Rain forest frogs, actual rain, October goes out warm and wet. David Hill RIP.

Sober Saturday and I'm rejoicing at yesterday's recordings. Rolled a 2 so it was MS20 and Synthi, which are turning out to be an excellent marriage. No BlackBox on setup 2 so all I have are the 5 tracks of the 505 but that's more than enough for me these days. Sequences by MS20/P3 - P3 probably overkill and I'd really like to get it paired back with the JD-XA, but for the time being, all good. Still the Blofeld to put back, in position the Soma Cosmos currently occupies (that'll go back with System 8, the floor position was effective). I also think we have THC3 A, B and C pretty much done. The Synthi rain forest frog chorus from yesterday, plus MS20 drone should be a good start of D, will see what today brings. 

Should tidy up the last chapters of novel draft #1 so it can sit and stew a few weeks until I pick it up for the quick/ruthless run-through, which will make draft #2. Have some readers who will look at it before publishing this time, which may help make it a better creation. I'm back using semicolons again, have to admit I can't do the abrupt style quite as well as Kurt. Oh well, there's even a gag about it in the text, although I suppose it'll pass most people by, as most of them too due to my ham-fisted writing style.

Sunday, gonna try the original write mode for the BB as 'compatible' is not working well. Guess what - turn off compatible mode and no more errors, at least so far. Progressed THC3D yesterday and will do more today using 404 also. Reading Kim's Korg book I couldn't help notice an error in a diagram explaining multi-triggering. At least assume the ARP2600 doesn't work that way - maybe it does. I can also safely assume he's never played a Korg Delta ;)

Heard that my old friend the poet Dave Hill has died. I can't think of anything worth writing, I don't have the words, maybe later. 

 

Something's afoot

 Yes, my foot lump sage continues. Got a gel thing that might make walking possible as otherwise doomed to be couch potato. In that vein, I finally wrote the dragon fight chapter and it was pretty straightforward in the end, although didn't go quite the way I'd expected. Still, I think it works as I've written it so that's a result. I have a new section to write because of something that caught me (and my sword chick) by surprise but it gives me an opportunity to tie up one more loose end than I usually would. Soon I can write the sections I've missed, add a tidier ending and it'll be ready to let stew a while before I begin draft #2. It's rare to get to this stage and not fear there's extensive work still to do - more description as usual and I'll attempt to reduce some of the dialogue but hey, all good. 

Got written apology from Westchurch Homes today. On a scruffy bit of paper, much-folded. You can almost smell the bile. Anyway, that's that as far as I'm concerned, we have bigger fish to fry, such as discovering the truth about the drains and culverts and checking the date of the next meeting. I don't know if I should speak again but suspect Pat's itching to have a go. 

Can't remember if I posted owt here but the new album is online. I don't know if anyone likes it but the art looks incredible. Darn, just did a wordcount and the novel is around 94,000 words even as it is now. Hmmm, that's getting back to FAF levels, shows I was into it. ;)

Pat meant to be away a couple of days this week. Should be able to get studio tidied and writing done.

Good response from 1010music today suggesting some specific cards to get to improve performance. Could be my ignorance in just looking on Amazon for the fastest I could find is to blame, hope so. 

Recommendation is the SanDisk Extreme Pro 128GB A2 V30. The A2 and V30 are the real difference here, can opt for the 64GB cards depending on preference.

Tuesday and a good one. Pat went south and Broc and I remain. Assembled new bike shed, wrote some novel stuff, did something for first section of THC3B. Finished spagbol for tea and evening promises to be genial. No Matt, maybe he forgot but worked out OK. Only recorded four parts on BB so not sure yet but fingers are crossed, will work it harder tomorrow. Must get some new samples into GR-1 - maybe from 404. 

Need to put a movie somewhere, demonstrating the lack of long attacks on the Udo Super 6. This is a synth that uses the whole first half of its travel to do subtly different fast attacks, all of which are wasted on me. I either want instant and snappy or I want very slow. Yeah, I know, old man problems....

let's try here....

Right, Pat home tonight but it gives me another full afternoon in the studio. I may be some time...

