Thursday 23 April 2015

Minis in the sunshine

Today I uploaded the edits for the last 10 library tracks. Didn't boost in Ultramaximiser as something odd happening with the Wavelab render. They can do it if necessary, kept to a clean, clear mix. Need to find a new project, have some ideas but first reviews to complete. Sonic Weekend is coming!

Here's some photos of my Mini and the mods it has had done.




Yes, I snuck in a shot of Bob the bunny, as you would.

As to the mods, I should say I only had them done because the Mini had mods when I got it. Foolishly I failed to observe this and the mods weren't to a high standard either. I therefore took the decision to make the most of the situation and have the mods replaced by Tony's own, to my specifications.
So Tony replaced the botched LFO implementation with his own board and removed the pitch bend amount knob in favour of a dedicated filter FM control. I wanted oscillator sync too and when it's active the pitch wheel only controls VCO2's pitch. When sync is off pitch wheel is routed only to VCO3. There's a central dead zone but not detent now. It means I can, with one hand. control modulation speed and depth, assuming VCO3 is the mod source.
Another change is that the mod mixer now mixes between VCO3 and the LFO or VCO3 and noise. Those switches are nice.
Speaking of switches, there's one more new assignment, which is PWM source (for VCO1 and VCO2). If I select square wave on either of the first two oscs, the PWM amount knob brings in a rather sweet modulation. Lots of versatility and I think worth doing. Tony found an original Moog knob for the PWM amount and it looks great. He blocked off the jacks but I do have an original Moog pedal somewhere, old size, and may dig it out for Glide on/off. Of course one day there might be the aftertouch keyboard with legato-glide switching, you never know. Similar, might make use of the extra VCA already present as a kind of AM, ring-mod-like effect. We'll see how it goes.

It sounds utterly awesome. Some examples to follow I expect.




Thursday 16 April 2015

Eurovision

If I'd had any, vision that is, I'd have kept my large eurorack system. However I'm being drawn back in. I got out of it for a variety of reasons and getting back is more to keep up with the growing trend (and keep any reviews relevant) than because I love weaving my fingers through rats' nests of wires to reach a tiny knob.

I think it was the Waldorf NW1 that first got me thinking about getting another small euro box. I really should have kept that add-on one that I sold too cheaply and full of some useful modules, including that SY02 (IIRC, the MS20 filter that was so much better than the Filtered Coffee rack version). As I still have the Digisound plus various other CV stuff, I won't need all the bog-standard modules I'd ordinarily start with. I'm more interested in exotic oscillators, effects, heck there were a couple in that Roland collection that piqued my interest, no spoilers in case I get one to review. I liked Paul's Braids oscillator too and some of those weird pattern generators. Oh dear.

Fortunately when Paul grew his system he didn't chuck his old box, which I'm going to grab off him next week, bless the lad. Also have my Minimoog to retrieve as Tony was finishing off my PWM mod today, to add to all the others. I opted for a switch to pick the source between VCO3 and the LFO rather than envelope modulation. Will post some pix here and a rough outline of all the mods, just in case it's of interest. Again, I write this stuff as a brain-dump for me rather than for explicit entertainment value for others, so apologies dear readers if it's dull.

As I'm in a confessional mood... I've been half-contemplating getting another Octatrack. Or did I say that already? I hesitate because I keep hoping for a better product from a less obtuse company but another Messe is here and there's no sign. Perhaps Rusty's OcataEd will make it manageable, but I still suspect I'll be happier with something else for those 'long track' backings for the few festivals I'll play from now until I get totally fed up and jack it in. Yeah, get a laptop you're saying. I know.



A random pic just to break up the dreary text. OK, it's not a cheery pic...

Headshock recording session tomorrow. Finished current review today, nothing else pressing so a weekend of music ahead.

Saturday 11 April 2015

A day being an Old Fart

So I went to Blackpool, never one of my fave places, to a festival of 'experimental music' called Other Worlds. A pleasant train trip and quite sunny so all good. I guess I went without much prior knowledge, knowing only that Saturday was sold out so it boded well for some interest. I took a few Headshock CDs in case it was the right kind of experimental and we might want to play there next year. You gotta admire the optimism.

I had printed a map of the various venues, not apparently of any use on the Friday. By a process of elimination I found the one that was open but it turned out the printed start time was wrong. These things happen, still keeping with the optimism. With an hour to kill I bimbled down to the pier, had a beer, took some pix with my phone. Aimed away from the people and the shabby buildings.




