cavalcade

Red Means Recording has some mad skills. A recent update to the MPC Live means it now features soft synths, which are actually pretty decent, especially when triggered off the fully featured MIDI arpeggiator they added too. But one feature I thought was quite interesting was the Auto Sampler. Basically, connect the MIDI of the Live up to anything, and then connect the outputs to audio in and the Live will automatically build a sample keygroup, running up and down the sound source at different velocities. So, for example, I can hook up a JV1010, and pick a patch I like and get a fairly good approximation of it in a portable device with absolutely no effort. It's a remarkably good idea, and I assume its been done before, but it's also something of a revelation.

Before I pitch them to the wolves on Facebook, anyone interested in a special rllmuk price on an OKGo Volca Sample, Volca Beats or Fostex DR-8 Mk2?

I've played with a Deluge and an MPC Live as I was looking for something to complement my OP-1. I think the Deluge is amazing. Genuinely fabulous bit of kit. The MPC, in comparison, has a hideous workflow, serious missing features and is occasionally an absolute pain in the arse sometimes to get anything done on. But, in the end, certain things it could do (I love the pad chord mode and step sequencer), massive capacity (I currently have my entire sample library ready to go and portable), the double MIDI and multiple outs and the fact the OP-1 could plug some of the synthesis gaps meant I went for it instead. I don't think you'll be disappointed with the Deluge though - it is, quite simply, marvelous.

Currently on an overnight ferry to Belfast from Liverpool. Laptop with rllmuk on it, a remarkably decent chicken curry and cranking out some shite drum and bass on an MPC Live. Life is pretty good.

I just bought an SP808. It runs on Zip Disks. I think there might be such a thing as *too* retro.

I dunno about this. I mean, there are UK signs flashing past and Edinburgh looks Edinburghesque (after a zombie apocalypse). It's all very slick, modern racing game. But is it that different to 1, 2 or 3? Or any number of other driving games out there? It has the same slightly strange handling, the same open world map with a ticklist of things to do, the same slightly embarrassing cutscenes..... And while it might be diverting with the UK setting, the problem is that I don't drive at 132mph through British roads, so flickering sheep and pubs flashing past don't really ground it a great deal. I mean, it's fine. But it's Forza Horizon again with more roundabouts.

13 is Teenage Fanclub's best album.

This has been very entertaining.

Well well well....

Well well well.....

OK. Waldorf Streichfett into Big Sky.... Yes. YES.

No. It's some blokes talking over the conference video and offering about as much insight as if they'd let a schnauzer bark all the way through it.

Anyone here tried a Waldorf Blofeld? It's quite old I think (2008?) but must've had firmware updates. I like what I've heard, but I'm wondering if I might as well just go for something more modern.

Odd script though - multiple times the wrong word is used in sentences (e.g. complexing instead of perplexing). Glacially slow too. But fine. Nice to have some slow, stately hard scifi.

So I bit the bullet and bought a Strymon Big Sky. Apart from the slightly impenetrable operating system (which I assume might make sense to a guitarist) it has been pretty impressive so far. A couple of the reverb algos (Cloud in particular) make even terrible synths sound like Vangelis and The Midnight had a baby in your earhole. Whether it's worth £400 is another matter - it's certainly not talent in a box and requires good stuff in to get good stuff out, but it is excellent. I do appreciate my Yamaha EMP10 a little more though - a little rackmounted multiFX I've had for years which while isn't quite in the same league, still manages to hold its own.