End of Feb

 Well now

Did a few new things, totally failed to get a video for the next single. Stock footage not really cutting it apparently. Adding our own proved too much for Da Vinci Resolve 12.5 (old codecs I guess). Updated to 16.something but all icons etc. too small on this laptop, playback even more buggered. Then tried iMovie on Mac but as the Mac's old, it couldn't see Don's video either. Kinda frustrated but reminded me why I never try to make videos these days. Need a newer computer. Getting nowhere so passed on to Don. Feel bad but nowt I can do. I should perhaps see what it will take to get that iMac going again. Not sure how releasing a new single from an album already out on bandcamp is gonna work. 

Two new tracks done on Cirklon/Blackbox - today's still in progress but has potential. Had forgotten how well the MS20 works as a solo instrument - it slips in in places the Minimoog would bloat. Its triangley vibrato if invoked by the button/envelope has a lovely sound. Yes, I had some of the tequila today. 

Sunday, end of the month. Did the accounts and they added up, to within £3-4 anyway. Faffed a bit reconciling statements from bandcamp and paypal - the mix up of my personal stuff not ideal but all tallied in the end. Will be easier if I do more often. I messed with paint today. The woodland one is changing and although I'm still keeping it as an image, new colours and shapes are slipping into place as I mess with new brushes and try out some different techniques. Tempted to buy some startlingly bright paint even though it's expensive.

Dunno if I've pasted that image in before but what the heck! Oh, here's a shot of Spring at the Top Lodge from today (Beacon Fell in the background). Mum felt like a short walk, which is great and what a gorgeous day to say farewell to Feb. 

And another...

The album is finally out this week!

Yesterday afternoon was a good one - made some progress making interesting patches from the cello, violin and viola fragments. I was using MIDI-clocked grains quite a bit, creating these strange, cascading patterns. I could link it from here but, as usual, they'll be deleted by the time I post this blog. 

I made a further refinement to the DFAM setup - removed Stages as I decided to put in a different filter for the overall output of the drums. The Moog eurorack filter seemed to work well - and can be driven from any of the filter outputs of the DFAM itself. Stages is just another multi-functional module that I'd probably prefer to be simpler and less crammy. My Eurorack philosophy in a nutshell. I might swap it for the Natural Gate and see what difference that makes to the DFAM output. I guess having two delay modules in that tiny case could be considered overkill. Magneto is so damn large but it sounds great so I'll maybe ditch the tapographic delay. 

Made more sweet Sys8 patches. No need to sequence it from the Digitone either as its own sequencer has both step and real time modes so I can capture a few performance type things in it. Unlike the JD-XA, you can switch to a new patch when the sequencer is running and it takes over smoothly. Very useful. 

Monday now. Seems a little warmer than it was last week. 

Ah yes, the album. Not mine but the ANT vinyl/CD/download. I think on Wednesday it's the album of the day on Radio 6, meaning they'll play a track in every show throughout the day. If that doesn't cause several sales I don't know what will. I can see the admin part of the bandcamp page could get complex given Dean's gonna send out orders but they'll come to me initially, paypal too. This is when my total lack of organisation will  probably become clear. 

Turned a knob on the DFAM today and the whole thing fell off. Turns out whoever fitted the additional knobs to the sequencer and mixer screwed them so tightly they split some of the underlying stalks. I glued the top of the stalk back on (after spilling a bit of glue on the panel and sticking my fingers together) but I think I'll not reattach the larger knobs. I prefer to use the SQ1 as sequencer anyway so it's not a huge deal. 

Tried the Natural Gate in the Roland case and on power up it went crazy - all modules doing mad flashing lights and the audio output going ape. Didn't bother to faff any further with it. 

More plays on Radio 6. Wrote a very quick biog for Radio 6 as they're giving us lots of play on Wednesday. Dean's popularity and Don's songs could take us a long way. We'll see if there's a sales burst. 

It's Wednesday and we're album of the day. Been listening but I've discovered that commercial radio gives me a headache. Sales pootling along without going mad yet. I've been trying to do some video - stock footage and faffing so far but it's taking shape. A bit. Gonna film some knob twiddles and see if Don and Dean supply footage to cut in. Added some random text plucked from song. It's not great and the laptop is creaking like mad - but getting there. 

