Some studio days

 Yeah, Pat was away and I had a very nice Friday and Saturday chilling and noodling. Tim and I made 'Dav' in homage to Davros. Review work paused while firmware worked on. Pat arrived home sneezing pretty much non-stop. Hey diddly ho. 

Well now it's December and Pat's been helping her pal with her horse so I've been walking Broc a fair bit, all good fun. I did manage to start editing the novel, did five chapters of corrections today and hope to keep at it this week. If I do five a day that's a decent goal and actually this is the easy bit. Will still need cover doing though. 

Dunno if we're walking this week but Friday's sesh may be scuppered as it's the day Pat's having her window done. She's off on a trip with Margaret that day and possibly Saturday too, calendar not clear. May try and have one tomorrow. Been doing more with the arpeggiator and really enjoying some of the mayhem it can create - today was running four separate scales, not necessarily scales that like each other but by messing with the offsets and modulation, some rather incredible textures appearing. Next I plan to try it with the P2K as modulating MIDI channels is a rich source of fun so why not try 16 of them?

Right, some pix from last week should see this entry done. 

Oh look, Oasis! Can't remember which gig. 

Remember, remember, um, something, and then it's November. Scootland!

Monday it is and a pleasant afternoon was spent noodling waiting for the Arp which only left Bristol today. Also leaving Bristol is my beautiful Super 6, its panel replaced - which is very much appreciated. Finally smooth sliding is gonna be mine. Very excited. The Penguin Cafe CD I ordered from Amazon supposedly coming Sunday hasn't arrived yet, can be up to 10pm they say. Maybe the Prime membership isn't worth keeping up any more. 

Foot day tomorrow. 

 

We're here
Sunday

OK, in one of those I went mad on saturation and levels. 

Oh yeah, went face first into a bog yesterday - totally soaked including phone and camera. Camera seems OK, phone has recovered after a rice bath but some bits not working (e.g. audio through earpiece when used as a phone). What an eejit. Think Tony upset as we turned round and missed out on his summit experience. 

Well, Friday was a day of two halves - morning I spent waiting around for Tony then decided to go out and wander around locally. Wish I'd gone first thing as it was lovely - and got some stream recordings too. Afternoon was too late for the lovely woods trip around Loch Maree so we did an abbreviated version. I was left with the usual impression that much of our time there is spent with me pining for the woods, but short of taking two cars we both compromise I suppose. Drank more whisky and smoked more weed in a week than I usually do in a month. Listened to Radio 6, which seemed considerably shitter than previous trips as they seem to have faffed around with the schedule, filling it with young airheads with zero personality and a list of records so naff I actually welcomed the Archers. Oh well. 

Next week I plan to start the Arp review, even though there's new firmware still on the way. Can cover basic functionality at least. 

Farewell October

 It's getting rainy now as we approach the end of the month. This week's walk has been marred by various appointments - discovered the secret to getting one at the doc's is to stand at the door at 8am rather than try and get through on the phone. Nurse read podiatrist's letter and booked x-ray, took bloods and gave me antibiotics - all without looking at the toe. She didn't know how to wrap it up again afterwards, apparently. Tuesday and I'm going to see someone else who does and there's an appointment tomorrow too, but I don't know if today's means that isn't necessary. Dentist too tomorrow then William coming until Friday, at which point I'm taking mum for a covid jab.

All in all, not a week I'm going to get much studio time in, which is frustrating. Saturday also limited by the need to drive to Kendal in the evening for Penguin Cafe - Tony taking Pat's ticket and John gonna get up here himself so I needn't leave Broc alone too long while fireworks going off (!). Yeah, Pat's off to some do.

Next week currently looking clear, last before Scotland so I hope to get time for play as really itching to use the studio at the moment now it's all tidy again. May order that MIDICake Arp thing, just awaiting answers to a few more questions. Seems like it would be a good fit for the JD-XA in its new position or possibly even Setup 2 - but am I buying it for no really good reason? Emailed Udo to see how they're getting on with my Soup, hope that isn't away too long. 

That was the cover I made for David Law's hastily-assembled collection of tracks, can't actually remember which ones. Don't think I'll make available on bandcamp, plenty on there already. 

My ModFactor pedal was playing up the other day - flickering like the TimeFactor and ModFactor did. Flaky buggers, may swap power supply around and see if that helps. Have yet to find a power supply for John's fx, will see if the one for the 1202 turns up as he can have that. 

Oh, and as our American friends (and now us, inevitably) would say, happy fucking halloween!

Viral Reminiscence

 Whenever I return to the Virus it's like an old friend. I know I overused it back in the day but even now, especially with the Blackbox able to capture complete performances, it sits in a mix better than any synth I know. It sounds mixed already, whatever you do, which not many instruments can say. 

Listening through, I have some good stuff of late. Edits in each, and I probably have an album of interesting stuff. Let's see if it seems that way tomorrow morning. 

