Inspired by a background in both science and music, Rare Waves® offers original analog technology for creative musicians of the 21st century who seek variation from clones of the past. Our products are enjoyed by thousands of users around the world, including professional musicians, performing artists, sound designers, producers, field recordists, and students of electronic music circuitry.
Check out our PRODUCTS page to see everything we offer, and connect with us on Facebook: Grendel Drone Commander, Facebook: Rare Waves and SoundCloud!
Rare Waves products are professionally assembled in the USA, and each unit must pass a listening test under the hands and ears of its designer. We believe that the best circuitry is yet to be invented, and despite the unavoidable digital future, there will always be a place for analog electronics.
How can a circuit transcend its own simplicity to become a captivating musical instrument? This question underpins the Rare Waves philosophy of research and design. Ten years of laborious hand-built prototyping and evaluating new circuits in live performance has begun to yield fruit: The current list of Grendel-branded products represents the modest beginnings of our future offerings.
Rare Waves products are designed by Eric Archer. Mr. Archer’s background in analog circuitry began in the 1980s as a DIY enthusiast and guitarist. After obtaining a higher education in the natural sciences, Eric realized that happiness in life is intimately tied to the personal creative search for sound.
Taking a self-guided path in audio electronics research, Eric became occupied as a recording engineer, broadcast studio technician, and pro audio repair tech while developing experimental music circuitry in private. The musical group Bodytronix (with Erich Ragsdale) featured many of Mr. Archer’s original analog synthesizers and custom modified gear in live performances. Bodytronix performed many live shows in Austin, Dallas, Atlanta, and NYC at Bent Fest 2010 and Bent Fest 2009 (as E-Squared).
In 2008, Eric Archer introduced the Grendel Drone Commander, a unique analog synthesizer housed in a US Army ammunition box. The Drone Commander struck a resonance with creative musicians around the world, and building them quickly became a full time job. Over time, over 800 Grendel Drone Commanders were sold, sparking the formation of Rare Waves LLC.
Since the discontinuation of Grendel Drone Commander, Eric has developed several new unique analog synths, namely the Grendel RA-9 Grenadier, Grendel Formant Filter, and DC-2e Drone Commander 2 Eurorack modules. Other products introduced include DIY kits like the Andromeda MK drum machines, Lite2Sound photodiode amplifier, and the Tune in Tokyo sound effects unit.
In 2016 Eric began woodworking with the purpose of creating custom handmade enclosures for Rare Waves electronics. The Lite2Sound QB and Grendel DC-2 LTD are recent examples of wood and sheet metal fabrication by Mr. Archer.
RARE WAVES L.L.C.
A Texas Limited Liability Company
UNITED STATES
Registered, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
# 5,555,701
