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CatSynth Pic: Merce, Jomox Resonator Neuronium, MicroKORG, and Fluxus

Our friend Merce joins us again, with the Jomox Resonator Neuronium along with the MicroKORG. He also shares this classic Fluxus piano piece by George Brecht.

When you can’t even get a Fluxus piece right. George Brecht, “3 Piano Pieces,” from Water Yam, 1962

Even we at CatSynth sometimes find it hard to Fluxus right in these anxious times.

CatSynth Pic: LepLoop

A rare LepLoop synthesizer and groove box in front of a fanciful feline artwork. From LepLoop on Instagram.

We at CatSynth are not particularly familiar with the LepLoop, so we looked it up. Here is a brief summary from a 2016 Sound On Sound article.

The LepLoop is an analogue synth, sequencer and percussion module all the way from sunny Italy. Hand-built into a light wooden enclosure, this tiny groovebox is pock-marked with patch points and able to hook up with MIDI, CV or DIN Sync gear. Regardless of its connectivity, the LepLoop inhabits a wayward world of its own when it comes to traditions such as melody and control. This is because at its heart is a sample and hold generator that provides source material for a looping analogue sequencer. Notes generated at random are captured and — if you like what you hear — worked on until you feel like dipping in again.

Inside are two VCOs, a noise source, a low-pass filter, a dedicated bass drum, twin VCAs (each with a simple envelope) and a switching system offering near-modular flexibility.

https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/lep-leploop

CatSynth Pic: Bill on Quarantine (Vintage Synthesizer Museum)

Bill enjoys the quarantine life with an Arturia MicroFreak and sundry Strymon pedals. Via our friends at the Vintage Synthesizer Museum.

You can see our visit to the Vintage Synthesizer Museum earlier this year in this video.

This was from the beginning of February. Not so long ago in time, but a world away from where we are now.

CatSynth Pic: Self-Oscillating

We at CatSynth have been enjoying this meme over the last half-year. But this may be my favorite instance to date 😹🎹🎛.

The first synth I had that could self-oscillate was the Evolver from Dave Smith Instruments (now Sequential). I enjoyed performing with the “fifth oscillator” as I called it. Since then I have found myself experimenting with such phenomena on many a module.