Cracking day

Learned that some of my stuff has been used in channel 5's programmes about serial killers
http://www.channel5.com/shows/killers-behind-bars/episodes/peter-tobin
(for example), got an email telling me which made my day.

SO much that I decided to order Spitfire strings, over £400 including £70 VAT. Have to keep working hard.

So I moved my Sherman Rodec Restyler over from the Mac, connected it to the Cue outputs of the Octatrack, routed its output back to ins A/B and started to experiment. Initially great results but then I noticed the mix wasn't right as I progressed my songs through their scenes. I use up to 14 scenes in most songs and these control the mix transitions as well as effect changes and other stuff. It turns out that when I code XLV of Min in a Scene, this is ignored if sent to a Cue output. Tried the Studio setting but you can't set the levels of each output per scene either. Doh! Asked on forum but no replies.

Next: very disappointed with Elektron's response.
Asked why the Cue output does not honour scene XLV automation and was told it was due to DJ-style performance and headphone use (!)*. Apparently you're supposed to cue stuff up in headphones before introducing it. Fair enough but is that the only way to use it??? I begged them to consider musicians too and allow a personalise option "honour all the effort I put into scene level programming". The only option they suggested was using XVOL which alas I can't because I've already used this programming volumes for my 25 songs.

* IMHO someone sat on stage wearing headphones is disconnected from the audience just like gazing into a laptop. I know we're all different but...

I dearly hope they will reconsider. Never have I come across a company that thinks so completely differently to me and appears unsympathetic to other views. Views that keep consistency with existing functionality but would make such a difference to me. The last time was when I tried to explain to a German company how classic arpeggiators work or to a softsynth company about the function of the capacitor in an analogue envelope.

I've gone off the idea of writing an updated review about all the extras added until now. Anyway, got a new drum machine in and a quick app review to do.