Musical Electronics Library

Abbreviation| MEL
Formation| November 2014[1]
Type| NGO, lending library
Location|

* New Zealand

Coordinates| 36°51′24″S 174°45′35″E﻿ / ﻿36.856699°S 174.759786°E﻿ / -36.856699; 174.759786

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wants "to emphasise the idea of sharing and also reducing waste through re-using things and giving seemingly broken or out of date things a new purpose."[7]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

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## References

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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.
4. ^ "Musical Device Library Set To Launch In Spring". Under the Radar. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
5. ^ a b 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.
7. ^ a b O'Sullivan, Mitch (January 2015). "Musical Electronics Library". NZ Musician. 18 (7): 52.
8. ^ a b Smith, Emma (11 October 2014). "Smashingly Good Time". New Zealand Listener. 245 (3883): 44–45.44-45&rft.date=2014-10-11&rft.aulast=Smith&rft.aufirst=Emma&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Musical+Electronics+Library" class="Z3988">
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.

## External links

[edit]

* Musical Electronics Library blog
* Musical Electronics Library Auckland microblog
* Musical Electronics Library Auckland inventory
* Musical Electronics Library Wellington inventory
* Documentary on MEL

* v
* t
* e

Music technology

Music technology|

* Mechanical
* Electrical
* Electronic and digital

Sound recording|

* Audio channel
* Mixing console
* Binaural recording
* Digital audio workstation (DAW)
* Effects unit
* Equalizer
* Headphones
* Microphone
* Microphone preamplifier
* Monitor speaker
* Multitrack recording
* Music production
* Music sequencer
* Outboard gear

Recording media|

* Phonograph record
* Magnetic tape
* Compact cassette
* Compact disc
* DAT
* Hard disk
* MiniDisc
* MP3
* Opus

Analog recording|

* 8-track cartridge
* Amplifier
* Cassette deck
* Comparison of analog and digital recording
* Experimental musical instrument
* Phonograph
* Player piano
* Reel-to-reel audio tape recording
* Tape recorder

Playback transducers|

* Loudspeaker
* Headphones
* Monitor speaker
* PA system
* Sound reinforcement system
* Speaker enclosure
* Subwoofer

Digital audio|

* Digital recording
* Digital signal processing

Live music|

* Mixing console
* Bass amplifier
* Effects unit
* Foldback
* Guitar amplifier
* Keyboard amplifier
* PA system
* Reverb
* Sound reinforcement system

Electronic music|

* Chiptune
* Circuit bending
* Drum machine
* Electronic drums
* Electronic musical instrument
* MIDI
* MIDI controller
* Music workstation
* Sampler
* Sequencer
* Sound module
* Synthesizer
* Theremin

Software|

* Digital audio editor
* Digital audio workstation
* GarageBand
* ProTools
* Scorewriter
* Software effect processor
* Software sampler
* Software synthesizer

Professions|

* Audio engineer
* DJ
* Guitar technician
* Mixing engineer
* Monitor engineer
* Piano tuner
* Record producer
* Re-recording mixer
* Sound designer
* Sound follower
* Sound operator
* Sound recording engineer
* Tape op

People and organizations|

* Audio Engineering Society
* Goji Electronics
* Institute of Broadcast Sound
* Lejaren Hiller
* IRCAM
* Max Mathews
* Musical Electronics Library
* Professional Lighting and Sound Association
* Robert Moog
* SMPTE
* STEIM

Related topics|

* Audiophile
* High fidelity
* Home audio
* Home cinema
* Music store
* Professional audio store
* New Interfaces for Musical Expression (NIME)
* Vehicle audio

Record production portal

* v
* t
* e

Hackerspace

Asia|

| China|

* SteamHead
* Xinchejian

|

India|

* Jaaga
* Maker's Asylum
* Vigyan Ashram

Others|

* HackerspaceSG (Singapore)

North America|

| Canada|

* DHMakerBus

|

United States|

* Artisan's Asylum
* AS220
* Baltimore Hackerspace
* Baltimore Underground Science Space
* Boston Open Source Science Laboratory
* Double Union
* Eli Whitney Museum
* Eyebeam
* Genspace
* HacDC
* Hacker Dojo
* HackMiami
* L0pht
* Liberating Ourselves Locally
* Maker Nexus
* Mothership HackerMoms
* NextFab
* Noisebridge
* NYC Resistor
* Omni Commons
* Open Works
* Port City Makerspace
* Sudo Room
* TechShop (defunct)

Europe|

| Germany|

* c-base
* Chaosdorf
* Fürstenberg (Havel) station
* RaumZeitLabor
* shackspace

|

Netherlands|

* ASCII (defunct)
* Ubica

United Kingdom|

* Access Space
* Building BloQs
* Leigh Hackspace
* London Hackspace
* OpenCell
* Open Shed (defunct)

Others|

* FreakNet (Italy)
* Hackerspace.gr (Greece)
* Kiberpipa (Slovenia, defunct, revival in progress)
* Kitchen Budapest (Hungary)
* Metalab (Vienna)
* TOG (Ireland)

Oceania|

* Gold Coast Techspace (Australia)
* Musical Electronics Library (New Zealand)

Related topics|

* Devthon
* Fab lab
* Library makerspace
* Hackerspace Global Grid
* Power Racing Series
* Turtlestitch

* v
* t
* e

Karangahape Road and environs, Auckland, New Zealand

Buildings and organisations|

* Artspace Aotearoa
* Auckland Baptist Tabernacle
* Bergman Gallery
* The Charlotte Museum
* Cordis
* Ironbank
* Karangahape Rocks
* Mercury Theatre
* Musical Electronics Library
* Rainbow Youth
* Samoa House
* Symonds St Public Conveniences and Former Tram Shelter
* Tautai Pacific Arts Trust

Geographic features and green spaces|

* Grafton Gully
* Symonds Street Cemetery

Infrastructure|

* Central Motorway Junction
* Grafton Bridge
* Karanga-a-Hape railway station

Government|

* Auckland Council
* Waitematā Local Board
* Waitematā and Gulf ward
* Auckland City Council (defunct)

Events and historical locations|

* 1993 Auckland mid-air collision
* KG Club

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