Monkey the tuxedo cat checks out an Artificial Neural Network module from Analog Research (ARC). By @synthlibrary (the S1 Synth Library) on Instagram.
Here is Monkey with one of our new modules from @arcmodular! We’re so excited to explore these new synths. #funweek#thanks#feelinglucky#neuralnetwork#eurorack#catsynth
This module captures both the look and spirit of Serge synthesizer modules with its simple function and logic blocks. You can find out more here.
It’s been a slow recovery from our latest bout of this year’s influenza and “NAMMthrax,” but we are getting there slowly.  Indeed, I have been well enough to spend more time working in the studio again. Of course, if I am in the studio there is a good chance Sam Sam will be there, too.
It’s always a delight to have her around. I think she is getting used to all the weird electronic sounds just as Luna did. As a more social cat, I think she mostly just enjoys being near the action. I do sometimes feel guilty when she gets comfy under the main console and I want to use the Nord. It’s a studio musician’s version of the cat-in-lap dilemma.
We are going to move forward with some video and music work today, as body and energy permit.  We are also doing our part for today’s mass ritual here in the United States with our Superb Owl.
We hope you all have an enjoyable day, however you chose to fill it!
Pretty picture of a tuxedo cat that bears a strong resemblance to Sam Sam (minus the nose smudge) with a classic Roland SH-101 synthesizer. From verzerrung on Instagram.
Sam Sam does not have access to an SH-101, but she does seem to like the Roland Boutique synths, so maybe we will get an SH-01 for her at some point 😸
Sam Sam has decided that the space under the studio console is an excellent napping spot.
This is where the Nord Stage lives when not gigging, and my main Pro Tools HDX station for music recording and CatSynth TV post-production. I am loath to move her when I find her there, so I usually just wait a little bit. After all, even napping cats rarely stay in one place for long.
If the studio looks a bit messy and chaotic, that is because it is. Between gigging, travel, and probably too much gear, it has been hard to keep in order during the second half of the year. The latest dismantling was for my recent performance at VAMP, which came before I had replaced everything from my New York trip. The Nord keyboard usually makes it back in place quickly, sometimes it takes the ever-expanding collection of synths a little while longer. Hopefully in the next few quieter weeks will get it organized and better than ever…
It was one year ago today that Sam Sam came to live at CatSynth HQ, and we are wishing her a very happy first Gotcha Day (adoption anniversary)!
A year ago I was still in the early part of my grieving process for Luna, who had passed away just a little over a month earlier. Getting another cat was always the plan, but not quite so soon. But our friends Michael de la Cuesta (of Vacuum Tree Head) and Karen de la Cuesta told me about this sweet cat they needed to rehome – her longtime human had passed away a year earlier, and she needed to leave her current home in southern California. I, of course, said yes. So on December 7, 2016, she made the journey north to San Francisco and stepped in HQ for the first time. Not surprisingly, “Sam Sam” was a bit shy and skittish at first, spending most of her time under the bed, sneaking out periodically for food, water, and the litter box. But bit by bit she came out her shell and blossomed into a wonderful companion. She is quite talkative and outgoing now – even a bit sassy at times 😸
She delights many with her unique markings and quirky antics.
Happy Gotcha Day, Sam Sam! We are so glad you came to live with us, and we hope to spend many years together 💕
Early Saturday morning, I embarked on another trip to New York. As it is late November, this trip requires a winter coat. While it was sitting out, Sam Sam came over to investigate.
She was fascinated by the wool coat and immediately started purring up a storm and kneading.
The soft woolen surface clearly brought out some kitten instinct in her. While Luna used to purr and knead soft things frequently, I haven’t seen Sam Sam do that as much, and not to the degree she did in the presence of this coat.
One of the hardest parts of leaving on a trip is leaving my cat. Fortunately, we know that Sam Sam is good hands, being lovingly looked after at CatSynth HQ (and probably spoiled rotten). I look forward to reuniting with her in a little over a week.
It is hot here in San Francisco. In fact, yesterday was the hottest day on record in nearly 150 years. From The Examiner;
Hours after this post was originally written, a new downtown San Francisco temperature record was set at 106 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.
I love heat. Indeed, my ideal temperature is higher than some friends and colleagues’ comfort zones. But this is too hot for even me. Which means it’s a bit unbearable for poor Sam Sam.
She has been strategically lying in spots that are shaded, as in the photo above where she is lying underneath a small table and a mounted crash cymbal. She does love her sunshine, though, so keeps going back to the window to bask for a few minutes.
As the temperature continues to climb inside of CatSynth HQ, I have also set up space with a towel and cold pack for her.
The heatwave is expected to diminish a bit tomorrow. In the meantime, I suspect we are going to be taking it easy for the remainder of the afternoon.
Sam Sam loves being brushed. She also enjoys boxing. Sometimes the two activities come together when she plays “Swat!” with her hairbrush.
Sam Sam is a more rough-and-tumble cat than Luna and the swat game is part of her unique style of play. You can see a bit of her in action in these “Live Photos” from our iPhone and iPad.
For those who may be wondering about the “Motion Stills” stamp on those videos, it is an iOS app made by Google to export Live Photos from your iPhone or iPad to video platforms like YouTube, Instagram, etc.
No this is not Sam Sam. But it is a cute cat with similar markings that lives with our friend Juli Amore aka The Synth Witch. They are playing an Abstrakt Instruments analog bassline synthesizer.