Author: catsynth

  • CatSynth pic: Mister Kitty turns 4

    Mister Kitty returns to CatSynth, this time posing with a TB303 clone.

    Mister Kitty with TB303 clone

    As one can tell from the photo, Mister Kitty was celebrating his fourth birthday. We at CatSynth were on hand to celebrate with him!

    Mister Kitty's Birthday Cake

  • Weekend Cat Blogging and Photo Hunt: Lazy Cat?

    For this week’s Photo Hunt theme of lazy, we have a photo of Luna napping in an extraordinary sun patch.

    Luna being a Lazy Cat in the Sun.

    While Luna may be able to enjoy a lazy time this weekend, I do not have that luxury. Both today and tomorrow are filled with band rehearsals – three rehearsals for two bands, including preparation for an album release next week – plus stops at an art exhibition and a cat video festival in Oakland tonight. Yes, a cat video festival. There are all of course rewarding experiences and I freely chose to commit to them, so I’m not complaining. But I do sometimes think there is wisdom in the path of the “lazy cat.”

    I did hesitate to write this post because of the pejorative use of “lazy” to describe cats. It’s not uncommon to hear cats’ propensity for napping described this way, and I read frequent unfair comparisons to dogs. But domestic cats fill the roles they were bred for, and do so quite well. There are working cats, on farms, in wine cellars, and even at one of our neighborhood arts institutions, SOMArts. The role of the house cat is to provide companionship, an important social and emotional function. Luna does this spectacularly, as do many of the other cats I have met though blogs. And it not a role without risks, as companion animals are especially vulnerable to abuse (sadly, so are humans in domestic situations). So let us honor the “lazy cats” and maybe learn something from them about being in the moment.


    The Saturday Photo Hunt is up. This week’s theme is lazy.

    The Carnival of the Cats will be hosted this Sunday by the Florida Furkids.

    And the Friday Ark is on hiatus this week, but will be back on May 17.

  • New analog modular improvisation, May 9

    Here is another improvisation, or perhaps a meditation, on the analog modular synth. Enjoy!

    This one used most of the modules in the system, including the Metasonix R53, both Make Noise modules, the Morphing Terrarium from Synthesis Technology, the Koma Electronic SVF-201 filter, the Polyvoks filter, and the Noisering from Malekko Heavy Technology, all mixed together via Pittsburgh Modular’s Mixer and Out. The Noisering was in many ways the foundational element for this meditation.

    Please share your thoughts either in the comment section here or on SoundCloud.

  • Wordless Wednesday: 9391 (Water Tower)

    9391 (Water Tower)



  • CatSynth pic: New Serge 70s panels by COA-Modular

    MPCKITTY

    From http://www.coa-modular.com, via matrixsynth:

    “Here she is the first in a series of factory produced MetalPhoto quality aluminum anodized, satin finished panels ! Only $75 ! To go with your Legit CGS/ SERGE PCBs of course !
    contact dankedout415 at gmail dot com”

    COA-Modular Serge 70s panels

  • Improvisation with Wicks Looper, Echophon and Maths

    Last Wednesday (May 1), I experimented with the Wicks Looper and my two Make Noise modules, the Echophon and Maths Here is the result. Enjoy!

    Wicks Looper with Make Noise Echophon and Maths

  • CatSynth pic: Moog Voyager

    Moog Voyager

    “Got to borrow this voyager :)”

    Submitted by Mike Durek of The Use. You can see a report from the recent performance by The Use at the Luggage Store Gallery in San Francisco.

  • CatSynth pic: Pinto and Moog Little Phatty

    Cat with Moog Little Phatty

    Submitted by DC Astro via our Facebook page.

    “Our cat Pinto enjoying my new Moog Little Phatty!!”

    If you have cat-and-music photos, join our Facebook page and share them with the community there. We often feature such pictures here on the blog.

  • Wordless Wednesday: 7079 (Bay Bridge Cable)

    Bay Bridge and One Rincon