Sound Field

Built in the style of the Impossible Box with custom lamps, keys and switches, all cloth covered cable patch cables, labeled and brass framed panels all built into the custom oak case with internal power supply. Designed to act as a standalone acoustic electronic bio-feedback workstation capable of entire lush  compositions. All sections have tip connectors specific to the sound field, and/or each section features a standard 1/4" in and out to allow them to be used to process, sample, mangle or transform any external audio. The cloth covered cables included are also stackable to allow for a range of other possibilities. All CV control jacks are 3.5mm.

The central processing section is essentially a time machine - a piece designed to heavily alter captured loops in thousands of way by use of a magnetic patchbay with patchable keys. This section has 3 voltage clock and/or LFO voltage signals which can be used to synch the other sections via CV, or sent out to control external modular synthesis. Additionally, the 1/4" "tap out" can be sent to any equipment that recieves tap signals, or as a simple method to convert to a midi clock.

There are four acoustic elements - two garden panels, a stringed section reminiscent of the mobius harmonizer and a textured blank panel which can be used to capture micro sounds. Any of these acoustic sections can be sent into any of the other panels for processing/sampling, or they can be sent into the four channel mixer.

The mixer amplifies the signals and allows for volume control of each to be sent into any of the following;

the delay section provides delays from extremely tight to about 1.5 seconds with near endless repeats - like that of the micro garden. It also accepts control voltage from either the time machine section or any external CV to control on/off and time.

The wave reverb section provides lush waves like that of the Luminist Garden, but also switchable to provide analog delay like that of the illuminist Garden. It also features CV in to control on/off and has decay when switched off so there are no sudden stops in  the wave. The time machine CV out will activate and deactivate the reverb in time if patched to the clocks.

The Filter section has mix, resonance and frequency control and CV in to control the frequency - also patchable from the time machine for synchronization.

The result is a piece that's capable of entire fields of sound and deep, rich and layered compositions.

Aside from the Impossible Box (Arius' own studio piece), this is the finest work by Mr Blaze to date.

a family of folktek

Always good to take a family photo when these things all happen to be together at the same time.
Time Scape Sequencer, Harmonic Field version 2.2, Illuminist Garden, Mobius Harmonizer, Micro Garden

Mobius Harmonizer

Another work by Arius Blaze, based on the original Feedback Harmonizer of years ago, though expanded and revisioned. Currently available on folktek.com. To hear sound, see more photos, etc. go directly to the Mobius Harmonizer page

The Mobius is a concept piece designed to allow the playing of an acoustic sound source in an electronic way. Essentially, synthesis from acoustics similar in nature to the way the Folktek Garden series generates lush waves from micro sound.

The Mobius features four strings with a fretless soundboard driven into a delay capable of extremely tight, notated delay, to about a second and a half of near endless looping. The delay travels into pitch shifting, out to an amplifier that runs an internal spring reverb and back into the delay.
The pitch shifter can subtly or drastically shift the pitch to a great degree and has six playable keys designed to shift the incoming signal. Keys are additive so playing more that one at a time results in different pitch arrangements which allow for different combinations of pitch control within the master pitch (controlled by a master pitch knob). The original signal from the delay can be mixed with the shifted signal for more harmonic dynamics or played dry all together.

The spring reverb is not an overwhelming reverb but is instead designed to add depth and resonance to the sound - creating deeper, crystalline waves or generating waves of feedback. In longer delay modes where the repeats are near endless, the reverb will swell with each repeat, which generates, for examples, gradual waves where there once were very specific strong attack notes. Play with a bow adds an entirely new sound and dramatasizes the reverb feedback. There is an independant level control for the amplifier that runs the spring reverb.

In addition, there are 1/8" CV (+5v control Voltage) jacks to control delay time and pitch to synchronize with analog/modular synthesizers.

The result is an expansive work with a rich sound capable of endless sonic possibilties

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time scape sequencer/garden hybrid

A Hybrid remix work built on co-mission by Arius Blaze - taking elements of the time scape (with patchable keys of a time machine), sequencer synchable to the time scape, and a micro garden sized panel routed through the circuitry of a luminist (delay to wave reverb). A world of possibility and sweet sound generation built into a custom hardwood box.

