Wells Library Makerspace Equipment

Moog Theremini 

Available for checkout is one of the oldest electronic instruments in the world: the theremin, an instrument that is played without touching anything. 

The two antennae protruding from the sides of the instrument react to the hands of the player and change the characteristics of the sound produced by the theremin as the position of the player's hands change. 

One antennae controls the volume (the loudness) and another controls the pitch (what tone or note it's playing) of the instrument. 

The theremin is a notoriously difficult instrument to play and master, but when played well the results can be enchanting. To explain how to play a theremin is too difficult a task to accomplish here, however you can find a user manual for the Theremini below.

• Video demonstration of the Moog Theremini
• User manual for Moog Theremini

Critter & Guitari Organelle Synthesizer

The Organelle is a jack-of-all-trades digital synthesizer that can be used in a variety of ways: as a traditional synthesizer or keyboard that can be played, an effects processer, and a sampler. This is the perfect instrument for somebody who likes to tinker and explore with sounds. 

How to set up the Organelle: 

1. Connect the DC adapter to the Organelle and a power source and power the Organelle on

2. Connect the Organelle to some sort of output, either:

• Headphones, via the 1/8 output socket 
• An amplifier, audio interface, etc. via the 1/4 output sockets  

3. Select a patch

4. Jam out! 

The Organelle is controlled using the six knobs:

• The four knobs on the left of the screen, numbered 1 - 4, each control a parameter of a patch (e.g. delay, release, etc.). What they control changes each time you change the patch, which you can do by manipulating the knob directly to the right of the device's screen.
• Twist the knob to the right of the screen to select and browse patches. Press down to confirm your selection.
• The knob to the far right hand side of the device controls its the device's volume.

How to create your own patch

Uniquely, the actual synthesizer within it creates sound using a programming language called Pure Data. Users can also share patches with other users, who can download community-made patches onto the Organelle's USB drive. 

To create your own patch, you need to learn Pure Data. Thankfully, Critter & Guitari have provided their users with a helpful guide on how to create patches for the Organelle with Pure Data. Watch these and other videos on YouTube to explore the full potential of the Organelle. 

ATH-M20X Professional Studio Monitor Headphones 

Available for check out or use within the library, we have two pairs of these timeless headphones.

• They have an extremely balanced frequency response, meaning they don't emphasize any frequency range.
• Ideal for any kind of audio editing where detail matters. A frequent go-to for musicians and music fans alike. 

Microphones & Recorders 

Blue Yeti & Yeti Nano Microphones

These are classic, intuitive beginner USB microphones. They would be perfect if you are trying to record something like a podcast, presentation/tutorial, or an instrument. 

Each microphone has a few knobs that have various effects:

• Volume - controls the volume of the output of the microphone. This will make the signal it outputs louder. 
• Gain - controls the volume of the input of the microphone. This will make the microphone more sensitive and quicker to pick up sound. 
• Pattern - controls the polar pattern of the microphone. This changes the field of range of the microphone. There are four polar patterns these microphones are capable of: 
  • Figure 8 (Yeti) - Records in front of and behind the microphone 
  • Stereo (Yeti) - Records the left and right sides of the microphone 
  • Omnidirectional (Yeti & Nano) - Records all around the microphone
  • Cardiod (Yeti & Nano) - Records in front of the microphone 

Depending on how you are using the microphone, you might want to select a particular polar pattern:

• If you're recording yourself do a tutorial of a screen grab, you probably will want to use the cardiod configuration.
• If you are recording a conversation between two people, you might use the figure 8, omni, or stereo configurations.
• For most applications I would recommend either the cardiod or omni configurations. 

To begin using one of our Blue Yetis: 

1. Connect the cable to the microphone and plug it into your USB port

2. Ensure the volume and gain (if applicable) knobs are turned to a 12:00 position

3. Ensure that you have selected the microphone as an audio input on your operating system and recording program of choice

4. Record! 

Zoom H1N Handheld Recorder 

These are battery powered, portable high quality microphones. They are field recorders--microphones designed to be used out and about in the world. They are durable, and capable of recording with just the touch of a few buttons. 

These are great for projects that involve interviewing people, recording sounds out in the world, or any other kind of impromptu, on-the-go recording. 

Audio is stored onto a micro SD card. We provide users with a micro to standard SD converter and an SD to USB converter to get your files off of the device, as well as with some backup batteries. 

Some of the buttons are self-explanatory, others aren't. Below I discuss the buttons with less obvious effects:

• Lo cut - this applies a low cut or a low-pass filter to the audio signal, dampening or eliminating low frequency sounds. This would probably come in handy if you were using this recorder in a place with a lot of background noise, e.g. a loud road. 
• Limiter - this apples a limiter to the signal, which essentially controls how loud something can be. If it picks up a sound that is above a certain threshold of loudness, it will automatically make it quieter. 
• Audio - determines the audio quality and file type and size. You can either record your sounds as WAV files or MP3 files.
  • WAV files are generally recommended if you value audio quality and fidelity. They are typically larger files.
    • Example application: recording an instrument in a 3 minute song
  • MP3 files are compressed and thus less high quality recordings, but they take up much less space on your storage device.
    • Example application: recording a 30 minute interview with a visiting scholar 

Be sure to consult the H1N User Manual to clarify any other questions you might have about the devices functions.