ISKCON Kirtan Cartal Overload
ISKCON Cartal Overload refers to the widespread tendency of ISKCON kirtans to have excessive cartals in them. This means both in number and (both consequently and independently) in volume.
Unfortunately this has become a cultural norm. What people accept as a "normal kirtan" actually has too much cartal in it. When you listen to recordings it becomes clearer - turn the volume down and the chanting disappears, while a huge wash of cartals remains.
I'm thinking that the ISKCON cartal overload can be dealt with by close miking everything and the liberal but sensible use of compression.
I've been thinking about it, and my motto for kirtan recording is:
"Better than being there"
The cartals are too loud in most kirtan recordings because the cartals are too loud in most kirtans. In the kirtans at my place we have trained cartal players who used tuned cartals that are appropriate for the space and the tone of the kirtan, and play appropriately for the level of the kirtan.
Unfortunately, such trained cartal players are few and far between. Cartals are superficially the easiest instrument to pick up and play, so there are a lot of "enthusiastic amateurs" - who can totally destroy a kirtan recording - not only this, but they are detracting from the experience of the kirtan for many people and can even cause physical damage to hearing.
Through education, policing, and the use of appropriate technological counter-measures when these two fail, the goal is to produce kirtans that sound at least as good as being there, and in most cases better.
I'll get together with some good cartal players and post some videos of their technique.
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Karatalas, Hearing Loss, etc.
Prabhu,
All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!
i appreciate you taking on this subject. I serve at the Phoenix temple and the acoustics are really bad - extra tall ceilings with minimal sound absorption. Eventually we may invest in some sort of acoustic tiles, but for the time being, kirtan is absolutely painful for those of us who aren't deaf yet.
I have noticed that especially when Indian born devotees lead kirtan, there seems to be a a pathological need to crank up the volume on the speakers. (Karatalas are especially "pretty" when crashed near microphones.) Is it a Bollywood or a rock star thing? Are most Indians partially deaf due to the noise in India? Or am I just an asura who is looking for an excuse to avoid Lord Caitanya's congregational chanting?
For the time being, I remain the lone voice in the corner wearing earplugs and searching for other services to do when the kirtan starts. Jackhammers are more tolerable to my hears. At least I can relish in the voices of my music students and tasteful bhajans.
ys, deva
It's not only recordings
It's not only recordings that are destroyed by an excessive number of karatals (and excessive amplification of karatals, along with lousy acoustics), but devotees' hearing. Jayadvaita Maharaja has long championed the cause of hearing health (at one point coming to kirtans with a decibel meter), and many of us are afflicted with hearing loss and tinnitus.
I look foward to your video. And I like the point about tune karatals that are appropriate for the space. (I remember buying karatals at Basanaloy in Navadvipa in 1980. The guy kept getting on my case about testing the pairs. "No need to test! Every pair is tested!" I repeatedly explained that I was looking for particular karatals. He was happy to take my money.) Some larger karatals, however nice, are better reserved for street sankirtan and left out of indoor kirtans.