Also this https://soundcloud.com/smokyfrog/atom-shells
Using some of the same material (went back to my China recordings)
Right, best get on.
Monday, 13 February 2017
More drunken Youtubing
There ought to be a law against it.
See what you think
Also this https://soundcloud.com/smokyfrog/atom-shells
Using some of the same material (went back to my China recordings)
Right, best get on.
Also this https://soundcloud.com/smokyfrog/atom-shells
Using some of the same material (went back to my China recordings)
Right, best get on.
Friday, 10 February 2017
The Lone Arranger
Yes, I decided to try yet again to master the Arranger, that tiny corner of screen that does so much, so cryptically. Like you have to remember that to reach looping you must first pass 'Halt' (but don't collect £200). My idea is to use the Arranger to store the tempo of the first pattern in each bank. That way, as long as I remember to go into the arranger to change banks the tempo should be fine. Once changed it stays at the tempo last set.
My problem so far is that after a bit of noodling and playing with patterns on the OT and A4, I slip into the Arranger and of course it immediately flips to an earlier pattern with a different tempo before I can select the row I want. Must be a workaround but leaving it for now. Might work, sledgehammer to crack a nut scenario but making myself graft. Goodness knows why, maybe to prove I still can?
Someone on Elektron list says it shouldn't work that way so I'll verify tomorrow.
Check the MIDI sequencer to see if it's possible to send a MIDI Program Change in the first pattern to the A4. Should be, hopefully, that way I can consider setting it up too.
Verified - it can! With (partial) bank select if needed. Successfully changed patches on A4 and it does it intelligently - doesn't resend the same one.
However, I think I was wrong the other day about default settings being more sensible. Pretty sure I created a new project today and all the LFOs pointed at pitch.
Harvested samples from Olympus recorder, some good, some not good enough. Sadly the Lanzarote birds fall into the latter category - spoilt by wind noise and distance. If I'm going to do the latest Electronic Music Philosophy challenge I'll have to go back to some earlier field recordings. Maybe even the Chinese ones - never did record better than with that little Sony setup. Wonder where that mic went?
Anyway, taking the Lyra-8 to see Tony and have it sorted. Then the review can be finished off and submitted again. I'll also get to hear what it's like without the OTT filtering of the delay noise.
Later...
The Lyra-8 is modified - it's less sensitive now but no more random drones (I'll miss them sometimes) and best of all the long decaying envelopes finally work. I also got the delay's filtering changed to allow most of the noise through. Didn't do the other mods as we got sidetracked thinking the LFO had stopped working - forgot the bloody switch on the back which must've been touched during the update. Chased it for ages before I remembered the CV input. Idiot I am!
Anyway, it'll fit into my live rig perfectly, will try different FX with it and possibly a noise gate for the 'organismic' side. Probably stick with the distortion pedal I'm using.
Contemplating swapping the KS4 for my SH-101 in that setup too, for simplicity but also the directness and sweetness of tone would be a nice contrast to the Lyra. Will try it out and see how it fits in.
Another shock today - an old friend died. Martin RIP dude. He stayed here once and I visited him in Denmark, must have been 2000-2001 maybe. Strong memories of that visit. Facebook delivers non-stop misery these days.
My problem so far is that after a bit of noodling and playing with patterns on the OT and A4, I slip into the Arranger and of course it immediately flips to an earlier pattern with a different tempo before I can select the row I want. Must be a workaround but leaving it for now. Might work, sledgehammer to crack a nut scenario but making myself graft. Goodness knows why, maybe to prove I still can?
Someone on Elektron list says it shouldn't work that way so I'll verify tomorrow.
Check the MIDI sequencer to see if it's possible to send a MIDI Program Change in the first pattern to the A4. Should be, hopefully, that way I can consider setting it up too.
Verified - it can! With (partial) bank select if needed. Successfully changed patches on A4 and it does it intelligently - doesn't resend the same one.
However, I think I was wrong the other day about default settings being more sensible. Pretty sure I created a new project today and all the LFOs pointed at pitch.
Harvested samples from Olympus recorder, some good, some not good enough. Sadly the Lanzarote birds fall into the latter category - spoilt by wind noise and distance. If I'm going to do the latest Electronic Music Philosophy challenge I'll have to go back to some earlier field recordings. Maybe even the Chinese ones - never did record better than with that little Sony setup. Wonder where that mic went?
