Heh

The special of Life's Too Short was brilliant, very funny indeed.

Dr Who... well, he has a full-formed assistant, cocky from the start, with computer skills like Willow off Buffy. A bit too fast and contrived in places but some brill one-liners.

Um

Since when did Dr Who have a Harry Potter wand? I keep expecting him to say "sonicus screwdriverosum"

A week reshaped

Not everything went to plan and instead of it being a Headshock music week, Tim had to return to Glasgow. Tony got his Virus KC and consequently put his JP6 on sale. Tim's JP6 arrived Tuesday (!) and although it looks OK, there was a slider not working (not an important one happily) but there's that distortion thing that my second one used to have. Pretty sure Tony knows what it is now but I know Tim'd've been better off with his... ah well.

So I pressed on with new review, in fact wrote most of it today in one sitting. Still have to get arp working, it didn't tonight using midi from Cirklon for reasons I didn't suss. Will try from Logic/USB cos I think that worked yesterday. Created Cirklon track values for all its parameters, talked to the man about some issues.

I didn't write any music quiz or otherwise. Hard to imagine me getting into that, which could be part of the problem.

Um

Got to see part of Tim's new film - stunning. Really looking forward to seeing the lot and performing to it. Had a jam that sounded great, didn't record because really no need. The feeling has appeared that we can just do it and I believe we can. Making shit up, who'd have thought?

JP6 arrives tomorrow apparently. So should check that out. Giving myself some time this week to chill and do music. Have drunk beer tonight. Possibly quite a bit. Sent off review this morning.

I'd planned to write something in this entry but, alas, I've forgotten what it is. Die Niebelungen is copy-protected. Arse.

One of my regular afternoons off

So I was working on an annoying quiz show them when Pat came home and performed her automatic "music sponge" function, stopping me dead in my tracks. Dunno why that is but composing new stuff, well, I vont to be alone. It was way easier to slip into something that feels right, honest and has an earning potential of zero.

Hey ho

So I did this instead, thanks to Pete for the starting loops!

Later I worked on the Dango thread of EP and I think I can see the way forward on that one now. Nowt else to report. Review is done, gonna try and polish off everything else too if I can, clear the decks so there's time for new stuff and music with Tim next week. Apparently we have 15 mins of video so far for the gig...

Context Is Everything

There, a fundamental truth. You don't get one of those from me every day, right? Someone added it, wisely I thought, to a discussion about live music.

I have just been preparing for live music as it happens. Putting sequences into the Octatrack for a change but a very worthwhile thing to do. Can add tiny pitch fluctuations and sound transformations as scene progresses. Got a new piece that's almost exactly that, sequences galore on Cirklon and Octatrack by the end of it and lots of scene progression. Sounds ace. I'll probably not use the kick and snare at Awakenings, unless we want to awaken them I guess.
Does using an Octatrack count as cheating? No as long as you don't prepare anything. Pah, impossible, for me anyway. It would drive me insane. Insaner.

Right, review to complete. Did not do any quiz music, tried, briefly, got nowhere.
Sent off invs - good month - phew.
BTW I timed the latency of the app I'm reviewing this afternoon. I wonder if it's time I replaced my iPad2? I would love to know what the latency is on other models, can see it's something that needs talking about.

Thank heavens for Cirklon's Latency Adjustment. Clever sod that Colin. I sent him a thankee email cos I usually whine at him. Have to remember the thankees.

No beer tonight, trying not to drink automatically when Pat's at work! OK, you guessed, I had some shortbread.

Nice Video Tim!

It really is

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuM4qlZ5wxE

One review done, another ticking along. Not a bad day, didn't get very far with quiz show ideas.

splendid saturday

Yes, I finished one review today or all bar the final polish anyway. Then progressed a tune, enjoying this very simplified setup of perfourmer and proteus. And Octatrack!

I don't think I could use the Octatrack anywhere near as well without Cirklon to keep track of all the patterns, set the tempo and OT scenes etc. I'm now putting sets (I use the term loosely) together so that a Cirklon song equals an Octatrack project but I'm discovering wild, bonkers but fun new material by deliberately combining the wrong songs and projects. Having lots of projects on OT card gives more options, could be hundreds :)

A way to gradually change tempo between scenes or override until you're ready to let it change, still outstanding. Patch changing in OT working well today too, at least everything seems to click about right.

Didn't progress quiz show music except whistled tune into recorder. Might be too odd though.
Listened through more Killers Behind Bars, a reasonable amount of my stuff after all. Got the closing credits too which was good. 

Curry. 

Zip, a week goes by...

Funny how that happens. Suddenly very busy, plan to finish the two most important reviews this weekend. One is practically done except for a few rough edges that need to go, the other is almost there, needs fleshing out. Then there are about three more...

I'm also tasked to write some quizshow music, which I tried this afternoon but didn't get very far. Funnily enough I always dry up when Pat comes in and she's downstairs listening. Weird and something I need to resolve! Last night's Killers Behind Bars had some of my music but less than series one. Some of the extra stuff sounded way better than mine, which is a bit depressing, definitely better production. Hey ho.

