Friday again

And my Perfourmer II came back with the power supply replacing the old one. Hopefully it won't need fixing every 4-5 years or so from now on. It's sounding just as fabulous as always and I recorded a little thing with it (on Soundcloud if you're interested, although I might delete it before posting this.).

I say 'you' as if I'm addressing an actual audience although I don't expect that to be the case. I mostly write this blog because, at some point in the past, I started doing it. And hey, that's still a better reason than Brexit! Today Terry Christian retweeted one of my tweets. That may prove to be my Peak Twitter Moment. Oh actually I think I got a reply from the sky-gazing Brian Cox once. Yeah, heady circles I know.

I think it's a Light Studio day. I should work in the garden really but I did a bit this morning. That week-old pie I just ate is sitting uneasily on my stomach. I'm giving up with Pat's pie collection now, will have to admit defeat and chuck the rest. Ah, she already noticed they've started going off - wish I had better taste buds. No wonder I love curry eh? Food that gets through!

Yesterday's thing (it's Saturday now)

Wednesday now and we're at Center Parcs. Or Centerparcs maybe. Earlier I watched two stoats chasing each other. I had a pipe then spent 5 minutes trying to switch off my Kindle by pressing its USB socket. Due to the usual cockups of life, Pat broke her toe (she thinks) on day one. Day two they cocked up her takeaway order but the end result was they delivered it all again. So today (day three), I'm having chicken tikka chilli balti with mushroom pilau rice again. For lunch I had the fajitas that villa 112 ordered but didn't get. I've taken some pictures, will add at the end (when I find the cable).

Have had fun with the OP-1 and Digitone. Odd using the Digitone's own sequencer compared to the OT. In face the whole layout, once you start using it fully, is very different to the OT. And this from the same company. Doing sequences with parameter locks works better with this synth engine than the Analogue Four and it really helps that you can just copy patterns and tweak, not worrying about all that A4 kit nonsense. Doing freaky stuff having specific algorithm tweaks combined with envelope changes and operator frequency shifts... yeah. Stuff I don't usually do with the OT because it involves modulators and trial and error. Haven't powered up the Reface yet.

Anyway, all good

Well

It's sunny today and I don't know how many days of Summer there are left. Technically none since it's September but what the heck, I'm showing my flabby belly to the sky and daring it to take offence. Reading an Andy Hamilton book I got from the library and contemplating whether the morning's gardening constitutes enough. I've filled the proper garden bin, the old garden bin and the compost bin and still have piles of greenery, so it'll have to do. I rang Dave and left a message asking if he's still the tree man or whether he's sublimed into a being of higher energy. Hopefully I got the tone right and he'll ring back. Actually, hopefully I got the number right as my message might sound rather odd to anyone who isn't Dave. And frankly that's everyone, isn't it?
I have resisted having a bag of smoke so far this afternoon. And there was only one beer left in the fridge. This may count as one of my healthy days, in the grand scheme of things.

I look at the clock and realise it's 16:00. Another day has gone. Should I worry about losing them when there will be a very similar one along tomorrow? Tony didn't ring, presumably he was less than impressed by my availability - or lack of it - last weekend. The soundtrack for the Killing Fields just arrived, courtesy of tax-dodgers Amazon. I'm playing it now and it's great. Not at all what I expected either, which is always a bonus.

I tried a sketch earlier but it was rubbish. Disconcerting really. Will all my meagre skills atrophy? Spelling going too, I see. It's meager, obviously.

Monday, recorded a really nice drone then mixed other tracks but quite a few in total. Stood up in Dark Studio and felt productive. Plan to watch shit TV tonight, Pat home tomorrow. Drank some Desperado but not both bottles as pissed already :)

The Tree where I almost died. Still significant to me many years later.

