Björgvin Gudnason

Random ramblings | 05-08-2026

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Notes for this day

11:35

Got an email from Ableton support - My fixed Move is on it’s way back to me, nice! I’ll be trying out the controller mode on it when I receive it. Been looking at some workflow videos and it looks like it has some great features. Really cool to be able to use it standalone and also as a controller for Live.

For the last year, I’ve been reading a whole bunch of Star Trek books. Currently reading Imzadi by Peter David. Some good ones have been:

A Stitch in Time by Andrew Robinson (get the audio book, read by the author and actor from the show - Garak on Deep Space Nine)
Lost to Eternity by Greg Cox
Architects of Infinity by Kirsten Beyer

Random ramblings | 04-08-2026

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Notes for this day

10:11

I haven’t done any of the things in the previous posts. The Circuit EP still hasn’t been recorded. I have all the tracks for it set up, and the controller - “Just” need to perform the music.

I have streamlined the home studio setup though.

10:36

So what I have done, is that I’ve sold off a bunch of hardware - most of the modular stuff and bought software licenses instead. So I’m basicly moving everything into the computer. I’ve got nice machines, Linux and Mac, so I can work anywhere. I did get a used Ableton Push, it’s very sturdy, but good for desktop use. For travelling/outdoors activities I got an Ableton Move (although the jog-wheel broke on it, it’s currently at Ableton HQ being fixed).

So this is what I’m working with now:

Ableton Live
Bitwig Studio
Renoise

Random ramblings | 23-10-2025

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Notes for this day

10:09

I have a few things that I’m working on right now. I’ve minimized the modular setup that I had down to a few modules. The centerpiece is a Maneco Labs Grone Genesis thing that will be the backbone of the soundscapes. I’ve got my eye on a 2HP Turing Machine that will generate the musical notes and plucks. Then there’s some Erica Synths Pico effects that will fill out the audio spectrum.

The other is a possible EP thing that I’m making on the Circuit Tracks. It will be 7-8 tracks that I’ll perform live with an external controller, and record it directly into Ableton. The thing about the Circuit Tracks is, being battery powered and standalone - I can really get away from everything and just sit in a good lounge chair in my living room and enjoy the process. I guess I just need a better chair in my workspace - cause I can’t stand sitting down there for too long.

Oh and also I’ve been making some real progress in Renoise - Soon I’ll do all my work on there. Just a nice Linux laptop and Renoise for everything. Dig it!

Random ramblings | 27-02-2025

Thu, 27 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Notes for this day

09:46

There’s an incredible piece of software called Rebirth RB-338 from 1997 that I’ve loved and played with since 97 - But mostly on the surface though, I never dove into the song mode or anything, just made basic patterns and messed around with the mouse. I’ve now spend a few evenings with the manual and an old midi controller (Korg nanoKontrol) and have been mapping the RB-338 midi controls to the nanoKontrol (uploading it to the device). I now have a pretty nice controller for the app that’s permanently on there. The midi controller has 9 faders and knobs, along with two buttons for each “lane” - but it’s actually 4x that because of the scenes button. So this way I can have the 2 303’s on scene 1, the 808 on scene 2, the 909 on scene 3 and then general mixing and effects on scene

And let me tell you it’s glorious!

Being able to tweak multiple knobs and the same time for both 303 is amazing, and I can program patterns in to the drum machines while also having fader volume control for each drum - I’m just blown away how fun this is now.

Since this is very old software, made for old Windows, I’m using Wine on Linux to run the thing and the inputs in Bitwig are setup to accept the audio from RB-338. I will use this setup to live perform long form Acid Techno sessions. I might upload those to Youtube and for sure to BandCamp. I might compile something to put on bandcamp even, in album form.

Random ramblings | 13-02-2025

Thu, 13 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Notes for this day

06:55

There’s a nice application called Shortwave, it plays online radiostation from all over. It’s part of the Gnome Circle apps so it works, looks and feels perfectly at home on Gnome. I use that to stream SomaFM.

