Modular synths for people who don't want to get into modular synths.
A bit of music in progress...
A Metronome and Water Glass Alarm Bell
I Built a Contraption That Makes Music With Random Stuff
Can You Guess This Song From Just The Piano?
A Water Metronome Sequencer in Action
Creating Sci-Fi Soundtracks with MIDI Triggers
Ad an electric current through a metronome and let it trigger solenoids and wonderful music is made
Record the sound of a hairdryer. Sample it. Chop it up. Make a song. Voila!
Add heavy distortion and EQ to a metronome and make a song with it. It works!
Add effects to a metronome and let it create a song for you
The Cassettone Mk2 is in progress!
Put a contact mic onto a metronome. Add effects, and let 'er rip!
Put a contact mic on a squeaky door hinge. Add some Reverb. Instant horror show.
Using a rotating paint can to trigger solenoids around the studio for DIY sound design stuff
Make an over-engineered rotating light-drum to trigger a photo-sensitive tremolo effect for music
Use a photo resistor element for a DIY analog tremolo effect in your sound design
This is how I use cassette recordings to make music. Or one way, at least!
Crunchy cassette-recorded drums make for some beefy rhythm tracks!
Play pre-recorded drums through a modified cassette deck for some monster sounding kits
Use a bunch of DIY recording techniques for cinematic sound in your songs
Use a board with random objects and contact mics for cinematic sound design in songs
Use a bunch of DIY contact-mic recordings for organic beat-making goodness
Use a contact microphone on a file cabinet for big, beefy drum sounds
Modify a tape deck and you get some bizarre results
Record a simple sine wave onto cassette and play it back at varying speeds for note control
Recording drums in a basement for the album "Under the Weight of Water"
Record drums onto a cassette player for some grungy, compressed, vintage sounding results
Use a hacked cassette player's speed control to create some horrific tension in your audio project
Hack into a cassette player's speed-control and use it to create some moody atmospheric audio
Hack into the guts of a tape player and you can vary the playback speed for cool sound experiments
Use a vintage test tone generator as a synth for some groovy tune-making
Sample a toy sprinkler and use it to create the rhythm for a song
Sampling the notes from an old piano onto cassette tape
Using a collection of DIY MIDI, cassette, and contact-mic instruments for a late-night jam session.
Using MIDI notes to control real-world solenoids for DIY percussion experiments
Using a whisk and contact microphones to make some nice calming meditation tunes for your soul
Controlling solenoids with MIDI notes from Ableton
Using a DIY motorized string instrument for a song on "Under the Weight of Water"
The very first "Jangle Box" - a DIY motorized string instrument made from a cigar box
Hacked cassette players with speed controllers going all loony-tunes through some effects.
Hacking two cassette players and cramming them into a single pitch-controller box like a lunatic.
Using a hacked cassette player to add texture to a song from "Under the Weight of Water"
The in-progress motorized guts of a DIY string instrument called a "Jangle Box"
Re-Amping a snare drum with a mandatory strobe light accompaniment.
Banging out some Tom-Tom Club inspired melodies on my little Korg Volca and Minilogue.
How do metal beams sound when sampled and warped in Ableton? #sampling #ableton
A stereo pair of contact mics connected to my fingers. Cool sounds ensue.
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About
The Sound of Machines is a collection of experimental audio projects for musicians and makers created by Rich Bernett. Here you'll find inspiration to build and record your own unique musical creations as well as sounds that the world has never heard before.
For more in-depth tutorials and sample downloads, join me on Patreon. www.Patreon.com/thesoundofmachines
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