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!

Rainy Sunday

After a glorious, sun-bathing day yesterday it's heavy rain today. So much for my plans to go shrooming. I spent some time Friday afternoon working out ways to do my sequencing from the OT but adding parameter locks from the DT - first problem I encountered was running out of lock memory. Seems the other machines can handle far fewer locks than the OT (which doesn't have a limit, as far as I can tell). So that was annoying. The next thing was an issue lining up the notes with the parameters. This I still have to investigate as it might be down to MIDI's serial nature but I suspect it's due to the fact I record my OT notes without quantisation and the p-locks I add are on the beat. Something for the afternoon since rain is forecast all day. There's also a new Minilogue xd oscillator which gives 12 notes (IIRC) in a paraphonic mode. Very cool, have to try that. That last 'chip tune' oscillator I installed is really great too - has a built-in arpeggiator which gives all manner of warbly noises you couldn't do before. I've had zero interest in other users in verifying the click issue and reporting to Korg. I really wonder what people do with synths, whether any of them have working ears or whether anyone ever learns their gear at all. Some idiot suggested trying portamento = 0 because he heard maybe that's a fix. I pointed out that was the dumb-arse suggestion for the original Minilogue and that it didn't work there either, none of which stops it going round the internet like a bad meme.

Wow, a block of rambling text eh? You can tell I'm in no hurry to go out!

My 'standing up' article is in the latest SOS.

There are also some issues with the DT in terms of encoder sensitivity that I need to sort. I remember spending a while getting some parameters to exactly zero, even using Func. Also the issue of pattern length and pattern changes arose when trying to sync notes and events on two different machines might just introduce unwanted wackiness but we'll see if maybe I was just too stoned to work out the best way of doing it.

Installed the 'extra' xd oscillator. It doesn't sound great though and it turns out the slot it occupied was used in a LOAD of patches. I think it was the demo oscillator dmsync which is actually easier to use than the full-fledged one (for which I really must print out that crib sheet).

At a loose end today. Expected a pal to visit, although he's a pal who is often going to visit then doesn't manage it. I think I need a project. Maybe one in which I finish a piece of music. Wild eh?

Today I listened to some Handel and thought it was out of tune. Later I read the notes and I'm correct - they're playing with A=415Hz and unequal temperament is mentioned too. The horns sounded particularly out but perhaps because they are authentic instruments for the period. Anyway, it's much different than the version I had years ago on cassette but once I got used to it, I like it. I might do something at 415, if my synths will tune to that. The analogues will of course but a lot of modern stuff doesn't let you deviate much, if at all.

Booked car in and tree man. I really must be bored if I'm doing this blog. Should get the final plot points sorted so I can start the new novel in earnest. Well, not earnest, that other thing.

It's Wednesday and I moved more modules around but it's still a real struggle to do anything worthwhile with Eurorack at the moment. I wonder if I'll ever get back into it? If I sold the lot, how much cool stuff could I get instead? Stuff I'd use. I should add it all up sometime. Actually that might be heartbreaking as never have I spent so much and got so little musical pleasure in return...

Friday again

And my Perfourmer II came back with the power supply replacing the old one. Hopefully it won't need fixing every 4-5 years or so from now on. It's sounding just as fabulous as always and I recorded a little thing with it (on Soundcloud if you're interested, although I might delete it before posting this.).

I say 'you' as if I'm addressing an actual audience although I don't expect that to be the case. I mostly write this blog because, at some point in the past, I started doing it. And hey, that's still a better reason than Brexit! Today Terry Christian retweeted one of my tweets. That may prove to be my Peak Twitter Moment. Oh actually I think I got a reply from the sky-gazing Brian Cox once. Yeah, heady circles I know.

I think it's a Light Studio day. I should work in the garden really but I did a bit this morning. That week-old pie I just ate is sitting uneasily on my stomach. I'm giving up with Pat's pie collection now, will have to admit defeat and chuck the rest. Ah, she already noticed they've started going off - wish I had better taste buds. No wonder I love curry eh? Food that gets through!

Yesterday's thing (it's Saturday now)

Wednesday now and we're at Center Parcs. Or Centerparcs maybe. Earlier I watched two stoats chasing each other. I had a pipe then spent 5 minutes trying to switch off my Kindle by pressing its USB socket. Due to the usual cockups of life, Pat broke her toe (she thinks) on day one. Day two they cocked up her takeaway order but the end result was they delivered it all again. So today (day three), I'm having chicken tikka chilli balti with mushroom pilau rice again. For lunch I had the fajitas that villa 112 ordered but didn't get. I've taken some pictures, will add at the end (when I find the cable).

Have had fun with the OP-1 and Digitone. Odd using the Digitone's own sequencer compared to the OT. In face the whole layout, once you start using it fully, is very different to the OT. And this from the same company. Doing sequences with parameter locks works better with this synth engine than the Analogue Four and it really helps that you can just copy patterns and tweak, not worrying about all that A4 kit nonsense. Doing freaky stuff having specific algorithm tweaks combined with envelope changes and operator frequency shifts... yeah. Stuff I don't usually do with the OT because it involves modulators and trial and error. Haven't powered up the Reface yet.

