Cervantes again

Hi guys,

Sorry to have been away for some time. Let's just say there have been things on my mind. I will keep up with my promise that I'd remaster older songs that people play on SoundCloud though. This time it is one that has not been losing any relevance, sadly enough.  It is in a typical Pleudoniem style, mercilessly mixing wave, rock, jazz and funk.

I have also almost finished a new song. I will be posting that in a couple of days. But first this one again.


Cervantes on BellyNet

I'll squash up my tomatoes
With a stick of dynamite
If BellyNet tells me so
The thing will work

I've read of fingers lost
Messing with the fuse
But that's misinformation
Some believe just anything

Cos Bellynet is right
It's a culinary gem
It's healthy for the mind
And healthy for my hands

I hope you will not blame me
For thinking of Cervantes
He must have made up Bellynet
And he's laughing out loud

A friend who is a cook,
just warned me to be careful
But I think that he is a liar
Part of the conspiracy

Because he wants to sell his own
And if I had it my way,
He'd be food for prosecution
Or even execution

He's possibly misled by
Reading the wrong cook books
The ones that tell him fairies
About squeezers and tools

https://soundcloud.com/pleudoniem/cervantes-on-bellynet

Hoi hoi!
Hope this finds you well!

Glad you’re back.
There’s nothing against mulling over your lovely work, but (yes sorry) nothing beats writing new. Hence the name of this blessed forum.

But never mind me. Whatever you post, I’ll listen to.
Take care.
Kind regards, Gus

@LePlongeur You're absolutely right, I'd prefer new stuff too.

But then, this song was recorded without any of the tools I have now, so it didn't sound the way I'd like it to sound now. So, in a way, it feels new to me. I have more old songs that suffer from the same age related deficiencies, so I thought I'd remaster every old song that I find people listening to on SoundCloud. Hopefully, after some time, all the songs on SC will be in HD and fully optimised.

There was another reason to do this, and that is to see if everything on my new mac works as should,. Yes, there have been some annoying problems, but most of them could be fixed after some tinkering, fortunately.

In a couple of days, I will be posting Kafka's Green Beans, which is a new one.

Hola @Pleudoniem

Hi, I haven't heard anything from you in a long time!
I like the song, it is a fusion of everything, the lyrics are very good, a portrait of many, of the dirty game that becomes a good menu.
I like the mix in general, maybe your voice could have a little more presence? But that's so relative...

Don Quixote... It's funny, there's always someone willing to follow in the footsteps of a madman.

Stay well

Mora

The ‘the time spent on an old one cannot be spend on a new one’ is a thread bare  hobby horse of mine. I’m sorry @Pleudoniem . I should have put a smiley next to it.


I’ll look forward to the next one!
Kind regards, Gus

@LePlongeur I wasn't  offended in any way, my dear Gus The thing is that I also learn new things by polishing old stuff, such as how would I do now what I did in a different way then, and why?  Even when I am doing that, there is always something brooding in the back of my mind for new songs. The proof  of that you will hear in a couple of days.

@Mora Amaro La Loba Nik Kershaw said it beautifully: 'Don Quixote, what do you say, are we good are we bad or just crazy?' point in case, why ask him for advice, have we lost our minds ourselves?

Nice to be listening to you again @Pleudoniem .....I really enjoy how you mix your styles like this and this is a classic example.

I will echo @Mora Amaro La Loba 's comment about the vocals, though. Actually, I think it may be the level of the drums that has a little too much presence for my ears.

I'll be looking for your new one.

@Mora Amaro La Loba @Leonard Scaper Thank you. That is what this section is for, isn't it? I have lowered the drums a bit. Does it sound any better to you now?

To my ears that is much better. Notice how the drums and the vocal are almost at the same level.

Perhaps just a touch of compression on them now and they'd be tucked in there just right. 

@Leonard Scaper There is already a lot of compression on them. But apparently, making them less loud also helps.

Possibly this is the problem: I use Superior Drummer, but with patterns that I play on my own kit, because I like playing the drums. That means that I can choose what timbre of drums I'd like to hear. I now chose for TAMA-types, a bit like what Steve Jansen used to play on, and Roger Taylor,. However, if I choose drums that sound like a different brand, the overall sound of the song may change quite a bit. I've been quite surprised by what a difference it can make. I like the sound the way it is now, but possibly you might find - say - a Yamaha set more pleasing.

That could be @Pleudoniem . I just listened again. It could be an EQ thing too. A little cut at 1.5 KHz might take the edge off while keeping the sound that you like.

@Pleudoniem  - Possibly lowering the reverb on the drums a wee bit, and I am with @Leonard Scaper  - the vocals could be more precise in the mix. The sound effects of the spoken word in Spanish are veryvery  nice! Where did you find those?

@oorlab@Leonard Scaper I cannot lower what isn't there. I think the reverb-ish thing that you perceive may be in the actual sound of the drum. In that case, I might try a different brand indeed. Some drums sound a lot dryer than these.

As for the vocals, I see what must have happened. The original had a volume modifier active, and Waveform, yhe DAW that the song has been updated in, imported them. I have taken the loci out, so the vocal volume must be better balanced now.

I found the Spanish in a Don Quixote cartoon. I cut the sound from it. I couldn't find any copyright, but judging from the drawing style, it must have been made somewhere in the 80s.

I normally use a TRIDA preamp sim in all the work I produce. I didn't use it this time, but when I do, the sound becomes a bit broader. Possibly that will do the trick. My interpretation is that as all the tracks are now processed by the same set of filters, they will melt into each other a bit better.

O, and I also changed the snare from a TAMA to a Masshoff.

Curious what you think.

I love where the vocals sit now.  Drums are sounding pretty good now as well to my ear.