Author: catsynth

Big Merp with Yamaha RX5 Drum Machine

Big Merp the cat sitting on a Yamaha RX5 drum machine

Big Merp has taken to our recently acquired Yamaha RX5 drum machine. I think he will be ready to lay down some rhythm tracks soon. He also has his rear paw on another recent acquisition: the Buchla Red Panel 158 oscillator. Look for these two instruments featured in upcoming episodes of CatSynth TV!

Back in the late 1980s when I was getting into synthesizers, Yamaha’s DX series dominated the landscape (along with Roland’s D series). I got Yamaha’s “After Touch” magazine which featured new releases including the RX5, which became the flagship of their drum-machine line. It was beyond my reach then, but I now I have one and looking forward to seeing what I can do with it in our eclectic studio at CatSynth HQ.

Gucci Boy KOMA Field Kit, Arturia BeatStep Pro, Modular

This cat is posing purrfectly with a Koma Field Kit and Field Kit FX, Arturia BeatyStep Pro, and modular synthesizer. I espy a Qu-Bit Chords and a Mutable Instrument Plaits (right between the ears).

From Jared Grim via the Facebook group KOMA Field Kit Users. Update: this handsome cat’s name is Gucci Boy.

If you haven’t done so already, please check out our intro to the KOMA Field Kit.

CatSynth Pic: Moog One

The black cat is proud to own this Moog One synthesizer. From Jon Sellers via Facebook.

Yet again, I forgot to check the scheduling link to see if the room was reserved

Fortunately, Sam Sam and I have a pretty good arrangement for sharing the studio. Merp, however, prefers to drop in unexpectedly – but we have a good time.

The Moog One is quite an impressive synth for a cat or a human.

 Per voice, Moog One offers 3 newly-designed analog VCOs, 2 independent analog filters, a dual source analog noise generator, analog mixer with external audio input, 

CatSynth Pic: Roland SH-1000

Cat posing proudly on a Roland SH-1000 synthesizer. From Ian Alexander Ratzer.

Bass lines with a phatness. SH-1000 with the filter up. No effects necessary.

There is also a video with the cat and the bass line

The Roland SH1000 was one of the first of the “SH” line of instruments, as exemplified by the organ-like elements. From Vintage Synth Explorer:

The SH-1000 is a monophonic analog synth with a single oscillator feeding a lowpass filter, an ADSR envelope, and two LFOs. It features 10 Preset sounds, but they are pretty weak. Fortunately you can create your own sounds for some really great mono-synth bass, lead, percussion and FX sounds. Basic square, ramp and pulse-width waveforms are available from the oscillator and the LFOs have sine, square and sample+hold. It has a terrific ‘Growl’ and ‘Wow’ effect for a pretty scary analog sound. It also features white noise, pink noise, portamento, octave transposition and a Random Note Generator. Although there is no user memory, unique sounds can still be quickly recreated or discovered thanks to its simple interface.

http://www.vintagesynth.com/roland/sh1000.php