Why Tonaling – RagaRecognizer?

When starting on the journey of writing new music, do you feel sometimes you wish there were different and stimulating sets of scales and selections of notes that could help lead you in fresh unexplored directions?

Did you know that there is a wealth of inspiration available from the Raga system in Indian culture?

In Raga Recogniser you have access to nearly 200 such ragas. Also access to hammered dulcimer, handpan, harmonium and sitar sounds to hear how these sound when played. Also search for and identify ragas which you don’t know and be inspired by them.

The Beginning

The idea for Tonaling was born in the studio. While working inside a DAW, I realised there was no reliable way to see, hear, or detect ragas directly within the recording environment.

To my surprise, searching through AI, Google, and even specialist websites only returned conflicting and incomplete information.

That’s when it became clear: we needed a tool that could truly connect with the sacred scales of ragas  bringing together ancient frequencies and authentic knowledge, delivered seamlessly inside the DAW and verified by maestros.

The Research Journey

The path took me deep into study  from Pt. Sarangdeva’s Sangeet Ratnakar to the wisdom of the four Matās (Bharat, Krishna, Hanumant, and Shiv), along with ancient manuscripts.

Implementing Tanpura Shrutis and key shrutis became the most awakening part of the journey. We tested each setting in the spirit of its name asking ourselves: “Do we feel what this shruti frequency promises?”

The results were astounding: participants from different cultures and geographies all felt the same resonance.

What followed were countless hours of coding, testing, and refining until even my tailbone shouted: “Take a break, buddy!”

Verified Raga Knowledge

This plugin offers authentic raga information, curated and verified by living maestros of Indian classical music. Unlike scattered web results or AI scraping, every raga here has been checked by musicians with lifelong experience.

South Indian Verification – Mahesh Vinayakram

Son of Ghatam legend Padmabhushan T.H. Vikku Vinayakram, Mahesh is a UNESCO Millennium Award winner and the first Indian male singer cast in Cirque du Soleil.

• Began as a Carnatic vocalist at age 12

• Disciple of Smt. Radha Viswanathan (daughter of Bharat Ratna M.S. Subbulakshmi)

• Trained under Shri H.Y. Narayanan, Shri O.S. Thiagarajan, and others

• Performed worldwide with Ustad Zakir Hussain, Sandeep Raval, Talvin Singh, Jonas Hellborg, Pete Lockett, and more

👉 With his vast Carnatic expertise and global collaborations, Mahesh ensures our South Indian raga content is authentic, precise, and performance-ready.

North Indian Verification – Pandit Varun Mishra

Representing the Banaras Gharana, Pt. Varun Mishra carries one of North India’s most illustrious lineages.

• Trained by his grandfather Pt. Ganesh Prasad Mishra (Ex-Vice Chancellor, Bhatkhande University) and father Pt. Vidyadhar Mishra (Allahabad University)

• Descendant of a gharana of legends including Pt. Bade Ramdas Mishra, Pt. Anokhe Lal Mishra, and related to Pt. Birju Maharaj

• ICCR Empanelled Artist, “B High” grade AIR/Doordarshan artiste

• Performed at Sankat Mochan Samaroh, Taj Mahotsav, Swami Haridas Sammelan, and abroad in London, USA, Japan, Dubai & more

• Honoured by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and leaders in India & overseas

👉 With his deep grounding in khayal, thumri, dadra, tappa, bhajan and more, Varun ensures our North Indian raga content is nuanced, accurate, and steeped in tradition.

Why Verification Matters

• Not generic AI.

• Not copy-paste from Wikipedia.

• Not scattered PDFs.

Every raga in this plugin is cross-checked by maestros. That means when you create with Tonaling, you’re standing on a foundation of authentic knowledge  connecting past traditions with future creativity.

Raga Example Performers

In addition to verification by maestros, Tonaling features authentic raga examples performed by experienced musicians, each bringing their unique artistry to the sound of this plugin.