Anyway, taking the Lyra-8 to see Tony and have it sorted. Then the review can be finished off and submitted again. I'll also get to hear what it's like without the OTT filtering of the delay noise.
Later...
The Lyra-8 is modified - it's less sensitive now but no more random drones (I'll miss them sometimes) and best of all the long decaying envelopes finally work. I also got the delay's filtering changed to allow most of the noise through. Didn't do the other mods as we got sidetracked thinking the LFO had stopped working - forgot the bloody switch on the back which must've been touched during the update. Chased it for ages before I remembered the CV input. Idiot I am!
Anyway, it'll fit into my live rig perfectly, will try different FX with it and possibly a noise gate for the 'organismic' side. Probably stick with the distortion pedal I'm using.
Contemplating swapping the KS4 for my SH-101 in that setup too, for simplicity but also the directness and sweetness of tone would be a nice contrast to the Lyra. Will try it out and see how it fits in.
Another shock today - an old friend died. Martin RIP dude. He stayed here once and I visited him in Denmark, must have been 2000-2001 maybe. Strong memories of that visit. Facebook delivers non-stop misery these days.
Saturday, 4 February 2017
The Return of the Octatrack
Yes, laugh all you want. I've been turning the air blue all afternoon as my foggy brain struggles to recall all the key combinations, the arcane magic of sampling, the bizarre situations when some tracks and samples simply refuse to play any more having done so happily all afternoon. I can never tell if I've missed something or it's just some stupid bug. Like, how annoying that you are still forced to reserve tracks for recording but if you want to reserve, say, 4, it must be tracks 1-4. You can't pick 5-8.
OK, I'm not going off on one. Some things work well, or did until they mysteriously stopped. My old projects load fine, my little mini setup with the A4 and a drum machine (review one but will be the ES2 eventually) worked. Baffled that recording seems to keep forgetting the desired inputs. Or maybe it cannot remember the inputs you choose on a per-track basis, meaning I'm bound to cock up. Having a rest from today. I feel ugly having sworn and cursed for so long and the back of my neck aches.
Someone should write a decent manual for that thing. It won't be me though. I ain't gonna learn or try to learn any more than the stuff I want, which is to play long tracks and do basic loop and sample triggering with parameter locks to make 'em interesting and scenes to tweak them. Using the master track this time, never really did before. Since the main volume control only works for the headphone socket, track 8's level can be my main volume.
I need a drink!
The Analog Four seems so much easier and more fun in comparison. And even that could be made so much better.
It's Saturday afternoon now and I've forced myself to stick at the Ocatrack, get back to where I was at least. The way I've used it today finally feels like a valid way to work. I formerly thought I'd fill the CF with content then use it because sampling was such a PITA. I bought another hoping to do long backing tracks but still allow live improv over the top. The way it's starting to make sense is not that way at all. It's not a lot different to how I've been using the P3/RC-505 etc. - recording the synth parts you play at the time, like you would in Logic. Accept they can't be too long rather than get into the whole flex/static thing where it can't write directly to card etc. Record bursts of up to 64 steps (why the fuck is this still the last number before MAX? I thought they agreed 128 was worth adding!) and make the best of it. Using that audio, slicing it, triggering it in mad new patterns, making lots of related one with related A4 sequences, sticking to bank = key, accepting there's no fucking tempo changes....
In the end, the Octatrack is good not when you have all your samples accessible as they would in your computer but when you have a limited set but add to it constantly from other stuff in the studio that fits.
SO there we go. minimal rig = KS4, A4, OT, drum machine (currently TT-606) and Microgranny 2. Maybe Lyra-8 and long delay added too for shits and giggles.
OK, I'm not going off on one. Some things work well, or did until they mysteriously stopped. My old projects load fine, my little mini setup with the A4 and a drum machine (review one but will be the ES2 eventually) worked. Baffled that recording seems to keep forgetting the desired inputs. Or maybe it cannot remember the inputs you choose on a per-track basis, meaning I'm bound to cock up. Having a rest from today. I feel ugly having sworn and cursed for so long and the back of my neck aches.
Someone should write a decent manual for that thing. It won't be me though. I ain't gonna learn or try to learn any more than the stuff I want, which is to play long tracks and do basic loop and sample triggering with parameter locks to make 'em interesting and scenes to tweak them. Using the master track this time, never really did before. Since the main volume control only works for the headphone socket, track 8's level can be my main volume.
I need a drink!
The Analog Four seems so much easier and more fun in comparison. And even that could be made so much better.
