ISLA or LP Batas????

[Jose Marquez]

Hey everyone, I'm new here and first off wanted to say hello!

I've always loved the sound of Bata's and was planning to purchase some soon. I just discovered this site and as I read I keep seeing the Isla Percussion brand come up in this Bata Forum.

I have the opportunity to purchase a set of LP's batas at a reasonable price. Are the Isla's a better bata, if so why and what would I be looking at price wise for a full set of 3?? Thanks!

- jose

[windhorse]

Jose,
You might want to start out on LPs.
BTW, you can just call Mario, and he'll talk your ear off.. Just go to the website and the phone number's right there on top.
The Islas are a "players" bata. They are very quiet compared to LP. Good for singing over, and have a really "nutty" dry sound with NO sustain - that I love! The rims are mounted way high, they're sharp, and you'll kill your hands if you don't have good to perfect technique.
You could probably drive over the LPs with a truck and they'd be just fine, but the Isla's are hand made and might crack on you if you didn't loosen the head in a hot car or dropped them from your balcony..
They'll cost about the same as a new set of LPs.

After I get my Isla Iya dressed with bells, I'll post a pic of my set.

Dave

[Jose Marquez]

Hey Dave thanks for the info. The Isla's def are beautiful!! I ended getting an awesome deal on some used LP Bata's from some dude that didn't want/play them anymore.

I don't know how to play bata, but I had the money and didnt wanna pass up a deal on owning some

[vasikgreif]

I bought the Isla Bata, and I love the sound, but from what I can say, they are made to be high-pitched - I'm not able to get my Iya sound like on Santissmo or Milton's Cardona Bembe - they really sound like here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RCmz8xJRzg ... I think I will buy one set of tradional ones with ropes in the future too, so I have both kinds of sound...

[windhorse]

Did you put a ring of clay on them??
You've got to have it on the Iya!

I've also got a dab on the Itototele..
I agree they're smaller heads than some, like LP,, but the clay does wonders on lowering the tone.

I've got some work ahead of me because I'm not satisfied with the rim height.
I'll have to rehead all three to get the rims at least a half inch, if not a full inch down from the bearing edge. I live in Colorado, so if you mount the head high!! OMG! All you can do in this dry climate is to continue loosening, rather than tightening, so the rim is just going to continue to rise! Just have to get new heads and re-mount.. It's the only answer.

Dave

[vasikgreif]

Well, I already made fardela (Thomas Altmann recipe) and it made the Iya sound lower (it lasted only two days actually, so I have to try another one), but I really think you cannot get that really low sound as hears on Santissmo CD, it's more the modern sound as on Abbilona CD's...
The rims really are pretty high, but I think it's possible to get used to it and from what Thomas Altmann told us, some of the cuban batas have their rims so high too...

What do you use for your Fardela? Modeling clay? Or do you have another recipe?

[windhorse]

Just modeling clay..

It's sticking really well.

[bongosnotbombs]

My Isla Iya gets very low. As I have heard it said the Iya should be felt
more than heard. I haven't put fardela on it yet, but Sandy said it
needed some and he was going to give me some when he makes it.

I've been trying to tune them to what I hear on the Afro-Tambores Bata
album by Giraldo Rodriguez.

Anyways, too bad about those skins Dave, that's a lot of work.

[vasikgreif]

This is strange. I tried to tune Iya down too, but then the sound is really dead. My Iya sounds best when tuned cca as on Abbilona Oya CD. Could you maybe measure your enu head? My has 27 cm diameter.

[seisporocho1]

If I'm not mistaken, Mario uses very thick bullhide on his instruments. Which is not necessarily the best for the kind of vibration a strong, low sound requires. I'm not saying they ALL not work, it depends on the animal but bullhide is good for congas overall. Because the Iya is not hit with just the fingers (like a conga), bull on an Iya might have to be a bit thinner than you'd think in order to get the vibration. The Iya sound is very specific. I suggest calling L&H and getting a mule skin. Make sure to tell Mike it's for an Iya and he will know exactly what you need. My friend's Iya sounds ridiculous and has L&H skins on the cha and enu. Bigger sound than LP, Toca etc. I must add that my friend has a traditional set from cuba and they are made of a solid piece. I guess that might have something to do with it.
Regardless, we had tried other skins on it and it didn't sound as good as it did once we put the mule on it.
Another option is a good quality cowhide. Moperc sells very good cow and I recently put one on a friend's Iya and it sounded perfect. Even though the sound is much more mellow...

Note: the fardela is a must either way.

good luck

[vasikgreif]

Hi, thanks for reply, I think I have to make fardela first, then I see if it is necesarry to get another skin. I made a photo of the enu of iya (with remains of the old fardela that broke down), its here http://pracovni.vasik.net/enu.jpg , maybe you can tell me what skin is it...

[windhorse]

That Fardella will have to be much much thicker! I used a whole stick and a half of clay!

[bongosnotbombs]

Looks like good cow skin to me. Same as on all my Islas.
Definitely does not look like mule of any kind that
I have had experience with.

And Dave is right, the fardela needs to be much thicker and wider.

[vasikgreif]

Thanks for your inputs, I will try to make thicker Fardela, I think I will make it from modeling clay, as I was not able to make a natural mixture that would stay longer on the skin, see if it helps... I'll let you know...

[vasikgreif]

Hi everybody, I made fardela from plasticine, and wow, it made huge difference to the sound, now I really get the big deep sound from the Iya enu. The only problem I have now is that there's some strange buzz on the beginning of the note, something is resonating in the drum, tuning it up makes it better, but the buzz is always there (it was there without fardela too, but it couldn't be heard so much because the pitch was higher). I'm not experienced with drums, so I would like to ask you, if it is no problem to take the head out to be able to check if there's maybe something on the rim that could be the reason of the buzz, or maybe hardware isn't tighten... If you have any other ideas, please let me know...