Synthesizers

CatSynth video: kitchen electro jam: Moog Slim Phatty, iOS Midi Touch & bent QY10

From burnkit2600 on YouTube:

Sick with a cold, Miette keeps me company while I take a 1st test drive of this portable little setup. I’m using my newly created iOS Midi Touch controller for the Moog Slim Phatty. I’m controlling the MSP arpeggiator and using it’s DIN MIDI output to play the drums on my circuit-bent Yamaha QY10. Also sloppily playing the tiny keyboard on the QY10. The audio from the QY10 is partially routed back to the Moog for processing. My bent megaphone toy circuit (red box) offers some echo on the unprocessed drums. The crappy Boss mixer & homemade stereo amp combo make the cats ears twitch. Fun.
Links:
QY10- http://www.burnkit2600.com/yamaha-qy-10/
Midi Touch- http://iosmidi.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=114
Moog Slim Phatty- http://www.moogmusic.com/littlephatty/
Miette- http://www.burnkit2600.com/graphics/ani-miette-sunbath.gif

I like how Miette just sits quietly there. It reminds me of Luna on her beanbag chair in the studio.
I will have to try out MIDI Touch when sometime soon…

CatSynth video: Analogue Solutions Telemark Demo (with Doepfer DE LFO)

From HubertSsound on YouTube, via matrixsynth:

It’s actually a rather catchy demo. Check out the cat’s participation at the beginning of the song.

Controlling Analogue Solutions Telemark’s filter with Doepfer Dark Energy LFO. Dark Energy has an incredibly high LFO rate and can make for some interesting sounds when paired with the Telemark.

Gear used:
Analogue Solutions Telemark
Doepfer Dark Energy
Vermona DRM1 MkIII

If you have your own cat-and-synthesizers or cat-and-music pictures, you can send them to us via our Facebook page, or tweet us @catsynth, or try our submission form.

CatSynth pic: synth gato

From TheBeastBrothers on flickr, via matrixsynth:

“”His name was Martin (pronounced in spanish) and he liked the Cure’s disintegration album the most (for real)”

The Beast Brothers are also visual artists. You can check out their website www.thebeastbrothers.com or visit their shop. I liked Suavecita (watercolor) and the Shinin (sculpture).

ReCardiacsFly at Cafe Du Nord

I have been busily preparing for the next show, coming up this weekend:

Members of Rennaissance Fly (myself, Polly Moller, and Tim Walters) are teaming up with Moe! Staiano, Chris Broderick, Marc Laspina and Suki O’Kane as “ReCardiacs Fly”, a tribute cover of the UK band Cardiacs.

It is been a bit of a challenge to learn our four pieces, approximately note for note and also capture the energy of the originals.

One fun bit to re-create was the synthesizer line from “Hello Mr. Sparrow.” We found this video on YouTube, featuring a Mellotron and Sequential Circuits Pro One:

Well, I don’t have either of those devices, but I can approximate the Pro One with the Dave Smith Evolver (it is essentially the successor to the Sequential Circuits instruments):

The most challenging song we are doing is R.E.S., you can get an idea of what we are up against in this Cardiacs’ video:

It has been great to hear things coming together in our rehearsals, and it should be a good show next weekend. Polly photos from our most recent rehearsal.

Official info below:

Sunday, May 8. 6PM-10:30PM
Cafe Du Nord
2170 Market Street
San Francisco, CA
$10 donation at the door

This is a benefit for Tim Smith, leader and founder of the UK band Cardiacs. From Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardiacs):

Cardiacs are an English alternative rock/psychedelic pop band formed in 1977 and led by Smith. Noted for their complex, varied and intense compositional style and for their eccentric, theatrical stage shows, they have been hailed as an influence by bands as diverse as Blur, Faith No More and Radiohead.

In 2008, Smith suffered a stroke, and has not been able to perform or finish the new Cardiacs record. From the official website (http://www.cardiacs.com/):

Since the accident Tim Smith’s body has become his enemy. He is in a great deal of pain and is experiencing difficulty with the finer points of control with regard to his extremities so obviously perfected prior to the unhappy event, but Tim Smith, his family and those so called friends, (with whom he keeps counsel), all assert that his mind, however, has been sharpened by the episode. THE ALPHABET BUSINESS CONCERN can confirm that no part of YOUR favourite pop star’s intellect or personality has been found to be absent WHATSOEVER.

Last year, a tribute CD Leader of the Starry Skies was released (http://www.thegenepool.co.uk/items/597.htm), with all proceeds going directly to Smith. Our plan is for the May 8 concert to have all funds go to Tim. Our friend Kavus Torabi is the lead guitarist in Cardiacs, and he is our contact for making sure the funds reach Smith.

Performing will be Dominique Leone, Wiener Kids, Inner Ear Brigade, Grex, Amy X Neuburg, ReCardiac Fly, performing the music of Cardiacs/Tim Smith.

A dizzying journey through a room full of priceless synthesizers – AHNE 2011

From hamsterdunce on YouTube, via matrixsynth (I missed this one earlier).

More music on umop.com! Background music: “O Face” by Parallax.

Get a look inside Analog Heaven Northeast 2011, an annual meetup for synth enthusiasts on the East Coast. Every year we bring a selection of irreplaceable electronic gewgaws from our respective music studios (you can spot my Customsynth Rolands in there somewhere) for each other to admire. Great turnout this year! We even had a visit from the God of Catsynth, apparently.

Cameo by the infamous “cat on a keyboard in space”.