Musical Electronics Library

Musical Electronics Library
Abbreviation	MEL
Formation	November 2014
Type	NGO, lending library
Location	New Zealand;
Coordinates	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 and Wellington, New Zealand, and is a worldwide leader in the Scavengetronica movement.^[2]^[3]

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.^[4]^[5]^[6] 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".^[7]^[8]

MEL is run by volunteers and curated by musician and device-builder Kraus.^[9]^[10] The library was inspired by the work of Nicolas Collins and Bob Widlar.^[11]^[12] Musicians using equipment from MEL include Hermione Johnson, Kraus, Pumice, Diana Tribute, Samuel Flynn Scott, the MEL Orchestra, Piece War, Ducklingmonster, the Biscuits, Powernap, Herriot Row, and Chronic Fatigue Sindrome.^[13]^[14]^[15]

The library has been running synthesizer-building workshops around New Zealand.^[5] MEL also co-hosts an open weekly maker night with the Auckland University of Technology where projects are developed in a collaborative environment.^[16]

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."^[8] 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wants "to emphasise the idea of sharing and also reducing waste through re-using things and giving seemingly broken or out of date things a new purpose."^[7]

The library started in Auckland and 2014 and opened a Wellington chapter in 2016.^[17]

Gallery

References

^ Smith, Emma (13 June 2015). "Headquarters: Kraus". Radio New Zealand National. Radio New Zealand. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
^ Norling, Sean. "UTR's Highlights Of 2014". Under The Radar. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
^ "About". Musical Electronics Library. 19 March 2014. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
^ "Musical Device Library Set To Launch In Spring". Under the Radar. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
^ ^a ^b Thomas, Melody (31 May 2014). "Kraus Synth Workshop". Radio New Zealand National. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
^ "Musical Electronics Library Inventory". myTurn. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
^ ^a ^b O'Sullivan, Mitch (January 2015). "Musical Electronics Library". NZ Musician. 18 (7): 52.
^ ^a ^b Smith, Emma (11 October 2014). "Smashingly Good Time". New Zealand Listener. 245 (3883): 44–45.
^ Silver, Harry. "May Creative Technologists Meetup". Colab. Auckland University of Technology. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
^ "Musical Electronics Library". Sonorous Circle. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
^ Kraus, Pat (24 March 2014). "MEL prehistory 1". Musical Electronics Library. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
^ "Bob Widlar". Space Surveillance Network (July 2014): 5. July 2014.
^ "MELtastic Auckland Artists". Space Surveillance Network (July 2014): 26. July 2014.
^ Dass, Kiran (22 November 2014). "Nowhere Festival 2014". Radio New Zealand National. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
^ Samuel Flynn Scott (2016-02-20). "Wellington Musical Electronics Library". Radio New Zealand National. Radio New Zealand. Retrieved 2016-02-21.
^ "MEL & AUT Colab:Weekly Maker Nights". Space Surveillance Network (July 2014): 24. July 2014.
^ "M-E-L Launch Party!!". Sound and Light Exploration Society. 2 February 2016. Retrieved 13 February 2016.

External links

[hq-1] Smith, Emma (13 June 2015). "Headquarters: Kraus". Radio New Zealand National. Radio New Zealand. Retrieved 13 June 2015.

[2] Norling, Sean. "UTR's Highlights Of 2014". Under The Radar. Retrieved 4 January 2015.

[3] "About". Musical Electronics Library. 19 March 2014. Retrieved 15 July 2014.

[undertheradar.co.nz-4] "Musical Device Library Set To Launch In Spring". Under the Radar. Retrieved 15 July 2014.

[Kraus_Synth_Workshop-5] Thomas, Melody (31 May 2014). "Kraus Synth Workshop". Radio New Zealand National. Retrieved 15 July 2014.

[6] "Musical Electronics Library Inventory". myTurn. Retrieved 15 July 2014.

[nzmuso-7] O'Sullivan, Mitch (January 2015). "Musical Electronics Library". NZ Musician. 18 (7): 52.

[Smashingly_Good_Time-8] Smith, Emma (11 October 2014). "Smashingly Good Time". New Zealand Listener. 245 (3883): 44–45.

[9] Silver, Harry. "May Creative Technologists Meetup". Colab. Auckland University of Technology. Retrieved 15 July 2014.

[10] "Musical Electronics Library". Sonorous Circle. Retrieved 15 July 2014.

[11] Kraus, Pat (24 March 2014). "MEL prehistory 1". Musical Electronics Library. Retrieved 15 July 2014.

[12] "Bob Widlar". Space Surveillance Network (July 2014): 5. July 2014.

[13] "MELtastic Auckland Artists". Space Surveillance Network (July 2014): 26. July 2014.

[14] Dass, Kiran (22 November 2014). "Nowhere Festival 2014". Radio New Zealand National. Retrieved 28 November 2014.

[15] Samuel Flynn Scott (2016-02-20). "Wellington Musical Electronics Library". Radio New Zealand National. Radio New Zealand. Retrieved 2016-02-21.

[16] "MEL & AUT Colab:Weekly Maker Nights". Space Surveillance Network (July 2014): 24. July 2014.

[17] "M-E-L Launch Party!!". Sound and Light Exploration Society. 2 February 2016. Retrieved 13 February 2016.

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Musical Electronics Library

Gallery

References

External links

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