Anyway, I arrived at the venue, got another beer (to get in the mood) and, eventually, it started. The first act was a bunch of earnest beardy youths making dischordant drones. Not totally bad, I thought, if a little aimless and structureless. Process sorted, performance to work on, is how I'd mark it if I was being a glib-arsed critic. Next up was a girl with a flute and a looper. It started pleasantly but then seemed to last forever. I got more beer and, looking around, started to feel a bit out of place. Noticed, belatedly, that the majority were young student types (beards not optional), or perhaps these were other acts for the weekend checking out the competition. Reading the programme and getting the general tone, I started to ponder the possibility of catching the early train.
The plan had been, had the music turned me on, that Pat would drive to pick me up but that seemed increasingly unlikely when, third, a bloke in a red wig carrying a red plastic hand arrived. He pretended the hand was strangling him and pretty soon I wanted to help it. He was armed with an ego, a glass of wine and a backing track. I began eyeing the visible exits. Then trying one. I didn't leave any of our beautiful CDs behind.

Speaking of which, I got a free CD on entry. I played it this morning and it left me hugely relieved I'd wasted only one day. I could be totally wrong but it suggested there'd be more pretentious shite. I suspect journos from the Guardian, Quietus etc. would have loved it all whilst stroking their respective beards. Mind you I think they'd love Headshock too so I'm nothing if not delusional. I predict these acts, some of them anyway, will turn up on the Culture Show being feted and admired. When they do I'll die a little inside, more sour grapes from an old, failed artiste who can't recognise new talent if it drones for an hour under his nose.
I wanted to discover something new, different and local and I maintain I'm not jealous of people with real talent. I know quite a few. Speculating further it may be that it's my old preference: music for the heart over music for the head. I prefer not to write negative stuff yet here I am getting it off my chest so I don't have to say it elsewhere and upset anyone. After all, if asked for an opinion I'd have concentrated on positive things because what do I know? Very, very little, it seems. And less by the day.

Pottered in the studio today, did some nice percussive sequences on the Analog Four. I seem to be doing mostly percussion and pads these days, sequences kinda not making me happy, at least conventional ones. Hope I get the vibe back before the Binar gig or it'll be a strange affair. Stranger.




Friday 3 April 2015

The Laziness Rant

Yeah, I know, a bit rich coming from me...

It struck me recently (OK, today) that what we old codgers have long interpreted as 'dumbing down' isn't quite so straight forward as it seems. People aren't actually more stupid after all, but I do think they're lazier. Furthermore, I think that social media, forums et al are fuelling the laziness. How often have you seen a really basic question posed on a forum that's really badly phrased, containing only a fraction of information or almost no evidence of attempts at diagnosis? Now I know we don't all share a common language and some people have very little experience, but (and here we descend to sobbing nostalgia) in olden times you very likely had to solve those technical problems yourself. And it took a while so you remembered what you tried along the way. If you were really lucky you could call on an experienced pal who could come round and tell you how a compressor worked or why your MIDI module is ignoring notes from your master keyboard. Imagine those days of prehistory when you had to write a letter to a manufacturer, or ring a tech support guy and talk through your issues?

Now what seems to happen is the moment anyone has any kind of issue, they ask the world for help. Total strangers, many with even less experience, many very happy to advise at length regardless. If the answer fits, the knowledge is applied and the asker moves on to the next hurdle. Nobody learns much because nobody needs to. If you don't remember where you found the answer next time the problem arises, ask again. Of course, lots of misinformation will be spread. So wrongness will fill those server farms alongside the good advice, but hey, it's only data, who cares about its quality?

Aaaaah.

I'm starting to feel better now. That must mean I have, amongst my own wrongness, made my point.

I'm committing the same kind of crime in a way because I could make this text more concise, could explain myself better. I could add more examples, diagrams, humour. It'd probably take me a while though and I have a new delay I want to try out in the studio. If it doesn't work as I expect, I won't be asking any questions online. At least not right away. You see, being old I've gone through a load of head-scratching - it's amazing I still have plenty of hair! But the scratching has helped me pick up a few skills (even if I still don't know how a compressor works). BTW one of the most important rules I ever made up was this: Make up your own rules. Don't feel obliged to stick to them.

With this much hypocrisy I really could have a life in politics.

Yesterday I began the awful task of picking through my last novel and simplifying the plot. I think I'd like to do the same thing for my life, but I realise there's far less scope. After all, if your life involves sitting in a chair and either typing or playing a keyboard, there isn't much left to trim...

Happy Easter y'all. Our rabbit Bob got himself wet deliberately this morning so we'd give him a blow-dry. See, I can even do topical. Here he is blissed-out while Pat lets him have it.