Yule be alright

Seems I may have been drunk last night. I reach this conclusion because I didn't finish my glass of wine, which very rarely happens. Had an excellent curry, which is greeting me again this morning. I watched most of the things I'd recorded (season finale of the Strain, Rick & Morty, Vic & Bob) but drew the line at Lord of the Elves which, even stoned though I was, was utter garbage but not in any kind of funny way. There were two people in it who (I think) had acted before. The rest of the cast were clearly just hobos.

How come when I eat liqueur chocolates I always leave cherry to the last? Seems counter-intuitive. Trying to limit myself to a box a day but it's 09:20 and I've eaten most of the current one.

Yesterday's recording is sounding very good indeed. I'm 22 mins in and contemplating another coffee. Today I will work out a tune for my new thing, probably. If not will record anyway, can always add a melody later if one occurs to me. Where's Picko when you need him?

Yeah, I was taking photos like that yesterday, convinced I was doing the Lord's Work. I'm going to drink less today.

Amazingly I missed a Friday, thinking it was Saturday. Now it's an actual Saturday and I'm at a loss. That track has been mixed and remixed but still isn't perfect. Too many elements - which always happens when I sync up the whole studio. I don't often go back and do things again but I probably should with this as there are a few decent ideas that float up from the stew, like interesting potatoes or amusingly-shaped carrots.

Since I didn't drink much yesterday, seems fair for me to contemplate a beer or two today. I should clean the mould out of the conservatory but can wait. Seems I'm waiting for something but not sure what. There really is no excuse for delaying starting writing the new novel. However.

Oh, my interview thing came out reasonably well - not as long as the others, which is probably in its favour. I fleshed out my answers somewhat on my facebook page.

I may offer some kind of summary of the year very soon. Then again, it might be too depressing.

This was a shit blog entry.

Ho Ho Fecking Ho

Well, I had a weird encounter with a random fat serving lass at Aldi who demanded to know whether I was ready? I looked at her and informed her I didn't do that kind of thing, to be met with a stare of pure hatred. I realise now that to communicate with the herd I'll have to make some changes and learn some of the preset sentences that people spurt out without even needing to look up from their phones. Had I gone with "I'm smashing it" I would have gone unnoticed.
As it happens, this fits well with my novel and Herbal Jeff's advice to the rest of the gang on blending in with the Other Side.

Anyway, Pat's off to watch the wee man open prezzies, leaving me free for a lengthy studio sesh. I have bought beer. I expect she'll be home 26th or 27th, should probably find out.

In other news, I'm actually really happy with that 35 min track I did the other day. Tossing the Electribe Sampler into my small P3 setup worked a treat - more stuff to do in that area. I should probably not have consigned it to the oblivion that is my Wily E Peyote bandcamp site.

Right, should wash my armpits as they're going to get a bit swampy I expect. Have bought tinned chilli, pizza and stir fry so, apart from the dog's needs, should not need to leave the house!

Seasonal bad taste humour:
Ram Dass was a spiritual leader and guru, NOT a brand of butt plug.

Excellent day. Recorded lots of stuff and lookin forward to playing back. Sketched more for the 'very pleasant' track, still need some kind of melody.

Good ideas

Well, ish. I thought that instead of debating with idiots, reading shit that makes me despair or just wasting time, I'd start posting some positive stuff about gear I've kept and what I like in particular. I have limited myself to one negative for each thing, just so it's not entirely misleading. There are things with lots of flaws that annoy me but which I keep for various reasons. It's worth talking about those I'd say. Recorded a thing today, the 20th, which is basically the whole afternoon jam. I cocked up one recording of the electribe - what a great addition that is with the P3/JX-03/MonoCircuit/Digitone end of things. Putting Juno through Biscuit (until I fix or replace Mod Factor PSU) and using Virus again. To good effect today. Well, I think.

I will listen tomorrow and either leave in place or wipe.
https://wilyepeyote.bandcamp.com/track/it-all-went

Roedelius gig

Awesome!!
On request, I wrote a little review on skiddle
https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Oldham/The-Golden-Lion/ROEDELIUS-ClusterHarmonia/13658225/reviews.html

This was just the kind of high I needed because the following day was Idiocracy Day (the election).
Friday the 13th is going to be dark and full of dark, unhappy music.

And so it was. I now feel totally dislocated. 

