Valentino and Electron Octatrak

Valentino has found a comfy spot between an Elektron Octatrak (version 1) and a mixer. And it doesn’t look like he wants to move any time soon.

From Patricia Wolf @patwolfmusic via Twitter.

I guess I’ll have to work around him:)

Valentino looks even more like Big Merp than in his earlier photos.

To see more of Valentino’s appearances on CatSynth, click here.

CatSynth Pic: Novation Summit (Tiny Crush Mixing)

Our feline friend from Tiny Crush Mixing returns, this time sitting atop a Novation Summit synthesizer. (See what I did there?)

From hugoparismusic on Instagram.

What is the importance of collaborating in your creative process? ✨⠀

That is indeed an interesting question. I feel much of my creativity is solitary, and I do enjoy that. But I also collaborate in myriad ways. This was true even during the depths of the pandemic when I recorded an album with remote collaborators. And I do miss my band and duo performances.

Elgie, Crumar Orchestrator and Sequential Six-Trak

The adorable Elgie returns, this time with a Crumar Orchestrator and Sequential Six-Trak. Submitted by Eston Lathrop via our Facebook page.

The Crumar Orchestrator was released in 1977 and provides an orchestra-in-a-box with Brass, Piano, Clavichord, Cello, and Violin sounds, as well as a Bass sound. They can be combined and each has its own level control. It is particularly good for the Brass and String sounds which are reminiscent of the ARP Solina (we at CatSynth have used the Arturia Solina V on a few recordings).

The Sequential Six-Trak was released in 1984. As a synthesizer, it was a smaller cousin to the Prophet series, but it did include many of the Prophets’ features like cross-modulation. There was also an onboard sequencer six-track sequencer (hence the name) and full MIDI support, including controllers for the various parameters.