Cats

Lilly and Yamaha DX21

Black cat sitting on top of a synthesizer (Yamaha DX21)

Beautiful Lilly sits atop a Yamaha DX21 synthesizer. Behind her, we espy a Teenage Engineering Pocket Operator. (The reel-to-reel tape recorder is nice as well.)

Submitted by N3ncehead on Reddit.

Cat on my first synth, the Yamaha DX21

The DX21 was a 4-operator FM synth in Yamaha’s DX line. Not quite as powerful as the 6-operator instruments like the DX7, or the later 4-operator synths like the TX81Z, but nonetheless fully capable of complex FM synthesis. It also featured multiple layers and keyboard splits, which separated it from the other 4-operator instruments at the time like the DX27 and DX100. (Yes, there were a lot of DXs in the 1980s.)

Orion, Serge Panels, and more

Orion returns, and handsome as ever! His collection of Serge Panels seems to be growing šŸ˜ŗ. We do see the Sequential P6 off to the left. Behind him, we see some classic audio gear including Culture Vulture, Joe Meek, and a Retro Revolver compressor.

Submitted by Justin Sullivan, aka justin3am. You can check out some of his music and other media via his website.

Doctor Zoom Returns (Erica Synths, Behringer, Gamechanger Audio, Roland, Arturia)

Doctor Zoom is back, and once again showing off his impressive collection of desktop instruments, including (from left to right): Erica Synths DB-01 Bass Line, Roland MC-101, Gamechanger Audio Light Pedal, Behringer Neutron (custom panel) and Crave, Arturia Keystop Pro and MiniFreak. That last one above the MiniFreak is left as an exercise for the reader. He seems particularly proud as he perches above them.

Submitted by Steven Palacios viaĀ our Facebook page. You can see Doctor Zoom’s previous appearance here.

Mackie and MacBeth Studio Systems M5

Mackie looks at his namesake synth, the MacBeth Studio Systems M5. Submitted by Phil Walling via our Facebook page. Apparently Mackie is a little shy, something we at CatSynth can sympathize with.

The MacBeth Studio Systems M5 looks quite a lot like an ARP 2600, and has a similar set of modules and patch points, but is its own instrument with its own sound and features. From Vintage Synth Explorer:

At first glance, it looks like an ARPĀ 2600. A very big ARP 2600. But this is actually a modern analog synthesizer; it is the MacBeth M5. While reminiscent of the 2600, this is not a clone. It’s a semi-modular synthesizer that features a significant array of real-time analog controls with absolutely no digital circuitry at all…There are two discrete filters on-board: a 24 dB/oct lowpass transistor-ladder type filter and a 12 dB/oct with Low Pass, Band Pass, High Pass and Notch filter types. Both filters can self oscillate and feature ADSR envelope generators. There are two LFOs with four waveforms: Rising Ramp, Falling Ramp, Triangular and Rectangular. Each LFO features its own Rate control, output, and trigger outputs. Sample-And-Hold is also possible with LFO 2 (and also from the Noise Gen). There are four VCAs in the M5. One for each of the two voltage-controlled filters, and the other two VCAs are incorporated into the Voltage Controlled Panning circuit / stereo output.

https://www.vintagesynth.com/macbeth-studio-systems/m5

Big Merp in the studio

Last week we featured a “CatSynth pic” with Sam Sam, so it’s only fair that this week we feature Big Merp. As we’ve seen before, he likes to get up on the equipment while I’m working in the studio.

Merp is sitting on our “trusty red keyboard”, the Nord Stage EX. To the right, we see a couple of our more colorful modules, the Strymon Starlab and Dreadbox Euphoria. Behind him are a couple of audio processing units, a tube compressor, and a mic preamp (from Golden Age Project); in the left corner are the same E-MU modules that we saw with Sam Sam last week.

You can see our reviews/tutorials for the Strymon Starlab and Dreadbox Euphoria, respectively, below.

‘Aristophanes’ Dub Ambient (Syntakt, Digitakt, OB-6, Prophet 10 , Pulse 2)

A gentle and inviting ambient synth jam with the Elektron Digitakt and Syntakt, Sequential OB-6 and Prophet 12, and Waldorf Pulse 2. From Martin StĆ¼rtzer on YouTube. Originally seen on matrixsynth.

Setup of this track: The Digitakt plays the drums and controls the OB-6 (Track 9), Prophet 10 (Track 10) and the Waldorf Pulse 2 (Track 11) over midi. The Syntakt plays the first sequence (Track 1), the pad (Track 2) and the lead sound (Track 5). The Midi Fighter Twister controls the levels in Bitwig and the effects, which are Valhalla DSP Delay, Supermassive and Vintage Verb.

2934 Aristophanes /ĖŒĆ¦rÉŖĖˆstɒfəniĖz/, provisional designation 4006 P-L, is a carbonaceous Veritasian asteroid from the outer regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 22 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered during the Palomarā€“Leiden survey in 1960, and later named after ancient Greek dramatist Aristophanes. https://tinyurl.com/2t5f5vu6

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Sam Sam in the corner (E-MU, Nord, Kenton, DMC)

Today we feature our very own Sam Sam posing in her favorite corner of the studio. To the right we see a bit of the E-MU Proteus 2000 (Vintage Pro) and Morpheus, our trusty red Nord Stage, a Kenton Pro Solo MIDI to CV converter, and a Digital Music Corp MX-8 Midi Patch Bay. Some audio gear as well, including our mixer, audio patch bays, and the “Really Nice Compressor” from FMR.