Bogus Focus V3 and other trifles... starting (re) work on 'Beer'

 I got to the end of my update of V3 today, the Kindle version anyway It was never actually a paperback so I don't have a full paperback cover, nor is the format/font etc. correct. What I think I'll do is leave it Kindle only until that imaginary future day when I've reworked From Beer to Eternity and Liminal Entity too. Then I'll update the Bogus Realities big fat paperback. Redoing After Life is also on the cards but that one could take some time as it's had the least work and scrutiny of all - and parts of it are pretty nutso. I was going to add a dedication to Cara but I didn't know how she'd take it since she hasn't seen the updated text and may still not rate it too highly. 

Heavy rain today and yesterday. We have not managed to book a holday. Pat asked whether we can do a big one next year to which I replied yes. She then revealed that 'big one' meant Somerset or something. It's hard to know what she actually wants to do or where she wants to go. 

Bogus Focus

 I read the first few chapters of "From Beer To Eternity" yesterday and realised the size of the task to fix it. It always was the black sheep and I realise that my work rehabilitating Dai Williams towards the end of BF seems completely undone by his attitude in the next one.It also ignores a few plot points and has no credible timeline between the prison break and reappearance back home. Lots to do, might even start over, not decided yet.

Yeah, have started afresh...

Confusing day trying to keep Wavestate performance, Octatrack pattern and Electribe pattern in sync with KSP project and scene. It's too faffy for live really but gonna try it anyway to see. P3 and JD-XA easier but big and clunky. I think I shoulda gone Elektron as I could do almost all this with the DIgitone 2, although not quite with the lush Wavestate strings etc. Dunno, feel like I waste so much time each sesh tyying to get a sound I can live with. Never had that on the Radias, KS-Rack/JD-XA/Perfourmer - all standard sequence modules and much faster and easier. I am a stoned udiot and doubt the MultiPoly would be the solution either.

Thursday, good Wavestate/Tribe day. Got 3 projects I actually like, where the combination of sounds works really well. Only started sounding good when I got stoned and concentrated on starting siople, Looking fwd to more tomorrow. Recorded nice jam of prj 7. Will overdub rise/hit where I got one transition wrong. 

Friday, good sesh. Some of those pieces starting to take shape nicely and got decent recordings of a few. Walked Broc Saturday morning but used up whatever strength I had so won't be doing a lot today. 

Must've been fairly stoned yesterday (Saturday). Just went upstairs and realised I'd left the studio switched on all night. Vaguely remember leaving it on while I went into other side to trim something on the Mac... oops. Recorded some more jams with a view to adding some ambient bridges but seem to have forgotten that last part. Sunny this morning so may do garden stuff this afternoon rather than more studio. Also, working through "From Beer To Eternity" and contemplating how to tackle its many problems. There are parts that work, which is a relief, but I do need to trim a lot of the indulgent guff and replace with actual working story. Almost everything that happens in that book happens so far in the background you'd have to be a fucking genius to spot it. Stupid boy!

September & a(nother) kinda breakthrough

 Well, it might be. It concerns my ongoing issues with the Wavestate and how slow I'm forced to work when using it. I've tried learning it and getting faster but it's still far less instant than, say, the Radias for the role I had in mind. However, today I hit upon an idea - to selectuvely capture its output in the RC-505 (original one). By grabbing loops (32 bars seems good) and tweaking as I go, I can make stuff I can bring back later - 5 loops means one for each KSP track and one free for whatever occurs ro me. Solves the issue of treating layers to different delay/reverv settings, not being able to remember which was the good one to return to and so on. 

Anyway, tried it today and it works. With the 505 acting as glue, I can play pretty much forever without stopping, zipping through all my new stuff without clumsy transitions, awkward gaps or me forgetting how many tracks are muted in the next scene. May be sensible to get in habit of muting them all so I can always bring in from silence, like I used to with new banks on the P3. Yeah!

