Octave Cat Synthesizer

Description

Overview

Octave Cat Synthesizer, from Cherry Audio, is a ferocious new breed of virtual instrument that meticulously emulates the legendary CAT duophonic synthesizer unleashed by Octave Electronics in 1976. Developed in partnership with the CAT’s original designer, this synthesizer retains the fat, savage growl and aggressive resonant filter of the original hardware while significantly expanding its capabilities for modern music production.

This powerful emulation captures the essence of a groundbreaking piece of music technology, offering everything that made the original CAT revolutionary—including cross-mod, fierce oscillator sync, and extensive modulation—but elevates it with expanded polyphony, a robust integrated effects suite, and a versatile dual-step sequencer.

The Octave Cat is a testament to the possibilities that arise when innovation meets tradition, allowing producers to access the iconic sound of the 70s while benefiting from contemporary digital features like MIDI Polyphonic Expression (MPE) support and full DAW automation.

Key Details

• Emulates the iconic CAT duophonic synthesizer from 1976.
• Features expanded polyphony, supporting up to 16 voices.
• Includes a robust integrated effects suite: distortion (tube/fuzz), 2/4/8/12-stage phaser, flanger/chorus, three syncable delays, and five reverb types.
• Equipped with a classic-style dual-channel, eight-step sequencer with tempo sync and quantization.
• Features two distinct VCOs with discrete wave, modulation, S+H, and sub octave settings.
• Incorporates a vintage-correct four-pole 24 db/oct filter based on the original “cascaded OTA” SSM2040 filter.
• Supports MIDI Polyphonic Expression (MPE) for organic and expressive performances.
• Offers dual panel views: an authentic Main view for synthesis controls and an FX/Seq panel for extended features.

Use Cases

The Octave Cat is ideal for a wide range of musical applications, allowing producers to inject vintage grit into modern tracks. Use it to:

• Create aggressive, resonant basslines that channel the raw power of 70s analog synthesis.
• Design unique lead sounds utilizing the screaming audio-range oscillator cross-mod.
• Program complex rhythmic patterns using the dual-step sequencer for industrial or electronic music.
• Add textural depth to ambient pieces using the extensive suite of integrated reverb and delay effects.
• Recreate classic sounds used by pioneers like Devo, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, and The Prodigy.

Installation

As a standalone virtual instrument and plug-in, installation is designed to be straightforward for modern DAW environments. Ensure you have the necessary host software running to load the VST, AU, or AAX format. The product includes both standalone and plug-in versions for maximum flexibility in your production workflow.

Compatibility

This software instrument is designed to integrate seamlessly with contemporary digital audio workstations (DAWs).

• Supported Operating Systems: Windows 10/11, macOS 10.13+
• RAM Requirement: 4GB RAM
• Disk Space Requirement: 1GB Hard Drive Space

Audio Demos