FCA Boots - 020115

Sponsored by "Last Played 2012" and "Last Played 2013".

Programmed/edited a number of MIDI VST plugin parts in CE5 using the Roland Juno-D/Phonic Firefly/HALion One/ JP Analogue Stringpad. Not sure if I'm going to use all the parts, but I'll certainly use most of them.

I also took the opportunity to tweak some of the Ric bass parts and the MIDI drum parts. All is well now.

The track is bloody awesome as it is, but there's more to do on it at a later stage.

Check in later on when I will give an overview of the project status. Could be mildly interesting...;-).

Regards,


djp

FCA Boots - 271214

Sponsored by "Joy Division/New Order".

Programmed/edited various MIDI drums parts in CE5 using the Roland Juno-D/Phonic Firefly/Kore Player Sky Kit. Tricky rhythms to program/edit and I may have to revisit some of the parts at some stage, but it's in pretty good nick beatswise.

More work tomorrow.

Regards,


djp

My Troubles Are As Nothing Compared To Yours - 121214

Sponsored by "Ian Dury".

Edited the Ric and Godman 12-string parts in CE5. That came together rather easily, with the bare minimum (comparatively speaking) of tweaking.

Having much time to spare, I programmed  and edited a variety of MIDI VST plugins via the Roland Juno-D/Phonic Firefly/HALion One/Brass Fanfare/Mixed Percussion/Nanotron/Kore Player Sky Kit. Not too sure about the brass parts - they're a bit tricky to blend in easily with the...er...analogue timing of the 12-string and bass parts. Let's see...

Must do some more working on editing the drum parts. A job for next week, methinks...

Regards,


djp

Iye - 101214

Sponsored by "Holger Czukay".

The day started well, with a quick flit up the M7 to Dublin where my Roland Juno-D had just has its contacts replaced. It can see wonderfully well now, all thanks to James Killilea of Sonic Repair Services.

In the afternoon, I thought I'd be able to start editing the Squier Strat parts for IYE in CE5. However, my PC decided that this was the day to get a dose of the scutters. It took numerous attempts (followed by equally-numerous hard reboots. And a kick) to get CE5 to open and run properly. I did manage to go through each of the six separate parts and at least identify those elements that I won't be using.

So I'll have another go at it tomorrow and see what I can come up with. Like ...INDECISION yesterday, the edit won't really be complete until the vocals are in place and I see (or hear, to be more accurate) what's what...

Til tomorrow.

Regards,


djp

I Choose Indecision - 091214

Sponsored by "Hawkwind".

Finished off editing the Squier Strat parts in CE5. Stripped them pretty much to the bone, but as I said yesterday, there may be scope for further editing when the vocals are tracked.

I also tracked audio for the various MIDI VST plugin synth parts using the Behringer Xenyx 1202, as I need to do some drop-outs on the synth parts, and it's as handy to do them in audio as against VST. But maybe that's just me.

The track is pretty much done for the moment. I have a road trip to Dublin tomorrow, to collect the Roland Juno-D from the vet, but if I have enough time in the afternoon, I might be able to do some editing on another track. At least I have a choice in the matter...;-).

Regards,


djp

Helicopter Shots Of The City - 280814

Sponsored by "January 2014" and "Japan/David Sylvian/Mick Karn".

Programmed a variety of MIDI drum parts in CE5, using the Roland Juno-D/Phonic Firefly/HALion One Jazzy Kit/Kore Player Sky Kit.

I hear a nice Wobble-esque bass line behind this. But that won't be for a while.

Two road trips over the weekend. Only one of them will be enjoyable...:-(.

Ah, me.

Regards,


djp

Iye - 06 & 070714

Sponsored by "Cousin Silas" and "David Bowie".

I had two sessions with this track during the week, but due to technical problems with the internet I wasn't able to blog about them at the tine. Communication problems are sorted now (apparently...), so watch me catch up with meself big-time stylee...

060714

Programmed some MIDI drum parts in CE5 using the Roland Juno-D/Phonic Firefly/HALion One StereoGM/Kore Player Sky Kit. Some interesting Latin percussion stuff going on...

070714

Edited the MIDI drum parts in CE5. Also programmed/edited some melodic MIDI parts in CE5 using the Yamaha DX100/Phonic Firefly/Kore Player Morning Sun/FM8/Minimogue VA Big Drift. Tracked these parts in audio via the Behringer Xenyx 1202 mixer.

Track sounds mighty now. More work required in the future.

Regards,


djp

The New Number Two - 140514

Sponsored by "Jason Mundok".

Quick session today, as the real world encroaches on the Gulag...

