Music doing well, the Vietnamese tracks I did are being aired on Thursday, Ch5 at 21:00
http://www.channel5.com/shows/extraordinary-people/episodes/the-baby-with-a-new-face-extraordinary-people

So that's good. Spent the day with the drum machine today. Think I've sussed it all without the manual but will have to read it to verify a few things. Should be able to start writing soon. Sorted the Logic end - basically it is 32 bit only and didn't even show up in my Logic until I started it in 32 bit mode. Then when I went back to 64 bit it showed up via the bridge. Support guy was on my Mac 2 hours before it dawned on me what the problem was.
Need to write more music. Not keep faffing aimlessly. Still, novel making progress of sorts although it's straining to go in a direction I hadn't planned.

Phew, didn't flood but I left the sandbags over the gate for now. Pat off tomorrow for a week so should get plenty done. Horse duties but shouldn't be too bad.

Wrote most of the app review I have to do, a hundred or so words still to trim off but should be fine. Started the drum machine review also, will progress as the week goes along. Hope to also get lots of the novel done, prepare gig for Awakenings and write some orchestral stuff. Have set the Humax to record the ch5 program with my music in, better than listening on a laptop. :)

Probably won't take Octatrack to Awakenings. Most of what it does suits dance/festivals so I'll use the Perfourmer 2 I think. Must check whether Synthi really is sick. Cirklon's individual song load/save working well, will be able to grab some older material never properly performed/recorded.

Less good today. Rained, rained then rained some more. We have some sandbags and the drains are backing up. I worked on the app review and played with Albion, which sounds fabulous although I am going to learn how to use it just as I did with Solo strings.

I made a nice chilli and Pat and I took Jasper for a walk in the rain. Didn't do a lot. Not really looking forward to my stint horse-managing next week but will do my best. Just hope the weather improves.

Cracking day

Learned that some of my stuff has been used in channel 5's programmes about serial killers
http://www.channel5.com/shows/killers-behind-bars/episodes/peter-tobin
(for example), got an email telling me which made my day.

SO much that I decided to order Spitfire strings, over £400 including £70 VAT. Have to keep working hard.

So I moved my Sherman Rodec Restyler over from the Mac, connected it to the Cue outputs of the Octatrack, routed its output back to ins A/B and started to experiment. Initially great results but then I noticed the mix wasn't right as I progressed my songs through their scenes. I use up to 14 scenes in most songs and these control the mix transitions as well as effect changes and other stuff. It turns out that when I code XLV of Min in a Scene, this is ignored if sent to a Cue output. Tried the Studio setting but you can't set the levels of each output per scene either. Doh! Asked on forum but no replies.

Next: very disappointed with Elektron's response.
Asked why the Cue output does not honour scene XLV automation and was told it was due to DJ-style performance and headphone use (!)*. Apparently you're supposed to cue stuff up in headphones before introducing it. Fair enough but is that the only way to use it??? I begged them to consider musicians too and allow a personalise option "honour all the effort I put into scene level programming". The only option they suggested was using XVOL which alas I can't because I've already used this programming volumes for my 25 songs.

* IMHO someone sat on stage wearing headphones is disconnected from the audience just like gazing into a laptop. I know we're all different but...

I dearly hope they will reconsider. Never have I come across a company that thinks so completely differently to me and appears unsympathetic to other views. Views that keep consistency with existing functionality but would make such a difference to me. The last time was when I tried to explain to a German company how classic arpeggiators work or to a softsynth company about the function of the capacitor in an analogue envelope.

I've gone off the idea of writing an updated review about all the extras added until now. Anyway, got a new drum machine in and a quick app review to do.

Sweet Changa

Glade was awesome, really hope I can get there next year and perhaps be officially on the bill. My set was just under 4 hours followed by some CDs when they told us to turn it off, then later changed their mind after I'd packed my synths up! Best part was having some lovely young thing climb on stage and do her best to persuade me to turn it up. A real shame they told the previous DJ to blast it out then told me to turn it down and be ambient. Talk about being hamstrung! The place was heaving and I had plenty of grooves but had to hold them back - frustrating! Still, sounded and felt good. The rest of the party excellent too!

Didn't sleep a wink. Ah well, like a zombie I'll follow my satnav to Glade and maybe get some sleep this afternoon in my tent. Yeah, right!
Weather looks OK.

Well well, should maybe have done a last minute practice but no point stressing now :)
Gear packed, a few spare leads etc. to gather and other useful things. Then to find my tent, sleeping bag, get some supplies and check car air pressure. Discovered Glade opens at lunchtime so chances are it might be bloody busy when I arrive and maybe lots of people listening when I do my lengthy, doomy set. Note to self: do some cheery material!
Now to find a few CDs to play to break it up a little. Some JIC/Headshock and anything else I can find I guess. I'm no DJ so I'll keep it just to things I know... wonder if there will be noise restrictions?