Happy and Inspiring New Year!

2014 is poised to be an exciting year for us with many new projects and endeavors already taking shape.  To start off the year on a creative note, we spent time in the studio and will soon be publishing some of our efforts as samples in the guitars section.  We have also been in touch with Paul Vo, inventor of the Vo-96 Acoustic Synthesizer – following a successful Kickstarter campaign last year,  our Luither kit is in the mail!  We will keep you posted on our process designing an electric guitar around this truly unique hardware – which based on early demos, we feel is set to unlock a new soundscape for guitars.  We have also ordered another similarly inspiring guitar invention, the “HammerJammer” from Big Walnut Productions.  While it has been out for some time, it is just now getting some of the attention it deserves and we look forward to incorporating the concept with some of our own.

Finally, by popular request, we have been providing some updates to our JUCE Tutorial and will be releasing additional tips for working in JUCE soon.  We thank you for all your feedback and interest in our tutorials and will be sure to keep growing that offering as well as prepare some of our in-house helper plugins for release to aid with your development.   We hope you always stay inspired and active on all your creative processes!  Feel free to contact us, if you build something you are interested in sharing or need help getting some ideas off the ground.

Redwood Audio Unplugged!

Redwood Audio AC1

We are happy to announce our latest creation and first venture into the fully-acoustic world.  The Redwood Audio AC1 is a demonstration piece done to explore the beauty and challenge of acoustic guitar design.  Based on the lovely “orchestra models”, it has 14-frets free of the body which peaks at just over 4″ deep for a balanced tone and lively response.

The build of primarily hand-shaped Asian ebony, mahogany and a wonderful flamed-redwood soundboard was an exciting process with a bit of a steep learning curve – but the experience was rich and rewarding.  There is something about using fine hand-tools to gradually unlock the full potential from raw materials.  The results look and sound great!  We could not resist installing a Fishman Rare Earth Blend system for reinforcement, but the Model AC1 stands well on its own.  You can check it out along with our other instruments in our guitars section.

As always, if you have comments or ideas for a project you would like to share with us, please feel free contact us.  Otherwise, we wish you and yours a happy holidays and best in the New Year!

Redwood Audio Backs Vo-96!

Redwood Audio is pleased to announce our support of the Vo-96 Kickstarter campaign!  Vo-96 (was Lev-96)We hope this support helps bring the Vo-96 to life and into our shop for future builds.  The technology – being described as “Acoustic Synthesis” – represents, in our view, a huge step forward in active string control.  The device allows independent control of odd/even harmonics, sustain length (including muting) and adds the concepts of auto modulation, tremelo and arpeggios.  In a sense, it brings the many concepts of wave synthesis direct to the sting vibrations of your guitar.

If you have been following the technology, its proof-of-concept debut was as the Moog Lev-96 which had some good buzz in the media (and got our attention).  It is now being productized by the inventor Paul Vo as the Vo-96.  You can find out more at his site or the kickstarter page including the growing number of youtube videos.  If you want to join the backers, there are still two weeks left to back with rewards including 1st run units.  Be sure to check back with Redwood Audio to see how we get on with our kit as well as the upcoming builds.