Lite2Sound QB Stereo - raindrops are oscillating

video upload by EA78751

"We have made a field recording of a common but rarely heard side of nature - the oscillations of falling rain drops. Shine a flashlight up into the rain and its light bounces back off the surface of the falling drops, to be received by our stereo photodiode amplifier. We are using the Lite2Sound QB Stereo from Rare Waves LLC (rarewaves.net, lite2sound.com)"

Grendel DC-2E Drone Commander 2 + Expander

Published on Nov 13, 2015 EA78751

"Dusty woofers? Not any more! Cleaning those hard-to-reach areas with the Grendel DC-2E Drone Commander 2 + Expander module. No CV/Gate input this time, just a self-patch to conjure some dark and earthy subterranean tones. This is the final version, not much left to do before they are ready.. available soon from online stores."

Grendel RA-9 Grenadier - Trading 8's

Published on Jan 12, 2015 EA78751

"Video demo of Grendel RA-9 Grenadier. An 8-bar phrase is traded back and forth between the synthesizers to show a variety of tones and filterbank modulations. Sequenced by CV-Gate with Vermona MIDI-CV converter.
http://rarewaves.net/products/grendel..."

Grendel 2TAC analog sequencer with RA-99 Grenadier

video upload by EA78751

"Rare Waves demonstrates the Grendel 2TAC 2-track analog controller with the Grendel RA-99 Grenadier analog synthesizer. The Grendel 2TAC has two tracks of CV-Gate output (1v/oct). For synchronization, it has an internal tempo generator, analog pulse-per-step Clock In/Out, and Reset pulse In/Out. This video tutorial shows some of its pattern editing features, time stretching, creating pattern chains, altering the tuning, mashing several patterns together simultaneously, and generating random patterns. We will be offering a limited issue of the 2TAC as pictured in the video with black aluminum case, walnut sides, and red or yellow LEDs. For easy reference this version comes with the key commands printed as a graphic on the underside of the case. 2TACs are available soon direct from rarewaves.net."

You can find additional posts featuring the Grendel 2TAC here.

Super Lite2Sound assembly guide

YouTube via EA78751
"Draft tutorial for the new light-to-sound kit I'm designing.
Available soon!

http://ericarcher.net/devic..."

headphone session

YouTube via EA78751. "camping in brooklyn"
"this video is warmup for some gigs we have in NYC. In the video you see the Big Box o' Techno (BBoT) on the left and Another Box o Techno (ABoT) on the right. Ragsdale is playing the TX606 in the background. ABoT and BBoT are handmade by me, really fun and abstract to play b/c most of the patterns are algorithmic.

BBoT: 808 clone kick, snare, hats + experimental pattern sequencer + drone commander + dR0NEMATr1X optical synth

ABoT: algorithmic bassline generator (fibonacci generator + 4069 VCOs + sync LFO & LFO sequencer), and SP0256-AL2 speech synth

TX606: modified TR606 w/ extra 808-style kick drum osc, noise source crossfader & two external audio inputs to the noise section.

E-Squared plays tonight and tomorrow in NYC... electro/techno

Thu 4/16 - Handmade Music Night at 3rd Ward (brooklyn) ... free event, w/ free PBR!
http://www.3rdward.com/events/handmademusic

Fri 4/17 - Bent Festival (manhattan) $... more"

Music algorithms perform a melodic synthesizer duet

Published on Apr 20, 2018 EA78751

"I’m testing new hardware for algorithmic/generative music composition. This is a recording of an improvised melodic duet performed on two analog synthesizers simultaneously. The sequences are generated by an algorithm I’ve developed. It accepts guidance from the performer using a MIDI controller as input. The performer uses parameters that affect the melody, rhythm, timbre, and structure. Running two of the sequencers in parallel gives interesting harmonic effects, and provides much fun. –Eric Archer / Rare Waves LLC (2018)"

Handmade Music Austin #3

YouTube via EA78751
"Video from Handmade Music Austin #3, Dec. 20th 2009. At this workshop 13 people built the free project, Mini Space Rockers. After that we witnessed live electroacoustic sound by Lustigovi. And then 19 people built the upper division project, Andromeda Mk-4 Analog Bass Drum. And last there was an open jam with DIY bassline and drum machines from this workshop series, plus acid lines from a MIDIbox SID."
"Tags:
handmade music austin DIY analog drum machine 8-bit AVR synth synthesizer MIDIbox SID"

real time speech synthesizer

YouTube via EA78751 | August 23, 2010

"Designing a phonetic speech synthesizer with real time input from PC keyboard. Lattice CPLD interfaces kbd with vintage SP0256-AL2 speech chip. Not connected to anything else."

Eric Archer Lite2Sound PX photodiode amplifier optical synth filter

Published on Jul 23, 2018 EA78751

"This video demonstrates a experimental audio filter effect. The Lite2Sound PX photodiode amplifier kit v.1.4 from rarewaves.net is used. The CRT is a Tektronix 603 X-Y monitor. Connect an audio sawtooth oscillator to the X input. Connect the Lite2Sound output to the Y input, and also to the speakers. Point the photodiode at the CRT. Objects that block the photodiode's view of the CRT are transformed into audio waveforms. The silhouette of the obstruction becomes impressed into the audio waveform and you can morph it in real time by moving your hand. The sound is like a combination of PWM and notch / bandpass filter. And at the end of the video, the original "comb filter" effect is demonstrated!"