More gear swaps

 Yeah, what started as swapping a few eurorack modules switched to a swap of my Pro 2 for a System 8 and DFAM. As of right now, awaiting Parcelforce completing my half of the transaction (and worrying about the packing the longer it is in transit). The System 8 has some oddities - not least that its base mode operates in key-synced mode for the arpeggiator (unheard of in Roland synths before to my knowledge). It also had a broken Plugout 3 - ostensibly the JX-3P but a factory reset revealed it was, in fact, the SH-101. I think he maybe tried adding it but it didn't work out but either way, all good. The Jupiter 8, Juno and 101 are pretty decent additions and the JP8 arpeggiator works properly out of all the arpeggiators. The sequencer is pretty sweet too and can record up to 64 steps with 4 parameters recorded too. DFAM may or may not be useful (suspect not) but it's sat where the Tanzbar sat and offering some different noises - and timing if I use Steppy to drive it. Useful module that. Eventually the DFAM will either get passed on or move into the euro drums case and remain switched off. 

Had a nice walk today and now am contemplating a bit of whisky. Ordered more of that sherry-casked stuff cos it's delicious. 

The album is done and uploaded. I missed Bandcamp Friday but should I wait another month? Novel artwork still no progress, have given him another couple of weeks because, well, nobody's waiting for that either. ;)
Some artwork progress - he's on the right track too, phew. Worth waiting a bit longer. When I was looking through the text I spotted a couple of errors immediately, plus a typo. Guess I could go through it all again if I can bring myself to.

I completed the Schulze book. Sense Klaus himself was not involved at all and that the good stuff spread around the book comes from the few anecdotes compiled at the back from friends. It's basically about the albums released but written from the point of view of a non-musician megafan. I did learn the identity of Clara Mondshine though. Oh well. It's approximately as illuminating as the Roedelius book but I guess neither were written by writers. Back to mushrooms.

Friday today. More playing with the System 8, which could easily become a major favorite synth. I've created some great noises so far - and even did some good stuff on the DFAM. The trick is in using the SQ-1 sequencer instead of its own. Wild, I know, but it's just far superior and can get much more from the synth engine. I added Stages to my little case as a flexible modulation source. We'l see how that works out but if it doesn't delight, I know the much simpler Doepfer VC-envelope will.

The one I recorded the other day (with the DRM1 groove) is really rather good. Next time I fire up Cirklon I'll do some kind of finished take of it. Using Cirklon as my drum brain and the DRM1 as voices is going to be brilliant. My recent swaps have really worked out. I should get rid of other things I'm not using much, like the Minilogue xd maybe. 

I should also say that one thing that put me off the Sys 8 was its lack of aftertouch. However, on balance I now know I really like the feel of its keybed. The keys are a bit smaller than usual but nice and rounded and nicely responsive to velocity. Reckon I'm going to enjoy it loads.  

Almost

 Worked on three different sections today - played a Lyra solo on the track where I'd thought of having Mark play. Remixed the string part again and made a small tweak to Martin's track. Once the violin is added could be there, still undecided about flute, could be unnecessary. 

Monday evening and Rick sent the violin part through, plus some noodles for me to granularise or generally faff with. I am very excited. Not super excited, but very. 

Wednesday. Tim was allowed to come yesterday so that was nice. Sold my Juno 6 and immediately ordered a green MS20. No, I can't explain it either - but they look so nice. This will be my 4th and there must be a reason I keep getting them (then selling later). Oh well. Comes tomorrow. 
Spent this morning faffing with cello additions - not sure I've made track better but have replaced a few of my dodgy phrases with Rick's nicer and more lyrical ones. Will let it lie a day or so then come back and see what I think. That could be the final bit before I send to get mastered. 

Weird. Chatting to Paul this morning I told him I'd never had to work and he had to remind me of an entire IT career that had somehow slipped my mind. Must have done 25 years and somehow I casually forgot all about it. 
Saturday night. We watched Parasite (very good) and I drank whiskey. Earlier I sent the album to Dean and it's on its way back already. Incredible! Recorded some MS20 noodles today which could be quite promising I think. Indeed, it began morphing into a minimal techno track without me even thinking about it. The Cirklon / BB setup is going to be another good one - different flavour than the Digitone / BB setup. 
Should be able to release album for next Bandcamp Friday. Ben has promised (again) he'll work on book cover. 

I'll take some more pix soon. This was the thing I recorded today. 

Dean did another brill job with the mastering. Just listening and feeling content.