AbelSim Change Ringing Simulators

Latest News

Version 3.7 of Abel, the simulator for Windows PCs, is available as a free upgrade from the downloads section, for those who bought earlier versions of the CD. Some of the enhancements in this version are particularly intended for use with Handbell Manager; others are intended for tower bell ringers. For details see the release notice.

You can now order the Abel CD online, paying via PayPal using a credit or debit card (or a PayPal account, if you have one). Click Buying Abel for more details.

Mabel, a ringing simulator for Apple Mac, is now available, and can be ordered or downloaded online. Mabel has all the main home-use features of Abel, but does not (initially) have the features aimed mainly at tower use. For further details, see Mabel News. You can order Mabel online as a CD or a download, see Buying Mabel.

What are Abel and Mabel?

Abel, for Windows PCs, is the most popular change ringing simulator in the world, for both home and tower use. Mabel is a new ringing simulator for the Apple Mac, intended primarily for home use. Abel and Mabel are used by learners and advanced ringers. At home and in the tower, learners use them to practise call changes, plain hunt, and basic methods; advanced ringers use them to practise for peals and public demonstrations of ringing, right up to the level of Bristol Surprise 16 and 100-spliced minor. Towers also use Abel for "silent practice" sessions.

Abel and Mabel are the latest in a line of bellringing simulator programs starting with one running under DOS, back in 1993. The current version of Abel runs on Windows 95, 98, ME, 2000, XP, Vista and Windows 7. Mabel runs on Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger), 10.5 (Leopard) and 10.6 (Snow Leopard). Ringers have bought nearly 6000 AbelSim ringing simulators. All profits go to charities, including bell restoration.

Abel and Mabel provide a wide range of features, simulating all the situations you're likely to encounter in real-life tower- and hand-bell change ringing. You can use Abel or Mabel to:

  • Practise ringing and conducting from the keyboard
  • Ring any method or touch, on any number of bells from 3 to 24
  • Practise calling and ringing Call Changes
  • Splice up to 100 methods
  • Print methods and touches
  • Simulate tower bells or handbells, using real bell sounds - you can add your own recordings, too

In addition, Abel provides the following facilities intended mainly for use in towers:

  • Connect to sensors on external bells - so you can ring real bells or dumbbells or dummy handbells with Abel to practise with a perfect band, and also have truly 'silent' practices
  • Vary the quality of the striking, and get reports on the accuracy of your own striking

For further details of the facilities of Abel see the product documentation. For further details on Mabel, see Mabel News.

 

 		  Screen shots

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Abel ringing tower bells

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Abel ringing handbells

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Mabel ringing tower bells

Abel is copyright © 2009 AbelSim Ltd. Mabel is copyright © 2009 AbelSim Ltd.

Site last updated: 28 September 2009.