Iain Cameron's Diary
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2005-10-25 - 2:40 p.m.

The problem with working at the weekend is that its harder to start on Monday morning - and indeed it was. But at least Steve seems pleased with the product and we knocked off the questionnaire for next weekend

Over the weekend I had watched the NYC Hamlet most of the way through again to make sure I did think it is that good - and indeed I do - its very compelling particularly with Ophelia.

Paul mailed about scent-world and Gilbert about improvisation - we both like the thing we threw down during my visit which is the first ever recording of my cheap Chinese flute - a globalised jam. Laurence phoned to refine the plans for Wednesday in Oxford. Sue mailed about how her son is finding history at Trinity - apparently he has heard of James by repute.

In Guildford the Edirol soundbox agreed to talk to the laptop and also to the HiFi CD-recorder via the optical link (without clicking). Over the weekend I set up a little piece in Making Waves and let it loop round while I messed about with the softsynth settings - for filter envelope etc - listening on the small box speakers in the sitting room and the Bose speakers I like more and more in the kitchen.

I also spent a lot of time jamming along to my guitar version of Op19 no 2 on the flute - it can be treated as if it�s a jazz piece with a chord progression and you can jam at a greater of lesser distance to its riff and harmonic character. I found this absorbing. I also started using the Scriabin Magic chord in the standard blues sequence around the 7th and 8th bar on the piano - say I7 bVII 7 VI7 - all using that voicing.

Monday I had lunch with Francis who knows more about my car than I do. We discussed its behaviour at high and low revs as we drove down to the Tipperary at Honiley - where the table was quite discreetly placed for the business in hand.

Monday evening I got the Edirol to talk to an early Casio GM soundbox which I got for twenty five quid on the Surrey-Sussex border a while ago and now Making Waves is talking to the soundbox - not least its Standard Drumkit which I rather like. This morning I have recorded a little something using the GM string bass and drums, the softsynth for harmony and texture and the Electric Elf. This is actually quite a range of technologies and sonorities - the GM is very crisp and the simulated early synth is quite textural while the guitar is more grungy. There is also a little jam from the softsynth that I have put into Wavelab and started to develop - I am really hooked on the directness of Wavelab for developing structure.

Today we have been doing the new supply chain management qualification - with Toyota-like rigour. Makes the brane hurt but I am sure it will do everyone good.

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