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The SwarPlug synth plugin includes Israj and over 100 other perfectly sampled
virtual Indian instruments. It can be loaded in most VST, Audio Units and AAX compatible DAWs
(Digital Audio Workstations) like Cubase, Logic, Ableton Live, Protools, FL Studio etc... It also
comes with lots of ready-made MIDI loops for each instrument.
Israj (or Esraj) has been evolved out of a much larger and heavier musical instrument known as the Dilruba. It has a body similar to the Sarangi, but a neck similar to the Sitar (with frets).
In the past, this instrument was used in times of war and carried on horse saddles. It was played by pressing it towards the left shoulder using neck muscles.
Nowadays, the Israj is placed comfortably between the player's thighs, with the player kneeling down. Sound is produced by the pulling back and forth of the bow to produce a grinding movement, while the freehand is used to press the wires against the frets in different places. Meends (Glissandos) are then achieved by pulling the playing string down along the fret.