Anyway, all good

Well

It's sunny today and I don't know how many days of Summer there are left. Technically none since it's September but what the heck, I'm showing my flabby belly to the sky and daring it to take offence. Reading an Andy Hamilton book I got from the library and contemplating whether the morning's gardening constitutes enough. I've filled the proper garden bin, the old garden bin and the compost bin and still have piles of greenery, so it'll have to do. I rang Dave and left a message asking if he's still the tree man or whether he's sublimed into a being of higher energy. Hopefully I got the tone right and he'll ring back. Actually, hopefully I got the number right as my message might sound rather odd to anyone who isn't Dave. And frankly that's everyone, isn't it?
I have resisted having a bag of smoke so far this afternoon. And there was only one beer left in the fridge. This may count as one of my healthy days, in the grand scheme of things.

I look at the clock and realise it's 16:00. Another day has gone. Should I worry about losing them when there will be a very similar one along tomorrow? Tony didn't ring, presumably he was less than impressed by my availability - or lack of it - last weekend. The soundtrack for the Killing Fields just arrived, courtesy of tax-dodgers Amazon. I'm playing it now and it's great. Not at all what I expected either, which is always a bonus.

I tried a sketch earlier but it was rubbish. Disconcerting really. Will all my meagre skills atrophy? Spelling going too, I see. It's meager, obviously.

Monday, recorded a really nice drone then mixed other tracks but quite a few in total. Stood up in Dark Studio and felt productive. Plan to watch shit TV tonight, Pat home tomorrow. Drank some Desperado but not both bottles as pissed already :)

The Tree where I almost died. Still significant to me many years later.

New OT project day

It's always a great feeling to begin a new Octatrack project. Having filled most of the patterns of my Colours prj it's time for Metals. I have therefore created a new blank proj with no samples in it. My 8 arrangements have been set up as follows:

Actinium
Berkelium
Chromium
Dubnium
Europium
Fermium
Gallium

I'll start working through them in alphabetical order, creating new patterns for my MIDI instruments and sampling new stuff as I go. The project starts from the same point as the last one ended, meaning there are scenes and parts set up already doing the kind of things I often do. This usually proves interesting when applied to the new samples I add and, of course, I change everything as I go. My Analog Four and Digitone also start from the same point the last project left off. Since these are used only as sound modules any actual patterns are blank anyway (apart from the occasional FX change in the A4 which usually trips me up).

A clean sheet then, tally ho! I'll keep the Model D and Blofeld in the same places too as it's a nice mix, even though it means the A4 plays just one part (and provides effects for the Model D).
My OT main encoder is starting to fail so I'll try and order one from Elektron. Yesterday I started work on Actinium and grabbed a nice loop from the Tanzbar, possibly hit on a groovy bassline. Today I might continue on that or perhaps do a nice relaxing drone. The piano piece I started is going nowhere so will leave it for now.
Roland have announced a ton of new stuff but any hope of getting a tiny Juno-6 soundalike is thwarted again as the 'revisit' still misses the polyphony count of the original. So at least Roland are consistent (leaving us with the 'what are they thinking?' question we've been nursing for decades).

The Ideation session is still sounding fab. If I'd cut anything it might be the bit around 44 mins on my quick mix but it's all actually so good I'd be content to put it out as is. That first drone is a killer. Which reminds me, must play the Pipe more.

Must take some new photos :)

Happy Friday!!!

Sauna Studio Sesh

I'd been worried that the day Pete and I chose to spend making new Ideation tracks would cook us both. In the end, we coped - and I'm listening to the 1.5 hours of material we recorded as I type. The best bits seem to be ambient/drone-based so far but all good.

Following Tony's suggestion I ask Vermona about a new power supply they did indeed offer to send me one - nice one guys! It turns out my Perfourmer mk2 has a very different power supply to the later models, as shown in the circuit diag they sent. Hopefully the replacement board will last longer and work better.

Bank Holiday Monday, getting warm. Have picked some apples but mostly gonna laze around again for the rest of the day.

Had a battle with debt recovery company sent by DHL to chase an invoice that never reached me. DHL maintain it's not their problem that 20 Marilyn Ave doesn't exist and not their driver's responsibility to notify them of this. The end result is that there was some import tax on the Intellijel review modules but, due to the address mix-up, DHL could think of no way to get in touch with me to say. I recall their stupidity over the Pro 2 main board so should not be surprised. Anyway, the debt recovery company somehow knew the correct address, all of which reeks of a scam to me. I paid up and SOS will reimburse but it's bloody annoying.

Today I'm listening through the Path from 1984 to see if I can bear it being reissued. Apart from the usual excess of cheese, it isn't too bad. Some EQ work needed though and the odd click - I'm recovering from some Audity files someone made for me in a weird format.

Pat was away Sunday / Monday so I did the usual. Got a headache this morning.