Ringing simulator

Background

Since 2008, we have had a ringing simulator for the back six of the front eight bells. In 2012 the facility was extended to include the two trebles giving us a light eight. We have the equipment to enable us to embrace the full twelve bells but are as yet unsure of the benefit.

The simulator enables the bells to be rung as normal but without them sounding outside. The bell's clapper is restrained by a clapper stay such that the bell will not sound when swung. Instead, when the bell is rung in the usual way, the "sound" of the bell is produced in the ringing chamber courtesy of wheel sensor, interface hardware, computer and speakers. The computer simulator program ensures the bell sounds at just the point that it would have had the clapper had not been restrained - in essence, the only difference to ringing a bell using the simulator is that the realistic sound is computer generated and heard only in the ringing chamber - there is no external sound. The simulator can additionally, should it be required, produce sound for bells not being physically rung - thus a single ringer can ring their bell normally while the computer produces the sound for the rest of the bells - potentially a great aid to accurate striking.

Thus the simulator enables us to the ring the bells in a real ringing environment, at a time that suits all, without our disturbing the neighbourhood for the purposes of:

• Teaching
• Bell handling practice
• Striking practice
• Tower open days and demonstrations for the parish and public

Brief technical details

The wheel sensors and interface hardware installed in the belfry are designed and supplied by David Bagley. The electronic feed from the interface box is fed into a PC running the Abel ringing simulator program.