Beetlecrab’s Tempera isn’t your typical musical instrument. It’s not even your typical synthesizer.
It began life as a college venture: an A4 piece of paper with a dozen reels of cassette tape caught to it, which may very well be ‘performed’ with two hacked-up tape heads. Scrubbing throughout the tape with the tape head would play again tiny samples of the audio, like a tactile, analogue model of a granular synthesizer. Getting any coherent musical concepts out of it was near-impossible, although, admits its creator and Beetlecrab co-founder, Andre Sklenar. It was primarily solely helpful for “artsy stuff” and as an ambient soundscape machine (which remains to be fairly cool, actually).
Sklenar and his enterprise accomplice, Adam Heinrich, revisited this educational journey shortly after releasing their first synth, Vector, in 2021. With its hybrid synth engine and workflow centred round an ‘Orbiter’, Beetlecrab’s debut product was deliberately experimental. Tempera builds on Vector’s idiosyncracy; this granular synth gained’t allow you to play notes or chop samples in the way in which you’re accustomed to — it forces you to get hands-on and discover sound in unfamiliar methods.
“The interface and the capabilities of a synthesizer largely decide the musical outcome,” says Sklenar. ”So we tried to make the interface considerably totally different, to interrupt this consolation zone; simply blow it away so it’s simply not there anymore and also you’re compelled to get out of your computerized pondering.”
From the second I first switched on the Tempera, I used to be hooked. Not as a result of it was serving to me create masterpieces (it wasn’t), however as a result of each time considered one of its 64 touch-sensitive pads was hit or considered one of its knobs have been turned, it could make a recent and distinctive eerie, erratic sound. For the primary hour, I had no thought what I used to be doing, however I used to be having enjoyable letting the Tempera and its inventory samples information me on a bizarre sonic journey.
“Yeah, it occurs to me as properly,” jokes Sklenar from the Beetlecrab HQ in Prague, Czech Republic. “When growing, somebody would possibly report some type of bug; I begin on the lookout for it, then I get utterly distracted and realise later I want to truly discover and repair the bug. However I really like that very hands-on nature of the Tempera.”
Beetlecrab’s Prague workplace isn’t precisely bustling. Sklenar is speaking to me by way of video name from the workshop, with a backdrop of cardboard bins and supplies. Alongside he and Heinrich, the 2 co-founders are joined by an meeting engineer and a QA engineer, making every Tempera and Vector to order. The model’s first
Sklenar enjoys having a small operation; he and the crew are capable of preserve in direct contact with their clients and deal with points, collect suggestions for future firmware and, nicest of all, obtain reward straight.
There may be lots to reward concerning the Tempera, in equity. The granular synthesizer packs a pool of 4,096 stereo grains, performed by 4 concurrent ‘Emitters’ with 16-voice polyphony. You’ll largely be utilizing the 64 backlit pads, that are divided vertically into eight tracks, every one containing a pattern of as much as 11 seconds lengthy that’s cut up throughout the eight strips. You’ll be able to play the samples by touching one of many pads and, relying on the mode you’re in, deciding on a pitch with the keyboard overlay.
…I do know, it’s quite a bit, however stick with me.
The 4 dials on the high of the Tempera can be utilized to tweak parameters, form envelopes, edit pattern lengths and alter the Emitters. An results engine permits you to apply refrain, delay, reverb and extra, whereas an onboard mic permits you to document sounds to control instantly. It can save you and cargo your sounds to the 8GB inner storage and a microSD card.
Oh, and likewise, there’s a enjoyable function that can set off different samples round your finger place, so you will get some fascinating, various soundscapes straight away.
Okay, received it? No? That’s alright. Tempera isn’t a simple beast to tame at first, however skilled customers have discovered unimaginable methods to get inventive with it.
Producer and content material creator Jeremy Blake at Purple Means Recording was a detailed collaborator within the making of the Tempera. In a current video, he showcases it as a manipulator of jungle drum breaks, whereas others have discovered it extremely helpful as a cinematic scoring instrument.
However Beetlecrab’s drawback, Sklenar says, is conveying to potential clients what the Tempera really does.
“Because it seems, one nonetheless must learn the handbook, perhaps get a walkthrough,” he says. “However I feel that as quickly as one grasps the fundamental idea that it’s grain emitters on high of a sound mattress of samples, it type of clicks. There are not any hidden shortcuts or bizarre shift workflows. When you get the idea, the remainder is okay. We tried to make it extra approachable [than Vector], which I’m unsure we succeeded 100 per cent, however we gave it a go.”
Sklenar, who confesses he’s not a pure marketer or promoter (“nor I’d discover advertising very fascinating”), sayshe and Heinrich have been nervous about releasing the Tempera. How would they get the idea throughout? Even when making preset patches, often known as Canvases, for the Tempera, the 2 realised they’d nonetheless needed to do extra to exhibit how every function works.
