrument. We have divided the instrument into quadrants. By mouse clicking in the left or right halves of the wooden or metal portions of the keyboard, you can trigger a phrase composed of notes from that section of the instrument. Once you understand the instrument, you are ready for keyboard mode. We have assigned the various notes of the UMBA to keys on your keyboard.