I'm not going to talk about the election, still too raw and still processing. But my rights as an EU citizen have been thrown under the bus, along with the rights of anyone else whose face no longer fits in the UK. By coincidence, just watching the episode of The Strain in which the rise of the Nazi party is depicted.
I've done more weird droney stuff since and suspect the trend will continue a while yet. Perhaps a droney Christmas album is afoot?
Bought a little JX-03 module from Tim - actually sounds better than the Novation Mono Circuit and, although the knobs are tiny, it has a far better, more direct UI. May see if I can swap the Circuit for a second one. Shame those sliders on the others are so small as tiny Jupiter would be cool too. Since I got another pretty good PRS payout, I may buy something else - perhaps the Reface YC, which has always appealed. Tiny, tiny, tiny! Did I mention I put a deposit on the Osmose? I may still be interested in the Hydrasynth, will have to see how it handles, but the Osmose seemed to have the superior sound engine and physicality.

I resisted the offer of a JD-XA for £700, which is quite mature of me. So far have kept the OP-1 too and maybe all I need for that is the RK-005 to let me deal with it as regular MIDI. Or a cheaper option,  I guess, since I've barely researched any. (This not reviewing stuff is starting to affect me - how quickly you lose touch with the whole market).

Right, it's Monday and I should do something. Aiming to get Cirklon manual mostly up to date by end of week.

Synthi Joy

The new trapezoid inversion and S&H work a treat - recorded a 15 min piece today that I think is brilliant. Just a straight jam, nothing fancy, pure Synthi but that's all you need! Sent it to Martin as he was after something for his label but haven't heard back - maybe too radiophonic for what he had in mind. Added a couple of 'ambient mush loop' type things he could pick instead.

This was just before, not quite as together but heading in the right direction.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B5pxshmh0mW/

Oh, and on Thursday I fired up the studio to do an exclusive track for Phantom Circuit, the chap who helped me out processing the Path to sound better. It turned out rather well, I think - started with general noodles on the Mono Circuit / TT-78 but half-way through, in response to a Synthi wail, everything broke down into a deep, full drone type piece. At over 20 mins it feels natural, smooth and a perfect example of a studio jam. Everything I do right now seems to work, so I really should do more.

However, I have finally made a start updating the Cirklon manual - which inevitably means there are things I need to remember. And because some features are tied to my unit's serial number, must also be careful not to mention features that aren't widely available. Actually, it looks like Colin added my personal shortcut for save/lose (a la P3) to the wider community, so that's good. Would be even better if it was mentioned in public ;)
I've got the ability to do screen dumps too now, which Colin can smooth so they look as good as the others. Busy, busy!

Ah, he must mean sharpen, since mine look too smooth and fuzzy. Darn. Playing with the Polyrhythm option and realising it's a marvel for piano type material. Got a bit lost with a pair of 1 bar P3 patterns with accumulators and random direction changes - sure sounds wild to me! Anyway, back to updating manual soon but want to sort graphics. At least I play with Cirklon again, which I haven't deeply for quite a while. Seduced by the simplicity of Elektron and the speed and playfun factor of the P3 setup, especially now the P3 feeds the MonoCircuit. But Cirklon has all that real-time stuff to enjoy, the reich function and I really must try that 'Prh' example someone posted. Must also try that 'sort Korg Win10 driver tosh' video and see if I can get mine going. Relying on old laptop to backup Microsampler and Minilogue xd is not good.

Had a lovely Saturday. Music (cocked up recording but can do again), chilling with films and g&t, lovely. Sunday equally good, almost hit the political iceberg with my mum but we both steered away.

Knobs 'pimped' / Mono Circuit arrived

Yep!

The Novation Mono Circuit is an odd thing. On the one hand it's a decent-enough cut-down Bass Station II, really lacking a second envelope but the modulation sequencer is an interesting alternative mod source. It has lots of flavours of distortion and these are added lovingly to many of the factory patches. I'll replace all those as I go. The problem with doing so is you need to start from a new pattern which doesn't have parameter recordings or step-captures (whatever the parlance - I've only skimmed the manual, which is a bit crap I'm afraid and has a few errors and contradictions I've noticed already).
You can store a patch for each pattern - but it's a pointer to a location that may, later, bear no relation to its sound at the point when you made the pattern. There is no way to see which patches have been used in patterns across the various sessions, so I can foresee overwriting stuff another session uses.