No time for any of my own projects, most of all I want to work on the Eternity Program as the ideas are starting to reach critical mass. Speaking of which, I didn't get the Poop job, some guy from South America got it instead: Cardinal Beergoggles. He looks like Woody Allen.

Shit, red nose day. Funny for Money, they say. If only that were true.

Here's some daffs from about Wednesday cos it's rained ever since.

No, I'm not terribly impressed with this entry either. At least I resisted moaning about Pat knocking my wingmirror off reversing out of the garage...

Hah, usual Carl miscommunication means no curry, nice night with Pat instead. Took the day off, worked on my novel for first time in a while, ideas flowing as I get more into short story mode for it rather than working chapters. Running one story all the way through then doing another related but independent is a bit Tarentinoish but fun.

Listened through some Headshock stuff from last year, we have such a goldmine. Tim's taken a lot on hols to  listen to and work on his fave compilation(s). We should get a CD or several done. And film made, gonna be busy.

I'm seeing now how the Octatrack is a deeply evolutionary process as I build my projects, all of them changing all the time, growing, developing, each and every pattern. Sorry, you can tell what sort of afternoon I had.

I notice there are loads of pictures of Tangerine Dream and their technology but Cluster were often photographed by rivers, drinking wine. Just sayin.

Also, I read "Galactic Pot-Healer" today. Enjoyed it. "Time Out Of Joint" is on the way. I sense a theme.

Fuddled Friday

Well, today I didn't work incredibly hard, it has to be said. Agreed to an app review but didn't grab it yet. I think sending in the other review sooner than planned made me feel I had the day off. Anyway, I had a couple of goes at something for a dancer to listen to, for this gig. Tim liked the second one, fast at 132bpm and simple so that's that.
www.bogusfocus.com/mp3/HS_Fasty.mp3
In case anyone reading this is interested. It's just a quick run-through live from me so won't be too much like we eventually play it.

Quiet night in tonight with Pat, all is good. The Fonz was on the One Show, still a sussed dude.

a pic for no very good reason other than this blog is really boring innit?

Charidee

Did a track tonight for something on facebook, I was stoned and volunteered so did it today. I'd been thinking about it cos might have tried it yesterday. I think it's good but I'm never a good judge. Called Time Out Of Joint, ho ho, and I did get relaxed before recording it. Some of it was from earlier track I started and had lots of trautonium in. Wasn't my best performance though. Heh. Anyway, did some piano stuff and made it all dreamy and reverby, thanks Blake dude for the pointers!

Review done too I think. Just read through and I like the feel and tone. Don't think there's owt I've missed but plenty of time, can leave it a few days then read again like first time. Luxury! Start next one tomorrow, started playing already. Onwards! Really should work on some music but grabbing bits here and there. Started something tonight using my finally-resolved Octatrack integration with bolt-ons, arpeggiators, drum machines, anything that will sync up to Cirklon kinda setup. I think that simplified analogue plus proteus plus octatrack rig works. Add as many synths as I can carry. That Roland keyboard useful for playing Perfourmer, especially good if Colin adds temp seq mode I wanted. He just might, you never know. I've asked before though and I don't think he was keen...

Hey ho! Top day, lots of sunshine and basking, listening to music. Bliss!

Darn

... but I have missed playing the organ. All the more shame this thing took such a hammering as I'd like to gig it. Ah well.
Loaded "Messin1" and applied sequences created for Messin2 to it. Works indecently well. Worked on review alongside playing, trying out all my verifies, adding a few useful extras. Unfortunately 500 words over but well inside time. Can trim or call in early. Some tweaks still possible to OS so maybe delay.

Discovered sh101 sequenced slides. Where have you been all my life? Think I can improvise a gig with those starting points. :)

Driving some

I was pootling along, I'd just finished Paul's new one (Opus, excellent it was, dunno if anyone reads this stuff looking for music but go to bandcamp, buy it, I would) and I was lost in the recording of what Tim and I did yesterday, and I noticed the next junction was 42. Hmmm, I thought, last time I saw a junction was 39...

So instead of going back a junction I found my way, actually quite easily, to Tony's from the north. Got there nice and early but had a very pleasant lunch, got home sometime around three. Time to check the SK20, verify a few notes I'd made about the review, discovered either a bug or a non-imp-yet. Will ask.

The SK20 does sound pretty good, thank goodness, Tony's done wonders sticking the wood and generally cleaning the keyboard, switches, getting the broken jack out of the main mix, fixing the various breakages on the main board. Could spend more cash getting the sliders right - next time I will travel to pick something up or I won't get it. Unless I know for sure I'm dealing with someone capable. OK, rant over. The guy says he'll pay £75 of the £140 bill. I should probably have charged more, especially given I just wasted another day on this, but just want an end to it.