Octave CAT SRM Synthesizer | Original 1977 Soundsheet

A bit of a different upload this week, but I think it’s good to mix things up.

Whilst working on my documentary about ARP Instruments I got the opportunity to speak to David Frederick (aka Dave Fredericks) who was one of the key people who worked there from 1970 - 1976.

His full role will be told in the film, but in a nutshell, David’s background was as a performer, recording artist, demonstrator and regional sales manager for the Lowrey Organ Company. When one of his friends at a music store took in a strange new invention called the "ARP 2600" in 1970, David was asked to demonstrate it. A certain Mr Pearlman turned up to see his instrument demonstrated live and was impressed enough to snap David up to join him at what was then Tonus Inc.

David was heavily involved in the human engineering, patch books, overlays, soundsheets, point of purchase materials, marketing, demonstration and management of the sales teams and rose to the role of Vice President. He started the NAMM Jam (that still continues to this day) and is also the link between ARP and Eminent which resulted in the famous ARP/Solina String Ensemble that then lead onto the later ARP Omni and Omni II.

Post-ARP David went onto join Octave Electronics who’d released the CAT Synthesizer in 1976. The updated Series Revision Model (SRM) was released in 1977 and that’s where this recording comes from. David sent an original copy he had to me in the post and I asked if I could digitise it and upload it for posterity. So here we go!

There was a little nick in the soundsheet that meant that the very first sentence couldn’t be picked up by the needle but it was “…(missing)… for Octave Synthesizers” and then continued on where this digitised version picks up. I assume it was “This is Dave Fredericks for Octave Synthesizers” but I can’t be totally sure.

Anyway, here’s an Octave article from Sound On Sound for those who want to delve deeper. https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/octave-cat-kitten-voyetra

The Octave posters are taken from the wonderful Retro Synth Ads site:
http://retrosynthads.blogspot.com/

Thanks for watching!

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Видео Octave CAT SRM Synthesizer | Original 1977 Soundsheet канала Alex Ball