Management of sound development is therefore a challenge - but with some fun aspects. For example, if I make all the envelope times very long in one pattern, they will remain long in the next pattern UNLESS I explicitly write shorter envelope times into that next pattern. With no visibility of such parameter overrides, the sound you play back in each pattern with depends not only on the original selection but on which patterns have already played.
Having each part of the overall pattern loop and chain independently is great too. Old hat for sequencers like the P3 of course but light years beyond what Elektron sequencers can do - the Circuit also supports different directions. Just wish I could specify how many times each pattern should repeat.

Many of the things I would like to be able to write into a pattern, I can't (e.g. triggering) and some things are session wide when they'd be better pattern-wide, but hey, can't have everything (you'd have nowhere to put it). Manual claims you can't automate switches but I seem to have done it with oscillator octaves and more. Oops - no, I accidentally recorded some 'patch flips'. Another downer - seems too easy to 'fill' the modulation range of any parameter and you're forever backing off existing values so your new modulation makes any impact. I think the resolution may be inadequate for the job to hand. Oh well.

The most Stupidity Points earned so far are from the default state of  'save disabled'. The getting started manual supposedly points this out (I didn't even notice that manual until I'd downloaded the full manual and I still can't see where now I've found it). The full manual points this out, then smugly informs you that to be enable save requires a power-on button combi. WTF! A few cryptic coloured page to reality translations required but getting there. It does irritate that you can't write button presses (e.g. for octaves on the oscillators or filter types or LFO waveforms) into a pattern. Seems totally crap compared to Elektron stuff - I'd have moaned about it had I reviewed this.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B5dOZPtBNDr/

Did I mention that P3 Playlists still beat the 4x4 matrix of chained patterns? Yes, I'm repeating myself. Anyway, with a playlist I can loop the individual patterns in any order and have repeats and transposes, all from an easy interface. Still, using chains in different ways has its own charm.

Lastly, colour isn't as well-used as I'd expected. Things you'd want visible really aren't (like the contents of steps, whether patterns include parameter data etc.).
Oh and there are some oddities in terms of setting the root and scale - if you set the root after recording it transposes, which is rather annoying. Transpose should be a separate decision. You're setting the root, which will affect the notes you tap in. I do agree changing the scale should act on recorded notes though and that's the only respect where the root should count. Makes for much more interesting key modulations IMHO.

Off to get my Synthi back tomorrow :)

Last week of autumn

Well, it gets difficult to think of new headings for each entry.
Today I went to visit mum, having missed her for a couple of weeks. She's pretty perky and active, which is good for this time of year. Later, I didn't set the gear back up but did listen through the gig. Was surprisingly polished, or at least error-free and competent-sounding. Maybe I should have had a light and melodic thing in there rather than two Berlin type sequences, but it works as a whole. There's some annoying drop-out on the left channel of the recording though; I ended up copying parts from the other channel in Wavelab. Probably not good enough to release but then again it doesn't really add anything new/fresh to my catalogue anyway. (Stuck quietly on Wily E Peyote's bandcamp so I don't lose it).

Tried a few alternate knobs on the Minilogue xd - the Mutable mid-size ones fit and turn well enough but my favourites are the creamy ones Vermona use. Will see if Tony has a selection I can try, he probably does. Not entirely sure the Minilogue is an ideal live synth after all though - something more direct and simpler might still suit me better. The SH-101 really does piss all over it and it isn't a huge amount bigger.

Still wading through the Orville but it's not really holding my attention. I think it should either add some humour or some sci-fi; right now it doesn't seem to quite know what it wants to be.

Tuesday.
I did a nice drone today with the Pro 2 and Minimoog. Just playing back and it sounds fab - big and lush and faintly spooky. Inspired by gong dude from Sunday, no doubt, although I resisted using the two notes he was using thus maintaining my absolute originality.

Ordered a load of knobs, in three different sizes. I notice there are red and blue versions on some of my modules, which might be a cool swap-around too.

Thursday.
Just reading about an 'analog synthesizer' that's been updated to version 2.0 of its firmware. Funny old world. Oh, I weakened yesterday, fell for all the Black Friday stuff for the first time. I ordered a half-price Novation Mono Circuit, which is most of a Bass Station 2 but with the addition of a pretty coloured grid sequencer and the dropping of the too-short keyboard. Seems like a fun thing to play with, but we'll see. No confirmation from them that they got my order though.

