Friday 22 July 2016

PRS day

Well, not a great PRS payout but I think Channel 5 is delayed so it might still be OK. Interestingly, back in March I'd thought I heard one of my new drones on a BBC4 documentary (The Beginning and End of the Universe) but wasn't 100% sure because, well, drones are drones. Turns out it was, which is well cool! Another of mine also got used in that one, hey that's actually an ambition satisfied, almost the last one. Hmmmm, best think of more.

Tim down for a few days, should get some music done, have just sent some review stuff in so can relax a bit. Until the other looper arrives only 2 apps and 2 sample shop to do. Should do at least one. Plan to go to Airsculpture gig Saturday but making music could overrule that.

3rd box of Dark Side of the Moog arrived - fantastic stuff too.

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It's later. Of course I didn't go to the gig but can blame Tim. He brought beer, we made music, I was happy. Have ordered a Doepfer ribbon jobby but it's taking forever to arrive. Ditto for the modules I want to review, the power supply I was promised and so on. Almost bought a Microbrute but after borrowing Tim's again decided against it. Better ways to blow my cash.

Korg finally issued an Electribe 2 update. It mentions 'minor bug fixes' which I hope includes the save glitches and synced delay bug - neither minor IMHO. They added pattern chaining too which is of no interest to me. And there are new models, coloured like the old ones to try and cash in on the popularity since the new models are so drab and anonymous. Hey ho.

The Minilogue got an update - seemed to help the click but not the rtz envelopes. Shame, it's only that preventing me getting one. The new Behringer could be good though - 2DCO and 6 voices (I think). If it has FX and sequencer and costs £500... :)

Sent in 10 new library tracks, which is good. And I started some new ones - chilled, sequencey for a change. If it ain't too hot will work on them over the weekend along with doing sequences for the Binar gig and maybe polishing a few novel chapters. Would love to just do that for 2 weeks solid!

This is cool
https://zackdagoba.bandcamp.com/album/forms-3-controls-sources-treatments

And this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHsX8L4qVI0













Sunday 3 July 2016

It doesn't take much

I mean it. One person writes to say they read Future Art Factory and enjoyed it and I'm made up. It's so much harder to get feedback about writing, well Kindle books anyway because we all know they aren't proper books.

I have almost got the rewrite of 'From Beer To Eternity' into a fit state to read through and fine-tune. Lack of time meant I didn't throw it all out. In fact, deleting a load of stuff has really helped it and the changes I made help everything click into place. Basically the plot works for the first time and I ditched all the stupid loops and reality glitches that seemed so clever when I was writing them but not so when I tried to make sense of it later. Hey ho.

My old mate Dave who died perished not from any disease of the liver but that old favourite lung cancer. He went very quickly, in a week basically and they only knew what it was 2 days before he died. How depressing. Sorry, this blog is really for the stuff I don't write anywhere and only for myself, I've probably said that before.

Pat made a wonderful meal tonight but she's gone to bed tired. I'm watching Coldplay's performance at Glastonbury. Everyone hates them, everyone cool anyway. I don't dislike them so I guess that makes me uncool. If he could curb that strained falsetto I could even like them. Well, ish. There is that catchy one I like, bound to be more.

I recorded a new track the other day with just one mono synth and a looper. I did add some Microgranny samples that Tim reckons spoils it. He's probably right, he usually is. It's like 6-7 instances of this synth, no spoilers but it's new, stand-alone and doesn't have a filter.

https://soundcloud.com/smokyfrog/bollockaroo

The RC-505 is almost able to work with polyrhythms now too should have mentioned that. Still seems a bit iffy but the combination of making blank tracks and Sync=Off does seem to let you prepare tracks of any length. Will soak-test it when time. Time, yeah.

A busy week ahead. Started review of the above synth, will progress that and with luck start a 'Rio' track or two. Must up my workload. Binar gig to think about, was informed it'll be a 90 min slot with encores on top. Hmm, seems a bit long to me especially as I intend to wing it almost entirely. Think Airsculpture playing soon, must go along.

Oh, and I joined the Labour party. I know, amazed myself. I just really hate bullying which seems to be the culture we adopted, whether it's to those who come here to sell us their skills and effort or those who try to change politics from the grimy, self-serving game it's become.