[Music] Tapewolf: J.P's music (16/Apr/2017 - 'Numerology')

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

4'33" ? I know a piece of music that would cover that scene perfectly...

[Tapewolf]

4'33" ? I know a piece of music that would cover that scene perfectly...

Yeah.  We were using that one before, but I had to replace it for copyright reasons.

[Myr]

Oh-ho, I bow to someone with considerably better talent for lyrical writing than mine! Very interesting. Wish I'd known about this sooner, but still. My commendations, as it were-now, if my sound card were working I'd give the MP3's a listen too....

[Tapewolf]

Oh-ho, I bow to someone with considerably better talent for lyrical writing than mine!

Heh, I can't honestly say that the lyrics are my strongest point.  I think of them as being 'good enough'.

[Fibre]

Very nice as usual, Tape! I do wonder about the sound quality, though; it may be intentional, but the whole recording sounds somewhat "muffled" to me and is much quieter than other songs including your albums. I'm not sure what the scale is, but on my system I had to set the volume to about 25/100 instead of 12/100 to get a normal volume, and it still sounded muffled then...

Also, this seems like a good place to ask, are higher quality files of your music available somewhere? I vaguely recall reading somewhere that you may not have wanted to make them freely downloadable, but I would be happy to pay for them of course.

[Tapewolf]

I probably sholudn't be writing this now, should be in bed.  Apologies if it comes across cranky or something.

Very nice as usual, Tape! I do wonder about the sound quality, though; it may be intentional, but the whole recording sounds somewhat "muffled" to me and is much quieter than other songs including your albums. I'm not sure what the scale is, but on my system I had to set the volume to about 25/100 instead of 12/100 to get a normal volume, and it still sounded muffled then...

I can't remember what I did.  You're right, it's rather quieter, though I swear it was amplified to 0db.  Probably a transient peak in that case.
As for muffled, not that I've noticed.  I don't know about that.  I'd have to compare it against 'Daryil Answered' or something.

Thing to remember is that the final albums are mastered, the WIP files are not since it is expensive.  The music as it goes into the radio project will not be mastered, nor will the project itself - unless anyone is willing to stump up for it.  Hence, comparing this to, say, any of the tracks from 'Three Little Pigs' isn't a fair test as it's been mastered and the deck was in a funny state as well.
'Daryil answered' or the 'Hannah's Problem' songs in the Project thread are probably your best bet as they were both unmastered and mixed with the deck in the same state (i.e. after its repair).

Also, this seems like a good place to ask, are higher quality files of your music available somewhere? I vaguely recall reading somewhere that you may not have wanted to make them freely downloadable, but I would be happy to pay for them of course.

At the end of the day it all comes down to disk space.  I'd love to be able to put them up in 16/44 FLAC format, but hosting it will be a problem, let alone the 24/96 versions.

What I do usually is bring a stack of the latest album to AC, and if I know someone is there who wants copies I'll bring a few of the older CDs as well.  It is a balancing act as what I can bring into the US is limited and depends also on the temperament of the customs official on duty 

[Fibre]

I can't remember what I did.  You're right, it's rather quieter, though I swear it was amplified to 0db.  Probably a transient peak in that case.
As for muffled, not that I've noticed.  I don't know about that.  I'd have to compare it against 'Daryil Answered' or something.

Thing to remember is that the final albums are mastered, the WIP files are not since it is expensive.  The music as it goes into the radio project will not be mastered, nor will the project itself - unless anyone is willing to stump up for it.  Hence, comparing this to, say, any of the tracks from 'Three Little Pigs' isn't a fair test as it's been mastered and the deck was in a funny state as well.
'Daryil answered' or the 'Hannah's Problem' songs in the Project thread are probably your best bet as they were both unmastered and mixed with the deck in the same state (i.e. after its repair).

I couldn't find which thread that you were referring to, but I got "... And Daryil Answered" from your FA and it sounded fine. I might just be imagining it, or maybe it's just an artifact of the style of music (which is, I will admit, not something I have much of if any besides yours, although I do quite like it)...

At the end of the day it all comes down to disk space.  I'd love to be able to put them up in 16/44 FLAC format, but hosting it will be a problem, let alone the 24/96 versions.

Oh, if you didn't mind hosting it on someone else's system, I have a horribly underutilized VPS and would be happy to host them if you wanted. It has ~180GB/mo transfer and ~4GB space free, and I wouldn't mind upgrading that if it were needed. Or archive.org would probably host them.

[Tapewolf]

I couldn't find which thread that you were referring to, but I got "... And Daryil Answered" from your FA and it sounded fine. I might just be imagining it, or maybe it's just an artifact of the style of music (which is, I will admit, not something I have much of if any besides yours, although I do quite like it)...

I accidentally deleted the copy of 'Daryil Answered' I was referencing on this thread, but the link should work again now.  It's 14MB.  The Furaffinity version was compressed a lot more to fit it into the 10MB limit, so for critical listening and comparison you probably want to download the one from Wilderness Guardians.

As for the other Radio Project songs, they can be found here:

http://tapewolf.wildernessguardians.com/audio/radioproject/hannah_3violins.mp3
http://tapewolf.wildernessguardians.com/audio/radioproject/hannah_flutes.mp3
http://tapewolf.wildernessguardians.com/audio/radioproject/193dmfa_3.mp3

The Hannah songs have a bit of a noise floor problem, I think that happened in tracking (must track on headphones in future!).  I was afraid it was the mix deck, but Daryil didn't have the same issue.  'Song 193' had a hum problem on one track, again because I was monitoring on speakers during tracking.

