Arman Bohn wrote in to let us know about Bits, a new album featuring 13 conceptual interpretations of classic video games.
Arman writes:
The creation and development of the album has spanned almost two years … in which time I wrote and revised the dozen or so songs on the record.
The record also utilized many peculiar items that I personally constructed such as the Magical Toolbox, condenser microphones, special microphone preamplifiers, modified tube guitar amps and various virtual instruments of my own design.
Bits was written, recorded, and mixed by Arman, mastered by Gus Elg, with cover art by illustrator Gideon Klindt and photographer Jonah Sutherland.
More information: Arman Bohn
Arman Bohn has released version 1.0 beta of Glass Armanica, a sample based recreation of Benjamin Franklin’s rubbed glass instrument known as the Glass Harmonica, Armonium, Hydrocrystalophone, or Armonica.
Arman writes:
I originally planned to recreate all three octaves of the real instrument, but I ran out of sufficiently large wine glasses. If I come across any enormous goblets in the future I may release an enhanced version of the Glass Armanica.
The samples were created by filling wine glasses with water and tuning them with a chromatic tuner to the appropriate pitches (drop by drop). I used an Oktava MC-012 cardioid condenser microphone running into a Seventh Circle C84 Preamp.
Glass Armanica v1.0 beta features
- A single octave octave of samples running from MIDI note 72 to 84 (Octave 6).
- Amplitude ADSR controls.
- Velocity sensitivity.
- Reverb with width, size and mix controls.
- Hi-Cut and Master Volume controls.
Glass Armanica is available as a freeware VST instrument for Windows PC.
Visit Arman Bohn for more information.
Arman Bohn has put up a poll to decide which VST instrument he should release next.
Here’s what you can choose from:
- Hydrogen Spectra, a virtual instrument that translates the spectral lines of Hydrogen into the audio spectrum.
- Guitar Feedback, an instrument based on guitar feedback.
- Plucked Cello, a sample based instrument with a variety of controls added to customize and tweak the sounds.
- Wine Glass, will likely have 36 notes (similar to the 37 found on Benjamin Franklin’s Armonium) and be sample based.
- Ray Gun, the sounds of Arman’s old toy ray guns packed into a virtual instrument.
The poll will be up for about a week, so if you’d like to see one of the above instruments come to life make sure to go vote for it.
Arman Bohn has released a beta version of SK-crooner, a freeware vocal synth based on the 8-bit “human voice” patch from the Casio SK-1.
Arman writes:
I loved this sound when I was growing up … very spooky and unnatural.
SK-crooner features
- Two separate modes: Original (modeled after the Casio SK-1) and Tone held (for long notes).
- ADSR Amplitude Envelope.
- Vibrato with Rate and Depth.
- Filter control with Frequency and Resonance.
- Sample Rate and Bit Depth Crush.
- Variable Portamento.
- Master Volume Level.
- Reverb with Size, Depth and Width Control.
SK-crooner is available as a VST plug-in for Windows PC.
Visit Arman Bohn for more information and audio demos.
Arman Bohn has released version 1.0 beta of SKdrummer, a freeware VST instrument for Windows PC.
SKdrummer is based on individual samples of the lo-fi, 8-bit drum sounds from the infamous Casio SK-1 keyboard.
SKdrummer features
- Sounds: Kick, Snare 1, Snare 2, Open Hat, Closed Hat, Tom 1, Tom 2, and Tom 3.
- Each drum has its own pitch and volume control.
SKdrummer is available as a VSTi for Windows PC.
Visit Arman Bohn for more information.
Arman Bohn has released Toy Piano, a wonky and slightly out of tune freeware VST instrument made with SynthEdit.
Toy Piano features
- Clean samples (from here), each note is individually sampled.
- MIDI notes 60-84 (C5 to C7) to simulate the limited range of a real toy piano.
- Velocity sensitive.
- Simple interface, ADSR controls.
Visit Arman Bohn for more information and a link to download the Toy Piano VSTi.
