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Merce with Fuzz Box and Korg Mini Kaoss Pad

Our friend Merce the cat enjoys a nap on a fuzz box and Korg Mini Kaoss Pad. Via Merce’s Twitter feed.

Fuzz Box: Pillow and self

https://twitter.com/Merce_the_cat/status/1316841463368433664

Merce looks very content, which of course makes us happy in turn. We love the retro lettering on that fuzz box. And we have a Mini Kaoss Pad although it hasn’t gotten as much love in recent years.

One Random Note: Roland SH1000

Josie performs a one-note jam on a Roland SH1000 courtesy of our friend Merce the cat. Here are some more detailed photos.

The SH1000 was perhaps Roland’s first keyboard synthesizer. It had a single oscillator and filter, along with an ADSR, two LFOs, and separate noise sources. It’s look is more like an electric organ and demonstrates the conceptual bridge between these instruments, even if their architecture and playing techniques are quite different. As our feline friend demonstrates, it is particularly good for drones or unique bass tones.

[The SH-1000] features 10 Preset sounds, but they are pretty weak. Fortunately you can create your own sounds for some really great mono-synth bass, lead, percussion and FX sounds. Basic square, ramp and pulse-width waveforms are available from the oscillator and the LFOs have sine, square and sample+hold. It has a terrific ‘Growl’ and ‘Wow’ effect for a pretty scary analog sound. It also features white noise, pink noise, portamento, octave transposition and a Random Note Generator. Although there is no user memory, unique sounds can still be quickly recreated or discovered thanks to its simple interface.

http://www.vintagesynth.com/roland/sh1000.php

It also paved the way for later classics like the SH1 and SH101.

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: Merce and Roland SH-1000

Our friend Merce the cat with a Roland SH-1000 synthesizer. Submitted via Twitter.

It was in response to a via matrixsynth, originally from Electronic Musician. It described the many years of synth innovations from Ikutaro Kakehashi, one of the visionary elders of the synthesizer world and founder of Roland. He passed away earlier this week.