It's Saturday afternoon now and I've forced myself to stick at the Ocatrack, get back to where I was at least. The way I've used it today finally feels like a valid way to work. I formerly thought I'd fill the CF with content then use it because sampling was such a PITA. I bought another hoping to do long backing tracks but still allow live improv over the top. The way it's starting to make sense is not that way at all. It's not a lot different to how I've been using the P3/RC-505 etc. - recording the synth parts you play at the time, like you would in Logic. Accept they can't be too long rather than get into the whole flex/static thing where it can't write directly to card etc. Record bursts of up to 64 steps (why the fuck is this still the last number before MAX? I thought they agreed 128 was worth adding!) and make the best of it. Using that audio, slicing it, triggering it in mad new patterns, making lots of related one with related A4 sequences, sticking to bank = key, accepting there's no fucking tempo changes....
In the end, the Octatrack is good not when you have all your samples accessible as they would in your computer but when you have a limited set but add to it constantly from other stuff in the studio that fits.
SO there we go. minimal rig = KS4, A4, OT, drum machine (currently TT-606) and Microgranny 2. Maybe Lyra-8 and long delay added too for shits and giggles.
Wednesday, 1 February 2017
Bogus Realities
Enough of the real world, I'm opting out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZK7Qhtuw-8Y&feature=youtu.be
That's me playing the Lyra-8. a Russian instrument I just reviewed and part of the reason I still get a kick out of writing reviews. How on Earth would I get hold of something like it otherwise?
Odd week, mum rushed to hospital, still there but a lot better than she was. So it's meant a tough week for getting anything done.
New week, mum home but will take a while to be back to how she was. Relieved though.
I bought another Octatrack. I know, I know. I realised I'd never get an MPC Live in time to master it and fill it before the May gig in Somerset. And I really don't want to take loads of gear, struggle, be juggling plates. I want to enjoy it. I therefore plan to have the OT and A4 doing my entire backing synced to live looping from the RC-505. Occurs to me I might use the Cue output to feed the looper but we'll see how all that hangs together. I'm bound to struggle at first deciding how to use it and curse about saving, getting around, tempo storage (or lack of). Actually, the RC-505 might be cool as the master...
A track Tim and I did the other day
https://soundcloud.com/headshocklab/qiameth
It's gonna be an insane year. Expect the music to reflect that!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZK7Qhtuw-8Y&feature=youtu.be
That's me playing the Lyra-8. a Russian instrument I just reviewed and part of the reason I still get a kick out of writing reviews. How on Earth would I get hold of something like it otherwise?
Odd week, mum rushed to hospital, still there but a lot better than she was. So it's meant a tough week for getting anything done.
New week, mum home but will take a while to be back to how she was. Relieved though.
I bought another Octatrack. I know, I know. I realised I'd never get an MPC Live in time to master it and fill it before the May gig in Somerset. And I really don't want to take loads of gear, struggle, be juggling plates. I want to enjoy it. I therefore plan to have the OT and A4 doing my entire backing synced to live looping from the RC-505. Occurs to me I might use the Cue output to feed the looper but we'll see how all that hangs together. I'm bound to struggle at first deciding how to use it and curse about saving, getting around, tempo storage (or lack of). Actually, the RC-505 might be cool as the master...
A track Tim and I did the other day
https://soundcloud.com/headshocklab/qiameth
It's gonna be an insane year. Expect the music to reflect that!
Saturday, 7 January 2017
Eurotunnel Thoughts
It occurs to me, the more I build up my Eurorack, that I've been here before. Memories of the large black Digisound, the large-ish Analogue Systems modular, the other small boxes, twin ARP sequencers, MacBeth M3 (one of the first), my Roland System 100, the patched-out Odyssey... I had a lot of patch cords slowing me down once upon a time and it's happening again.
You see, I like to work fast. I always have to an extent. It's why I have reverted to the P3, finding Cirklon great for structured stuff but just not suited to my spontaneous style. I haven't given up hope that we might further refine its operation but that depends on the usual constraints. Anyway, modular, especially Eurorack, is slow. At least I find it slow compared to the larger, simpler instruments I've spent years acquiring, learning, positioning in the studio so they are exactly where I need them to be.
