Ringing Simulator

A ringing simulator was installed at St Peter's during 2016. It uses sensors and interfaces supplied by John Thorpe, and software from AbelSim.

A grant from the Whiting Society of Ringers assisted with the cost of purchase and installation.

A normal ringing practice can be held but with no sound heard outside the ringing room. This allows additional or longer practices to be held at almost any time. If all eight bells are not required, then the simulator can be configured to use a lighter ring (e.g. the front 6) without producing an 'out of key' sound. The software also allow bells to accurately stop double-clappering when practising ringing up and down.

An individual ringer can practice rounds, call changes or method ringing with computer generated sound and graphics taking the place of the other ringers. There is real-time feedback on striking accuracy.It is also possible to see a graphical review of the striking after the ringing, and to play it back. This allows a ringer to work on a range of skills:

• Striking

• Ropesight

• Call Changes

• Method ringing (on up to 16 bells)

• Calling (using a footswitch to call bobs and singles)

Up to three ringers can use the simulator for individual practice simultaneously.

There are some pictures of the simulator workstations in use on this page.

One of the workstations can be used to practice change ringing on handbells, using a pair of hand-held motion sensors.

The availability of the simulator makes St Peter's a good location for running a ringing course. In addition to allowing extended practices, the attached St Peter's Centre has rooms suitable for groups of different sizes. Presentation equipment is available for hire and there is a well-equipped kitchen.

The simulator is available for use by individuals or groups. Contact us to make a booking. You can also download a flyer for your tower noticeboard.

If you have not previously used a simulator and would like to know how one could help you or your band then we can arrange an introduction session where you can experience the different ways in which a simulator can be used. These sessions will usually take about one hour. They are suitable for groups of ringers and would typically include:

• Explanation of how the simulator works

• Group practice

• Individual practice on multiple workstations

If you are thinking of installing a simulator in your tower then a visit to the bell chamber to see how the sensors are fitted can be included.

Appropriate training on using the simulator will be given. Instruction sheets to help with this are available in the tower, covering the set up, troubleshooting and end-user instructions. Copies of these can be downloaded from the Using the Simulator page.

We have produced our own set of Abel Method Collection Files covering commonly used methods and exercises for training.

A list of the contents of the collection files can be seen in this document.

If you wish to use the method collections in your own installation, then they can be downloaded here.