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.
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...
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