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Operating Abel (2)1

Trainer Training

Operating Abel (2)

Operating Abel (2)2

Operating Abel

• Configuring ropes to Abel bells– the single bell setup– the multi-bell setup

Operating Abel (2)3

Operating Abel

• This tutorial assumes you are familiar with using Abel on it’s own i.e. without bells and sensors

• The slides show the ten bell installation at St Nicolas

• The same principles apply to all multi-sensor installations

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The Multi-Bell Setup

Only computer C is set-up for multi-bell use:

• All ten bells have sensors connected to computer C

• The loudspeaker is connected to computer C

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The Multi-Bell SetupThe path between the bell and the PC screen is

made up of several connections

Fixed connections• These connect between the bells and the computer• The connections are fixed in the wiring or ‘hardware’

Virtual connections (configuration)• These are inside the Abel software• These ‘virtual’ connections can be changed by the operator

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Fixed connections

• Bell 1 connects to sensor 1, which connects to multi-bell interface socket 1, which connects to Abel as “Bell 1”

• These connections are fixed in the hardware

BellsAbel Inputs

Bagley MBI SocketsSensors

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The sensors are plugged into the numbered sockets on the Bagley multi-bell interface.

The sensor on the treble is plugged into socket number 1, the sensor on the number two bell is plugged into socket number 2 and so on.

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The sensor plugged into socket 1 on the Bagley multi-bell interface will always be connected to Bell 1,the sensor plugged into socket 2 will always be connected to Bell 2,and so on.

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At St. Nicolas, the treble is connected to Bell 1, the number two bell to Bell 2 and so on, with the tenor being connected to Bell 10.

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Virtual connections (configuration)

• Abel is normally configured so that Bell 1 is mapped to the rope icon in the bottom right hand corner of the screen i.e. position 1

• By default Abel assumes this to be the treble i.e. Abel bell number 1 (but it’s easy to change this)

Abel Inputs (“Bell 1”)

Abel bell number

Position on screen


Here, Bell 1 is mapped toring in position 1. By default this is Abel bell 1.


This is position 1, to which Bell 1 had been mapped on the previous slide.


By default i.e. unless you tell it otherwise, Abel will select the bell in position 1 to ring Abel bell 1 (the treble)


To make Bell 1 ring Abel bell 3 instead, place the cursor here and left-click on the mouse


The bells rotate so that Bell 1 now rings Abel bell 3



Tips• Computer C needs to be told to ignore signals from bells which

are not part of the work it is being used for. For example:

• If you are ringing the treble or two (using headphones via computers A and B) computer C will assume they are trying to join in with what it’s doing.

• Bells which are left down produce spurious signals if the bell rocks even slightly (you can de-select the bells - or ring them up).

• De-selecting the bells should be done via theExternal Bells window



The Ultimate Test…• You want Abel to ring rounds on six. You have a helper who will

ring the 3 and a learner who will ring the 4. You want Abel to fill in for the other bells.

• The front three bells are already being used for other exercises, so you decide that the helper will use the rope on the number four bell, and the learner will use the number five bell.



De-selecting• The sensors on the front three bells will keep sending signals,

but we want Abel to ignore them• To deselect the inputs from the sensors remove the number in

the “Map To” box for Bell 1, Bell 2 and Bell 3



Revising the mapping• The helper will be on Bell 4, so we map Bell 4 to position 1• The learner will be on Bell 5 so we map that to position 2• De-select the remaining bells (the system only likes to see the

“Map To” boxes with numbers in an ascending series, starting with the lowest numbered bells)

• Tip 1: it’s quicker to use the “Clear Mappings” button and re-enter the new configuration

• Tip 2: to return to the default settings press “Reset 1:1 Mappings”



Changing the Abel bell• Finally we must tell Abel that the bell in position 1 is to be the 3

in our rounds, and the bell in position 2 will be the 4• To do this, place the cursor over the rope marked 3 and left-

click on the mouse (see slide 16)



Any questions?

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