Old man troubles

 No, not that type, chance would be a fine thing. After the triumph at the dentist this week I had the foot lady tell me I have a neuroma on my foot (steroid injection or surgery needed) and the nice doctor this morning looked at my face and booked an urgent appointment with someone else. So maybe it's not a skin tag after all. Apparently my calcium is slightly down, so must order some from Amazon and start eating more of it. Ho hum. 

Depressed to see one of the few areas of trees nearby has had a visit from the hackers. I seriously wonder if the council is setting out to sabotage its own climate and diversity document or it's just part of the general hatred of trees. Sent videos of misbehaving BlackBox and will continue exploring the 404.

Well, what can I tell you? Had another meeting with Westchurch - discovered the guy who swore at Pat was actually the MD! I know. He wasn't there and I think the atmos was good, if hampered by some woman who had not attended the planning meeting but was trying to make up for it by being unhappy about everything. Progress would have been better without her. We did see map of drains which I really want UU to confirm. Some questions over many parallel culverts which they believe not connected but us not so confident. However, way forward looks positive and they are willing to move a few things to make Alec happy - will tell him tomorrow.

Waited almost an hour for my blood test today then worked on THC3A and had a blast. Hope Paul likes. Used the BB and the 404 in similar roles. Also 505 doing its stuff and contributing to an ambient delight. 

Released my new thing, working on novel and the dragon fight reading well. DFAM clock advance stopped working though which is a nuisance. Sending BB back to States, although would have liked to talk about alt firmware and better messages first. Thanks to Tim made some good progress with 404 including easy pad select and recording in sync with existing audio. MIDI sync still suspect.

I quite liked that. No idea why. Coffee cake and pizza, just a few more days of two dogs, foot still not great.

 

Synthfest, SP-404 mk2 & Great Gable

Synthfest was fabulous - sold out too despite travel issues. Snake Pass shut so my trip was a bit shit. Got the Roland book but didn't sort payment, will probably just ask for copies of books I don't have rather than cash as they edited my bits as to be almost unrecognisable. Spent some nice time chatting with lots of people I haven't seen properly for ages, went to a great gig (Quadros) in which my old Oberheim Two Voice got to play. Lovely idea of randomly pairing 4 musicians with a synth from a pool of 8 and great music, as always from Dean. Saw very little gear except the Eric drum machine, which I liked, and their mk2 Syntrx, which I was less impressed by. Completely failed to go see the 12-voice Polybrute with poly AT but did at least have a nice lunch with the SOS crew and may have agreed to a gig or two.

So, yeah, a busy time. Tuesday, Tim brought his SP-404 mk2 round and I almost immediately ordered one with my latest PRS. Then I started finding things about it I was less keen on (fortunately some are fixed in most recent firmware so hope Tim puts that on). I think it may still prove to be an interesting piece of kit - much more limited than an MPC and therefore more likely to slot into my system. Its workflow has some interesting pros and cons compare to other gear but as I write this it's Friday afternoon and I am hoping for a bonding sesh, once I make the BB video explaining its problems. 

Album finished, mastered and ready to go. Using some of the fab artwork Tim made and the theme of 'AI' is implied but never stated. Going with main title of Ambrosia Incarnate as it has a nice ring and the pic Tim has of girl looking away is perfect. 

Yesterday we did Green Gable followed by Great Gable - foot held up quite well but knees sore, really must start strapping up the left one too. Sad old git eh? This morning was dentist (he was happy with me, yay) and doctor - they reckon the appointment was for yesterday. I never miss appointments so can only conclude reception girl told me wrong day - apparently they only do minor surgery thing on thursdays. Oh well.

Next week we have the next round of planning battles - did I put any of that in here? We even made the local paper but, oddly, all the people who should object and stand up for themselves are inexplicably busy, but very happy for us to go in to bat for them. Sigh. I could write a rant about the state of the country and speculate about why people are so rubbish, but I won't. Pat and I (and Alec, old guy who lives nearby) will stand up and be counted. 

Anyway, here are some of the pix I didn't put on Facebook. 

Righty ho, stuff to get on with...

