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Musical Electronics Library

Topic: Organization

 From HandWiki - Reading time: 4 min
Musical Electronics Library
20221210 123306 Musical Electronics Library.jpg
AbbreviationMEL
FormationNovember 2014[1]
TypeNGO, lending library
Location
Coordinates [ ⚑ ] : 36°51′24″S 174°45′35″E / 36.856699°S 174.759786°E / -36.856699; 174.759786
Region served
New Zealand
Websitemusicalelectronicslibrary.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wants "to emphasise the idea of sharing and also reducing waste through re-using things and giving seemingly broken or out of date things a new purpose."[7]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

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  • 20221210 123517 Musical Electronics Library.jpg

References

  1. ↑ Smith, Emma (13 June 2015). "Headquarters: Kraus". Radio New Zealand. http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/nat-music/audio/201758188/headquarters-kraus. Retrieved 13 June 2015. 
  2. ↑ Norling, Sean. "UTR's Highlights Of 2014". http://www.undertheradar.co.nz/news/9191/UTRs-Highlights-Of-2014.utr. Retrieved 4 January 2015. 
  3. ↑ "About". 19 March 2014. http://musicalelectronicslibrary.wordpress.com/about/. Retrieved 15 July 2014. 
  4. ↑ "Musical Device Library Set To Launch In Spring". http://www.undertheradar.co.nz/news/8220/Musical-Device-Library-Set-To-Launch-In-Spring.utr. Retrieved 15 July 2014. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Thomas, Melody (31 May 2014). "Kraus Synth Workshop". http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/nat-music/audio/2598046/kraus-synth-workshop. Retrieved 15 July 2014. 
  6. ↑ "Musical Electronics Library Inventory". https://mel.myturn.com/library/inventory/browse. Retrieved 15 July 2014. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 O'Sullivan, Mitch (January 2015). "Musical Electronics Library". NZ Musician 18 (7): 52. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Smith, Emma (11 October 2014). "Smashingly Good Time". New Zealand Listener 245 (3883): 44–45. 
  9. ↑ Silver, Harry. "May Creative Technologists Meetup". Auckland University of Technology. http://colab.aut.ac.nz/events/may-creative-technologists-meetup/. Retrieved 15 July 2014. 
  10. ↑ "Musical Electronics Library". http://www.sonorouscircle.com/2014/05/musical-electronics-library/. Retrieved 15 July 2014. 
  11. ↑ Kraus, Pat (24 March 2014). "MEL prehistory 1". https://musicalelectronicslibrary.wordpress.com/2014/03/24/mel-prehistory-1/. 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". http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/nat-music/audio/20158283/nowhere-festival-2014. Retrieved 28 November 2014. 
  15. ↑ Samuel Flynn Scott (2016-02-20). "Wellington Musical Electronics Library". Radio New Zealand National. Radio New Zealand. http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/nat-music/audio/201790129/wellington-musical-electronics-library. 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!!". 2 February 2016. http://www.soundexplorers.co.nz/event/m-e-l-launch-party. Retrieved 13 February 2016. 

External links



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