Session State

TALISMAN — Album in Development

First real writing session completed April 17, 2026. Song: So Blue Above You — Key of G, 3/4 or 6/8 waltz feel. Verse: G→D→Am→C (×2). Second section: G→Bm→Am→Cm (borrowed chord). Chorus resolution: Em→Bm→Am→D→G (vi-iii-ii-V-I descending). Chorus lyrics complete. PolyKB III was the instrument that unlocked the song. CP-70B is the primary compositional tool.

Chorus: "I'm so blue above you / Can't stop thinking of you / And I know you feel / That there's no one to love you / That's never been true / And why I'm so blue / Above you"

Additional concepts logged since: Something Borrowed (Bb-rooted chord sketch, four lines of lyrics written); With These Hands (starts minimalistic, builds to something enormous — thesis: God creates us with these hands, used for things both beautiful and terrible; possibly the album's centerpiece); Are You Crying? (Track 7 — title from Martin Gore's reaction hearing Precious for the first time; very Elvis in character); Our Daily Dread and Chasing Ghosts (titles only). Eleven working titles total: There Was Light, Live To Love You, So Blue Above You, Too Deep In This World, With These Hands, It's Got To Be Now, The Neon Dawn, Chasing Ghosts, Our Daily Dread, Are You Crying?, Something Borrowed.

Cubase Template — Writing Session

Folder architecture complete. CP-70B, Vocals, USB SYNTHS (including Leviasynth Desktop), and CV SYNTHS all configured as External Instruments. Groove Agent SE6 16-output configured. DRUM BUS group configured. K5000R Bus and Modal 002R Bus group channels created (April 2026). 002R fader at −∞, pre-fader sends to both buses. As of June 2026, all studio instruments — including DMNO, OSCar40, Deckard's Dream MK2, and Leviasynth — are confirmed set up as External Instruments.

Audio Routing — SM10 & DI Pro #5 — Current Layout (June 2026)

SM10 reorganized again following the Katla acquisition. Current channel assignment: CH1–2 Kawai K5000R stereo direct, CH3 Syrinx, CH4 Kobol, CH5 Polivoks, CH6 CS-15, CH7 Deckard's Dream MK2, CH8 Antonus ARP 2600 OS (not yet ordered), CH9–10 RCA available.

DI Pro #5 input assignment (revised for Katla): CH1–2 SM10 L/R submix, CH3–4 Genki Katla (Apollo 16 #2 channels 11/12), CH5–6 Leviasynth Desktop (channels 13/14), CH7–8 Hydrasynth Deluxe (channels 15/16).

K5000R — Routing Finalized — April 2026

K5000R audio routes directly to SM10 CH1–2. The "K5002R hybrid" concept (K5000R through 002R as primary filter/VCA stage) is retired. The 002R remains available as a deliberate creative processor when manually patched in.

Modal 002R in MIDI Quest Pro: GET button is permanently grayed out by design — CC-only communication, no SysEx. This is expected behavior, not a config issue.

Envelope follower note: K5000R audio self-gates the 002R's VCA when routed through 002R external audio input — no MIDI required. Available as a creative effect when manually patched.

Hardware — Studio Build

Leviasynth Desktop acquired April 2026 (demo unit, Perfect Circuit) — connected, firmware 1.1.1, mioXL H7 confirmed. Ergotron LX Premium arrived April 2026. Walnut board (1.75"×12"×6") arrived April 2026 — Racks #4/#5 bridge complete. Ken has since finished the board; the full mount is assembled and confirmed working great.

Genki Katla acquired (5-voice hybrid, through-hole, 3U rack mountable) — paid in full, expected delivery end of September 2026. Goes to Rack #5 4U–6U; DI Pro #5 CH3–4 (Apollo 16 #2 channels 11/12).

UDO DMNO arrived and integrated — Auracle, mioXL USB Host H8, Cubase External Instrument, DI Pro #4 inputs 1–2.

Antonus ARP 2600 OS — orange panel, Tolex roadcase — not yet ordered, now targeting Q4 2026 or 2027. It's the only remaining planned instrument acquisition. Placement: CP-70B ledge on IsoAcoustics ISO-200 halves. Audio to SM10 CH8. MIDI to mioXL DIN 12 OUT. Kenton Pro 2000 MkI aux CVs reserved for 2600 parameter control.

FauxVT: Shapeways SLA case (white GP Plus) has arrived — all parts on hand, awaiting assembly.

Sony MDR-CD900ST headphones acquired and integrated as Vince Clarke reference headphones.

Studio Electronics MIDImoog search concluded — no longer in consideration. The Rack #5 slot it was reserved for went to the Katla instead.

Prodigy filter → Expressionist CV7 ✓. Odyssey filter → Expressionist CV8 ✓. Pro One and System 100 filter cables still to connect.

OSCar40 Editor — oscar40_scaffold.html

Full CC audit complete, SysEx decode/encode roundtrip, harmonic editor with canvas renderer, waveform library (.o40wave), voice file system (.o40voice / .o40bank), arpeggiator mode section (CC51 bit-decoded), CC52–55 wired with glow indicators. CC Dump bidirectional sync confirmed on hardware. CC20 relabel (Fine Tune → Tuning Semitone) completed.

UAD Console — CP-70B Monitoring

CP-70B monitors through both HS8s (Console path: UA 610-B → Brigade Chorus → EMT 140 35% wet, UAD MON) AND KRK Rokit 5 (Apollo 8 Line 6, via Cubase output bus "CP-70B Rokit"). Rokit output assigned in Cubase track inspector routing — not Console.

MIDI Quest Pro

Purchased and installed April 5, 2026. Serial: XL75752. Network Moog One RTP confirmed working. Always close Cubase before SysEx operations to avoid port conflicts. K5000R SysEx timeout: 750ms. Modal 002R: CC-only, GET grayed by design.

PiDP-11 & FauxVT

PiDP-11: Pi 3B+, SD, PSU, hub all received. At build partner — unresponsive. Fallback: local maker space. FauxVT: separate Pi 3B+, 5" iPistBit screen, Shapeways SLA case (white GP Plus, ~$486) has arrived — all parts on hand, awaiting assembly. Shelf layout L→R: FauxVT, PiDP-11, Lego Bonsai.