korg

Farewell to 2021

Collage of images from 2021, including the new album, Sam Sam and Big Merp, San Francisco, Death Valley, and Joshua Tree

I have remarked on numerous occasions that this year seemed to go by exceptionally fast. There was hope, excitement, optimism giving way to a mixture of frustration, cynicism and resolve as the pandemic and political situations dragged on and darkened. I have seen the goodness in many people, while I have witnessed the worst in others. But our personal year at CatSynth was a rich one filled with many experiences.

Most notably, the new album Meow Meow Band is out. I am really proud of the music, the presentation, the collaboration with other musicians and everything out it. Please do take a listen if you haven’t already. It was also a chance to reconnect with the city, go out on the road and into the desert, and start experiencing live music again. Of course, most of the time this year was spent here at HQ with our music, Sam Sam, and Big Merp. I always value time alone with my cats, music, and ideas and this moment in time has provided ample opportunity for that.

It’s been another strong year of growth for CatSynth TV. The most popular videos continue to be our synth demos and tutorials, but I’m also proud of music videos, highway videos, and expanded review series. There were fewer videos total this year. We took more time to get them right, but also time off to focus on other things (like the album). Trying to find that balance between the drive to always do more and the limits of time and resources will always be a challenge. We close out the year of videos by spending some time with Sam Sam and Big Merp.

We at CatSynth are grateful to all of you who chose to join or continue this journey with us in 2021, whether here on the blog, on CatSynth TV, or on social media. It is a fool’s errand to guess what will happen in the coming year, but we do have many goals, aspirations, and hopes; we will take each day as it comes.

Wishing you all a Happy New Year and health and joy in 2022.

Data, Cats, and Synths (Teenage Engineering, Korg, Sequential)

Our friends over at Cats on Synthesizers in Space recently posted this gem featuring Data and a variety of cats and synthesizers.

“There may be a correlation between cats and synthesizers. The need for more research is clearly indicated…”

Cats On Synthesizers In Space

There is a Korg Volca and a Teenage Engineering OP-1. I’m pretty sure the keyboard at the bottom is from Sequential.

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

Finnegan with Bitwig Studio and Korg microKEY

Finnegan as a kitten learning to record tracks in Bitwig Studio via the Korg microKEY. From emptyvessel on Twitter.

Flashback 4 years, it was unusual at the time for him to be confident enough to come near me, let alone “help” with advice in my @Bitwig sessions. He was only about 6 months old at this point. He looks like he only has one paw because the other one was swatting the mouse pointer

Ciat-Lombarde Plumbutter and Korg Volca Modular

Black cat with a Ciat-Lombarde Plumbutter, Korg Volca Modular, orange and green stackable patch cables, and other devices.

This cute black cat looks ready to play a Ciat-Lombarde Plumbutter. We also see a Korg Volca Modular, another Volca, and a device that looks to be a Pocket Operator. We at CatSynth also respect this cat’s well-organized patch cables.

From Jackie Rogo via Facebook.

My puss plays a plumbutter