Another studio move-around, preparing for a week alone

Yeah, I have wanted to sort the modular corner better for a good while. I ordered a new mixer and will consolidate the 2 small mixers into 1 larger (Behringer Xenyx X2442). I went for this older model not because it was cheaper but because the new one is not rack mountable. In the event, I may not rack it this time but it's an important option to have. I always have other moves ;)

First stage is to get the Digisound back into the fold.
Had hoped for space for the SH-101 but not found it yet. :(

Here's where I'm parking stuff in the meantime. You can see the new piano against the wall. Really hope to have a good long sesh playing it soon. It sounds fantastic! Even made me wonder if I was a cheapskate not buying the full 3 pedal add-on.

And almost there. I have a rack of effects and patch bay to add, plus Repeater and a few other things I might want nearby and ready to use. May also put the 2 303 clones in it and dedicate them to the P3. We'll see how it all looks once the mixer arrives (Monday apparently even though they said today).  And yes, I'm using that old Behringer rack mixer as a stand!

Lots of my friends have said they've ordered the novel, which is really nice but I'm now wondering what on  earth they'll think. Good response from those who have read so far but that isn't a huge selection of people...

Note to self: get another right angled kettle lead. Needed for the stuff against walls. Could find a couple but needed one for the Digisound too. 

Pat off on a riding holiday in Spain on Sunday so I expect a very relaxed week ahead. 

Anniversary and stuff

Yeah, been married 29 years now. Celebrated with a Mexican meal (excellent) and Guardians of the Galaxy 2 (also excellent).

Today I may complete the FAF 'paperback rewrite/reformat'. I have about 20 pages still to do.
It's funny in a way because I've had to tweak because of the evolution of the Aesir/Hazeer in Bogus Realities. I think it'll work a lot better now, as long as I don't kill it by over-editing.

Amazingly, another email about my early cassettes. Bizarre innit. I really must get a cassette deck and see what can be salvaged.

Later...

I was right, I did complete FAF and then got stuck with getting page numbers in (managed it but not perfectly). Anyway, submitted and then saw the pricing options, which were sobering. I know it's long but hadn't expected it to cost $13! Doubt I'll be persuading many pals to buy one but I will and lend it out. :) Getting a print will give me a chance to read and edit again but I should probably stop.
Later (2)
Heh, thought of an important edit overnight, made it and then discovered the minimum price had risen from $13.50 to $13.98!! So I'm definitely gonna stop. I guess the pound ain't doing well because Theresa May was such a car crash on TV last night.

Novel was actually available this morning but it's in review again now cos of my fiddling.

Poor Jasper still having arse problems. Farting horribly also. May need another vet visit, poor old thing. One of his farts woke me up the other morning, I may have mentioned it.

Anyway, today I bought a piano. It wasn't the one I expected either as I tried a cheap Casio and actually liked it better. The keyboard was nice, the speakers beat the similarly-priced Yamaha and I went home and pondered. Then bought the next one up which has more polyphony and the alternate tunings I was keen to play with. Got a decent deal on an ex-demo one, stand too. So the clear half of the attic starts getting full again. Typical! Ordering chair/bed tomorrow.

Review module arrived so that's cool, something to do tomorrow.

Pat on riding holiday next week. Already preparing for creative week on the far edges of reality.

One of the pix I decided not to use, although I liked the nice goldy light on the jacks

The novel cover, pix by Tim - cheers dude! Realised too late I had not put my own website anywhere but Tim's is in there ;)

And it's live. I ordered so will let you know what it's like and whether I recommend you to go mad and blow some cash on it too. (Hint: I probably will)

And..

Effect Chains

As an experiment today, I decided to process the Lyra-8 through a long chain of effects. Specifically a Boss DS-2 Turbo Distortion, Eventide Mod Factor and Pitch Factor, OTO Biscuit, Boss DD-20 and OTO BAM. Good grief!!! Talk about complex, intense old school weird electronica! I mean, go on, talk about it. Talk about anything you like, I'm making weird noises!!

Weirdly, I have almost compiled an ambient album of some kind. A few rough edges, some distortion and level jumps, but good as a background mulch in the 'Exoplanets' vein. Will see if I like it in a week or so.

This retirement thing. It's making me grumpy. I can't decide if it's an extended holiday in which I read books and listen to music all day or something else. Whatever that something else might be, it sure doesn't involve urgency or direction. I'm also not sleeping.

We're getting a new conservatory. I spend lots of time in this one so one twice the size has to be a good thing. Pat scuppered my attempts to haggle with one of her odd outbursts though, not too sure what causes them but I made the mistake of mentioning it this morning. Note to self: keep everything cooped up, write a diary or something.

Another email about the early cassettes. Not entirely sure why this keeps happening.

