Though a nation with a small population, New Zealand has had an outsized impact on the music world. Ergo, they have quite a knack for crafting tools for high quality sound.
As part of our NZ week, we thought it was high time that New Zealand’s finest purveyors of drool-worthy audio products were celebrated.
Synthstrom
Synthstrom is an electronic instrument maker based in Wellington. They’re responsible for creating one of the most fascinating new instruments to emerge in recent years – Deluge. Three years in the making, it combines synthesis, sampling and sequencing with the goal of making electronic improvisation and performance more intuitive.
There’s little doubt that the success of Deluge is just a sign of things to come for this fledgling company. Find out more on the Synthstrom website.
Red Witch
Though Red Witch can still proudly don the “boutique” label, it’s quite an established operation, founded by Ben Fulton in 2003. These stompboxes are no tributes – they specialise in the unique – ranging from devilish fuzz, to bone crushing octaves, chorus, delay and more.
The latest creation from Red Witch is the Synthotron II – packed with dual analog oscillators, octave switchers and an envelope filter to name but a few of this pedal’s features. Find out more on the Red Witch website.
The Cargo Cult
Steering away from the hardware realm, The Cargo Cult are a boutique audio company that specialises in plugins for post production, sound design and music. Their offerings are aimed squarely at musicians and sound designers that want to go deep into sonic reconstruction and atmospherics. For example, Envy – which you can use to apply existing envelopes to new sources, or Slapper – the deepest and most intuitive delay plugin you’re likely to encounter.
To find out more about The Cargo Cult’s stunning suite of software tools, head over to their website.
Buzz Audio
Founded in 1985, Buzz Audio has seen a few trends in audio come and go. This makes their commitment to high-end, all-analog hardware processing all the more impressive. They’ve steadily built a reputation for elite compression and EQ, with their REQ-2.2 Resonance Mastering Equalizer becoming the best selling mastering EQ throughout the US.
To find out more about Buzz Audio, visit their website.
Perreaux
So when you’re done making all your music, you’ll need some way to listen to it, right? Perreaux’s tag line is “The sound of New Zealand” and as such, they have a host of products that will cover all your hi-fi needs. From amplifiers that look like they’re carved from a single bock of granite to loudspeaker towers that will perfectly adorn your alpine retreat, this handiwork is Aotearoa through and through.
For more information on Perreaux, visit their website.
