Folktek Resonant Garden

Published on Oct 29, 2017 Sir Folktek

"The Folktek Resonant Garden is an acoustic-electronic hybrid instrument. See/read more on Folktek.com
In these first videos, the cv functions are never used and there is no external processing. Videos to come will cover the use of cv as well."

via Folktek

"The Resonant Garden is an acoustic-electronic hybrid designed to create anything from beats and oddities to dense sound scapes. From its inception in 2006, the original garden has gone through many changes and refinements; micro garden, luminist garden and illuminist garden and finally this latest and likely final version.

The garden essentially utilizes three Alter circuits but each equipped with a mic pre-amp, and 4 garden (stringed) panels for generating acoustics. By plucking, rubbing, tapping or even bowing, those micro-acoustic sounds become amplified and effected by the Alter in any number of ways. In essence, the garden is a large microphone designed to pick up vibrations."

EFFECTS
There are two Alter 1 designs and 1 Alter 2. Each Alter 1 has seven different DSP effects which is selected by touching the copper hexagon:

1; long delay (capable of near infinite feedback looping)

2; tight, notated granular delay

3; huge plate reverb

4; shimmering reverb

5; distortion and multi-filter

6; pitch delay

7; stutter glitch

Alter 2 has the following effects:

1; analog delay

2; reverb with infinite capture and lp + hp filters

3; choral reverb

4; palindrome reverse delay - backward/forward repeat

5; time stretch

6; pitch shift (notated semi-tones

7; time stretch glitch

CONTROL
On each of the Alter sections, the following is present:

- control for the gain of the mic pre-amp or any incoming audio.

- controls for mix, X, Y and filter as well as clock.

- all effects have a variation of a filter which may change effect to effect.

- X and Y control various rates.

- clock control adjusts the rate which controls the DSP which can drastically change the effect. In doing so it does slightly lower the quality of the output signal but the results are fantastic. This clock is not for synchronization.

- mix, X, Y and filter all have CV control inputs.

- Each control level or cv input is visualized on the control panel.

ACOUSTICS
Each garden panel is equipped with a contact mic. A contact mic is designed to pick up vibration. The mic pre-amp is specifically designed to deal with the frequencies of the contact mic by boosting certain frequencies and dulling others in order to optimize the sound quality. The mic pre-amp has a gain control so the level can be adjusted according to how you intend to play.

ROUTING
1/8” stereo inputs with separate level/gain control for right and left channels. These level controls can also act as mute as they can take the signal to 0. They can also add gain to a quiet signal.

In it's natural state, each Alter utilizes the garden panel acoustics and each Alter outputs its own signal. By plugging in to the left input of any Alter, the mic amp is bypassed. This means that the signal can be chained from one alter to another, utlizing the single final output. This chain of effects can result in an incredibly broad range of sound.

- use all effects in parrallel (3 sets of stereo output)

- use two in series and one in parrallel (2 sets of stereo output)

- use all in series (single stereo output)

- peak level indicator for clipping levels at the input

DESIGN
The design is simple but beautiful with all of the artwork created by Arius Blaze. The box is thick and heavy bamboo and the 1/8" thick panels are all inset firmly into a slot routed into the bamboo. This increases the resonant vibrations by adding tension to the garden panels. Each spout of strings is bolted in from the back and held in place with a panel under the main board.

We occasionaly get asked "why bamboo instead of some exotic wood?". To that we say - because it's sustainable and doesn't involve things like deforestation or any number of other terrible things.

INCLUDED
High quality 12v power adapter brick to reduce noise, +tip, 2.1mm barrel type

black and white printed and hand bound manual.

four black 6" 3.5mm patch cables"