Author: catsynth

Weekend Cat Blogging with Luna

It’s a new year, and Luna is ready to play.

She always seems particularly eager for attention when I am about to leave home, which point she launches into a rather effective guilt trip. But this week she has been getting quite a bit of extra attention, between the New Years vacation and my feeling under the weather the last few days. It has actually been a good time to catch up on cats and electronic music.

The Carnival of the Cats will be hosted tomorrow by Nikita and Elvira at Meowsings of an Opinionated Pussycat.

And the Friday Ark is postponed until next week…

Analog modular improvisation

Here is a little track I created last night improvising with a few of the modules in my Eurorack system. Enjoy!

This analog modular improvisation featured the Wiard Anti-Oscillator and Noisering from Malekko Heavy Industry, Make Noise Maths, and KOMA SVF-201.

CatSynth pic: Quasimidi Rave-O-Lution Drum Machine SN 42262

Another “cat not included” auction photo courtesy of a matrixsynth:

“Cat not included!”

“This unit is unexpanded (hence the moderate price)… There are many technical photos of this synth at http://www.loscha.com These pictures are of the actual unit you will be buying.

The power socket has a slightly broken shell, but the plug holds in no problems.”

KORG Polysix/Mono-Poly era knobs.

World of Wonder with DJ CatSynth, January 2, 2013

Here is the podcast from my World of Wonder show that aired at midnight on San Francisco Community Radio.

12:00AM-12:00AM (0:48) Opening Chimes / Announcements

12:00AM-12:03AM (2:22) Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” from 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: The Best Of (MP3, 2000)

12:03AM-12:05AM (2:46) Chris Cutler & Thomas DiMuzio “When Cracks Appear: Reappearance Of Birds” from Quake (CD, 1999)

12:05AM-12:15AM (9:35) Mulatu Astatke & The Heliocentrics “Anglo Ethio Suit” from Inspiration Information 3 (CD, Album, Reggae, 2009) on Strut (UK)

12:15AM-12:26AM (10:47) C.O.M.A “Verdical” from Verdical (MP3, Single)

12:26AM-12:26AM Announcements

12:26AM-12:36AM (9:26) Nico “(The End)” from Classic Years (CD, 1998)

12:36AM-12:43AM (7:38) Cobblestone Jazz “Change Your Apesuit” from 23 Seconds (2007) on !K7 Records (UK)

12:43AM-12:46AM (2:16) The Work “Scream Circle” from Woof 7 Inches (Rock, 2006) on Ad Hoc Records

12:46AM-12:52AM (6:34) Fred Frith “Heart Bares” from Cheap At Half the Price (CD, 2004)

12:52AM-12:58AM (6:08) Solcircle “Uncle Bob” from Solcircle (CD, 2002)

12:58AM-1:00AM Station ID / Announcements

01:00AM-01:08AM (8:34) Bark Psychosis “The Black Meat” from Codename: Dustsucker (Rock, 2004) on Fire Records

01:08AM-01:14AM (6:05) Myrmyr “Fire Serpents Lull” from Fire Star (CD, 2012)

01:14AM-01:22AM (7:20) Oval “Textuell” from Systemisch (1996) on Thrill Jockey (USA)

01:22AM-01:32AM (10:22) Yuji Takahashi “Mimi No Ho” from Finger Light (1995) on Tzadik

01:32AM-01:39AM (7:13) Deletists “The Lure Or War And Boredom” from The Deletist (CD, 2003)

01:39AM-01:40AM Announcements

01:40AM-01:42AM (2:33) Cardiacs “The Obvious Identity” from The Special Garage Concerts Vol II (2005) on The Alphabet Business Concern (UK)

01:42AM-01:46AM (4:00) Various Artists – Buda / Ethiopiques “Ene Negn Bay Manesh – Girma Beyene” from Ethiopiques Volume 8: Swinging Addis (2000)

01:46AM-01:52AM (5:31) Duboniks “Fi Don’ Givit” from Trip Hop & Jazz 4 (1998)

01:52AM-01:57AM (5:23) Polygon Window “Polygon Window” from Surfing On Sine Waves (1992) on Warp Records

01:57AM-01:59AM (1:27) Ilkae “Push Pop Nil” from Pistachio Island (2001) on Merck Records

01:59AM-02:00AM Announcements / Closing Chimes

CatSynth pic: M-Audio Venom Synth Keyboard

Via matrixsynth, where you can find more info.

49 full-size keys with velocity
12-voice polyphony
Features 512 single patches and 256 multi-sound patches
41 oscillator waves and 53 drum sounds sampled from vintage analog and digital FM synths and drum machines
Three oscillators per voice
FM, sync, and dynamic wave-shaping
Three LFOs and three AHDSR envelopes
Four-part multitimbral
Four independent MIDI-syncable phrase sequencers
Two global bus effects and one inset effect per part
Classic arpeggiator
Tap tempo and top-panel BPM control
Built-in USB 2.0 2-in, 2-out 24-bit audio interface
Microphone, instrument, and stereo line level inputs
MIDI in and out via 5-pin DIN connections
Large custom LCD display
Four rotary encoders for editing and performance control
Assignable pitch bend and modulation wheels
Vyzex Venom software editor for Mac and Windows included”

Cool cat not included.

We think the cat probably prefers the box 😉

Farewell to 2012

It’s time for our traditional end-of-the-year image. It is always a challenge to decide what to include, but we thinks this captures a few of the significant elements. 2012 was a crazy and at times and a bit nerve-wracking, but it full of richness and opportunity. I except more of the same in 2013. It’s going to be a busy and challenging year ahead, but I hope to be able to continue to keep this site going and maintain the friendships I have made here.

CCRMA Transitions

We close out the year with one final gig report: my performance at the CCRMA Transitions concert at Stanford University’s computer-music center. The two-night event took place in the courtyard of CCRMA’s building, with a large audience beneath the stars and between an immersive 24-channel speaker array.

I brought my piece Realignments that I had originally composed in 2011 for a 12-channel radial speaker and eight-channel hall system at CNMAT, part of my Regents Lecturer Concert there. This version, outdoors in front a large audience and clad in a provocative costume, was quite an experience, and you can see the full performance in this video:

The Transitions version of the piece was remixed to use the eight main channels of the speaker array at CCMRA. Once again, the iPad was used to move around clouds of additive-synthesis partials and trigger point sources, which were directed at different speakers of the array. The overall effect of the harmonies, sounds and immersive sound system was otherworldly. I chose this particular costume to reflect that, although I had also used it a couple of weeks earlier in my duo “Pitta of the Mind” with poet Maw Shein Win at this year’s Transbay Skronkathon. I am planning more performances with this character (but not the same costume) in the coming year.