Lately read two Harry Harrisons (OK, one, the second was just too crap to get through). Anyone else tells me my writing style is like his gets hit. Reading a David Gemmell crime story now, not my usual genre but superbly written, as I have come to expect. I'll never be as good.

I seem to have exchanged SOS writing for DIY, so have swapped challenging and interesting for challenging and not interesting at all. Still, there's a module on the way, not that I'm going into the baking studio any time soon.

Mum's condition starting to affect her life/outlook. She's been listless for a while now.

Funny, I never go back and read these things but writing stuff down does help. A little.

Lots of time for walks when you retire

Weird to wear a suit again... even if Pat did have to superglue my shoes together ;)

Sync sinks

Well here's a revelation. Having the studio not entirely synced can be a good thing. Sync, it turns out, can make you lazy. Due to the Pro 2's stupid MIDI In bug, I've disconnected it. Now the delays are more controllable, feel and sound better, the screen doesn't jump to Filter Env 2 depth (thus fucking up any edits you;re doing, including mod matrix tweaks) all the time. My P3 basically serves the modular now, the OT/A4 are stand-alone. Cirklon still drives the MIDI gear and can be master if you want, but smaller setups are healthy. Otherwise I take my usual contributions from my usual instruments and sound samey. Gosh, Friday afternoon thoughts eh?

Listening to Cluster Konzerte 1972/1977 which is incredible! Totally love it, proper electronic music. Actually not a million miles from what I did earlier, which is this

Ambient tosh, I know. But hey, I'm old and can do this shit if I like!

Been tidying attic, lots of stuff chucked, hope to fit in proper chair/bed for visitors. :)

And . . .

A chilled week, sunny and without urgency. Managed a module review (easy one to write) and even started work on the 2 modules I've neglected for a while (foolishly as it happens). Sunned myself, read 3 books, wondered if I might get bored. Then wised up!

I'm 10 chapters into book 2 of FAF editing. Horrible feeling I'm adding new typos and mistakes as I go, which would be sad but typical. I could edit this book forever.

First sketch of base idea for Wiley E Peyote album, still wondering about doing that given I really planned no more solo stuff. Spose Wiley isn't me in a sense.

Also thinking of using OT cue output to send tracks to small Eurorack. Taking that instead of 101 might be a nice idea and give me some indulgent processing options as well as Tonestar bass. The case I already have would be fine too, think it might even leave cables in place.

New CD player fab. Finally I can play mp3s directly and the net nonsense I avoided so far. Denon did good.

Next week: finish the module reviews, Tim around mid-week, think about gig and whether to get an audio I/O module to make my cue idea work better.

Actual Retirement

Yes, I think this is it. I'd been supposedly winding down for a while yet the review work has gradually increased and the library music decreased proportionally. Well, as of now I'm going to do it - just a trickle of modular reviews (because they don't take long and are still hugely enjoyable) and even there, hopefully, replacement writers will let me off the hook, eventually. They say if I want to do more or come back, I can, which is very kind.

Sound On Sound has been very good to me over the years and it's wise that I retire while they still like what/how I write and before my world weariness spills into the text. Maybe one too many 303 clones has speeded this up but I've been ready to do something new for a while. For now this means finishing the editing of Future Art Factory for paperback, writing the new one, exploring the Lake District (as I always planned) and other projects bubbling around in my head. I have lots of ideas but little urgency. Spending time with Pat without having to schedule it between review writing or learning some new piece of gear for the next review, that will be bliss. Heck, we might even buy a camper van. I'm a lucky guy and I know it.

Superbooth taught me that I hate airports just as much as ever. More. Good to see everyone though, the people are always more interesting than the gear. I missed Steve Schroyder and Spyra though, which is a shame. Hadn't known Steve was there until too late.

Today I began reading 'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance' again. It's not a book I get bored with.

I should cut the grass. But I like the dandelions. They are bright and cheerful and bring many bees. So I'll let it grow.

Approx 1 month to the Frome gig. I have a vague idea what I'll do, which is more than enough. Basil is going to join me on stage with his Synthi, so that's nice. And today is sunny.

Some random new shots just because I like pix.

DSI very kindly sent me 2 replacement pots for free even though synth no longer in warranty. Thanks guys!

Mike, master of the highbrow eyebrow

And I didn't even tell you my tale of the Berghain and my invitation to join a 6-man orgy, did I?
Probably for the best...

Oto Bam, Superbooth, Push Turn Move

Yes a new toy

The kind of reverb I always dreamed about actually, can't leave the big ambient setting alone ;)

Off to Berlin for Superbooth tomorrow. Have packed black t-shirts, iPad, camera, portable recording device. Can't think of anything else to fill my little bag so I might put another bag inside. Cunning eh?
Looking forward to the gear but more to the people this time, many of whom I've not seen in too long.

And of course Mike, Kim and I can talk about this:

http://www.pushturnmove.com/

Which reached its target in about an hour!

Fun, fun, fun ahead!