Whoops... Spaced Out for a Second

Last week, we took a short break from our regular schedule to focus our attention on the future... actually, 11 years in the future.

We recently threw our hat in the ring to help out with the OSIRIS-REx project, an amazing space-exploration project developed by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, University of Arizona's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.  
 
The OSIRIS-REx (Origins Spectral Interpretation Resource Identification Security Regolith Explorer... whew!) is a $1 billion project that will aim to do what has never been done before: to send a spacecraft into outer space so it can land on an asteroid and collect soil ("Regolith") samples to be studied.  The spacecraft will launch in September 2016, travel for two years to meet up with Asteroid 1999RQ36, spend 505 days mapping the asteroid and gathering samples, before returning to Earth in September 2023.  

Chief Engineer Bill Ahearn was charged with Sound-Designing some new multimedia and video elements that will be launched in conjunction with the OSIRIS-REx initiative. 
We're excited to be involved, and to see the results of this historic event!!

Rubber Band Fever Hits Tapeworks

Q: What happens when you give two recording engineers a couple of free hours, 3 microphones, a giant ball of assorted rubber bands, and complete creative freedom?

A: The single funkiest rubber band-based composition of our time* and Tapeworks' entry into Samplephonics' "Sound Design II" contest.


Engineers Mike Burke and Chris Lennie spent a morning snapping, twanging and bouncing rubber bands recently to put together a two-minute piece of music for the contest, which dictates that entries must use one object to create all of the sounds included in the work submitted. 

After pitch-shifting, EQ-ing, Modulating and generally futzing around in every way possible with our "found sounds," we've submitted our entry, titled "Rubber Soul" which can be heard here.

The prize?  The satisfaction of a job well done.  Also, roughly $1,561.44** worth of software and plugins that would make a beautiful addition to the studio! 

Let us know what you think of the track by either posting on our Facebook page or sending us a Tweet.  And if you're putting one of these together, shoot us a link so we can hear what cool sounds you've come up with!

* "Of our time" = this morning... probably.

** Actually, exactly.  Calculated & converted from £1000.