Tick tock tick tock

Well, I changed my mind about the breakthrough and found a different way, maybe easier. After trying Tim's S-1 and not being totally convinced it would please me, I brought out the old Electribe Sampler with its hacked OS. All my patterns had been screwed by the hack moving stuff around so... starting from scratch, I quickly made 16 of them that generally go with the 16 KSP projects. 

I must delete all the loops from the Electribe though as they're a PITA to scroll through, Korg getting it arse about tit in terms of holding shift. Anyway, no great shakes now, housekeeping job for later. Having all my samples in there as well as the synth waveforms and extra filters gives me enough to playwith. Any Wavestate line that sounds weak or needs a sub bass or something I now just add it in the 'tribe. Using tracks 2-5 since they correspond to the channels I'm using. Will add some sticky back plastic maybe to remind me. That way I can add extra shit in the drum machine itself, gave already banged in a few basic grooves. Almost don't need the Octatrack at all, will consider that too. For now it has all the stored tempoii and some cool voice samples. 

What larks!

Friday tomorrow too. 

Today now. I thought up this hilarious joke yesterday. The Korg Wavestate involves more menu-in than Yehudi. It's possible I'll get even funnier as the day progresses. Brace yourselves!

Good day, recording sounded good but there's a dicky lead somewhere - hope original stuff in BB is OK but relatively easy to recreate. Actually, I think it's the Octatrack that has the crackle - may need some surgery on that poor thing. Has been bothering me for a while actually amd I haven't acted. Annoying as musically recordings seemed sound. 

Well, the Octatrack sounded OK today. Problem seems to be a shit lead from the electribe. Today souding fine anyway. I wish I could tell the electribe not to record anything coming in from channels 2-5 but I guess I'll have to adapt to that. Should avoid doubling by keeping those tracks muted. WIll keep the other tracks all for percussion though. Had tried a few with synth noises and it just got confusing. Some possible bugs in both the Wavestate and hacked electribe today. 

Cleaned the volcano and changed the bag. Forgot to look at the non-working light. Made a nice pasta tea and Pat made another apple crumble. What fun!

The last week of Summer

 Well, I sorta count September as autumn, not sure everyone does. Still warm although not so much as to be unbearable - Tim and I managed a sesh yesterday (Cedric) and the results aren't bad, all in all. Today we'll visit my mum and take Izzy and Brox to see her, see how she's been getting on without her unpaid carer, my sister. I should have got in touch in the week but somehow didn't so maybe she'll be in a mood. Broc and Izzy getting on very well, although cramming me into my chair if they both insist on sitting with my (stereo farts!).

Today I will work on fleshing out the Easel conclusion. David agrees the edits were probably too much and there's word of a 'history' box from SBR, which would be good, I think. Just glad he didn't throw it out really as I'm bound to be rusty by now.

Think we getting William for 2 days next week so could be a different Friday/Saturday to usual. Will endure. 

Last minute photoshoot for the review. Tim did some great indoor shots, one of which will be used. I took this outside..

Oh, and I started revising Bogus Focus. Always meant to and somehow, after reading an Arthur C Clarke short story (about aliens grabbing art treaures before Earth is destroyed), I've gone back to it. I don't think I read that story before writing BF but maybe I did and he'll forgive me for nicking the idea. 

Recorded some stuff on thursday that had some good parts. Friday/Saturday scuppered with sprog/dog duties. Weather not looking great so dunno if they'll be going to Southport for this kite thing.

Well, I did a thing at the very end of summer then withdrew it because I can do so much better with the material, especially with a small amount of arrangement. It's now September, we went to see the new money guy and, for the first time I can remember, our fund actually went up - makes a huge difference if you aren't paying out massive amounts in fees. We shoulda done it ages ago. Oh well, live and learn. This evening we're off to Lisa's for Jack's birthday thing. Will eat first as I doubt cake will fill me up ;)