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Category: Synthesizers

  • CatSynth 11th Blog Anniversary

    Luna on iPad at 11:11

    It’s been 11 years since we started CatSynth on a bit of a lark, and since then it has grown into something that we treasure, and quite seriously. But not too seriously. As always, we mark the annual milestone with a few stats.

    3210 Posts
    14358 Comments
    4.47 Comments Per Post
    1202 Cat-and-synth pics
    474 Reviews and related posts

    Comments and interaction on the blog has continued to decline (from an average of 4.7 to 4.47 comments per post). This is not surprising as interaction has largely moved to social media platforms.

    Our most visited post this last year was our Sad Farewell to Luna, both on the blog itself and on social media. This, too, is not surprising, and we continue to be very grateful for the outpouring of emotional support we have received.

    Other individual posts that were widely read and shared including our explainer on Lake Oroville, our review of James Chance and the Contortions in San Francisco, and of course our annual NAMM coverage.

    Every year we share the photo that started it all on July 19, 2006. It featured Luna in the beanbag chair along with a Novation keyboard. We feel its still appropriate for this day.

    Luna with Novation Keyboard

    We continue to grieve for Luna, but we also welcome Sam Sam who we hope with be with us and featured on these pages for years to come.

    Emphatic Sam Sam

  • Yamaha DX7 (w/ 5 ROM Cartridges!) Digital FM Synthesizer 1983 + Sustain Pedal

    Yamaha DX7 (w/ 5 ROM Cartridges!) Digital FM Synthesizer 1983 + Sustain Pedal

    Cat and DX7

    Cat posing with a classic Yamaha DX7 FM synthesizer. Via this auction, via matrixsynth.

    Comes with cartridge 3, which allows you to factory reset the DX7. Also I will send you my sysex library which includes patches I’ve found and made. You can easily send sysex patches to the DX7 via MIDI and a sysex librarian program.

    Cartridges Included

    • Yamaha 3, 64 Patches

    • Yamaha 4, 64 Patches

    • Yamaha DX7 Data Cartridge, 32 Patches

    • Bo Tomlyn’s Best of the USA, 64 Patches

    • Bo Tomlyn’s Top Forty, 64 Patches

    This was the coveted instrument in the mid 1980s that I didn’t have, though I did get a TX81Z module which I have to this day. These days, we at CatSynth also have a Yamaha TX802 module (essentially a multitimbral timbral module that shares the DX7’s 6-operator FM architecture), so not much need for another. But if you are looking for this (in)famous instrument, this auction might be worth a look.

  • CatSynth Pic: Bok Choy and Casio SK-1

    Please welcome Bok Choy, making her long awaited debut on CatSynth.

    Bok Choy and Casio SK-1

    Here we see her checking out, and showing a bit of disdain for, a Casio SK-1.

    Bok Choy and Casio SK-1

    The Casio SK-1 is actually an awesome little instrument we have used many times.

    Bok Choy is the cat that lives with Maw Shein Win, our longtime collaborator in Pitta of the Mind. And on that note, Pitta of the Mind will be performing next Friday at Nomadic Press in Oakland (23rd and Telegraph).

    Join us for an excellent Uptown Fridays featuring readings by Norma Smith and Sofia Lopez, with musical guest Pitta of the Mind featuring Maw Shein Win and Amanda Chaudhary. Emceed and curated by Reńe Vaz .

    Suggested donations of $5-25 collected at the door, but no one turned away for lack of funds.

    Red wine and Red Bay coffee will be available.

  • Red Robot Show presents Vacuum Tree Head Live @ HSP2017!

    Red Robot Show presents Vacuum Tree Head Live @ HSP2017!

    The Red Robot Show and Vacuum Tree Head are back! This time Jason Berry brings footage from our March show at HSP2017, and is joined by Marlon Brando in this full-length episode.

    The members of the band for this performance are:

    Jason Bellenkes : Alto Saxophone and Clarinet
    Jason Berry: Conductor
    Amanda Chaudhary: Keyboards and Vocoder
    Richard Corny: Electric Guitar
    Michael de la Cuesta: Guitar, Synth, Vibraphone, Sitar, etc.
    Richard Lesnik: Bass Clarinet
    Justin Markovits: Drum Kit
    Joshua Marshall: Soprano and Tenor Saxophones
    John Shiurba: Bass Guitar

    Video credits:
    Cameras by Amanda Chaudhary and Jason Berry
    Edited by Berry / Chaudhary
    Audio Engineering by Amanda Chaudhary
    Animated and Directed by Jason Berry

    Special Thanks:
    Mika Pontecorvo
    Mark Pino

    Brought to you by White Wine. Crisp. And Refreshing.

  • CatSynth Pic: Patchcords

    cat and patchcords

    From iamshadowdancer on Instagram.

    Patchcords #caturday #saltillotile #rockyandrufus #whyistherealwaysoneonthefloor #synth_stuff

    We suspect that the patchcord on the floor may have been used as a cat toy 😸

  • CatSynth Pic: White Cat and MU Modular with Hordijk Modules

    Another from Davor Gazde via our Facebook page. This image features his beautiful white cat with an MU-format system that includes modules from Rob Hordijk. It’s a bit like an expanded and more powerful version of what we have here with our benjolin module. 😺

  • CatSynth video: Over the Rainbow on Squeaky Toy Cats

    CatSynth video: Over the Rainbow on Squeaky Toy Cats

    The title pretty much says it all 😸.

    From the group Strange and Weird Instruments on Facebook. (Shared by our friend Neal Trembath.)

    Somewhere Over The Rainbow played on squeaking stuffed cats…what else can I say?
    More about Rare and Strange Instruments on the official blog : www.rareandstrangeinstruments.com

  • Church of the Superserge at Robotspeak: Djll, Day, Normalien

    The monthy Church of the Superserge event at Robotspeak in San Francisco has been going on five years. We at CatSynth were on hand to mark this milestone during the May show.

    Musically, the highlight was a solo set by Tom Djll on modular synth and mini trumpet. It was quite musical, blending rhythms and phrases with the timbral elements, even a “melody” of sorts from the processed trumpet.

    The afternoon opened with a set by Normalien, also on modular synthesizer. Some delightfully weird sounds with rhythmic elements.

    And Carson Day closed things out with a forceful set that included Novation and Dave Smith instruments.

    It’s always a fun afternoon at Robotspeak. Not only do I enjoy the music and technology in the performances, but also just browsing the display cases on the wall, seeing what instruments I should covet next. This little DIY synth stood out this time, especially juxtaposed between the giant vacuum tube and the WMD pedal.

    We look forward to next time, and perhaps playing again soon.

  • CatSynth Video: 3 Time & Timbre TimeStings controlling 3 TAL-Basslines

    CatSynth Video: 3 Time & Timbre TimeStings controlling 3 TAL-Basslines

    From DaanSynthesizers on YouTube, via matrixsynth.

    There are no midi tracks playing in this video. Everything is done live with the Time&Timbre pack. Every Timesting and Bassline-101 is controlled by three knobs and two sliders:

    First knob: Density of the Timesting sequencer
    Second knob: Offset of a LFO that controls the Filter Frequency
    Third knob: Amount of reverb from a Convolution Reverb
    First slider: Release
    Second slider: Wetness of the Time Delay

    A fun video to close out the week. And we love the little cat figurines 😺.

  • CatSynth pic: Caturday CatSynth

    Yes is it not Saturday, let alone Caturday. But we found this awesome pic featuring a beautiful cat and multiple synths. From StevieB on Twitter.