FM3 is now taking orders for Chan Fang – the third generation of their Buddha Machine:
Chan Fang, which translates as “Zen Room,” sees FM3 swap drones and tones from their first two Buddha releases for unadulterated classical loops.
All tracks were composed and performed on the Qin, a seven-string zither revered as the grand-daddy of Chinese instruments. Deep sonorous tuning and complex harmonic overtones give the Qin a contemplative and soothing voice.
Turn on Chan Fang and soundtrack your life. Tweak the pitch to match your mood. Pair it with another Buddha Machine for a pocket orchestra to enlighten your morning commute, long bath, thinking, reading, relaxing, romancing…
Our UK distributor, Cargo, is now taking orders. USA orders will begin soon. Chan Fang will be shipping early December 2010.
Details at the FM3 site.
I bought one of the 2nd version machines, and was bored with it within an hour. I'd much rather just make a few loops in Ableton and have them play on my computer for hours.
Will FM3 ever consider offering a box users can load their own loops into?
Or is there something like that already available?
That would be very interesting. Basically a USB Flash drive mashed up with this.
Exactly. I mean, I can understand FM3 not wanting to release an empty box, because it would take the spotlight off their own loops.
But it's only a matter of time before somebody somewhere figures out how to produce an empty box and distribute it. If FM3 is the first to do so, they'll both reap the $ reward, as well as corner the market on a really cool idea.
If they decide not to, then its somebody else's puppy.
Next question: is there a USB flash drive already available that can be housed in a home-brew package?