Korg KPR-77 Drum Machine

Cat with Korg KPR-77 drum machine

This cat poses very nicely with a vintage Korg KPR-77 drum machine.

From Andreas Gregor via the Facebook group Synthesizer Freaks.

We at CatSynth were not familiar with the KPR-77. From Vintage Synth Explorer:

The KPR-77 was Korg’s answer to the TR-606 drum machine. Like the 606, the KPR-77 is basically an analog machine. Its sounds consist of bass, snare, two toms, open and closed hi-hats, accent and (switchable) cymbal/clap. Each drum sound’s level can be individual mixed via the sliders.

https://www.vintagesynth.com/korg/kpr77.php

Black Cat with Roland, Kawaii, Yamaha, Korg, and more

A beautiful black cat with green eyes (like our beloved Luna) sits atop an impressive stack of modules. We see a Yamaha TX81Z (which we also have), as well as a few offerings from Roland, Kawaii, Korg, alases, and more Yamaha. From endmusik_studios via Instagram.

New art for the studio, but it’ll have to wait until the intern finishes recabling everything

Farewell to 2021

Collage of images from 2021, including the new album, Sam Sam and Big Merp, San Francisco, Death Valley, and Joshua Tree

I have remarked on numerous occasions that this year seemed to go by exceptionally fast. There was hope, excitement, optimism giving way to a mixture of frustration, cynicism and resolve as the pandemic and political situations dragged on and darkened. I have seen the goodness in many people, while I have witnessed the worst in others. But our personal year at CatSynth was a rich one filled with many experiences.

Most notably, the new album Meow Meow Band is out. I am really proud of the music, the presentation, the collaboration with other musicians and everything out it. Please do take a listen if you haven’t already. It was also a chance to reconnect with the city, go out on the road and into the desert, and start experiencing live music again. Of course, most of the time this year was spent here at HQ with our music, Sam Sam, and Big Merp. I always value time alone with my cats, music, and ideas and this moment in time has provided ample opportunity for that.

It’s been another strong year of growth for CatSynth TV. The most popular videos continue to be our synth demos and tutorials, but I’m also proud of music videos, highway videos, and expanded review series. There were fewer videos total this year. We took more time to get them right, but also time off to focus on other things (like the album). Trying to find that balance between the drive to always do more and the limits of time and resources will always be a challenge. We close out the year of videos by spending some time with Sam Sam and Big Merp.

We at CatSynth are grateful to all of you who chose to join or continue this journey with us in 2021, whether here on the blog, on CatSynth TV, or on social media. It is a fool’s errand to guess what will happen in the coming year, but we do have many goals, aspirations, and hopes; we will take each day as it comes.

Wishing you all a Happy New Year and health and joy in 2022.

Data, Cats, and Synths (Teenage Engineering, Korg, Sequential)

Our friends over at Cats on Synthesizers in Space recently posted this gem featuring Data and a variety of cats and synthesizers.

“There may be a correlation between cats and synthesizers. The need for more research is clearly indicated…”

Cats On Synthesizers In Space

There is a Korg Volca and a Teenage Engineering OP-1. I’m pretty sure the keyboard at the bottom is from Sequential.

Mina and Korg MS2000

Two beauties today: Mina the lovely black cat, and a vintage Korg MS2000 synthesizer. From synthguy on Instagram.

At least my synths are well guarded. Mina and the MS2000.

The MS2000 is a virtual analog instrument that combines the vintage sounds of the MS series (e.g., the MS-10, MS-20, MS-50) with an equally vintage industrial design, reminiscent of Korg’s 1970s keyboards. We know Mina and her human must have a lot of fun playing it.