I don't know if this can be resolved but what I do know is I plan to ease off on the modular growth until I can absorb what I have into my headspace. Adding more and more takes me past the tipping point and I'm afraid I may already have gone too far. It wouldn't be an issue if I was working exclusively with modular - but I get such pleasure from turning to the Minimoog or Prodigy or Juno 6 and the reason is I can instantly get what I want. The Synthi has always been a special case because I don't treat it as a servant but rather as another personality in the studio, one I interact with but have no intention of ever mastering. And if that seems a weird approach, it's one I find very suitable to that particular instrument. Eurorack is different. It has this capacity for eternal growth that I know I must resist. Adding the Vermona QMI has been a good thing because it puts the P3 back in the driving seat and knocks the Beatstep Pro back to what it's best at - percussion programming. But I plan to get the Morpheus filter and maybe some kind of mixer module before putting on the brakes.
The reviewing thing makes it harder. But my plans are progressing towards retirement and at some point during this year, well, we'll see. Changes are afoot.
I have had a good idea for a novel (I think). The fantasy angle was proving difficult to work into my style and I was in danger of slipping into a kind of twisted merging of Pratchett and Vonnegut, when I really aspired towards Gemmell. My idea will let me play to my strengths as I already have 3 fully-formed characters, a scenario, some background and a vague direction. But I will hammer out a plot before I begin writing it all down. Honest. I won't just get hammered one day and start. OK, I might.
Happy New Year!
Oh, apparently some of my library stuff is available on iTunes. I wonder if I get paid extra for that?
Today's noodle
https://soundcloud.com/smokyfrog/emory-cabundicle
You see, I like to work fast. I always have to an extent. It's why I have reverted to the P3, finding Cirklon great for structured stuff but just not suited to my spontaneous style. I haven't given up hope that we might further refine its operation but that depends on the usual constraints. Anyway, modular, especially Eurorack, is slow. At least I find it slow compared to the larger, simpler instruments I've spent years acquiring, learning, positioning in the studio so they are exactly where I need them to be.
I don't know if this can be resolved but what I do know is I plan to ease off on the modular growth until I can absorb what I have into my headspace. Adding more and more takes me past the tipping point and I'm afraid I may already have gone too far. It wouldn't be an issue if I was working exclusively with modular - but I get such pleasure from turning to the Minimoog or Prodigy or Juno 6 and the reason is I can instantly get what I want. The Synthi has always been a special case because I don't treat it as a servant but rather as another personality in the studio, one I interact with but have no intention of ever mastering. And if that seems a weird approach, it's one I find very suitable to that particular instrument. Eurorack is different. It has this capacity for eternal growth that I know I must resist. Adding the Vermona QMI has been a good thing because it puts the P3 back in the driving seat and knocks the Beatstep Pro back to what it's best at - percussion programming. But I plan to get the Morpheus filter and maybe some kind of mixer module before putting on the brakes.
The reviewing thing makes it harder. But my plans are progressing towards retirement and at some point during this year, well, we'll see. Changes are afoot.
I have had a good idea for a novel (I think). The fantasy angle was proving difficult to work into my style and I was in danger of slipping into a kind of twisted merging of Pratchett and Vonnegut, when I really aspired towards Gemmell. My idea will let me play to my strengths as I already have 3 fully-formed characters, a scenario, some background and a vague direction. But I will hammer out a plot before I begin writing it all down. Honest. I won't just get hammered one day and start. OK, I might.
Happy New Year!
Oh, apparently some of my library stuff is available on iTunes. I wonder if I get paid extra for that?
Today's noodle
https://soundcloud.com/smokyfrog/emory-cabundicle
Tuesday, 27 December 2016
A week recording in Lanzarote
It seemed like a great idea - and it should have been. But I reckoned without my weak constitution and dormant man-flu...
We took a bunch of gear.
And with all that battery power it allowed us out on the cliffs around Papagayo beach, contending with the bright sunshine, squinting, drinking gin and tonic and smoking locally-acquired weed.
We got lots of audio. I have yet to check it all out but it followed a pattern of me doing predictable stuff on the electribe and Tim going berserk on his Volca FM. I imagine some editing is going to be necessary if we want normality but I suspect we don't. :)
Was a stupid idea for me to fly to a completely different island then rely on 2 buses and a ferry. Not sure what I was thinking there. Still, live and learn! Back to continue fighting cold while feeling guilty I have yet to start work. Also sorting out my pension which should make next year a different year to this one. Watch this space...
New camera seems very good even if I wasn't really doing a great job with it.
The skies were gorgeous and I stupidly forgot my binoculars!
