Back from hols, eager to start work but....

The 'but' is that my nasty distortion problem hasn't magically healed in my absence. I'm still not entirely sure what happened but I think I got some horrible feedback through the Focusrite soundcard which broke it somehow. I tried to pretend it was OK yesterday as I really wanted to get some work done after 2 weeks in Lanzarote being idle but it ain't gonna happen.

Paul has offered me his old RME card at a very generous price and rather than go with another Focusrite I think I'll take him up on it. The Yamaha mixer, redundant for ages now, can probably go. It's a shame cos it's superb but I'm all about sub-mixers these days and using it for just 2 channels for the monitoring level from the Mac is, frankly, mad. Will also check whether the Focusrite is repairable.

I may drive over today and get the RME, just have to check on the ADAT interface which seems to have a different shaped connector. Had planned to do a bit of novel-fixing since it's Friday and officially a 'play day' but need to get this sorted so I can work next week.

Ah yes, sorry to anyone who bought 'From Beer To Eternity'. Really, I apologise. I tried to read it on holiday and realised that people who have been struggling, usually people for whom English isn't their first language, are quite right - it's incomprehensible. My policy of explaining the stuff that's irrelevant and skipping past the things you need to know has been a disaster, plus the story is completely unbalanced by the (last minute) grouping of chapters I performed, plus the expansion of certain less relevant areas at the expansion of the real meat. In short it needs a very thorough edit, of the sort one would have if one were a real writer. Real writers use 'one' so I apologise for that too.

So what I'll do is make it free when I redo it, hopefully at the same time as Liminal Entity. When this mythical time will be I dunno cos it all takes time and I have to work. Darn!

I have still no real idea what I'll be doing at the Binar gig or even the gear I'll take. It'll be true spontaneity based around random contents of the Electribe and Analog Four, that's all I know right now. I suspect Elektron might not do much to add the different track speeds in the Analog Four anytime soon so I'm stuck using that for chords running at 1/8th speed. Tried doing sequences with the arpeggiator on the CV track but it really isn't very satisfying and I'd rather use a stand-alone sequencer if it can't be made to work better. Either the P3 or possibly the new Arturia will be handier than trying to sequence on the stuff I'm taking, assuming the Arturia handles well. Hope to see that in a few weeks, fingers crossed.

I don't think we'll do a Canaries break next year. The hotel didn't impress me quite so much this time, which is probably because you shouldn't do the same thing year after year. Weather wasn't as good either, a few cold days and rain. Bloody pilot stopped off on the way back to refuel too, and pilots really should not do weird things. A UK holiday for us next time, if Pat will go for it.

So, some random snaps just because:

Throat cooked, keys lost, curries eaten, volcano mildly erupts

Phew, survived. Very impressed with the drum mux and Pearl module, a limited range of sounds but sounding so meaty and punchy who cares? Have a tweaked OS with a basic temporary version of ensembles that actually gives me 90% of what I wanted at a stroke. Awesome! Talked UI, got some points across amongst the haze. Another lovely visit.

Decided to get a few jobs done on the Mini. Foolish but may as well have it exactly how I want it, which includes changing the mod source knob to a mix between the LFO and VCO3, with the switch now to concentrate on switching between noise and the LFO.Pitch bend will now work only on VCO3 when sync is off, giving me the change to control mod depth and rate from a convenient place. If the rumours about a remade model D are true, the thing may be less valuable 'as is' anyway. That's my excuse and it sounds flimsy as I type it.

Have just transmitted the headshock track for the compilation CD and am listening to a prototype of  the new album with that track as last up. What a life eh? Must finish that review tomorrow plus work a little on the new beta I got for the you-know-what.

With an hour or so this afternoon I cleared out some samples from the Volca Sample and added a fair selection of the ones I made with the MS20M. Still a few conventional drum samples to get rid of but I think I'll make some very specific percussion noises with various synths to slot in. I think the DRX-1 might have gotten under my skin. :)

While the Mini is away the Prodigy has returned. I'd love to fit that in all the time but it's either/or at the moment.

