Here’s a bit of ambient goodness to start of Free Music Friday – Herzog’s First Summer And The Running Dream:

first summer and the running dream” contains 5 tracks with a complete duration of 30 minutes. Compared to his earlier works “first summer…“ has a more droning, a bit distorted character. The sounds are layered very softly and sublime to a very harmonic composition. The overall mood is quite laid-back with noisy, distorted splinters. The noisy elements are getting stronger to the end of the EP but it leaves still a very harmonic picture.

You can preview the album with the music video above and download the tracks at the Resting Bell label site.

via disquiet

Here’s the first version of the laser cut and engraved Casper Electronics Drone Lab housing:

Some of the details may change, but the general design is set. An alternate design may be offered which features an extended faceplate with blank space for adding extra control hardware.

The Drone Lab is a 4 voice analog drone synth, rhythm generator and FX processor. It is capable of generating rich, textured soundscapes, hypnotic drones and complex rhythmic sequences.

A complete parts kit & PCB are available for $200.

Casper Electronics has announced that it’s now taking pre-orders for the Drone Lab V2, a 4 voice analog drone synth, rhythm generator and FX processor.

Description:

The Drone Lab is capable of generating rich, textured soundscapes, hypnotic drones and complex rhythmic sequences. It features a series of filter and distortions circuits as well as an audio input jack. This allows it to be used as an effects processor for external audio signals.

The Drone Lab retails for $50 for the PCB only, $200 for a PCB and parts kit, and $350 fully assembled.

via bubagoo:

PCBs and complete parts kits will be available starting October 20th.
This is the new Drone Lab analog drone synthesizer by casperelectronics in collaboration with Electromagics.

Ordering info is available at casperelectronics.com
For more info on Drone Lab features go to:
http://casperelectronics.com/finished…

Electromagics: http://www.electromagics.com/

Questions and comments welcome at pete[at]casperelectronics[dot]com.

The Drone Lab is a 4 voice analog drone synth, rhythm generator and FX processor.
The Lab has an external input with pre amp which accepts audio signals from any audio source including microphone, guitar, keyboard and other Drone Labs. External signals can be mixed with the existing drone and run through the lab’s filter and distortion circuits.
The Lab also features a clock interface which allows the internal rhythm clock to be linked with a variety of external clocks.

Casper Electronics has announced the Drone Lab synthesizer – a DIY synth designed to make ambient electronic drones:

I’ve joined forces with Electromagics to design a Drone Lab kit that is easy to build and is capable of creating rich drones and complex pulsing sequences. We’re in the final stages of PCB prototyping and will be calculating the cost and taking pre orders within the next week or two.

We plan on offering parts kits as well as finished units soon after.

Pricing and availability info is expected to be up soon.

Image: ALH84001

Eric Archer’s Drone Commander is a $325 portable synthesizer housed in an awesome Riot Control Agent box.

With a total of 9 knobs, the Drone Commander offers two manually-tuned oscillators and two LFOs, plus an unusually colorful and nasty filter. LFO1 is an analog variable-shape oscillator, and LFO2 is a pulse waveform that auto-synchronizes to LFO1 at a ratio of 2x, 4x, 8x, or 16x. Both LFOs can be routed to the filter for rhythmic patterns. A line-level output jack is provided for connection to amplifiers or effects.

Six of the Drone Commander’s nine knobs double as push-pull switches to control signal routing and waveform selection.

The Drone Commander is housed in a dark green military ammunition case with engraved aluminum control panel. The case is welded steel with an easily removable, rubber gasketed lid.

The unit is powered by a 9V battery accessible through a slide-out drawer in the side, as well as a 9VDC adapter.

You can preview the sound of Drone Commander below:

Details at Archer’s site.

via the Synthtopia Flickr Group

This is a demo of the new Casperelectronics Drone Lab.

The Drone Lab is an analog sound module specially designed for making dense, rich drones. This video features three going at once.

Each unit has:

• 4 oscillators. 2 can be pitch modulated by dividers. 2 can be volume modulated by dividers.
• 1 resonant low pass filter
• 2 band pass filters
• 1 fuzz circuit
• 1 pulse generator LFO
• 2 adjustable pulse dividers for making rhythmic sequences.

More info, including ordering info and schematics (build your own!), are available at the Casperelectronics site. You can also download a higher quality version of the full 12 minute audio recording from this video at the above address.

via bubagoo:

Download the mix or the individual tracks from the Internet Archive.

via hiddenplace

This is a drone music track created with the Roland SH-32 synthesizer.

via hilltree:

Roland SH-32 4 parts Synthesizer stack filter drone.

With some additional fx

The drone was made with the 4 part multitimbral synth stacking posibilities, and twiddling with the filter resonance and cutoff.

Simian Drum Scape #1=Drum, Drone, Noise Synth by Arius Blaze

via benpumpkin:

Created by Arius Blaze of folktek = folktek.com and ariusblaze.com…video one of three…This piece incorporates a wide range of textural sound scapes as well as straight analog drum synthesis.

The synth is analog, the built in delay is digital.

Let me know what you think of Folktek’s strange synths!

Here’s something that we didn’t see at NAMM – the limited edition Posse Crew Ensemble AS-606 Ambient Sequencer  - a hardware sequencer specifically designed for drones and long, evolving ambient pads. 

Features:

• One-channel one-step sequencer
• Unlimited note duration
• 20-voice polyphony
• Compatible with all digital and analog keyboards
• Real-time control for all parameters
• “To Infinity And Beyond™” infinite control resolution
• Contains no small parts
• No choking hazard
• Suitable for children less than three years old

It’s compatible with both CV and MIDI synths, as this action shot demonstrates:

Pricing and availability are TBA. 

Details at the Posse Crew Ensemble site.  

via CrateKings

Scott Baker talks about his multi-media project Abre Ojos, which combines atmospheric, drones from a self-built modular analog synthesizer, together with heavily effected vocals and audio and manually manipulated visuals incorporating moving image, photography and created effects.

Click here to view the embedded video.

One of a series of interviews by Andrew McIntosh/Screwtape with experimental musicians/artists. More interviews here.

This is a demo of a few patches on a one-panel Serge modular synth with 2 M-odules: “Seq-A” and the “Creature”.

via Felix Inferious

via Ran Kirlian: “Some fun with Waldorf Q filters and drifting pads from Oberheim OB12 and Access Virus Indigo. No additional audio effects.”

Nice retro demo of Folktek’s beautiful touch-based synth interface, the Harmonic Field. 

The Harmonic Field is a collaborational work by Arius Blaze and Ben Houston. Aside from basic controls for pitch, volume and activation – it is all touch based. There are four panels of twelve points each that allow the user to play a full range of notes and alter those sounds with an entire amp section.

The amp section controls filtering, resonance, distortion, bass boosting, noise etc. – abundant variations depending on which points are being touched together and how hard or soft.

It comes down to massaging the boards and creating dronescapes. After one has a feel for the various points, the most subtle movement will effect the waves.

Waves can be made to be soft and lush harmonics or turned to disturbing waves – the sound can be melodic and beautiful or tense and uneasy.

“This is a play at your own risk instrument,” note the creators. “Though very subtle, the Harmonic Field provides a slight charge to the player…We’ve been playing it for weeks and have found it energizing.”

This music video is for Void Ship from The Chordless Chord by Beat Frequency.

The track features Etherwave theremin + Marshall Echohead delay box + Danelectro PB&J delay box. No overdubs, no multi-tracking, no post-production effects, except a little reverb throughout.

iTunes link: The Chordless Chord