George sits atop a modular system. From Cat Full of Ghost Electronics via their facebook page.
Looking to the future, sitting on the past.
Identification of the “past” modules left as an exercise to the reader.
CatSynth Pic: George and Modular
Synthesizers
CatSynth Pics: Make Noise 0 Coast and Korg SQ-1
CatSynth Pic: Korg Arp Odyssey
Cat posing with a Korg Arp Odyssey synthesizer. From Jenna Leigh-Raine via Facebook.
Modelling for Korg. Ha
We’ve long been intrigued by the Korg Arp Odyssey since it came out – you can see our NAMM review when it was first released. But we don’t have one of our own…yet.
CatSynth Pic: Moog/Realistic MG-1
This cat is showing off a great find: a Moog MG-1, which was made for the Realistic (Radio Shack) brand in the early 1980s. From Paul Cunningham via Facebook.
Found this Moog at the pawn shop. Already had the cat. Look it’s got all it’s slider knobs!
The slider knobs (and other knobs) do fit the industrial design of the time. And the colorful section borders suggest a precursor to Moog’s current Matriarch series. It is, nonetheless, a fully equipped analog subtractive synthesizer:
The MG-1 includes:
- Two oscillators with sync & detune, one producing either a Square or Sawtooth waveform, with the other producing either a Pulse or Sawtooth waveform.
- One 24db/oct low pass filter/VCF, that can use the envelope generator, has three-position keyboard tracking, and is capable of self oscillation.
- Three-part envelope generator, with separately adjustable Attack and Decay or Release, and selectable Sustain on or off. The Envelope Generator can be triggered by either the keyboard, or the LFO.
- Oscillator 2 can be tuned independently or hard-synced to Oscillator 1.
- Noise generator. (Digital Pseudo-Random Noise)
- Ring modulation (called “Bell Tone” this is Amplitude Modulation of VCO 1 and 2).
- Polyphonic oscillator. This is a divide-down square wave generator. It is routed to the VCF and the VCA.
- LFO that can modulate the oscillators and the filter using a Triangle, square or random Sample and Hold waveform
- Voltage controlled amplifier with Keyed, Hold, and Envelope modes (accessed via 3-way switch, misleadingly only labelled “Tone Sources” but also affects Poly signal)
- Portamento (called “Glide”)
- External Control inputs for pre-MIDI CV/Gate.
CatSynth Pic: Big Baby Kurzweil K2000S
The subject line says it all. This little tabby is clearly owning the Kurzweil K2000S synthesizer. Submitted by Ron Gallagher via our Facebook page.
The K2000 was a big deal in the 1990s (though we at CatSynth never had one ourselves).
he K2000S uses V.A.S.T. (Variable Architecture Synthesis Technology) which allows you to take any multi-sample, noise or waveform and process it using just about any synthesis technique. The source of these multi-samples are from the 8MB of ROM which hold tons of authentic and superb quality samples. The internal processing is 32-bit with 18-bit DACs. The K2000 uses 31 sound-shaping algorithms to provide a variety of resonant filters, EQs, continuous panning, amplitude modulation, crossfade, distortion, digital wrap, waveshaper, pulse width modulation, high frequency enhancement, low frequency oscillators, hard sync oscillators and mixing oscillators, all with real-time MIDI control.
http://www.vintagesynth.com/kurzweil/k2000.php
CatSynth Pic: Leo and Moog Subsequent 37 CV
Handsome Leo poses next to a Moog Subsequent 37 synthesizer. Submitted by jenny Grover via our Facebook page.
This appears to be one of the limited-edition Moog Subsequent 37 CV versions which were introduced at Moogfest. I must admit, we at CatSynth are a bit envious of Leo and Jenny on this one 😸🎹
CatSynth Pic: Elektra and Korg MS-20
As our time in New York winds down (for now), it seems appropriate to share a Brooklyn cat. Elektra naps on a keyboard beneath a Korg MS-20 synthesizer. She seems really comfortable and content.
From Maeghan Donovan via Facebook. Please check out her music at http://maedon.net/
LadyJams (Brooklyn, New York)
It’s one of those serendipitous moments that happen in New York. At the end of last week’s Ambient Chaos show, I received an invitation from Neb Ula the Velvet Queen to come to LadyJams is a monthly get-together where women get together and perform in randomly selected groups. I loved the idea, and especially the coincidence of this meeting; so on Friday I grabbed my trusty Arturia MicroFreak and headed out on the L train to Bushwick.
The festivities took place at Synesthesia, a gallery and art space in the apartment of Mio Nakai. Amidst objects and curios from the turn of the 20th century – and an old-fashioned bar to match – was an exhibition of sculptures that evoked both a delicate graceful quality and a confounding misplacement of human forms. It was in the midst of this milieu that Ladyjams unfolded.
I made some more new friends that evening, including Laura Feathers, Teena Mayzing, and Yana Davydova, who performed on electronics, voice, and guitar, respectively. I performed with them and others over the course of the evening in several miniature improvised sets. You can hear an example in this video.
This truly spur-of-the-moment music, as I had never performed with any of these artists before. The MicroFreak was definitely the right choice of instrument, given its versatility and immediacy (as well as being extremely light). I had some light melodic spacey touches, as well as deep bass pedal tones and various sound effects. I particularly enjoyed a call-and-response with Yana Davydova on guitar – we both were able to match one another’s melodic fragments and respond with variations that moved the performance forward. I also tried to choose sounds and notes to complement the words of Teena Mayzing and others during vocal sections.
Neb Ula and I also had a chance to perform together, as seen in the photo above and following video clip.
Although New York – and perhaps Brooklyn in particular – is an exceptionally fertile place for an event like this, I am left wondering why not try to do something similar in San Francisco? I certainly know enough women and non-binary performers to make it a possibility, so perhaps it will happen.
CatSynth Pic: Behringer Model D, Korg Volcas
This rather handsome long-hair cat is posing with a Behringer Model D synthesizer, a keyboard, and two Korg Volcas, the first one of which is a Volca Keys. Submitted by Ricardo Branco via our Facebook page.
CatSynth Pic: Rusty in the Studio (Waldorf, Nord, and more)
Today’s CatSynth pic takes us to the 2000s, with Rusty and his human James Maier in the studio. We see a Waldorf Microwave XT, a Nord Micro Modular, and more. From James Maier via Facebook.
TBT – Rusty Inspects Studio in 2000
Although it’s a small photo, it looks like Rusty has some of Big Merp’s color and markings.