Well now. It's Friday evening and we just returned from the tapas thing, which wasn't great, it has to be said. I'd forgotten about it and got drunk as usual, but seem to have gotten away with that. 

https://soundcloud.com/smokyfrog/anustian

My corn has gone deep and podiatrist reckons doc should look at it. Oh, we didn't walk this week and I sorted upstairs and library and tip runs instead. Bought Behringer Wasp for pocket money. Sounds OK too, filter especially good and nice for processing the RD-9 which is working well in setup 4. 

Today I started something kinda fun, might progress tomorrow. I'd intended Anustian to be along the lines of Wunderbar but it went in a completely different direction, which was nice. 

In other news I'm still really liking using twin Odysseys. Its so much nicer than multitracking the same one. I'd like an RC-505 in setup 3 though. Was looking at the Eventide H90 the other day after convincing myself I don't want a Syntrx II. Actually, still hoping for a crack at Tony's Synth prototype - it'll be simpler than the Erica - that etch-a-sketch matrix doesn't appeal but maybe I need to use one before ruling it out. William next week. 

Editing novel going slowish due to other work but making progress. Udo have my Super 6 and say they'll look at this week. We shall see. Library stripped. 

Barp vs Karp

 Or B-Ody vs Ody, I dunno. I bought Tony's Behringer Odyssey with a view to selling my Korg but there was a problem at first - I wasn't sure it sounded as good. I'd done a few days of just playing the two, playing identical Cirklon patterns in both and comparing. While the Behringer won on features, the Korg's oscillators sounded, to me, fatter and bigger and most distinctive. To cut a long story short, I solved it when I fired up the app and disabled soft thru. Bizarre but true. Also found an option to keep my sequencer sync but not have it start every time I send a MIDI start. 

Quick summary: Behringer has a nice keyboard and a MIDI Output - something Korg neglected on their MS20 keyboard version too. And it sends velocity - tweak the app and you can even play accents or do it via MIDI. The Body has a stereo effects unit but Behringer stupidly summed it to mono - Tony has fixed mine but I need a lead for the XLR output to try it (the one lead I had didn't work). Anyway, just having the knob to bring in some reverb is actually quite nice so a plus there. The Body's sequencer is a bit naff - over-complicated - but the arpeggiator is darn handy. 
In general I really like the feel of it, the sliders are longer and smoother than Korg's and have variable strength LEDs on the tips. It's smaller and neater than a real Ody and I guess the next thing is to try Tim's against the two. Oh and the Drive switch on the Barp is a larger leap in gain than the Korg's, a bit unsubtle actually. 
Having both might not be all that crazy after all...

Friday was a good sesh, used the Wolfman samples a bit. Saturday we did Yessey, on good form, sorta abstract and Tim not drinking as heavily as I was.Sunday I began the destruction of the library (the only room downstairs with any personality), moving the books I want to read again (or just keep) upstairs. 
Monday I selected some pix for next year's calendar, will go through with Pat tonight. This afternoon will continue moving stuff upstairs, do photo of telescope for ads and to sent to Janet/Lisa. Nowt back from George yet so I suspect his backtracking was his last word on the subject - he ain't great at dialogue, as I know from testing. May visit Matt this week, lend him the Prodigy. Contemplating a Microcosm again but not decent demos appear to show what I want....

Hah, Ody number 4!

 I know, mad right? I suppose the Creamware one probably doesn't count but it was pretty good. My old black and gold butchered module sounded great but was pretty ropey. The Korg whiteface was beautiful and I was pretty happy with it - but Tony offered up his (Behringer) keyboard version - and that really is the way the Ody should be, so I bought it. Will probably sell the Korg but will compare first. The Behringer has sequencer/arpeggiator and effects as well as keyboard - beating Korg by having a MIDI out as well as in. Anyway, Tony has done the LFO reset mod, improved the FX mix and outputs and sorted something with the filter I didn't quite catch. It'll do me! And, of course, Tim's is still here!
I guess I've had as many Odysseys as MS20s now. 

I must sell some stuff!

(A pic from the Erland Cooper gig at Lancaster)

It's been a hell of a week - won't try and record it all here, suffice it to say that mum was back in Preston but as she was covid positive they put her in a small airless room with non-functional aircond and no windows and promptly began to forget about her. After two days and no prospect of any treatment we took her home. She's still got covid and is weak and poorly but what can you do? 
Pat and I have had colds - seem to be getting over mine at last so hope to walk tomorrow and pick up the Ody keyboard from Tony as well as my Perfourmer. Have put Minimoog in its flightcase and got the Prodigy out - for a change. Compiling a list of stuff to sell but will I do anything about it?
Synthfest Saturday...

Friday tomorrow, the Ody looks lovely so that's my plan - mess with that!

JD working well as a main keyboard for Cirklon. May set up Ody to play Korg Ody, which is probably gratuitous and therefore a good reason to do it. Tally ho!