Musical Electronics Library

Musical Electronics Library
Abbreviation MEL
Formation 2014
Type NGO, lending library
Location
Coordinates 36°51′24″S 174°45′35″E / 36.856699°S 174.759786°ECoordinates: 36°51′24″S 174°45′35″E / 36.856699°S 174.759786°E
Region served
 New Zealand
Website musicalelectronicslibrary.wordpress.com

The Musical Electronics Library (or MEL) is a lending library of homemade electronic musical devices in Auckland, New Zealand, and is a world-wide leader in the Scavengetronica movement.[1][2]

The library contains electrolytic capacitors, rampwave oscillators, white noise generators, light theremins, sample and holds, ring modulators, preamplifiers, pitch shifters, phasers, and mixers; mostly built inside repurposed VHS cases.[3][3][4][5] Highlights of the collection include the "electric bee motorcycle sound-maker box", a device which emulates the sound of meowing cats inside a Cats VHS box, and "Mad Max" which has been described as "Merzbow in a box".[6][7]

MEL is run by volunteers and curated by musician and device-builder Kraus.[8][9] The library was inspired by the work of Nicolas Collins and Bob Widlar.[10][11] Musicians using equipment from MEL include Hermione Johnson, Kraus, Pumice, Diana Tribute, the MEL Orchestra, Piece War, Ducklingmonster, the Biscuits, Powernap, Herriot Row, and Chronic Fatigue Sindrome.[12][13]

The library has been running synthesizer-building workshops around New Zealand.[4] MEL also co-hosts an open weekly maker night with the Auckland University of Technology where projects are developed in a collaborative environment.[14]

Kraus stated in a New Zealand Listener interview that "doing any kind of community project like this for me is a political thing - of self-organisation and encouraging people to take control of their lives, instead of just being a consumer, buying something someone else has made, or some robots in China. The kind of empowerment that comes from learning a new skill is a really powerful thing."[7] He said in NZ musician magazine that he wants "to emphasise the idea of sharing and also reducing waste through re-using things and giving seemingly broken or out of date things a new purpose."[6]

References

  1. ↑ Norling, Sean. "UTR’s Highlights Of 2014". Under The Radar. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  2. ↑ "About". Musical Electronics Library. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Musical Device Library Set To Launch In Spring". Under the Radar. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Thomas, Melody. "Kraus Synth Workshop". Radio New Zealand National. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  5. ↑ "Musical Electronics Library Inventory". myTurn. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 O'Sullivan, Mitch (January 2015). "Musical Electronics Library". nz musician 18 (7): 52.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Smith, Emma (11 October 2014). "Smashingly Good Time". New Zealand Listener 245 (3883): 44–45.
  8. ↑ Silver, Harry. "May Creative Technologists Meetup". Colab. Auckland University of Technology. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  9. ↑ "Musical Electronics Library". Sonorous Circle. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  10. ↑ Kraus, Pat. "MEL prehistory 1". Musical Electronics Library. Musical Electronics Library. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  11. ↑ "Bob Widlar". Space Surveillance Network (July 2014): 5. July 2014.
  12. ↑ "MELtastic Auckland Artists". Space Surveillance Network (July 2014): 26. July 2014.
  13. ↑ Dass, Kiran. "Nowhere Festival 2014". Radio New Zealand National. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
  14. ↑ "MEL & AUT Colab:Weekly Maker Nights". Space Surveillance Network (July 2014): 24. July 2014.

External links