Illuminists Garden

This is the expanded Luminist Garden - an enormous body of sound from micro acoustics - also featuring an audio input with balance control.


Where the luminist is an expansion of the Micro Garden, this illuminists Garden takes the Luminist a step further, consequently becoming the next step in the evolution of the garden series.

The illuminists garden features an added circuit - a duplicate of the "wave reverb" in the Luminist but additionally adds options for each wave reverb to act as an analog style delay instead, adding a huge dimension of wave possibilities for sweet choral drone or added depth to acoustic micro beats. The original delay in the Micro and Luminist Gardens is still present with delays from micro-notated tight to roughly 1.5 seconds.

The 1/4" input allows you to send any audio signal in and balance it with the internal pickup of the sound board to use the Illuminist as a standalone processor or mix the external sound with that of the soundboard.

More info can be found on folktek.com, direct link; http://folktek.com/instruments/electrocoustic/illuminists-garden

info on the original luminist Garden, including sounds and video can be found here; http://folktek.com/instruments/electrocoustic/luminist-garden

The Luminist Garden

The Luminist Garden created by Arius Blaze. This work is an expanded version of the Micro Garden, capable of making lush choral waves and entire compositions as a standalone work.
The expanded soundboard has multiple pick ups that run into the delay - which offers time settings from extremely tight notated repeats to about 1.5 seconds with undecaying feedback that essentially acts as a looper allowing one to make beats by tapping the board and plucking or rubbing the strings.
The delay runs into a very lush and unusual reverb that has the ability to act more as a wave generator, creating waves that can endlessly extend and are based on the original note but with the ability to pitch shift the feedback, resulting in something like the NI effect called "convolution".
The result is rich electronic music from an accoustic source. Sweet ambience. Stereo out, custom lamps and switch, runs on supplied 9v power. The price is 850 and they are built to order.
here are three sound samples, each a single take with no editing or external effects.
Luminist1
Luminist2
Luminist3













videos up soon

Garden Works I and II by Arcana Red

Here we have some tracks produced by an owner of one of the Micro Gardens. These tracks "were made entirely on or through the garden except for the obvious instrument here or there."

he says "I plan on releasing both Garden Work I & II on an album called Heliotropic Lovers by Arcana Red" - so look out for it.

They are rather long and you can either go and have a listen to "Garden work I" here: http://soundcloud.com/arcana-red
or directly download by going here

"Garden Work II" is only available for download here

enjoy

(image provided by Arcana Red)

Garden Winter tune by T.Heau

I was just sent a link to this video by a happy holiday player of the Folktek Micro Garden being played in a bit of a different way than most videos have displayed. A very nice composition of imagined snow, fire in the living room and a warm cup of the sweet life.

Neokitsch showreel

A very professional presentation of this mans sound design work, later displaying and talking about the Folktek Micro Garden (at about 3:45 in)...Proper

Folktek Garden videos by Izzy

A nice display of some of the micro garden potential. keeping it folk
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(you may consider playing all at once)

NeoKitsch - Experiments with the Micro Garden - Glitch Music

A video by an owner of one of the micro gardens..."The Micro Garden is being played through a talkbox to create those robotic vocal sounds. The Elektron Monomachine and Machinedrum are accompanying the glitch improvisation."

Folktek 5000

Just about 5000 in Folktek work laying out and basking in the filth of the studio, most of it preparing to take flight to various hands around the globe. omnichord, subharmonic field, time scape sequencer, micro garden, bug, spray paint and beer

Folktek Micro Garden available

The Micro Garden is an acoustic electronic work taking tiny sounds and allowing an elongation. Controls over a tight delay capable of notated repeats and up to about 1.5 seconds. Custom lamp, custom switch, beautiful custom hardwood box.
See all things "Micro Garden" on our blog.


The price is 450. hit us up direct;
folktek@gmail.com

Some choose to upgrade from this to the Luminist Garden (also capable of everything the micro garden is) - price 840.