analog

Cats with Yamaha SK30 and Korg Polysix

An adorable photo of a mother and kitten on a Yamaha SK30. Above them is a Korg Polysix, and off to the right is a Roland Juno. From Frank Jacobs via Facebook.

My cuties love analog, too.

The SK30 was a combination organ, string, and subtractive synthesizer, released in 1980. All of the SK series had the organ and string sections, but different models had different synthesizer sections. The SK30 had two synthesizer sections, a dual-oscillator polyphonic section that was good at classic pads, and a solo monosynth section with multiple waveforms, envelope and filter. As a bonus, one could play the solo synth and one of the other modes (organ, string, polysynth) at the same time.

SOMA Laboratory Lyra 8

This cat has found a nice warm napping spot atop a SOMA Laboratory Lyra 8. Submitted by Robin Hill via our Facebook page.

We at CatSynth are quite intrigued by the instruments coming out SOMA Laboratory, who are based in Russia and Poland – not our neighborhood of San Francisco. They seem quite original and inventive.

Welcome to the world of sound of LYRA-8, the unique organismic analogue synthesizer designed by Vlad Kreimer. “Organismic” means that LYRA uses some principles that lie in the base of living organisms. The way how LYRA’s modules interacting between each other and the behaviour of the instrument resembles a live conversation.

https://somasynths.com/lyra-organismic-synthesizer/

One Random Note: Roland SH1000

Josie performs a one-note jam on a Roland SH1000 courtesy of our friend Merce the cat. Here are some more detailed photos.

The SH1000 was perhaps Roland’s first keyboard synthesizer. It had a single oscillator and filter, along with an ADSR, two LFOs, and separate noise sources. It’s look is more like an electric organ and demonstrates the conceptual bridge between these instruments, even if their architecture and playing techniques are quite different. As our feline friend demonstrates, it is particularly good for drones or unique bass tones.

[The SH-1000] features 10 Preset sounds, but they are pretty weak. Fortunately you can create your own sounds for some really great mono-synth bass, lead, percussion and FX sounds. Basic square, ramp and pulse-width waveforms are available from the oscillator and the LFOs have sine, square and sample+hold. It has a terrific ‘Growl’ and ‘Wow’ effect for a pretty scary analog sound. It also features white noise, pink noise, portamento, octave transposition and a Random Note Generator. Although there is no user memory, unique sounds can still be quickly recreated or discovered thanks to its simple interface.

http://www.vintagesynth.com/roland/sh1000.php

It also paved the way for later classics like the SH1 and SH101.

CatSynth Pic: Milo and MOTM 490

Our pal Milo is inspecting an MOTM 490 filter that has been modified by Keith Winstanley.

It looks like Milo is falling asleep on the job 😸

The MOTM 490 is a lowpass ladder filter designed to sound like classic synthesizers from the 1970s – or as Synthesis Technology puts it, “that synthesizer sound”. You can hear some demos on MOTM’s site.

MOTM-490

CatSynth Pic: Moog Grandmother and Sub 37 (Universal Audio)

Our friends at Universal Audio are getting into the CatSynth-pic business with this post on Instagram 😺

Who’s making music in their living room these days 🙋‍♂️⠀

https://www.instagram.com/p/CAWVWL0jT-0/

We see Moog Granthmother and Sub 37 synthesizers, a few pedals, and of course a UA Apollo interface.

CatSynth Pic: Loki, Novation Bass Station, Korg Poly 800

Loki finds the purrfect spot on a Korg Poly 800 in front of a Novation Bass Station. From the thedigitalpurrgatory on Instagram.

Loki the Cat distracting me, once again, just after setting the synths for a jam.

You can see Loki’s previous appearances on CatSynth here.

The Novation Bass Station is quite a popular instrument at the moment, an analog mono bass synth in the spirit of Moog past and present, and in someways similar to the Arturia MiniBrute 2 that we use here at CatSynth studios. The Poly 800 is a small vintage synthesizer, a transition from Korg’s earlier “Mono/Poly” classic into their instruments of the 1980s. I was actually interested in the later Poly 800ii though never acquired one.

CatSynth pic: Studio Buddy (Moog and Nord)

A pic from the studio of our friend and collaborator Bill Wolter. His cat naps in front of a Nord Electro and Moog Sub 37.

Studio buddy. She’s my friend until I start playing drums.

Our cats are used to all sorts of crazy loud sounds emanating from the studio, but I suppose live drums is something altogether different from a psychoacoustic perspective.

You can see the many other posts on CatSynth featuring Bill here.

CatSynth Pic: Aria and Oberheim Matrix 12

Little Aria rests atop an Oberheim Matrix 12. We also see another Oberheim synth in the background.

The Matrix 12 was one of the great Oberheim analog synths of the mid 1980s, building on the sounds of the OB-X and OB-Xa but with greater programmability and MIDI. In particular, it including “matrix modulation” that can be found in a great many synthesizers today.

The Matrix 12 is similar to the Xpander and the lighter Matrix 6. But [it] is much fatter and more programmable than either. Every control can have an effect on some other parameter thanks to Oberheim’s flexible design. For example, there are 15 types of LFOs and VCAs per voice! And there’s plenty of diagrams drawn out on the front panel of the synth to help you figure out some signal routing. 

http://www.vintagesynth.com/oberheim/mat12.php