Lola and Roland MC-202 Rhythm Composer

Lola (the calico cat) is inspecting a Roland MC-202 rhythm composer. From exfade_electronics via Instagram.

More accent? Lola (the cat) probably has a better grasp of the sequencer than I do!

The MC-202 was among Roland’s first grooveboxes. It has a synthesizer architecture (and visual look) similar to the original SH-101, but also looked ahead to the TB-303.

CatSynth Pic: Roland D-50

Beautiful calico cat atop a Roland D-50 synthesizer. From Yuri de Haer via Facebook.

The D-50 was Roland’s flagship and most popular synthesizer in 1980s. It employed so-called “linear arithmetic synthesis”, which combined sampled (PCM) transients with a variation on subtractive synthesis, including resonant low-pass filters. It also had a joystick. It remains a popular instrument for its pads and other characteristic sounds. Roland released a re-creation of it for their “Boutique” line, the D-05.

CatSynth Pic: Buchla 208

A beautiful calico cat sits behind an (also beautiful) Buchla 208 system. From macron_electron via Instagram.

The 208 is really just the top half a Music Easel, i.e., the synthesizer without the touch plate controller. Recently, my interest in Buchla gear at HQ has been rekindled, first by the announcement of the still elusive Red Panel series at NAMM, and then by the demo that we got from Thomas DiMuzio at his rehearsal for the Outsound summit.