CatSynth Video: Mr. Maximillion in “Look Out Noise”

A new video from our friends Charles Whiley and Mr. Maximillion.

“Look Out Noise”
🎼🎶🎚🎛🎚🎛🔊🎧🎹
💖🤩😼🔊🔊🔊💖😻😺

We espy quite a few of the usual suspects, including their Novation Peak, JoMoX Alpha Base, Source Audio Nemesis, and Oberheim Matrix 1000.  This time I also notice a JoMoX Moonwind, a T.C. Electronics rackmount effects box, and more.  What gear did you notice in the video?

 

 

CatSynth Pic: Lucy, Elektron, and Modular Synth

It seems to be the week of the Elektron Octatrack, as we have two or three of them in today’s pic.  Also featured are the adorable cat Lucy, and a large modular synthesizer system.  I recognize a Make Noise Tempi and Rene on the bottom row – we have that pair here at CatSynth, too.

Today’s photo comes to us from Lucy’s Instagram @dropzone_lucy

If you are on Instagram, please follow us at @catsynth, and you can tag your own pics #catsynth to be featured in a future post.

Weekend Cat Blogging with Sam Sam: The New Neighbor

It looks like we have a new neighbor at CatSynth!

We have been noticing a new feline presence around CatSynth HQ, through sounds and bits of motion.  But this is the first time we saw him/her on the patio ledge.  It’s a little tuxedo cat, like Sam Sam.

Closeup of neighbor cat

This cat presumably lives in one of the apartments just beyond our patio.  We often see him sitting on the ledge behind this glass-brick window.

As one might imagine, Sam Sam is rather curious about this new cat outside her windows.

Sam Sam and the new neighbor

She is a bit anxious and agitated by the cat’s presence, and often jumps up on this sideboard and even the window ledge above!  Her is always fully fluffed during these encounters.  I suspect she is feeling both intrigued and territorial at the same time.  (We have already started clearing off the most fragile items and tchotchkes from the glass table).

We hope you have a great weekend.  And we’d love to hear about adventures your cats have with their feline neighbors 😺

CatSynth Pic: Yoli and Moog Sub Phatty

Beautiful white cat Yoli is making a monophonic drone on a Moog Sub Phatty synthesizer.  From yolanda.yolanda.yolanda on Instagram.

The Sub Phatty is perhaps the most under-appreciated member of Moog’s Phatty line of synthesizers, which includes the popular Sub37.  We have one at CatSynth, and it has served us well both in the studio and in live performance. You can view my recent video on the hidden features of the instrument below.

It has been a frequent setting for CatSynth pics over the years featuring many different cats, including CatSynth Video: Moog Sub Phatty Purrs.

CatSynth Video: neu·ro·trans·mit·ter (Mr. Maximilion in the Studio)

A new video from our friends Mr. Maximillion and Charles Whiley, featuring a beat-based jam with sundry synthesizers.

Between the fast pans and cute shots of our feline friend, we at CatSynth were able to identify the following instruments:

  • Novation Peak
  • JoMox Alpha Base
  • Arturia MatrixBrute
  • Novation Super Nova
  • Synthstrom Deluge
  • Oberheim Matrix 6R
  • Erica Synths Acid Box II

What other synths can you find in the video? 😺

CatSynth Pic: Black Cat and Elektron Analog Keys

Black Cat and Elektron Analog Keys

Black cat with Elektron Analog Keys.  Instagram by anika_or from St. Petersburg, Russia.

The Elektron Analog Keys is a four-voice analog synthesizer that can also be used as both a MIDI and CV keyboard controller.  You can read more about it on Elektron’s website.

You can find more Elektron photos and our NAMM reviews via this link.

CatSynth Pic: Robotspeak

We espied this photo on the Facebook page of Robotspeak, our local synthesizer shop and informal gathering place for monthly shows here in San Francisco.

I have myself dropped quite a bit of hard-earned money there (but don’t regret any of it), and I have played there on a few occasions, including the Analog Ladies showcases.  You can read about past visits to Robotspeak via this link.

CatSynth Pic: Nemo and Novation Bass Station

Meet Nemo!  He is showing off an original Novation Bass Station keyboard synthesizer.  Photo submitted by Arthur Schmitt via our Facebook page.

Many readers will be familiar with the popular Bass Station 2.  The original Bass Station was released in the early 90s, first in this keyboard form and later in a more popular rack form.  (It was the 90s, so we still all had collections of 1U-3U rackmount instruments and signal processors).  From Vintage Synth Explorer:

Before the famous Novation Bass Station Rack module came the small and portable Bass Station keyboard! This synthesizer uses digitally synchronized analog oscillators (DCO’s) to reproduce the sounds of a monophonic dual-osc analog synthesizer with simple and intuitive controls via 17 knobs, 10 switches and 2 Moog-style pitch/mod wheels. Think EDP Wasp and ARP Odyssey.