I took two days off when I got home. I must enforce these off days otherwise I’ll have no family and I’ll hate my work…
Today’s agenda is dull – getting my studio room in shape, making sure my software works properly and going through the Logic files from LA and making sure they work here, and that they make sense for overdubs.
After half and hour it’s apparent that this isn’t going to all get done in one day. I’ll work 2/3 day today and 2/3 day tomorrow (which was supposed to be off).
I cannot remember where anything is in this room or what is plugged into what, so it’s notebook and flashlight for an hour or so.
Good news is my new laptop is working fine and the audio interface (Apogee Ensemble) seems fine after a software update.
I’m trying really hard to keep my Logic set up as minimalist as possible – too many options isn’t helpful – still, I own a whole lot of virtual instruments and plug-ins…
On the plug in side I’d already decided to keep it to Waves, PSP, SoundToys and Isotope Trash.
For Instruments I want Spectrasonics Omnisphere and Access Virus TI, and maybe a Mellotron type thing (I used to own G-Force M-Tron a long time ago). I already have FXpansion Guru (virtual drum machine) installed, maybe I’ll add BFD (virtual drum kit) for the 8 Bit Kit sounds…
For now it’s Omnisphere – thanks Spectrasonics, that was simple. It took about an hour with downloads, upgrades, authorisation and testing but it’s fine. Omnisphere is the descendent of Atmosphere which is all over Music IAFL and Antidepressant. I have a few ‘go to’ sounds that i know make my songs sound better and make guitars and organs sound better…
Not so fast Access, Virus TI is making horrible noises, not musical horrible noises… I go to the forums – sure enough – there are bugs. That was 90 minutes wasted but I wont waste anymore – no Virus TI on my record.
When Virus YI crashes the macbook I know I won’t get it all done today. Text wife – dinner at Apollo Grill? I’ll work to 6.30.
Next – I want good old fashioned Midi on this record. Maybe even playing without Midi…my technique is rarely good enough to risk that but Blair’s is… I do hope that the VIs (virtual instruments) will be only sparingly used. I have a Moog, two Dave Smiths and Kurzweil over there. I test connections, outputs, signal paths – all are working.
My whole system here is running through a Bryston pre-amp. The Mackie mixer comes up through Balanced A, the digital out of the Ensemble, via the D/A converter, goes to Balanced B (and also to Tape In of the Mackie). At the end of the session I have the D/A coming up a lot louder than the Mackie. This needs to be addressed.
Just as I’m about to get ready to go to dinner, the Ensemble has gone to sleep. It should have a blue light saying it’s talking to the Macbook but it’s gone green (meaning it’s in Firewire only mode – not the mode I want). I turn it on and off, stupidly – this crashed Logic. I should have expected that. i should have quite Logic first. By the time I get the system working again and then shut down I’m 15 minutes late for dinner.
I emailed Apogee tech support, bought the new M-Tron virtual Mellotron, and then I wrote this.