Cats

Kitty and Suzy with Roland JP-8000 and Ensoniq ESQ-1

Kittens Kitty and Suzy play atop an Ensoniq ESQ-1, which has been (wisely) covered. Kitty is the one facing us on top, and Suzy is the one on the bottom with her back to us. Above them we see a Roland JP-8000 synthesizer.

Submitted by Erik Gibbels via our Facebook page.

This is the same ESQ-1 we saw a little while ago with Jerry posing. Sadly, Jerry passed away earlier this year. And just today, Jerry’s buddy Tom passed away as well. We at CatSynth extend our condolences to his family. But it is also nice to see these beautiful kittens welcomed into their home and carrying on Jerry’s legacy.

Mina and Korg MS2000

Two beauties today: Mina the lovely black cat, and a vintage Korg MS2000 synthesizer. From synthguy on Instagram.

At least my synths are well guarded. Mina and the MS2000.

The MS2000 is a virtual analog instrument that combines the vintage sounds of the MS series (e.g., the MS-10, MS-20, MS-50) with an equally vintage industrial design, reminiscent of Korg’s 1970s keyboards. We know Mina and her human must have a lot of fun playing it.

Cleo with Korg Rhythm 55, Roland SH-101, Arturia

Cleo the cat naps next to a Korg Rhythm 55 drum machine. Above is a Roland SH-101 synthesizer and arturia keyboard.

Cleo naps next to a Korg Rhythm 55 vintage drum machine, while keeping a wary eye open. Behind her are a Roland SH-101 and an Arturia keyboard. Submitted by hotham sound via Twitter.

Cleo, the one and only.

We at CatSynth are quite happy to feature Cleo today. I have also had the opportunity to play a Korg Rhymth 55 in the past, at the Vintage Synthesizer Museum. A bit in the instrument from Vintage Synth Explorer:

he KR55 was, for its time (1979), an advanced preset rhythm drum machine with up to 96 preset rhythm patterns! These patterns cover the whole gamut of presets (Waltz, Samba, Rhumba, Bossa Nova, Tango, Slow Rock, Swing, Rock, etc.). The KR55 also featured a “swing beat” control to add a variation to the groove. Each drum sound’s level can be individually adjusted for each pattern. It can also be externally controlled via footswitch jack for the Start/Stop and Intro/Fill switches. The KR55B was a black-chassis version released a few years later in 1982 with twice as many rhythm patterns. It has been used by Jean-Michel Jarre, Trio and Depeche Mode.

https://www.vintagesynth.com/korg/kr55.php

Maneki-Tekno

I love this! A maneki-neko turned into a DIY electronic musical instrument. I need to make one of these and will definitely be following up with the creators and curators for more. I do regret not seeing this in person as it was at the Center for New Music here in San Francisco, but this was 2020 and we know how that was.

Fortunately, we can all see some scenes from this video show via this link.