Actually, the easiest way to get to know the synth is to get your fingers on it. Heinrich and Sklenar knew this from the second they’d the prototype underway. “We had a prototype unfold out on the desk,” says Sklenar, “with code working by way of it to set off the grains. ‘As quickly as we positioned our hand on the grid and performed a chord, we knew instantly, ‘Okay, that is it.’”
When Sklenar and Heinrich took the Tempera to Superbooth 2024 in Berlin, they have been met with immense positivity and intrigue. Most Superbooth attendees are on the hunt for the quirkiest musical machines, so Beetlecrab’s two merchandise have been sure to be successful. Even there, although, synth lovers have been approaching the Tempera anticipating it to be a Launchpad or grid synthesizer. They’d set off the 4,096 grains and 64 emitters, immediately listening to a wealthy, complicated and convoluted sound.
“The factor is, the machine can deal with it,” laughs Sklenar. “It gained’t break a sweat. It’ll simply explode with grains. It’s an enormous arsenal of stuff and it’s necessary to study to regulate it, to be sparse, to not go tremendous loopy. So these are the challenges, however the response has been wonderful. Folks can’t put it down.”
The Beetlecrab crew has heard inspiring tales from its Discord channel and electronic mail inbox, with Sklenar recalling one person who set it up for his or her little one to experiment with. When you see the Tempera’s brightly colored pads of blue, pink, yellow and inexperienced, you’ll be able to see how a child would gravitate towards it — properly, adults too, really. That enchantment was all the time a part of the plan.
“We undoubtedly wished to design one thing that’s stunning and purposeful. That was really the situation for us doing something in any respect,” Sklenar explains. “ I feel that perform is extra necessary than type however that doesn’t imply that type just isn’t necessary.”
Lights would possibly flash and dance across the Tempera, however every has a objective. The 4 colors signify the emitters, they usually talk when sound is being performed, the way it’s being performed, and what sound is being performed round them. It’s a surprising show that invitations you to maintain tinkering and seeing what’s subsequent. And it’s a sensible transfer by Beetlecrab. A social media presence is important, and we’ve all seen movies of selfmade Novation Launchpad exhibits, so the Tempera’s aesthetic enchantment is more likely to entice creators to movie themselves taking part in thoughts boggling sounds. From that perspective, Sklenar and Heinrich’s advertising proficiency isn’t so unhealthy in spite of everything.
Some content material creators are already having a subject day with it. The aforementioned Jeremy Blake at Purple Means Recording has expressed his love for it, as has high-profile music technologists Andrew Huang and Loopop. Blake’s involvement was really key in bringing the Tempera as much as scratch. Though his sound design movies with the synth are spectacular and academic, Sklenar tells us that Blake’s expertise with the Tempera was a rollercoaster.
“He’s a person of endurance, as a result of I’d ship him a firmware that fixes three bugs however creates two new bugs, and that was principally the mode of operation for the entire interval between Might to November [when the first public batch was released]. After all, he’s an artist, I’m an engineer, so I’m ready for perhaps greater ranges of frustration with equipment. However for him to attempt to be inventive with a machine that might typically do random stuff should have been irritating. Jeremy has been nice, although — he created wonderful samples for the Tempera tailor-made particularly for it.
Not like Blake, I nonetheless haven’t discovered precisely find out how to profit from the Tempera. However Sklenar is true; having the ability to virtually contact the sound because it’s being performed is hypnotic and makes you wish to study extra. However at $720, can you actually afford to choose one thing up and never know find out how to use it?
“With a machine that does one thing totally different,” explains Sklenar, “it all the time takes a bit of little bit of time to search out its personal viewers, as a result of all the things is so saturated as of late. However Tempera works for ambient music, it may document devices, will be performed very organically and expressively, and there’s all these little granular noises…There’s a tremendous particular person on our Discord who’s utilizing Csound — a programming language that permits you to programmatically create audio samples — to generate samples that match particularly on the contact grid in very inventive methods, like making pixel artwork on these samples with the LEDs. You’ll be able to actually paint with it.”
The Tempera’s customers have saved fortunately busy, however Beetlecrab has saved even busier. On a regular basis, the crew is gathering suggestions from its clients to create new updates, iron out bugs, create new tutorial content material, all whereas balancing one other three or 4 synthesizer tasks. However, as we collect from our name, Sklenar and Heinrich are thrilled to have the ability to deliver their wacky imaginations to life.
“I imply, there’s nothing higher than this. We have now, like, three to 4 synthesizers within the pipeline from blueprints by way of to prototypes. And it’s so rewarding, as a result of I can really see the machine assembled; I can see it travelling to the testing station, then I see it being rotated into the packer, after which it’s within the field, after which I can see it on the shelf, then it leaves, and three days later, I get an electronic mail saying ‘I simply acquired my Tempera, I’m loving it.‘ It’s such an amazing factor. It’s good, actually.”
Be taught extra about Beetlecrab’s Tempera, which is obtainable now.