Friday 12 March 2010

Pre-10am harpsichord overdubs this morning were brought to a premature halt when I swiftly realised that quarter-comma meantone doesn't go with a 16ft sampled stepwise bassline in equal temperament. Will try again in 1/6 comma another day, but I still think my mug of tea is lying.

It's auseful exercise to listen back to your recorded self immediately afterwards, as often what seemed like a really good idea when you were playing it turns out to be the opposite. I think I nearly always agree with Robert Fripp's observation that it's better for the music if musicians don't get excited: all the things that made me cringe were related to rhythmic over-enthusiasm. 

Adventures in home harpsichord recording: in an A/B test of C414 in mono, as opposed to H4 in stereo, the 414 won. Of course.

I heard from Katy B tonight, now out of hospital and recuperating after an serious bike encounter with a pothole a few days ago. When I was cycling back from the baths this afternoon, there were some guys out patching up some of the nasty wheel traps on the backroads between here and Byres Road.

Oh, send Jamie some love: he and his writing comrades have been getting flamed all day.