Oh and the free ad campaign seems to have got me some book sales - in a single day I sol 15 of one title, which is a record. Possibly bodes well for 2017, we'll see. Maybe it's a clever ploy from Amazon to make me invest in advertising. Which is possibly not as wise as trying (again) to find an editor.
Yes, I really didn't look well... but tried (heroically) to keep up.
Loads of people have suddenly died - George Michael, Richard Adams, Carrie Fisher - so that's 2016 having a last burst of venom before 2017 brings us nuclear holocaust. Ho ho fucking ho!
We took a bunch of gear.
And with all that battery power it allowed us out on the cliffs around Papagayo beach, contending with the bright sunshine, squinting, drinking gin and tonic and smoking locally-acquired weed.
We got lots of audio. I have yet to check it all out but it followed a pattern of me doing predictable stuff on the electribe and Tim going berserk on his Volca FM. I imagine some editing is going to be necessary if we want normality but I suspect we don't. :)
Was a stupid idea for me to fly to a completely different island then rely on 2 buses and a ferry. Not sure what I was thinking there. Still, live and learn! Back to continue fighting cold while feeling guilty I have yet to start work. Also sorting out my pension which should make next year a different year to this one. Watch this space...
New camera seems very good even if I wasn't really doing a great job with it.
The skies were gorgeous and I stupidly forgot my binoculars!
Oh and the free ad campaign seems to have got me some book sales - in a single day I sol 15 of one title, which is a record. Possibly bodes well for 2017, we'll see. Maybe it's a clever ploy from Amazon to make me invest in advertising. Which is possibly not as wise as trying (again) to find an editor.
Yes, I really didn't look well... but tried (heroically) to keep up.
Loads of people have suddenly died - George Michael, Richard Adams, Carrie Fisher - so that's 2016 having a last burst of venom before 2017 brings us nuclear holocaust. Ho ho fucking ho!
Sunday, 4 December 2016
Exoplanets 3
Got a couple of reviews off so far this week, short ones and easy to write cos they're about good stuff. New module arrived that's also good so my life continues to be easy.
I sent back a CD I ordered (Albedo 0.39) which was meant to have been remastered by Vangelis. Think I made a mistake because the replacement arrived and it still sounds, well, not how you'd imagine a remaster to sound. At all. I'll import into Wavelab and check it out but it's significantly quieter than any of this other albums, including the fab Beaubourg remaster. If necessary I'll sort it out myself but it suggests I should have read the label carefully before assuming they cocked up!
I have a new track to make for the 'abstract' collection. If I don't get time there are some Headshock moments I can use but after playing Beaubourg for several days now, I feel inspired to sit down and just rattle something off.
Having thoughts again about selling a few things including the CS30, Dark Time and maybe Morpheus which I haven't had time to use. Frankly, I'd rather have the forthcoming Rossum Morpheus filter.
Got my Prodigy out, treated it to Space reverb, discovered territory even a sync-mofidied Minimoog doesn't go. Excellent day except Pat away. Beer, pizza, this
https://soundcloud.com/smokyfrog/orgone-ornotgone
I did a new track. I think we now have Exo3.
Update - we do! Picko mastered it too, which is well cool of him. Means it's had proper ears listen, which I value.
https://paulnagle.bandcamp.com/album/exoplanets-volume-3
It also turns out that even a Minimoog with sync doesn't negate the need for a Prodigy. Hey ho. Got it out again, SH-101 tucked away. For now.
I sent back a CD I ordered (Albedo 0.39) which was meant to have been remastered by Vangelis. Think I made a mistake because the replacement arrived and it still sounds, well, not how you'd imagine a remaster to sound. At all. I'll import into Wavelab and check it out but it's significantly quieter than any of this other albums, including the fab Beaubourg remaster. If necessary I'll sort it out myself but it suggests I should have read the label carefully before assuming they cocked up!
I have a new track to make for the 'abstract' collection. If I don't get time there are some Headshock moments I can use but after playing Beaubourg for several days now, I feel inspired to sit down and just rattle something off.
Got my Prodigy out, treated it to Space reverb, discovered territory even a sync-mofidied Minimoog doesn't go. Excellent day except Pat away. Beer, pizza, this
https://soundcloud.com/smokyfrog/orgone-ornotgone
I did a new track. I think we now have Exo3.
Update - we do! Picko mastered it too, which is well cool of him. Means it's had proper ears listen, which I value.
https://paulnagle.bandcamp.com/album/exoplanets-volume-3
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