New OT project day

It's always a great feeling to begin a new Octatrack project. Having filled most of the patterns of my Colours prj it's time for Metals. I have therefore created a new blank proj with no samples in it. My 8 arrangements have been set up as follows:

Actinium
Berkelium
Chromium
Dubnium
Europium
Fermium
Gallium

I'll start working through them in alphabetical order, creating new patterns for my MIDI instruments and sampling new stuff as I go. The project starts from the same point as the last one ended, meaning there are scenes and parts set up already doing the kind of things I often do. This usually proves interesting when applied to the new samples I add and, of course, I change everything as I go. My Analog Four and Digitone also start from the same point the last project left off. Since these are used only as sound modules any actual patterns are blank anyway (apart from the occasional FX change in the A4 which usually trips me up).

A clean sheet then, tally ho! I'll keep the Model D and Blofeld in the same places too as it's a nice mix, even though it means the A4 plays just one part (and provides effects for the Model D).
My OT main encoder is starting to fail so I'll try and order one from Elektron. Yesterday I started work on Actinium and grabbed a nice loop from the Tanzbar, possibly hit on a groovy bassline. Today I might continue on that or perhaps do a nice relaxing drone. The piano piece I started is going nowhere so will leave it for now.
Roland have announced a ton of new stuff but any hope of getting a tiny Juno-6 soundalike is thwarted again as the 'revisit' still misses the polyphony count of the original. So at least Roland are consistent (leaving us with the 'what are they thinking?' question we've been nursing for decades).

The Ideation session is still sounding fab. If I'd cut anything it might be the bit around 44 mins on my quick mix but it's all actually so good I'd be content to put it out as is. That first drone is a killer. Which reminds me, must play the Pipe more.

Must take some new photos :)

Happy Friday!!!

Sauna Studio Sesh

I'd been worried that the day Pete and I chose to spend making new Ideation tracks would cook us both. In the end, we coped - and I'm listening to the 1.5 hours of material we recorded as I type. The best bits seem to be ambient/drone-based so far but all good.

Following Tony's suggestion I ask Vermona about a new power supply they did indeed offer to send me one - nice one guys! It turns out my Perfourmer mk2 has a very different power supply to the later models, as shown in the circuit diag they sent. Hopefully the replacement board will last longer and work better.

Bank Holiday Monday, getting warm. Have picked some apples but mostly gonna laze around again for the rest of the day.

Had a battle with debt recovery company sent by DHL to chase an invoice that never reached me. DHL maintain it's not their problem that 20 Marilyn Ave doesn't exist and not their driver's responsibility to notify them of this. The end result is that there was some import tax on the Intellijel review modules but, due to the address mix-up, DHL could think of no way to get in touch with me to say. I recall their stupidity over the Pro 2 main board so should not be surprised. Anyway, the debt recovery company somehow knew the correct address, all of which reeks of a scam to me. I paid up and SOS will reimburse but it's bloody annoying.

Today I'm listening through the Path from 1984 to see if I can bear it being reissued. Apart from the usual excess of cheese, it isn't too bad. Some EQ work needed though and the odd click - I'm recovering from some Audity files someone made for me in a weird format.

Pat was away Sunday / Monday so I did the usual. Got a headache this morning.

Modular Mindfulness

I've been struggling to get back into any kind of 'fun with modular' phase. I turned on recently intending to work on the joystick review and ended up with yet another move around of modules.

I can turn on my Elektron gear and have a new tune going in 5 mins. With the modular, I won't even have decided which modules to use in that time. The smaller modular, which is in the other room, is better in that sense because there are just a hand-picked selection so maybe put the joystick in that one. Maybe I'll go play piano instead.

Another day.
My move-around seems to have been a good thing. My small Roland case now holds just the DPO, Benjolin, ErbeVerb and Chance modules - still inspired by the Easel but its own thing. I made a lovely space drone feeding the DPO output into the Lyra-FX and Magneto modules and adding slight modulation from the Benjolin.

Just installing the Keystep update - a great update too addressing all of the things I didn't like originally. Let's go see if it works. Ah, seems to be an issue with starting sequences - they don't always start at step 1 when the new arm function in use. Will see if it's user error or another bodged update. Shame they didn't want me as beta tester.

And here's some starlings.