Took Jasper down as far as the river yesterday - first time in ages. He was proper lively* too, tail up and leading all the way. Absolutely brilliant to see, given he's 18 and a half. I add the half these days because I feel he's earned it.

* I originally wrote 'perky' then remembered I'd described my mother that way earlier.

I note the signs that used to say 'Preston Junction Nature Reserve' aren't there any more. All that will be left will be a narrow strip of silver birch sandwiched between two cat-infested, rubbish-over-the-fence-dumping, tree-hacking housing estates.

Friday now. Mono Circuit arriving this afternoon but too late to be absorbed into my drunken/stoned festivities. New knobs may come today, we'll see. Anyway, I did a thing yesterday which was initially just a quick 'P3 meets Digitone' sesh but since I'd powered up the Mac, I recorded two ambient pieces (mostly Juno 6 and Lyra through FX and looper) afterwards. The ambient stuff was great, at least it sounds that way to me now in the cold light of day. I can hear changes I want to make in the P3 patterns - a few notes tweaked from the bass will totally transform it.

I think I may be down this end of the studio again today.
Mind you I really should fit that 'Pico RND' module I bought to fill the MN case, then, by the time it arrived, realised I didn't need it. How many times do I need to tell myself: buy no more modules! I already have more than I need. Thinking now that the MN case would be best as an ambient noise and weirdness generator, plus FX processor for other stuff. Sequencing, if I'm gonna bother doing it, is more fun with regular-sized instruments where I'm not terrified of grabbing that large coarse tuning knob (actually did this in gig but fortunately it was the Plaits and I had marked '0' in felt tip so could get back).

Right, time for another coffee, or perhaps another shit. Decisions, decisions...

Gig in a gin cellar

That's coming up on Sunday. I'm just going to do what I usually do these days in the standy-up studio but trimmed right back to OT/modular box/Minilogue xd. Was half-contemplating taking OP-1 too but probably overkill. Definitely overkill.
Got another offer to swap Pro2 for a JD-XA but now not so sure I want to part with Pro2. I've done some cool patches that I'd miss, especially the para ones. Might see how much cash he wants for JD as it might well suit me more than Hydrasynth, whenever that comes. The new Espresso or whatever it's called, seems to win the expressivity stakes, but at the expense of having the synth engine immediately accessible. Synth engine seems very powerful though. Update: I pre-ordered one. Yes, I know.

Where was I? Oh just bing-watching Mr Robot - kinda depressing and disorientating. Music's good though. I eventually gave up and bought series 1 of the Orville. It's a fairly humourless Family Guy meets Star Trek but I'm told it gets better.

Pat just rang having narrowly missed a big accident on M6 and then witnessed another soon after. Scary shit! I worry when she drives, especially at night, there are too many nutters out there. I had a close call the other day going to meet Gaz, when some twat in a pickup truck tried cutting in on me where there was no space to do so. I'll fret now until she texts to say she's there.

Sunday now. Gig went well. Not sure how long I played for but hopefully recording worked. Really enjoyed the gong part of the gig too, in fact both of the guys were excellent. Glad I made myself go out and do something, should do more. Girl wanted a CD but, of course, I hadn't taken any.

My thoughts were that I'd have preferred the SH-101 to the Minilogue - damn thing hung on me and had to have the plug pulled (power button didn't disturb it one iota). I must replace those fecking black knobs as everything just disappears in low light - idiots. Also missed my P3. Somehow doing prepared sequences on the Octatrack doesn't feel immediate enough for me compared to a P3 with its twin rows of proper knobs. Octatrack was good as a mixer and loop launcher though, even though I forgot half of what I wanted to do. Also the free-running tracks aren't as useful as I thought because I have to remember which pattern launches which sample - easier to just launch as usual then delete the trig once it's fired off.

Loops, poops and unsightly droops

Yeah well, it's frosty today and we had overnight vomit to contend with. Not sure if we ate something or caught something, but Pat woke around 2am throwing up and, once awake, I felt pretty nauseous too. Mind you that could just have been my reaction to the spew noise. A good excuse not to go to the gym anyway.

What's been happening, you might ask?
Well, let's see. Sunday I went to Lancaster to see Erland Cooper. Attempted to go by train but that turned out to be foolish dream as trains don't always bother on Sundays, leaving me stood around for an hour in the cold before I gave up and drove. Saw Mick too, rather briefly, but good to catch up. Gig was brilliant - support band were two girls called Ava, one of whom joined Erland in his string quartet. With Minimoog, tape machines and loopers, it was a superbly mellow performance soothing my train anger considerably.

