The Resonator is a fascinating instrument that pushes the boundaries of traditional music production. As an expert commentator, I find it intriguing how this sitar-inspired drone machine challenges our understanding of sound and resonance. Made in Melbourne by Michael Lillis, the Resonator is a masterpiece of innovation, blending the ancient with the modern in a way that is both captivating and thought-provoking.
What makes the Resonator truly unique is its ability to be played by sound rather than fingers. This is achieved through a driver bridge that functions like a loudspeaker, exciting the strings and causing them to vibrate in harmony with an audio signal. This sympathetic resonance is what gives the instrument its shimmer, and it's a concept that is both beautiful and complex.
From my perspective, the Resonator has a wide range of applications. It can be played on its own, creating a harmonizing drone that can be run under another instrument. Alternatively, it can be used more subtly as a tonal reverb, adding harmonics and overtones to a single track or a whole subgroup in the mix. Ambient production, film, and videogame scoring are the obvious fits, and it's already making its mark in these fields.
One thing that immediately stands out is the Resonator's two versions: the Composer and the Stage. The Composer, with its 36 strings tuned chromatically across three octaves, adds a circle-of-fifths key selector and a foot pedal for muting. The Stage, on the other hand, is a stripped-back version with 14 strings across a guitar-like range, making it light enough to pack into a guitar flight case.
What many people don't realize is that the Resonator's bridge is hand-carved with a curved profile borrowed from the sitar's Ghoraj bridge. This design disrupts each string's natural oscillation just enough to draw out higher overtones and thicken the tone, adding a unique character to the instrument's sound.
In my opinion, the Resonator is a testament to the power of innovation in music production. It challenges our understanding of sound and resonance, and it opens up new possibilities for creating and producing music. As we continue to push the boundaries of what's possible, instruments like the Resonator will undoubtedly play a significant role in shaping the future of music.
