synthesizer

CatSynth pic: Mandarina and modules

From Travis Johns via the CatSynth Facebook page.

Mandarina “assisting” with some modules – March is the hottest month in Costa Rica and my studio is on the second floor of a building with a metal roof so daytime temperatures render it unusable – so I’ve been bringing work home with me in order to work at night when the temp’s a little more bearable. Unfortunately, there’s usually a certain orange snag to that plan. The modules themselves are from a class I’m teaching called TicoTronics – teaching basic electronics and circuit design via open source synth schematics, modified to use only components common to Costa Rica. For more info – www.vauxflores.com

You can see an example of Travis Johns’ creations and here.

NAMM: Korg MS-20 Mini

One of the most anticipated synthesizers of this year’s NAMM show is the Korg MS-20 Mini. And here it is:

This is basically a classic MS-20, including the analog circuitry, but in a modern replica of the case that is 86% of the original size. It also has MIDI and USB for external control. But of course it is really about the analog synthesis, and especially the filters. After getting my bearings on the device, I shut off the VCOs and set up both the hi-pass and low-pass filters to self-oscillate. This us the signature sound of the original instrument, and while it’s difficult to tune self-oscillating filters they did seem playable for arpeggios or lines.

The street price appears to by $599, although it is not shipping yet. Korg has been good at reintroducing its classic technologies at affordable prices. And it is certainly a lower price tag than the other covetable instruments I reviewed yesterday.

CatSynth video: Ghost Rider Modular (CatGirl Synth)


From FOCtv on YouTube, via matrixsynth.

“Mr. Hand demos a synthesizers.com patch utilizing a CatGirl Synth Sub Octave Divider module. The sequence is a facsimile of Suicide’s song Ghost Rider done with a Synthesizers.com Q119 Sequential Controller. It’s not the complete riff since Marty Rev’s riff is poly-rhythmic and I could only use 8 steps of the analog sequencer. The organ-like tonality is from the CGS Sub-Octave module which can function similarly to the divide down technology used in electric organs.”

Look for a black cat early in the video, and also the sounds with the CatGirl Synth module.