Oh, and before that was the Gaz Escapade, involving a small and leaky boat, two Octatracks, and industrial quantities of weed. Judging by the project I saved, it was pretty far out stuff that we recorded and filmed. I have no idea if Gaz will be able to make anything interesting out of it but I'm hopeful. Sounded mad but good at the time. Some good anecdotes and fun, even if I'd have preferred enough space to get my modular out and use it for samples and sequencing. As it was, we sampled a few sounds from Gaz's Stylophone (the new fancy one that spits like an angry cockroach) and grabbed random things from our own sound libraries.  Surprisingly it turns out I was better at the 'man task' of keeping the fire going. Twisted Firestarter or what?

This week I am preparing for the Deep Listening gig on Sunday, or in theory I am. It's pretty cold in the standy-up studio today. My plan is to play for approx 30 mins and do very little except sound FX on the modular, processing on the Octatrack, sequences via the Octa/QMI2/modular. Just taking my Makenoise case and the Octatrack, which will serve as mixer, processor and a source of random loops, noises, pads and whatever else I can think of. I have Friday/Saturday to do some new patterns cos Pat's away doing shopping with Dawn.

Still feel a bit icky. Might go back to bed.

Bad start to a good day

Well, a bad start in that I dislodged the vacuum cleaner which slid to the ground, slicing off my new wifi extender and ruining it. Then I faffed for ages tuning various modules to make a set using Bloom. In the end, I simplified by adding the Vermona Quad MIDI interface and sending the notes from the Octatrack. Makes sense since I'm using it anyway for mixing and effects.

I might try moving the Digitone to be controlled by the P3 for a while, swap them over.
Anyway, sorted out a single pattern and some FX transitions that could easily be the entire gig on the 24th. Still might try and get the Morphagene into the case somehow, might be possible to drop Clouds and add the Pico DSP, freeing space that way. Then again, Benjolin through Clouds was doing some wild shit today! My entire setup will be: Octatrack/Modular/A4 with a Keystep to enter notes or play selected tracks.

Ordered some right-angled leads so important parts are more accessible. Modules all over the place though, I spent time cursing sliding nuts again.
Think I  might take the portable modular next week to jam with Gaz.

Good day, noodled idly.  with Octatrack and modular. Go well together.

Busy busy

Well, I have been. Yesterday I did a quick new track for a Concrete compilation on behalf of the Labour party - I did it in Berlin style and called it Entrenched Positions. While doing it I was bugged by the Odyssey's LFO reset so when I went to see Tony today, I took it. He very kindly sorted it for me on the spot, then replaced the Octatrack encoder - so I'm ready for the thing with Gaz next week. My Synthi is getting a few mods too. Well, why not!

Some person who had owned the Ody before me was of the view you should squirt stuff into sliders, so there would be a sticky residue for ever more. I really wish people would not do this! I hear it so often and it's always wrong. 

Oh, and I agreed to a gig on the 24th. One of those Deep Listening things. Might do something on the modular - seems like I should since I bought that portable case!

Shall I put the colours back in the conventional way, or not?
Tomorrow I'm off to see John for a good natter, leaving Friday to exploit that free-running LFO and OT, or maybe just to get hammered and noodle. At some point I should think about next week and whether to take other stuff than the OT - something to sample probably.

Thursday Night Jam

Matt & Pascal came round and we recorded two pieces of approx 30 mins each. I'm just listening through now and it's surprisingly coherent. Not sure I have Pasc loud enough in this quick mix but the good news is that Matt fancies doing some editing, so no need for me to faff. Yay!
I really liked the sound of the Behringer Neutron. It's zappy, it's snappy it's in no way crappy! The delay is great too.
Now, to tidy up the studio, do yet another audio recording of the Minilogue xd click so Korg can pretend they are still looking into it. Some users have suggested it's no longer an issue but I'd rather trust my own ears than theirs.

Sent audio to Korg. Recorded some stuff that's mostly the MN case modular. And lots of DLD, some Clouds, Plaits and Tonestar. Did maybe 4-5 tracks, but the first I should have done sans kick I think. Chilled day! And I did use that distortion module quite a lot, starting to get a feel for it and the many tones it's capable of.