I have been following the development of Cosmic OS, on my x220 I have an Arch installation that has the latest release in it’s AUR. Been a while since I ran an update to see what’s new, and if it’s getting closer to the experience that I have with PopOS. My perfect set up would be if System76 would have just continued to use Gnome, with their tweaks on top.

Saw this video the other day, with the fantastic Captain Pikant. He has some good tips for drum machines, and uses the TR-6s in the video. Which reminded me how great it is, and that I need to spend more time with it. I need to get back in to experiments with long form dub techno.

17:44

Just found out about this piece of software: Helio - looks like the perfect thing to compose some pads and leads with. Pipe that into Bitwig, controlled with a midi unit - overlay drums. Master the whole thing out.

Do everything on the laptop!

Random ramblings | 11-02-2025

Tue, 11 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Notes for this day

14:46

Some changes to the setup, I sold the fancy EliteBook that I got. I just couldn’t get along with Windows, the laptop was supernice - but it had a locked BIOS so I couldn’t get Linux on there. So it had to go.

Instead I got a ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen7. Go it up and running in no time with Pop_OS! and my customizations and apps. Renoise is on here and everything is ready for Quake mapping.

Random ramblings | 21-01-2025

Tue, 21 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Notes for this day

09:59

I have been making progress in my Quake mapping efforts, really starting to get the hang of this and alot of ideas are flowing in. The final goal here is to make one map that is of the level of quality that I can release it on some modding sites. I want it to be like an escape room thing, and on easy difficulty there will be no enemies. On other difficulties I’ll add something to shoot (want to explore custom enemy types, but still try to keep the scope of this small).

I’ve also started working on an EP, that will be my instrumental punk album. So far I’ve done drum tracks for one song, this week I’ll try to finish of the basslines. The plan is to keep going if I can make at least one song that makes sense and comes close to what I have in my head. Dream would be if I can do 3 songs and then I’ll release it as an EP on archive.org.

One other sideproject that I really want to finish off this year, is to make an interactive fiction game - in the style of Infocom, with a dash of Andrew Plotkin. I just read a fantasic interview with Andrew by the Digital Antiquarian, highly recommended.

Random ramblings | 14-01-2025

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Notes for this day

08:37

I need to set some rules for myself for the evening work. The other day I noticed that I wasn’t as burned out in the evenings as I used to be, I attribute that to me cutting out coffee. But, as I’m feelingn quite relaxed in the evenings, I need to plan better for what I want to use this free time. There are tons of things on the backburner that I should be working on, and not just going down a youtube rabbit hole of whatever happened to the Hellraiser franchise!

I told myself I would write 750 words a day on here, but I don’t think I’ve ever come close to that. But the routine will be kept and hopefully there will be improvements.

Another rabbit hole I’ve fallen into, is checking out these purpose built computers called “Writer deck” - it’s kind of an extension of the typewriter concept but it’s a small Linux computer, sometimes with an E-ink display and minimal writing tools for distraction free writing. I love the idea of this, but I would probably never use it.

Random ramblings | 13-01-2025

Mon, 13 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Notes for this day

09:57

Went to Iceland during the holidays and got married. In a small church just outside of Borgarnes, a historical location. Everybody showed up and we had a wonderful time.

Since I got I’ve been using what little time I have spare to experiment with designing Quake levels. I’ve set up build tools so I can iterate pretty quickly on the level design, I’m mostly aiming for look and feel, not so much fighting any enemies. I’m using these incredible textures from a developer named Makkon, and focusing on large concrete stuctures, inspired by Brutalist architecure. I’m also interested in seeing how far it’s possible to go in the storytelling side, using text in game - like fake messages from other “players” or NPC’s.

Random ramblings | 23-12-2024

Mon, 23 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Notes for this day

11:58

I’ve been off coffee for a while now, and it feels great. The whole reason for dropping it, apart from the physical benefits, and the most important to me reason, is the freedom of not being addicted to it! That is a great feeling!

I’ve been doing some Xcode development these last few days, exploring the Metal graphics framework. I’ve always admired Jeff Minter and the Llamasoft stuff, I want to try to do something using only vectors and shaders, as close to the GPU as possible, while injecting it with personality. Plenty of dots moving fast and shooting everything in sight.