Mackie the cat with a MacBeth M5 synthesizer. We also see a Future Retro Orb sequencer and a Yamaha Reface. From Phil Walling via Facebook.
Mackie (cat) working the ‘Mackie’ (MacBeth M5)
The MacBeth M5 is modern but rare analog synthesizer. It is reminiscent of a black-and-orange ARP 2600, but is a completely different instrument.
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. Totally faithful to the design and concept of early analog synthesizers, all sounds must be created by hand, tweaking knobs, patching cables and using a bit of creativity. There is no patch memory, no MIDI and no USB. Just really great analog sounds.
A cat naps next to a Behringer CAT synthesizer. Submitted by Tommy Lok via our Facebook page.
The Behringer CAT is a re-creation of the infamous Octave CAT synthesizer. We at CatSynth are looking forward to doing a side-by-side comparison in the near future.
This cat is quite engrossed in this performance featuring a KOMA Field Kit and Field Kit FX, and a vintage gramophone record player. We see a contact mic on the speaker feedback into the Field Kit, and more interesting things going on.
A beautiful white cat poses in front of a massive modular system. We familiar offerings from Rossum Electro-music, Make Noise, Mutable Instruments, Intellijel, TipTop Audio, and SSF. We also see Random Source “EuroSerge” modules; and some less common models from Catalyst Audio, Ciat Lombarde, and Mystic Circuits. And there is more that we weren’t able to identify right away. This cat has a truly impressive setup.
Two of my favorite local institutions, the Vintage Synthesizer Museum and the Cat Man of West Oakland, are back together again for this photoshoot featuring a beautiful siamese cat and the Octave CAT synthesizer.
I particularly like seeing the CATStick, which I had a chance to play when I visited the Vintage Synthesizer Museum last year.
Minou shows off a Lyra 8 from SOMA Laboratory. Submitted by Rex Epitheton via our Facebook page.
The Lyra 8 is a rather impressive and unique instrument, and one we would like to explore some day at CatSynth HQ. It looks like Minou is getting quite adept at it.
How does one summarize a year like this? Words like “unprecedented” seem trite, and we learned from our experience with 2016 that even a difficult year has its beautiful moments. 2020 started out normal enough, with our annual pilgrimage to NAMM but quickly veered into surreal territory, and that was before the first COVID-19 lockdown was announced…on my birthday. Everything that has happened since has happened in the shadow of the pandemic. Perhaps the lowest moment was losing our dear friend Serena Toxicat. But the year has also brought unique experiences and opportunities, such as making music with musicians I admire together on opposite sides of the country. Indeed, as I was grieving the sudden loss of Serena, I received a call from my then-new collaborator G Calvin Weston offering comfort and support, and we have developed a closer friendship along with our musical collaboration. That moment perhaps summarizes the complexity of 2020 as much as any.
It has also been a banner year for CatSynth TV with rapid growth in viewership and subscriptions, but also the craft of making the videos in a variety of structures: synth reviews, interviews, documentaries, and art pieces. Of course, a few things remain active on the blog, our cat-and-music pics, Wordless Wednesday, and the occasional article. But for the most part, the transition from blog to video is complete.
The year ends on a note of optimism for 2021. The vaccines are arriving (we just need to make sure people take them); things are a bit more hopeful politically in the country, and we can start to repair the damage of the past five years. The album I have been working on – a musical statement – is coming together and will be released in the first part of the new year. Our little household at CatSynth HQ is safe and healthy and closer than ever – even Sam Sam and Big Merp seem to be getting along better now. And of course, we’re going to continue to share more videos, images, and ideas.
2020 has reminded us that we cannot know what is in store, and that improbable things can have a tremendous impact on our lives. We will face what comes as best we can, and focus on what is most important. And thank you for continuing to be a part of this journey with us.
A very pretty cat framed by a wide variety of modular synthesizers, including offerings from Make Noise, SOMA Laboratory (the Lyra-8 in the lower left corner), Instruo, Erica Synths, Mutable Instruments, and many more.
From Simon RD via Facebook. You can see this cat’s previous appearance here.