Pallav Pandya

A renowned Indian musician, singer, songwriter, and innovator in electronic keyboards and synthesizers within the Indian classical and jazz traditions. Beginning as a singer at nine, Pallav later pioneered Indian-style tone design on electronic instruments, integrating advanced tools like the Continuum keyboard. His precision pitchbend mastery to articulate Shrutis has earned him recognition as a true maestro, blending classical subtlety with modern electronic soundscapes.
Pallav has performed worldwide with legends including Asha Bhosle, Sonu Nigam, and Shankar Mahadevan, and is known for award-winning work such as O Maria (Sony TV, 1995 – Lions Screen Award). Beyond performance, he is active as a music educator, voice culture trainer, and therapist, inspiring new generations of musicians with innovation grounded in tradition. His educational background includes a degree in science and naturopathy, combining these disciplines into his holistic approach to music and well-being. Pallav Pandya is based in Mumbai, India, and regularly interacts with aspiring musicians through workshops, concerts, and free online lessons[swaraalap +1].

Kiran Thakrar

An accomplished composer, producer, and keyboard player, Kiran Thakrar is also a UK jury member for the Eurovision Song Contest. With over 35 years of experience creating and performing music worldwide, his works have featured on BBC, Sky, ITV, and global platforms, including specially commissioned production albums for Universal Production Music. His credits span iconic shows such as EastEnders, Tonight with Trevor McDonald, Desi DNA, and many more.

Widely respected for pioneering fusions of Eastern and Western music, Kiran has consistently harnessed modern technology to create new genres that bridge cultures. His versatility and technical mastery make him a unique contributor to Tonaling’s raga examples.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Kiran for his invaluable support  not only through his raga examples, but also for liaising with Pallav and providing overall support to help bring this vision to life.

Anwar Sheikh

An emerging contemporary artist from Mumbai, Anwar is rooted in the Bollywood tradition, where countless timeless songs draw directly from ragas. His contribution highlights how ragas can be expressed in light, freestyle settings, making their beauty accessible to a wider audience. Anwar’s soulful delivery brings freshness and relatability to the plugin’s examples, showing how ragas live beyond the classical stage.

Together, Pallav, Kiran, and Anwar represent three complementary approaches—classical innovation, global fusion, and popular expression—ensuring that Tonaling’s raga examples carry depth, versatility, and authenticity.

The Road Ahead

This is just the beginning. If support and response continue, our next update will be even more powerful  with expanded verified data, harmonic tools, and new creative features.

Our philosophy is simple: in a world of AI and automation, we must also celebrate human potential. Technology should help you connect deeper with yourself  not replace you. That’s why Tonaling is designed to give you the right knowledge and inspiration, without overwhelming you with endless libraries.

After crafting your music, we still believe nothing can replace the magic of real instruments and the artists who bring them alive whether it’s the Sitar, Bansuri, Tabla, Ravanhatta, Shehnai, Nad Swaram, Sarangi, Tanpura, or Mridangam. More than ever, it is our duty to support these musicians, because our research shows that many of these sacred art forms are quietly disappearing. Beyond the noise of social media trends, many true maestros are not even present on Instagram or TikTok  and the currency of likes, shares, and follows has never been the reason they play. We encourage promoters and musicians to look past the algorithm, seek out these living traditions, and give them the platform they truly deserve. That is why we also aim to build new tools, knowledge forum and a session-musician database  a space where inspiration meets collaboration, and tradition continues to thrive.

Gratitude

We express our deepest gratitude to those who made this possible: Maa Kamla Raval (blessings), Mahesh Vinayakram (South Indian raga verification), Pandit Sanju Sahai (North Indian raga support), Pandit Varun Mishra (North Indian raga verification), Anandan Sivamani (South Indian ragas and groove support), Kiran Thakrar, Pallav Pandya, and Anwar Sheikh (played raga examples), Harjit Singh Shah (Jas Musical – Tanpura tuning & facilitation recording), Krishna Joshi (Tanpura performance), Darshan S. Raval (location recording, mixing, production; beta testing), Jaydeep Raval (content checks), Varenyam Pandya (assisted with Pallav’s raga example recording), Shivali Raval (uplifting support  tea & food), Ashvin Trivedi (facilitating performance recording), Kishor Bhatt (sound recording in India), Hemubhai Joshi (blessings), Parmarth Mori (web support), and Laurence George (support, uplifting energy & vibes) along with many friends who inspired (and occasionally distracted!) us along the way.

With gratitude,
Sandeep Raval & the Tonaling Team 🙏