Rainy Saturday morning, listening back, the 4-5 tracks all seem less inspired than I hoped. ;)
Guy wants to re-release more old stuff, suggests Chimera and Deserted Tower so I'll find and listen at some point. Got the wee man coming tomorrow though so won't get anything done until Wednesday at earliest. Just hope Hydrasynth doesn't arrive in the meantime! Actually not sure I really need to review it now.

Oh and finally I have the plot for the new novel. It's not down to every last detail but I do have a complete story from start to finish, which is something new for me. I think I have a good twist, a decent ending, lots of chances for moral ambiguity and character redemption a la Gemmell. It encompasses ideas that date back as far as 'Renamed and Dangerous' which I wrote on the Atari ST IIRC. It is essentially a sequel to the story I only sketched before and can use the ideas I had for that but set them properly in a post apocalyptic scenario full of human stupidity and self-harm.

No reply from Korg about whether they are able to hear the clicks in my audio or, if they can. whether they care. Apparently they previously just dismissed it thus (and without getting back to me of course):

When we tested, TBH we really struggled to hear a problem

I've told them I have my box and if mine is a hardware error let's get it replaced. Just telling me other users don't notice doesn't cut it (see my previous thoughts about human stupidity)

sigh

Tiddly Pom!

Well, had a pleasant day chatting synths with Pete from Sheffield yesterday. Didn't get anything done though so today I leapt into action. Well, I trimmed a tree in the garden and moved modules that I like into the MN case. I guess I was thinking if they do ask me to play that cellar thing I'd have an easy setup ready to play for 30 mins or so. Mostly I'd use the Bloom sequencer and my old favourite the Tonestar along with Plaits. Plenty of control and processing options and I may yet decide to replace Clouds with Morphagene as (I think) they're the same size so an easy drop-in. Those fecking sliding nuts, have I moaned about them today? The DPO wasn't working out in that case anyway and since I've added the Tonestar, I no longer need the envelope I had in there.

This box plus maybe the A4 acting as reverb for it, plus the Soma Pipe for me to do my reverby groany drone with and I'm sorted.

In theory Pascal and Matt are coming around tonight but haven't had confirmation and haven't really prepared the rooms. Update: moved to Thursday (in theory, of course).

Elektron just released a nice Analog Four update giving it different clock divisions at last, plus a MIDI out. Don't need that particularly and still hoping for the 'kit per pattern' but at least they finally got round to adding tempo per pattern. I could now have either the A4 or Digitone as my master rather than the Octatrack, but we'll see. I do plan to make more efforts with the A4 now there's also the Digitone's 'per page randomiser' which might inspire me. I really need to clean out all those shit sounds I've gathered - trouble  is I've added a fair few of mine all over the place too. Oh for a clean slate, but with my projects and sounds! Weirdly, I thought I was on the beta team but perhaps they dropped me without saying. Anyway, not updating right away as hearing bug reports already. Would like to have had chance to find them, especially as they sound quite obvious so far.

Listening to the two CDs Pascal gave me, really digging the ambient one - talented fellow!

Wednesday, was lovely so went out looking for new walk, but didn't find it despite doing my best with Pat's directions. Jasper in odd, exuberant mood. Up early and full of energy, following me around even more than usual. Sleeping now though.

Pat at horse thing so I had curry and noodled on modular, recording a short sketch. Clouds making some reasonable noises so not going to pull it for a while. Played with mice, watched random shit on TV. Enjoying 'Preacher' at the mo on Prime. Someone found some old gig photos, from when I was basically an embryo.

More stuff

Yeah, that. Moreness of stuff. Recording things, some of the Sonic W drones reaching bandcamp, did thing today that might be good, contemplating taking on Cirklon manual maintenance. Started module review but not working hard on it. Gonna do some Octatrack thing with Gaz but a single night better than two from Pat's point of view. Plus he might find me too dull for so long. It's in a barge.
Got new telly. Hate throwing stuff away that should last. Had it repaired once, the old one, what shite as it failed with same error. New one has six year guarantee, that's what swung it. Watching Mr Robot, music in it is good. New dish at Radohnny. Garlic Chilli Blast. I felt the blast this morning. Several times.