...programmed and edited a variety of MIDI parts in CE5 using the Roland Juno-D/Phonic Firefly/Minimogue VA sub bass/Reaktor 5 Mikro Prism Autobahn Pad/Majken's Chimera Static.

The track is ready to mix/master at some stage in the future. Time to move on.

Regards,


djp

You'll Never Miss Your Mother Till The Well Runs Dry - 130514

Sponsored by "January 2014".

Programmed a number of MIDI parts today in CE5 using the Roland Juno-D/Yamaha DX100/Phonic Firefly/Nanotron/4Front Rhode.

I was going to use a Wurlitzer soundfont to give the track a Grizzly Bear vibe, but it didn't quite work out for me, so I went back to the 4Front Rhode. Still vaguely Grizzly Bear-ish, though.

Edited the MIDI parts and did some tidying up on the audio.

The track is almost ready for the next stage. I'll be recording choral-type vocals. No lyrics. But not till next year.

Regards,


djp

You'll Never Miss Your Mother Till The Well Runs Dry - 110514

Sponsored by "Jah Wobble".

After my spell "out forrin" last week, I finally got a change to get back in the saddle today.

Programmed various MIDI drum parts in CE5, using the Roland Juno-D/Phonic Firefly/Kore Player Sky Kit/HALion One Jazzy Kit. All edited and everything.

More programming tomorrow.

Regards,


djp

Is Everybody Happy Yet? - 290414

Sponsored by "Grizzly Bear".

Programmed and edited various MIDI drum parts in CE5, using the Roland Juno-D/Phonic Firefly/Kore Player Sky Kit/HALion One Jazzy Kit.

Still haven't had the Juno-D serviced yet. Will do so in due course. In the meantime I found a workaround that will allow me to program the drum parts on it OK. Not sure if I'm happy with all the tones I've chosen, but that can be remedied in due course.

That's it for now. Real life kicks in this afternoon...;-).

Regards,


djp

A Plague On Both My Houses - 010414

Sponsored by "Deep Elm".

Had a busy morning this morning, and found I didn't have time to track guitar/bass parts, so I decided to run up a quicky electronic track in CE5.

Programmed various VST plugin parts using the Yamaha DX100/Phonic Firefly/Viral Outbreak init/Motion 2.8 Opium TC/ Sophia_1_1 departure.

Essentially, I copied the original MIDI part for init and applied it to the other two parts, moving them around to suit. Cheating, I know...

Since there wasn't much else to do with the track, I decided to mix and master it. However, the departure part didn't seem to like my mastering settings, so it distorted significantly. I decided to do a remix minus the departure part, and this sounds much better. I decided to keep the distorted mix as well, and will use it as an EP track in due course.

So, two tracks for the price of one then...;-).

In other news, I am getting quotes for servicing the Roland Juno-D. One is better than the other, but I suspect the other may be better than the one. If you have me...

More tomorrow.

Regards,

djp

Gomorrah - 190314

Sponsored by "Colin Blake".

Difficult day today - plagued with technical problems.

My Roland Juno-D synth seems to have decided not to perform when certain keys are played. This isn't a major problem when programming MIDI drum parts, but God help you if you want to play a melody - so it's a good job I can't actually play keyboards then, innit? Probably needs someone to take a look at it - a good cleaning out, most likely.

I had to dig out the old Yamaha DX100 for programming a variety of synth parts in CE5. The DX is perfectly fine for what I was doing today, various VST plugin pad sounds.

A frustrating day, but I got a decent amount of work done. I just need to edit the hell out of the track and then it will be ready to really work on...;-).

Regards,


djp

Gomorrah - 180314

Sponsored by "Classical Music".

Programmed up a variety of MIDI drum and percussion parts in CE5 using the Roland Juno-D/Phonic Firefly/HALion One Jazzy Kit & Mixed Percussion/Kore Player Sky Kit.

A lot  of editing to be done here, but I won't be around for much of the next week or so. Off to Lisbon on a business trip - lucky moi. The editing will have to wait until I return. In the meantime, I'll have a go at tracking some bass parts tomorrow. It's been a while...;-).

Regards,


djp

You Have My Heart Scalded - 050314

Sponsored by "Bob Mould".

This session started out badly, as my ancient old PC started acting up for a while. But after several reboots and a few tactical decisions on my part, it finally started to behave itself and earn its corn. As it were...

Programmed and edited number of VST plugin parts in CE5, using the Roland Juno-D/Phonic Firefly/HALion One JP Analogue Stringpad and Brite Clav. I now have a pretty firm idea of where the track is going, so I shall leave it for a while and move on to something else next week.