Ah, the 80s

Yesterday I recorded in the Light Studio, today the Dark. Two new pieces in progress with limited setups from each room. It means I have something for when Pete comes later in the month.
Anyway.
Once again the matter of my 1980s cassettes has come up. Once again someone wants to re-release some of them. Once again I'm forced to deal with digging them out and listening, wincing, trying to decide if I want to bother or would rather leave things in fuzzy memory where they surely belong.
I don't know whether to be pleased that I reached a few people with what I did back when I knew nothing or sad that when I felt I did start to find my own path, it was one few traveled with me. Admittedly it's a path with lots of twists and turns, sometimes winding back on itself, other times heading carelessly into the wilderness singing and what-ho-ing.
I was looking over my bandcamp releases earlier, trying to work out if there's enough of a cross-section there that I needn't add to it ever again (I will, inevitably). I'm pleased to note that eventually, it seems, even the odder releases (the ones I liked perhaps because of their oddness) have done OK in the long run. Albums like 'and darkness falls' and Cyberdiver were deformed mutants designed to challenge lovers of sequences and melody. And Red Book, which has Carl's overdubs, should have done better but perhaps people have the CD. I know many of the synth people preferred Blue Book as it ticked more of the regular boxes. Can't argue with that as I knocked it up in a single weekend box-ticking exercise to enable Red Book to get out there.
Ah well.
It's Saturday and raining. I've had a few days of happy studio indulgence so should probably make contact with the world again, see what it's up to.
Oh, and I tried and failed to write up something about Carl's passing. I mean, I did it but it was poor stuff and not in any way what I wanted, except perhaps in pointing people to Carl's recent output. I dearly hope they won't just be interested in his old cassettes.

Advice I promise I will not be taking to heart.

The 20th Synth-DIY Anniversary weekend

A long drive to Cambridge. In fact, lots of driving in just a few days - two airport trips and a to and fro effort with my mum and her eye. Where to start?
Actually, the biggest, saddest news was the death of Carl Matthews. We hadn't corresponded for a while but by chance I did play some of his music to Colin and Tony on the Thursday before we left for Cambridge. Tony identified the composer at once, which is testament to Carl's unique and special style. I still don't have suitable words, other than to say it's the third friend whose death was revealed to me by Facebook's channels.

The usual snaps.  Was good to see Colin and Tony, talk Cirklon and listen to Tony's single voice synth (a gorgeous SEM-alike). Tony's step sequencer was cool too - if I hadn't got bored with Eurorack I'd surely want one. Also got to play a Deckard's Dream and really liked it. It's helped a lot by its effects and by an additional Big Sky reverb though.
Ate a LOT, drank quite a bit, glad to be home and detoxing. Well the gladness was dampened by news of Carl's death - which prompted me to dig out as much music of his as possible. Carl did some very cool overdubs on my Red Book album and I added some noises to his Ixion's Wheel. I finally managed to rip most of the latter and it's still great.
Tony took my Perfourmer and Tim's 100m to fix. Hope to get the Perfourmer back before Pete comes later this month but if not will adapt. Currently listening through a lot of Ideation stuff and realising how good it is and how almost nobody knows we exist. Self-promotion not my strong point. Good material unreleased includes 2 (possibly 3) gigs and a lot of long jams recorded at Pete's that time, plus some of the long-form stuff from our last get-together here.

My work in the garden is accumulating, perhaps because I haven't done any of it. The sparrows are having such a ball in all the foliage I can't bring myself to start cutting things back yet, but the end of this month is my deadline for doing something.

I'd like to do some more long-form piano pieces, just need to get in the right frame of mind. The long one I did when Pat was away is really quite nice and even the more conventional Glass-style piece I played over the Synthi noise isn't far off being something in its cut-down 8-9 min form. Time, where does it go?

Teatime postponed because a staffie has leapt into the horses' field and savaged a couple of the poor beasts. Unusually, the lady owner stuck around and has offered to pay. Also unusually, Pat's horse was not involved. Instead of eating I spent an hour or so watching the (large) family of mice running up the large thistle near the bird feeder, helping themselves to the spilled seeds. The little onanists!