Hmmm, that last entry looks suspect. Since then I have replaced the new telly, finished a module review, done more tracks, went to a gig in a gin place in Preston (today, it was fab too, got asked to play which I might). I did volunteer to take on the Cirklon manual - need a build that will allow me to do screen dumps, which Colin is sorting. Have made a start going through update text file and adding some thoughts for features not mentioned there.
Hydra not here yet but shouldn't be too long. Distortion module came and it's really nice, so should be an easy review to write up. I seem to have a few things to do all of a sudden.

Oh, the Path is being reissued so I should mention it here really. I think this is a link. 
Not sure I want to do any more, guess I should listen to some. Meant to be getting Matt and Pascal round for a drone sesh, and some guy coming from Sheffield tomorrow who, I suspect, has mistaken me for the other Paul at Synthfest. Well, one of the other Pauls. He seems a bit normal to want to visit me but asked for an introduction to synths, so I'm happy to oblige.

Yeah, I used different pix on Facebook. Was impressed by Erogenous Tones Structure module which is expensive but puts CV-controlled video in your modular. I know something else happened last week but my brain refuses to cough up the information. Oh, Pascal gave me a CD today so I'm looking forward to some OVNI tomorrow morning with my coffee. Should probably find out what time that guy coming...

Approaching Synthfest

So I might not post this until afterwards.
Spent the afternoon playing the piano, a real tonic after all the modular messing and reorganising.
Thursday became Friday. Did piano loop things with Cirklon, reich really is a fab feature!
https://soundcloud.com/smokyfrog/pianoloops-edited

And it's gone. Synthfest that is. Awesome. Played cool new things, talked to lots of folks (including some guy what used to be in the Human League and maybe still is; anyway he has a Cirklon and I was hopefully able to help, although one of his issues seems related to the various knots Colin has tied himself in re: Song mode playback. But I digress. Did an interview with Gaz and talked nonsense, totally contradicting what I'd decided to say 5 seconds earlier when he briefed me with the questions. Heh). Now I have the interesting dilemma which pits performance control against user interface - something to think about there. I might return to this and write up what I mean, but should clear the review I promised first.

Monday I started programming new patches on my V-Synth. This is a good idea for whenever GAS strikes. You can ask yourself how many synths have an architecture so flexible and powerful combine with a user interface so fucking amazing, with innovative performance controllers thrown in too. Just saying.

Just sent away for my first lock-picking set. As you do. A guy at the curry house was showing me the basics and I found it fascinating. Something new to learn.

Self portrait and the death of machines

Yep, another. Excellent day. Well, yesterday I did a painting. No, I'm not left handed but I paint using a mirror.

Today I did a 26 min track starting with Synthi noise then some Perfourmer and stuff.
Restyler seems to have stopped working. Also, the coffee machine. Woe.
May add overdubs but what I have already sounds nice, until around 12 mins in where I change Cirklon scenes and everything sorta stops. Oops. Need to be more organised, which isn't so easy these days.

Currently working my way through: Mozart letters and Beethoven string quartets. My brain will be expanded by this I hope. The letters, like Mozart's music, are easier on the brain, but I'll stick with those quartets even though I've yet to reach the challenging late ones.

Saturday morning, it's pissing down. I'm pacing up and down hoping the new coffee machine will be here soon. I did a nice couple of (related) things in the afternoon. They're on Soundcloud, at least for now.

Monday. I filled in the stinky pond. Emptied as much of the murky water as possible, until I could be sure there was nothing living in it. Next door neighbour let me have some soil so I carted that until I was knackered. I think I flooded the mouse which lives under the shed as I saw it scampering around later looking quite annoyed.
Accepted a module for review and discussed possibility of another review, of something I'm very interested in. Something worth coming out of retirement to write about, perhaps. Played with modular - the new box organisation is working well, just a few modules moved around but it gives each box a distinct purpose and identity. P3 still the sequencer for the main sequencer box. Then there's the middle box of FX, mixing and modulation. To the right of that is the (mostly) drone box, now rigged up to the Keystep with a single synth voice ready to play (Waldorf module). My small Roland case could be an FX supplement box or a stand-alone ambience generator, rather good. Leaving my MN case with a simplified synth architecture for sampling, all controlled by the BSP. Putting that Doepfer envelope in there was a good move, along with the FM module. The Cirklon end of things is spot on too now,  so much nicer to work without the OT limitations for a change. Right, shutting up now. Oh, I'm up to Beethoven's 6th and 7th string quartets - favourites so far. You have to really listen to this stuff.

P.S. The Restyler was working again yesterday afternoon, phew!