Mercury’s Solar Orbit
This library combines two dynamic forces: Mercury and Solar. One, a collection of pure, organic sounds; the other, a tool for reinventing them. The most up-to-date iteration of our eDNA technology, Solar is the host to Mercury’s organic ethereal samples and the eDNAs extensive warp and preset library.
Mercury GUI
Within Solar, you will find the expansive soundscape Mercury, a world built around 14 unique handmade instruments like no other. The Bertoia, Sceptre, Pez Eater, and Que Lastas (just to name a few) have had lasting impressions on some of Hollywood's leading luminaries. The Que Lastas in particular has an entertaining story. Charlie Clouser upon hearing it for the first time was moved to tears.
From the King of experimental instruments
Chas Smith is the KING of real-world acoustic sonic experimentation. He does things the hard way, and the results speak for themselves. His experience is unmatched, his imagination is boundless, and the combination of his diverse talents is superhuman. Due to his position in the timeline of history, it would simply not be possible for any living human to duplicate his journey or his results.
Chas wasn’t always a hotshot Hollywood musician. He started out as a union welder and fabricator, metalworking for the film industry, and received an Academy Award for Technical Achievement for the structural engineering of the Bulldog Motion Control Camera Crane. From Cal Arts to Image G, from Subotnick to Budd, from pedal steel to welding steel, his talents, influences, and abilities are truly one-of-a-kind.
What's included
Instruments
Bertoia
Inconel rods with aluminium resonators on a turbine blade. Inspired by Harry Bertoia.
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Dado
Machined steel plates that can spin over pickups.
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Towers
9 titanium rods, tuned to be “friendly" with each other, with titanium plates welded on each end.
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Lockheed
Titanium parts welded into a structure and a titanium sheet for the resonator.
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Mantis
Titanium parts welded into a suspended structure that rotate.
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Swells
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Copper Box
Rods, plates and a folded horn resonator. Each rod is 36” long and the helix of rods continues under the resonator plates.
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Rolls
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Paraboloid
A titanium sheet with added rods.
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The Pez Eater
Tuned steel rods and pickups.
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Sceptre
Saw blades, plates and things that can rotate.
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AD
Springs welded to the saw blades and stacked over pick-ups.
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Bass Tweed
Rods, a plate and strings, mounted over resonators.
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Que Lastas
Stainless steel sheet suspended by nylon chords combined with bass strings from a grand piano.
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Sonic experiments
Using various types of metals, such as Aluminium, Titanium and Stainless Steel.
Aluminium
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Ti & SS
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Warps
Core
The raw sounds as they were recorded
Awash
Layers of reverbs diffuse the sound and create lush atmospheres.
Cascade
Chains of delays create evolving textures with just a hint of rhythm.
Destruct
Eurorack and outboard units saturate and destroy.
Molecule
Granular effects completely rearrange and recombine the sound.
Weight
A series of sound design techniques and effects augment the low-end of the sounds
Is the Kepler Mercury engine the same as this product?
No, this library does not share any sounds, and contains all new content from Chas Smith
Why can't I see a 'Mercury' plugin in my DAW??
This library is housed in our new Solar plugin, so instead of seeing a 'Mercury' plugin, you will need to select the 'Solar' plugin in your plugin list.
Tech specs
Mac system requirements
Mac OS X 10.13 to OS X 12
Minimum: 2.8GHz i5 (quad-core), 8GB RAM
Recommended: 2.8GHz i7 (six-core), 16GB RAM - Intel and M1 Macs supported
64-bit DAW Required (32 bit DAWs not supported)
PC system requirements
Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10 and Windows 11 (latest Service Pack, 64-bit)
Minimum: Intel Core 2.8GHz i5 (quad-core) or AMD Ryzen 5, 8GB RAM
Recommended: Intel 2.8GHzi7 (six-core) or AMD R7 2700, 16GB RAM
64-bit DAW required (32-bit DAWs not supported)
File size
~762 samples
8.2 GB download size
8.29 GB disk space required during install