Happy birthday to me! To DAW or not to DAW?

 The nurse doing my blood test said it this morning and I realised that tomorrow is indeed my birthday. Golly. Sixty One years old and still alive. OK, I'm writing this on Tuesday so counting chickens I suppose.

After the drama of the wedding, have a few days before Synthfest. Sadly Eddie not able to make it as he's looking after his parents but I'm sure there will be lots of other cool people to hang with. Kim wants to pay me for the work on the Roland book so I may get him to chip in towards a Bliss Habit pedal. 

Have spent a few days assessing Digitakt and its new song mode as well as MPC and its probabilities. It struck me that the Digitakt doesn't really do anything that Octatrack doesn't - indeed considerably less and with a poxy 1Gb of storage to play with compared to the limitless CF card capacity of the OT. It's fun but really just another distraction. Working with the MPC again this morning, I find it pretty good in some respects, hate the touch screen and some of the laborious operations. It seems that I either go back to using a DAW for the structured stuff and keep my pattern-based gear for jamming and fun or I keep trying to make these things do the tricks that Logic does effortlessly. It's all a matter of how much pain I want to give myself. Makes me think about the simplicity of structure in Berlin school and old-style step sequencers and just playing and how much more enjoyable it is not to keep battling machines. If only Colin would work on Cirklon and make it the machine it was always meant to be.

You know, all those people working with Ableton Live and a cool controller, they're the wise ones. Stubborn, pointless old men deliberately making their lives hard, they're just nutters. That's my thought for the day. Think I'll drink beer and make drones and loops and poops.

I'm supposed to speak at the council planning meeting on Thursday evening so will have to work out a script - not much of one though as I get 4 minutes! And the housing company gets the last word. Rearrange these words to make a sentence: stitch what up a. 

Think we may not be walking this week - weather forecast is grim. Hope not too bad for my drive over to Sheffield. I vented my spleen a bit on the Udo beta testing forum about the various annoyances that just keep on being there, probably shouldn't but I suppose this council thing is affecting my mood.

Hmm, they want another blood test in 2 weeks...

Spent Thursday going through my points to get over. The more I do it the better it sounds. 

Well now, a very good experience at the council meeting - council members standing up for us, including the leader who spoke very well. My spot overran slightly but I got all the points over I wanted - and it seemed to make a difference. Disappointed no neighbours but Alec turned up but I guess that's people. We won a deferral, which is actually better than throwing it out due to the vagaries of the appeal process and what happens when the client wins an appeal. Came out quite emotional for all the support and thanked a lot of them personally. Meanwhile Pat was outside getting grief from someone on the other side, he swore at her. Did their case no good and council dudes will insist he doesn't come back. 

Feel pretty good.

Inspired heading into October. A wedding, no funeral, Elektron Song Mode

 Yeah I was. Three MS20 pieces, the first of which was clearly the best thing in ages. Notsure I got the best recording though.

https://soundcloud.com/smokyfrog/ai13-ms20-505-3

Haha, I tried a new option in Videopad, making a scrunged-up image, thus:

Heh, anyway, Elektron brought up firmware updates for Digitakt/Tone adding Song mode - a cut-down version of the Octatrack Arranger and very cool it is too. Unfortunately they moved the pattern name option deeper into the menu system, presumably because they don't use it very much. Tim and I messed with Digitakt and had a right laff. An instantly more approachable, fun device for me than the MPC - probably because it doesn't do anywhere near as much. Can see one in my future. Stocked with my usual set of sample starting points would be very useful indeed. Lost interest in doing the Hacktribe thing to the Electribe Sampler too, still haven't found those fucking MIDI adapter things. 

Wedding was eventful - took Aunt Helen to A&E late afternoon, suspected heart attack. We left poor Janet by herself at the do then turned up after the hospital visit telling her we were going - Pat's decision (she didn't even get out of car to say bye to everyone, left me to do that and invent excuses). It screwed Janet's plans, Damo's plans, rather rude to the bride etc. etc. but hey,what can ya do?

Sunday now, sunny, Pat ill after her latest covid jab. I may drink and write...