I for one would buy a set tomorrow. Having had to draft in replacement musicians last minute due to misbehaving pipes at paid gigs, the reliability on offer here is very attractive.

My guess is that this is as close you can get to something that sounds like uilleann pipes
without actually being a real set.

I was at the demo in Hammersmith last week, played them, and can confirm that:

1 They exist

2 They are very good indeed

Im hearing some pretty good things about them. Not in production yet, will cost about 1,000 euro when they first come out. A nice clip of Cillian Vallely playing one.

I think the vPipes will be a great tool for pipers who play in a lot of different keys in particular when accompanying songs. The ability, when playing in a plugged in gig, to change-to any key, is an attractive one.

When compared to other MIDI instruments, the price on the vpipes is not that bad. I’d love to give ‘em a go. If I were in a semi or non-trad band and was touring a lot and sharing the stage with drums and bass, this might be a great way to pull it off.

That’s the impressive part, it DOESN’T sound like all the MIDI-pipe sounds I’ve heard before.

If that’s an electronic chanter I’m young fit and slim.
It’s a con.

Call me cynical if you will but that sound clip sounds suspiciously like a «real» UP chanter. In addition, I’ve heard some very very expensive instrument emulators in the music dept […] Very close yes in some instances but never «exact». The sound clip for the vPipes sound «too» real. Hence my «cynicism». If I’m wrong then I take my hat off to the inventor.

Just listened to the sound file….sounds pretty bloody good I’m almost suspicious that it isn’t actually a real chanter.