UI Brainstorming

Gonna have Colin and Tony here for a few days, an excuse for a curry of course, well two. Reminds me I haven't finished the text I was doing for the website but most importantly I need to get together my ideas for UI improvements, especially for the track view, and persuade the man himself. I think he knows things need to change but I hope to avoid the idea of democracy that can happen when you start to get a lot of users, each pulling in their own direction. That ain't how a great instrument is made, and I could offer some examples but shan't (on this occasion). One thing I have to have is faster, clearer navigation or the P3 will have to come out of its box.

Fortunately I made some notes although being hand-written I'll need to try and work out what the hell I wrote. I have some Minimoog mods to get sorted also, may as well try and get my modulation issues sorted and the LFO better integrated. Plus, as I've no use for pitch bend, it should have a new non-sync function, which will be to vary the speed of VCO3. Hope I'm not asking for too much.

May go over to visit Paul and admire his massive Arrick, all depends how drunk/stoned we get on Friday.

Dean has mastered our track for the Edgar compilation. It sounds great so must get that off soon. We also have a new Headshock album almost complete, with a few things I want to fix still but the core is there. Will get Dean to master the rest of it cos basically he's a genius. Noticed my old Two Voice in their latest video, glad it went to a good home.

Have a set of 'urban supernatural' tracks almost done, I wanted to do one last one so it's a decent collection but drew a blank of my weird piano piece today. At least I did something I like but it's not going to be suitable, too much melody which so often happens.

Managed to snatch a bit of time on novel, even did a preliminary cover after a few beers.

I have cash for a new synth but nothing is quite grabbing me. I should play with Paul's Serge again as it's the only thing in ages that really caught my ears as different. A new effect or two might be wiser. Keen to hear what's coming from France.

Been a while

Which obviously means I've been busy - true. Recorded lots with Tim lately, the track Electronic Meditation should go to Dean for mastering soon. Today's stuff sounding excellent at the moment, moved the CS30 and Microsampler into the 'ambient' submixer with the DD20 and its looping. Have cabled Erebus in CS30's place in the sequency mixer. Taken ESX-1 out of the equation for a while, the Volca Sample doing interesting things.

Sorted Tim's submixer positioning and cabling, got levels pretty good, sub/main mixmatch compensated for as mucha s possible. Over an hour's good recording, at least it sounds pretty sublime so far.

Here's Electronic Meditation BTW.


And some pix from recently just cos I like 'em

I continued to be impressed by the Micromoog, it just sounds different to other things. Like the Microbrute too.

A4 is now a chord sequencer and very good at it too. I no longer need to bother setting up performances since one track doing chord with one sound is easier to control by flipping around the menus. Each time I feel like it I record a new chord sequence into whatever bank, with bank A being Am, B being Bm etc. All patterns run at 1/8th speed, recorded either in realtime or from Cirklon where I might have created the pattern in a variety of ways for extra spice.

Almost finished a new batch of library tracks, new Headshock album almost done, stuff from the 80s for a compilation album (will take Paul's advice and widen it and boost the bass).

Yay! I am quietly drunk but content. Whatever else I planned to write is forgotten. Hehe.

HNY

Sorry, I've been busy. Still am really but today was noteworthy for me, and let's face it I write these entries as a kind of diary.. anyway, the new machine, which I should talk about once the review published so I don't get accused of spoilers, anyway the new machine as taken over much of the A4's sequencing duties. Leaving one analogue voice triggered by the A4's CV/Gate but even that may be unnecessary given I could sequence an analogue synth direct from the new thing... actually I mostly use it because it's there, not because I need it.

So the Analog Four is now doing lots of pad duties. Turns out it's rather good at that. I have a 'chord' project with each Bank a key, so easy to know what to go for for any tune. I have 16 patterns x 4 for chord progressions. I have so far used track 1 recording my chords into that. I could arpeggiate them if I fancied too and messing with a single patch means I needn't worry about setting up perf stuff. With pads I like that it would change each time I play it. At 1/8th speed the patterns are lovely and long and developing and I have two songs that sound awesome before I even play a note. :)

Things feel like they're coming together. Two tiny boxes, a keyboard and a small mixer and I'm sorted! Should sell some stuff I don't need.

