Cat posing with a Korg Arp Odyssey synthesizer. From Jenna Leigh-Raine via Facebook.
Modelling for Korg. Ha
We’ve long been intrigued by the Korg Arp Odyssey since it came out – you can see our NAMM review when it was first released. But we don’t have one of our own…yet.
This cat is showing off a great find: a Moog MG-1, which was made for the Realistic (Radio Shack) brand in the early 1980s. From Paul Cunningham via Facebook.
Found this Moog at the pawn shop. Already had the cat. Look it’s got all it’s slider knobs!
The slider knobs (and other knobs) do fit the industrial design of the time. And the colorful section borders suggest a precursor to Moog’s current Matriarch series. It is, nonetheless, a fully equipped analog subtractive synthesizer:
Three-part envelope generator, with separately adjustable Attack and Decay or Release, and selectable Sustain on or off. The Envelope Generator can be triggered by either the keyboard, or the LFO.
Oscillator 2 can be tuned independently or hard-synced to Oscillator 1.
Polyphonic oscillator. This is a divide-down square wave generator. It is routed to the VCF and the VCA.
LFO that can modulate the oscillators and the filter using a Triangle, square or random Sample and Hold waveform
Voltage controlled amplifier with Keyed, Hold, and Envelope modes (accessed via 3-way switch, misleadingly only labelled “Tone Sources” but also affects Poly signal)
The subject line says it all. This little tabby is clearly owning the Kurzweil K2000S synthesizer. Submitted by Ron Gallagher via our Facebook page.
The K2000 was a big deal in the 1990s (though we at CatSynth never had one ourselves).
he K2000S uses V.A.S.T. (Variable Architecture Synthesis Technology) which allows you to take any multi-sample, noise or waveform and process it using just about any synthesis technique. The source of these multi-samples are from the 8MB of ROM which hold tons of authentic and superb quality samples. The internal processing is 32-bit with 18-bit DACs. The K2000 uses 31 sound-shaping algorithms to provide a variety of resonant filters, EQs, continuous panning, amplitude modulation, crossfade, distortion, digital wrap, waveshaper, pulse width modulation, high frequency enhancement, low frequency oscillators, hard sync oscillators and mixing oscillators, all with real-time MIDI control.
Handsome Leo poses next to a Moog Subsequent 37 synthesizer. Submitted by jenny Grover via our Facebook page.
This appears to be one of the limited-edition Moog Subsequent 37 CV versions which were introduced at Moogfest. I must admit, we at CatSynth are a bit envious of Leo and Jenny on this one 😸🎹
As our time in New York winds down (for now), it seems appropriate to share a Brooklyn cat. Elektra naps on a keyboard beneath a Korg MS-20 synthesizer. She seems really comfortable and content.
From Maeghan Donovan via Facebook. Please check out her music at http://maedon.net/
This rather handsome long-hair cat is posing with a Behringer Model D synthesizer, a keyboard, and two Korg Volcas, the first one of which is a Volca Keys. Submitted by Ricardo Branco via our Facebook page.
Today’s CatSynth pic takes us to the 2000s, with Rusty and his human James Maier in the studio. We see a Waldorf Microwave XT, a Nord Micro Modular, and more. From James Maier via Facebook.
TBT – Rusty Inspects Studio in 2000
Although it’s a small photo, it looks like Rusty has some of Big Merp’s color and markings.
The Vintage Synthesizer Museum is a wonderful resource for synthesizers and education right here in our local area – indeed, this kitten was advertising an introduction-to-synthesis course. We hope to feature more of them in the coming weeks. And of course, the SH-101 is one of those classics that is prized as also reimagined and reissued. I particularly like the red and blue models.
Gizo poses with a Moog Little Phatty and a Korg Poly 800. Submitted by J Lugo Miller via our Facebook page.
Why does Gizmo love the Little Phatty and the Poly 800 so much?
Well, they are both fine synthesizers. The Little Phatty started the modern Moog “Phatty” series that includes the Sub Phatty we have here at CatSynth HQ and lives on with the Subsequent 37. And the Poly 800 has a place in the history of MIDI analog synths of the early 1980s.
At a time when Roland was doing well with their Juno-series, KORG countered with a poly-synth of their own in 1983 with the Poly-800. The Poly-800 was comparable to the Juno-106, at the time, with respect to the fact that musicians now had access to affordable programmable polyphonic analog synthesizers (it listed for under $1,000) with memory storage, stable DCOs (digitally controlled oscillators) and a new state-of-the-art technology called MIDI (although there was no SysEx implementation yet).