I still havent found how to link the Mm into the MIDI in SMS and I have looked high and low. But I did find how to get some new voices into the SMS softsynth. These voices occupy a whole softsynth so there is only one voice per synth although that voice is polyphonic - they mostly seem to be voices for EDM. I sent Gilbert two tunes - Listless and West - I suppose they are both experimental. I have found the scale which embraces the three Indian scales a major third apart. You might think the 21 notes in these 3 scales would cover the 12 in the chromatic scale. In fact they only use nine. So this general Indian scale runs. C C# Eb E F G G# A B C. So it s possible to use this scale over the harmonies from any of the 3 Indian scales on C E and Ab - with any of these scales just two notes are outside/chromatic. Anyway I churned out several pieces on this basis. The result is semi atonal but there is lingering vestige of a home key. I have loaded the good piano into SMS.

I started work putting another ON improvisation pattern into SMS. This involved getting to grips with the MIDI controls for rhythmic swing. These are tricky and I m not sure I ve got the line quite right. I have only done the first third of the pattern. The bear pulled the Vaneesa Daou track about July 17 1967 - it s a great track and it s no surprise I bought the CD on this basis. Anyway I have discovered a bit more of SMS's capabilities. Not much e/m traffic today - apart from some material from PW about how Egypt is being reported in China. There is a literary festival coming up in Whitstable devoted to contemporary music and sound art.