Previous Lite2Sound posts.

electro percussion lab 2

YouTube via EA78751. follow-up to this post.
"same instruments as the previous video "electro percusion lab" plus un-modded 808 kick, snare, and hihat clones from the BBoT.

analysis of the original 808 cowbell + mods/bends + my schematics
http://ericarcher.net/devices/cowbell

birdbox (sequencer in the white box)
http://ericarcher/net/devices/bird-box-sequencer

for years I've daydreamed about how to translate compositional ideas into hardware algorithms... also daydreaming about Roland's engineering lab during the TR808 research phase... how many marvelous sounds did they leave on the shelf? They should have packaged them up and made the 808's evil twin.."

Reverberant Drone Relaxation Music, 31 Minutes

Published on Nov 1, 2016 EA78751

"Listen to the calming distant sound of meditative drone music in the key of D, while studying, working, or just relaxing. Sound comes from the Grendel DC-2e synthesizer with pure analog reverberation from a spring reverb tank. Learn more about Grendel Drone Commander synthesizers at RareWaves.net"

Synth DIY: The Rare Waves Hydronium kit

Published on Dec 4, 2018 EA78751

"The Hydronium DIY acid synth kit from Rare Waves is coming soon! Available in tabletop or Eurorack format. This video takes a closer look at its fun features and explains the CV patch options.
Hydronium can be controlled by either MIDI or CV-Gate. Its VCO has sawtooth, square wave, and PWM waveforms. Pitch slide (legato glide) effect works with both MIDI and CV-Gate control, and it has a handy post-glide v/oct CV output for slaving a second VCO. Glide time can be voltage-controlled. The decay envelope is velocity sensitive, and its bipolar dynamics knob gives unique control over accented notes. Decay time can be controlled by the MIDI mod wheel, as well as a Decay CV input. The filter is a 2-pole state-variable filter. By the term “acid synth” we don’t mean it is a Roland clone, but it does include many 303-inspired playability features... Hydronium DIY kits will be available soon through rarewaves.net."

Grendel Drone Commander - Classic Pedal (official)

Published on Aug 18, 2017 EA78751

The Grendel Drone Commander in classic guitar pedal format.

"Coming soon from Rare Waves LLC USA ... the original circuit, the classic sound, plus gate control, and external audio In! Grendel Drone Commander Classic Pedal. rarewaves.net"

Drone Commander 2 LFO

Published on Oct 25, 2015 EA78751

"Here is a side-scrolling scope view of some interesting LFO waveforms, and a soundtrack of rhythmically modulated analog drone sounds. It was generated with a prototype version of the upcoming Grendel Drone Commander 2 Eurorack synthesizer module.

soundcloud.com/rare-waves

Tektronix TDS350 oscilloscope"

Algorithm plus Algorithm

YouTube via EA78751
"Two algorithmic synthesizers performing musical duty at high speed. On the right is the 4ms Pedals Autonomous Bassline Generator. On the left is something new.

They're synchronized with IR Sync. IR sync is just a 940nm LED flashing 16th notes, and a phototransistor/opamp receiver. Feel free to use it, the schematic is here:
http://ericarcher.net/devices/ir-net"

Rare Waves Hydronium – Anode Sludge (synth demo)

Published on Jan 31, 2019 EA78751

"Rare Waves Hydronium is a great sounding analog synthesizer with MIDI + CV-Gate control, and lots of patchability. Its new for 2019, created and supported by Eric Archer behind the Grendel brand. Hydronium comes as a DIY kit or pre-assembled, available now at rarewaves.net in tabletop format and a Eurorack version is in the works.

This demo track focuses on heavy tones in the stoner doom vein. The black Hydronium has a distortion pedal patched into its effects loop to bring out some lovely nasty crusty crunchy sounds. This synth’s effects loop is positioned between its VCF and VCA, which is a sweet spot for distortion, fuzz, and overdrive. It lets you use a distortion pedal for waveshaping without sacrificing the synth’s dynamic range or increasing the background noise. The yellow Hydronium is playing through a spring reverb 100% wet, and has an external LFO patched to its VCF CV input for psychedelic lead sounds. The blue box is dry in the mix."

Hydronium

funky bongo machine

YouTube Uploaded by EA78751 on Apr 4, 2011

"break it down smooth with funky bongo machine"

Rare Waves DIY MIDI Acid Synth Kit Coming Soon

Published on Nov 8, 2018 EA78751

"Coming soon from Rare Waves, a great DIY acid synth kit with MIDI control + CV ins and outs. Tabletop or Eurorack. We're taking a poll... which color would you take? Blue, black, or yellow?"

Drone Sound 2015 - Eric Archer Working on Follow-up to the Drone Commander

Published on Jun 4, 2015 EA78751

"Working hard in the lab to discover a worthy successor to Drone Commander. Kept the original filter, but updated the rest. Added full voltage control, a second filter, and a very funky LFO. Maybe this is it?"