From Synth & Sundry on YouTube, via matrixsynth.
“Starting to make a new track with the Teenage Engineering OP-1. First I go through some of the sounds I used and then an initial arrangement that I hope to build on. My two cats came to see what I was up to in the process of shooting this.”
As I was editing our most recent CatSynth TV episode featuring the Pocket Operator, Big Merp jumped onto the desk and decided he wanted to get into the act.
He loves to be wherever the action is, so I took a bit of video and a few more photos. I even pulled out a (dusty) Korg Monotron for him to pose with.
His video clip made it into the introduction for the episode, which you can see below.
I managed to order one of the new Rick & Morty Pocket Operators from Teenage Engineering, and it arrived at HQ yesterday. I decided to film the unboxing and initial attempts to play it for CatSynth TV, but Big Merp decided to get in the act. You can see our fun in this video.
The Pocket Operator is a tiny synth from Teenage Engineering that comes in several models of which the Rick-and-Morty-themed version is the most recent. Once I fully get the hang of it, I will do a proper demo, probably in conjunction with the modular or Field Kit.
From Andor Polgar on YouTube, via matrixsynth.
We have long been interested in the OP-1, although we won’t have one ourselves. Maybe it would make a great instrument for Sam Sam 😸
Today’s pic comes from Ok Housecat on Facebook.
This effect makes your music smell like cat litter
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Please visit their page for more custom-electronics fun 😺
Our Volt Divers Cat-tastic edition show in Portland this past month raised funds for House of Dreams, a no-kill cat shelter that specializes in older cats and those with medical conditions that may make them more challenging to adopt out. I had the chance to visit the shelter and made this video from the experience.
House of Dreams is, quite literally, a house at a non-disclosed location in Northeast Portland. Most of the space is dedicated to the cats, who have can move about freely in their respective rooms. We saw cats doing what cats do: play, interact, eat, and nap. And they certainly get a lot of love and attention from the all-volunteer staff.
The is a separate section of the house for cats who have tested positive for feline leukemia (FeLV). FeLV-positive cats to have special medical needs, and should be with other FeLV-positive cats, but they can still lead happy and full lives. Indeed, a couple of the most playful cats I met while I was there were in the FeLV section.
This is Snowball, probably the biggest ham among the cats.
These “CatSynth pics” of the cats at House of Dreams were taken by our friend and Volt-Divers host Jeph Nor, a synthesizer virtuoso in his own right and human companion of Runkl.
This is Sassy, who definitely had an attitude to match her name. (She appears at the end of our video giving us a “look” 😸). Below is sweet Spice.
Flicka was one of my “tour guides” who followed me around.
All the cats seemed pampered and well-loved by the staff. They had lots of personal attention (if they wanted it). Plus, the entire space was immaculate and full of furniture and toys to both stimulate and comfort the cats. As a small shelter focusing on cats with special needs, they have fewer overall adoptions – each one is a celebration, though often a farewell to a friend that the volunteers have grown to love. But they do have a good track record of adopting out, and often keep in touch with their “alumni” and human caregivers.
We at CatSynth were happy to visit and support them, both through our video and through the Volt Divers show. If you want to find out more about House of Dreams, including information on donations, please visit their website.
From Cats on Synthesizers in Space.
OK Cat People…… I just love this one ….. A serious looking, orange and white, tabby cat with a Teenage Engineering OP-1 Synthesizer experiencing zero gravity in a Space Ship. The OP-1 looks like a toy, but it is actually very powerful, feature packed little Synthesizer.
We have long been intrigued by the OP-1. Here is our visit to their NAMM 2014 booth.
Submitted by John F. Elberstein via Twitter.
“OK, it’s just a pocket synth, but there’s a cat with it ^^ @catsynth #Pocketoperator #TeenageEngineering“
Amidst the overwhelming abundance of synths at NAMM, we managed to miss this. If you have experience or opinions on the Teenage Engineering Pocket Operator series, please share.
