Samantha

CatSynth 11th Blog Anniversary

Luna on iPad at 11:11

It’s been 11 years since we started CatSynth on a bit of a lark, and since then it has grown into something that we treasure, and quite seriously. But not too seriously. As always, we mark the annual milestone with a few stats.

3210 Posts
14358 Comments
4.47 Comments Per Post
1202 Cat-and-synth pics
474 Reviews and related posts

Comments and interaction on the blog has continued to decline (from an average of 4.7 to 4.47 comments per post). This is not surprising as interaction has largely moved to social media platforms.

Our most visited post this last year was our Sad Farewell to Luna, both on the blog itself and on social media. This, too, is not surprising, and we continue to be very grateful for the outpouring of emotional support we have received.

Other individual posts that were widely read and shared including our explainer on Lake Oroville, our review of James Chance and the Contortions in San Francisco, and of course our annual NAMM coverage.

Every year we share the photo that started it all on July 19, 2006. It featured Luna in the beanbag chair along with a Novation keyboard. We feel its still appropriate for this day.

Luna with Novation Keyboard

We continue to grieve for Luna, but we also welcome Sam Sam who we hope with be with us and featured on these pages for years to come.

Emphatic Sam Sam

Weekend Cat Blogging with Sam Sam: Relaxing for Pride

It’s Pride Weekend here in San Francisco 🏳️‍🌈. But since we have a busy several days, indeed a busy month, we are taking a bit of time this Sunday afternoon to relax. It’s also a great opportunity to play with Sam Sam. Here are some recent photos of our playful and funny feline companion.

Sam Sam can be quite expressive, even a bit sassy, when she wants something. She loves attention, food, getting brushed, and playing. She is always asking for attention and play.

Even when others in CatSynth HQ are trying to work.

The astute observer will see graphics for our various mobile apps on the screen, as well as a photo of Luna.

As it is Pride, here is an obligatory rainbow filter on that first photo of Sam Sam (which is one of my favorites).

We hope you all are having a nice weekend, wherever you are and whatever you celebrate.

Weekend Cat Blogging with Sam Sam: Relaxing and Talking

It’s been a little while since we last checked in with Sam Sam. But this lovely Sunday morning seems like a fine time to do so. It’s a good day for just stretching out and relaxing.

Sam Sam relaxing

Or for sitting on a window sill with filtered light.

It’s good to be a house cat.

Sam Sam is quite talkative, as all of my cats have been. It’s probably because I talk to them all the time, too. In this video you can hear a bit of her voice, as well as her loud purr.

This video only shows a small example of her vocal range – it is quite a challenge to get her to talk on cue, especially with her tendency to poke her nose into anything and everything.

It’s good to be a house cat.

CatSynth: The App! 2.5.0 for iOS Released

We have a new version of CatSynth: The App! available on the Apple App Store. This is a tremendous update. The best version of CatSynth: The App! ever. We have rethought the user experience while preserving the distinctive style. It also happens to match Sam Sam’s markings quite nicely.

It is smoother and simpler to browse and read articles on your mobile device. And for the built-in Mystery Synths, we have added MIDI input support!

You can play the synths with an external MIDI controller or sequencer using either the network or (on iPads) a class-compliant MIDI USB device. We will have some video demos of this soon.

If you have an iOS device, please do try out the app and let us know what you think! 😺


CatSynth: The App! on iTunes

Weekend Cat Blogging With Sam Sam: Antics

It’s been a little while since we visited with Sam Sam.

She is quite active, constantly running around and reminding us that she is nearby and needs attention.

In this upside-down pose one can see her “goatee” more fully. It’s part of her distinctive face markings.

We are quite enjoying her many antics. Here we see Sam Sam walking the ledge in the studio, looking for attention of course.

Weekend Cat Blogging with Sam Sam

Sam Sam continues to come into her own at CatSynth HQ, even claiming the “throne” pillow in the main room.

In this portrait, one can see that she has not just the distinctive smudge on her nose, but also a little spot of black on her chin. A goatee of a sort.

She has also become quite talkative, often letting us know when she wants attention or has an opinion to share.

And she does want a lot of attention. Samantha has taken to frequently rolling around on the rug and exhorting us to play.

We at CatSynth are happy to oblige.