Asked the German EM award guy if there was a category for 'we forgot you exist' :)

Heh so that's that. Could spend the afternoon playing but must work, lots of reviews to do.

Turns out I peaked in the 80s.

Yes, no surprise I suppose. I haven't really listened to any of that old stuff, using the excuse of not having a cassette deck mainly, but a guy I must have communicated with at the time has kept a pretty good vault. Actually he has tapes I no longer have and has put in the effort of restoring them and sending me MP3s. Kinda humbling that anyone would do that with such care.

Amazingly there's stuff on there that's a zillion times better than the material that made my latest vinyl reissue. So far I've listened to Duncton Wood, Eternal Champion, The Path, There & Back Again and some of Sketches. The last of those was never released and he had a hand-written copy I must've done for him. Had forgotten some of the tracks even existed.

Here's the thing: the tracks I once liked now sound dated, cheesy, weak, poorly-played, embarrassing... but some of those I thought too plain now shine. Bloody weird experience.

The quality still isn't great and there are still fluffs and corny bits leaking into the good stuff, but I am coming round to the idea of getting the source material and saving the tracks that deserve it for bandcamp. Strange to hear myself from 30 years ago, little piano pieces, sequences, ambient or weird tracks. I don't have so many ideas these days. Remember writing The Path on a piece of paper as I sat waiting  in a car park for Pat, something I rarely do cos my notation is rubbish.

So I think the festivities are done. Actually we may have to have more as our Dawn been doing them down south and expects us to do them again when she's home. I have lots of work on though, finished my first review (out of the 6 I have stacked up) and I keep wanting to go back and play with the first thing, having sorta changed my position on it since day 1 with repeated playing... darn.

Invited to a NYE party but may not go as Pat will want to stay in . Good excuse for me then.

The Dr Who Xmas special was excellent, there I've said it.

Lots of the country has snow but not us. :(

Anyway, here's to a great 2015!

PRS day

Well, I've been lucky so far but today earnings are down. Apparently I'm not alone but that's no surprise or consolation. On the plus side, the dozen tracks I submitted were finally approved, all of them, no tweaks needed. This is a pleasant surprise. I need more tracks and more variety. More talent and drive would help there.

I have some ideas for more music for over the break so will take a similar approach and do a lot. However Tim's around and there's going to be lots of chances for us to work on tracks. Today we did a little overdubbing of 'Contopus' which has a couple of very good sections. Showed that I need more acoustic instruments, should get my own violin.

Doubt I'll get much time to work on novel for a while, I have a few old releases lined up for bandcamp and it's interesting that the old stuff goes down best. I guess I should not be surprised. Mind you everyone likes JIC and I discovered a gig from 2004 at the Space Centre that I'd forgotten about. Phil is playing a lot of guitar synth and I'm not sure it sounds like 'us' but I'll listen through and rate it...

I fixed up a few of the better tracks from the early 90s. It's a free download.

https://paulnagle.bandcamp.com/album/sardines

We also put up Tales of Summers Past, I ended up trimming the tracks a little to line up the track start and ends a bit more precisely. Anal to the last. Anyway, not convinced people will listen to it enough times to get it but what the heck. :)

Mum's dog Ally finally went home. Bob the rabbit seems more chilled now he's not being started at all the time. He's been hanging around the house these last few evenings because Pat noticed he's either been scratched or maybe a cat bit him.

Still having battles with the Analog Four. Some days I think it's worth the effort, other times I feel how I could design the best 'groove box' yet myself but nobody would build it. It's just so very much less than a P3/Radias combination and, really, is the size reduction so great? It's strongest point is still being able to have 128 complete projects on board, compared to the P3's 12. Well, I spose Cirklon and Radias, and.... it goes on. I'll never have the perfect gear for gigging and I'll keep resisting the laptop route and keep struggling. Perfectus super absolutionem. Missing Phil today. Weird to think we'll never play together again. Weird to think Binar might do another gig, hope that's a good idea....