Regards,


djp

You Have My Heart Scalded - 030314

Sponsored by "Bob Dylan".

Programmed various MIDI drum parts in CE5 using the Roland Juno-D/Phonic Firefly/HALion One Jazzy Kit & Percussion/Kore Player Sky Kit. Was going to have a go at editing them, but I got sidetracked, so that's a job for tomorrow.

Til tomorrow, then...;-).

Regards,


djp

Unwinnable Caption Competition/I Am A Shadow Of Your Former Self/The New Number Two - 240114

Sponsored by "20s Music".

Very busy day today!

UNWINNABLE...

Edited the Minimogue and MIDI drum parts in CE5. The track is ready to record some random bass (and possibly guitar) parts at some stage over the next few weeks.

I AM A SHADOW OF YOUR FORMER SELF/THE NEW NUMBER TWO

Two new tracks wherein I programmed a variety of VST plugins in CE5, using the Roland Juno-D and the Phonic Firefly.

I'm not exactly sure where SHADOW... is going, so I'll let it stew away for a while.

NUMBER TWO..., on the other hand, has a distinct Simple Minds vibe circa SONS AND FASCINATION. I can feel a Eurofunk groove coming on. Vaguely...

More work tomorrow, maybe...

Regards,


djp

Tropes and Memes - 180114

Sponsored by "Inventions For Radio No 1: The Dreams".

Still feeling less than well, so I had a pop at programming MIDI drums parts in CE5, using the Roland Juno-D and the Phonic Firefly.

Did 7 parts using a variety of VST plugins (HALion One Jazzy Kit/Kore Player Sky Kit) which I hope to edit at some stage tomorrow.

The track could probably be described as polyrhythmic (if I knew what exactly that term means...) with a class of a mathrock/white reggae drumbeat. Interesting. Odd. You'll either love it or loathe it...;-).

See you tomorrow.

Regards,


djp

A Accident/Unwinnable Caption Competion - 160114

Sponsored by "Rollercoaster"

I've been suffering from a heavy bout of manflu since the weekend, and here's the mug of Lemsip to illustrate that fact...

A mug of Lemsip, today...

The last few days at work have been a tough old slog for me, and while I know I should have been tracking guitar for GOMORRAH today, I just didn't have the energy to set up the hardware'n'stuff...

So today I thought I'd try a few electronic tracks that I could just program up in CE5 using various VST plugins.

The first piece to escape from my addled brain was A ACCIDENT, which is meant to be an abstract piece of electronica (whatever that means) with some vocal elements and a lot of heavy-duty hard editing a la Holger Czukay. Essentially, what I have is an audio recording (via the Behringer Xenyx 1202 mixer) of 3 and a half minutes of the Sun Ra plugin ("Sun arriving to Earth"). The plugin starts without touching a keyboard, so I just recorded it on the fly. Audio cleanup in AA3 and inserted into the relevant project file in CE5. I can edit to taste. Seemples.

I also started work on UNWINNABLE CAPTION COMPETITION. This started off with two MIDI parts (STS-86 Double Pad) programmed in CE5, using the Roland Juno-D and the Phonic Firefly. I then took the MIDI parts and applied them to an arpeggiated tone from the Minimogue VA plugin (simsynth3). Had to record this to audio via the Behringer mixer (usual audio cleanup/insertion routine). I then programmed up some basic drum parts in HALion One (Electrokit 1). On reflection, and for various technical reasons, the Minmogue parts didn't work with the STS parts, so I muted the latter and went on to program two different (but similar) "floaty" synth parts in Prologue (Forum Romanum) and Majken's Chimera. The track works a lot better now and barring some tidying-up, there is nothing to add to the track. It certainly doesn't need bass or guitar.

So that was it. Can't wait to get better. Not sure what I'll do tomorrow, but I'll definitely do something...

Regards,

djp

Stiltwalker In The Wind - 030114

Sponsored by "Wishbone Ash".

Programmed 5 different MIDI drum parts in CE5 using the Roland Juno-D and the Phonic Firefly. I used a combination of the HALion One Jazzy Kit and the Kore Player Sky Kit. I'll edit these parts tomorrow if I get the chance. Definitely over the weekend. I may also have to take a look at the JP Analogue Stringpad MIDI part.

I also got over my issue with the Arpy Mystery Pad part by recording it as audio in CE5 via the Phonic Firefly and my Behringer Xenyx 1202 mixer. I did some audio cleanup in AA3.

Track sounding really good, I must saw. Delighted with the progress so far!

Regards,


djp