It's definitely the time for an update for this inspirational thread. Here's a new product, announced only a few days ago (on 28th March , so it's NOT an April Fool joke), that's so unusual that it merits mentioning here.
The Agnew Analog Vacuum Tube Electrochemical Synthesizer: Type 8001
"This is a unique electrochemical synthesizer, generating strange sounds through chemical reactions occurring in the built in reactor cell. The reactor cell acts as a miniature galvanic bath, with a selection of different electrode materials offering a wide range of sounds. The generated electrical signals are then amplified by means of vacuum tube electronics, which include inductor filters and feedback loops to further spice thing up."
It looks stunning, and sounds most intriguing too, but it's still unclear whether this unit, “Handcrafted for a harsh noise artist from Slovenia” is a one-off build or going to be available to others.
In my never-ending quest to search out inspirational material for the sound designer, here's a classic example of what can happen when you team up with an experimental film maker.
"A trip through an electric desert, Dry Lights unfolds in an imagined environment of cacti and canyons, moving from hidden caves to lonely cliffs along pulsating rivers of light.
This experimental film lies somewhere between a site-specific installation and a performance, where choreographed lights meet organic landscapes."
N i g e l wrote:I have a few outrageously long reverb presets which I have always thought of as just lush sounding equations.
It was nice to find out that there are some actual, accoustically interesting, gigantic spaces in the real world...
Ok, to once again whet your appetite with something that may sound familiar (a drum machine), but which has been re-imagined in such a designer-friendly way, may I present to you Slagwerk-101.
This is an audiovisual sculpture and a visual element for the stage, based on percussion instruments. A conceptual semi-acoustic drum machine built around mechanics, used with synchronized MIDI backtracks.
David Ford (singer-songwriter and loop pedal pioneer) did a tour a few years ago with a remote control drumkit that he played with his feet. I'll see if I can find a video.
The 1000 OSCILLATOR MEGADRONE Is Complete! The KiloDrone Is ALIVE
Yes, our old friend Look Mum No Computer (aka Sam Battle) is back, still as mad as a March Hare, but oh so entertaining. Most of the last four months during lockdown he's been slogging away building 100 panels, each containing 10 oscillators, and has now completed this 2 metre tall 4 metre wide synthesizer with 1000 oscillators, to answer the age old question! How many is too many?
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