Oh, if you didn't mind hosting it on someone else's system, I have a horribly underutilized VPS and would be happy to host them if you wanted. It has ~180GB/mo transfer and ~4GB space free, and I wouldn't mind upgrading that if it were needed. Or archive.org would probably host them.

Archive.org sounds like a plan.  I'll think about that.  For all my 'information wants to be free!' stance, I must admit I am nervous about the idea of releasing the full-quality versions, possibly because it's something I can't undo later if the impossible happens and they become commercially successful somehow.

[Gabi]

Nice music! I wish I could say more, but I don't know how to comment on these things.

[Fibre]

I accidentally deleted the copy of 'Daryil Answered' I was referencing on this thread, but the link should work again now.  It's 14MB.  The Furaffinity version was compressed a lot more to fit it into the 10MB limit, so for critical listening and comparison you probably want to download the one from Wilderness Guardians.

As for the other Radio Project songs, they can be found here:

http://tapewolf.wildernessguardians.com/audio/radioproject/hannah_3violins.mp3
http://tapewolf.wildernessguardians.com/audio/radioproject/hannah_flutes.mp3
http://tapewolf.wildernessguardians.com/audio/radioproject/193dmfa_3.mp3

The Hannah songs have a bit of a noise floor problem, I think that happened in tracking (must track on headphones in future!).  I was afraid it was the mix deck, but Daryil didn't have the same issue.  'Song 193' had a hum problem on one track, again because I was monitoring on speakers during tracking.

Cool, thanks. Regarding "Super Funk Time", with further listening and thought, I think I've concluded that I was being too conservative with the volume adjustment, imagining the problem, and/or that I was very tired or such at the time.

I'm also getting a bit worried that my onboard sound interface (or drivers) is doing "bad" things as well, though I think that has different symptoms... probably should just try find a good USB audio interface.

Archive.org sounds like a plan.  I'll think about that.  For all my 'information wants to be free!' stance, I must admit I am nervous about the idea of releasing the full-quality versions, possibly because it's something I can't undo later if the impossible happens and they become commercially successful somehow.

I cannot, unfortunately, imagine that they wouldn't be "available" anyway after being commercially released. I don't know if archive.org allows artists to remove their content after uploading it, but it seems like the effect would be the same if you did remove it from legitimate download. If you do commercially release, though, you certainly have at least one customer.

[Tapewolf]

I'm also getting a bit worried that my onboard sound interface (or drivers) is doing "bad" things as well, though I think that has different symptoms... probably should just try find a good USB audio interface.

Yes.  I don't know if this is a desktop machine or not, but onboard sound is usually rather questionable.  I had great problems with 'Three Little Pigs' where the soundcard appeared to be adding its own dynamics compression which made it impossible to verify that the mastered versions were any good.  That is something I will have to try and avoid next time.  I'm thinking of getting a decent PCI or PCI/e soundcard, but we'll see how that goes.  If you're using a laptop, a USB interface is probably your only option.  What kind of machine is it and what OS are you running?

I cannot, unfortunately, imagine that they wouldn't be "available" anyway after being commercially released. I don't know if archive.org allows artists to remove their content after uploading it, but it seems like the effect would be the same if you did remove it from legitimate download. If you do commercially release, though, you certainly have at least one customer.

I think I might give Archive.org a miss for now, but if you want to host them yourself, send me a PM and I'll see if I can't upload some FLAC versions to you.  If you're making it to next AC, remind me and I'll try to bring you a set of CDs.

[Fibre]

Yes.  I don't know if this is a desktop machine or not, but onboard sound is usually rather questionable.  I had great problems with 'Three Little Pigs' where the soundcard appeared to be adding its own dynamics compression which made it impossible to verify that the mastered versions were any good.  That is something I will have to try and avoid next time.  I'm thinking of getting a decent PCI or PCI/e soundcard, but we'll see how that goes.  If you're using a laptop, a USB interface is probably your only option.  What kind of machine is it and what OS are you running?

It is desktop hardware (but pretty much just a diskless X terminal), with an Intel DG35EC motherboard, which seems to have a Realtek ALC888S (Intel HDA). Currently it is running Linux 2.6.30/amd64 (Arch), though I have a FreeBSD 7 install for it as well which I was using until recently.

Was the card that you had problems with the Roland UA25 listed on your equipment page, or something else? I was thinking about just getting one of those, except I don't need the input capability, and something a bit more portable would be better, but I guess not if it was. Unfortunately it seems difficult to find decent reviews of sound interfaces...

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

I find an Edirol UA-1ex works fine for me, although the USB bus has an unpleasant hum on it that requires earthing the card to resolve...

[Tapewolf]

Was the card that you had problems with the Roland UA25 listed on your equipment page, or something else? I was thinking about just getting one of those, except I don't need the input capability, and something a bit more portable would be better, but I guess not if it was. Unfortunately it seems difficult to find decent reviews of sound interfaces...

The UA25 was the one that had a problem.  Other people reported similar problems, but it might have been a bad batch or something.  I do notice that they seem to have replaced it with a newer revision:

http://www.roland.com/products/en/UA-25EX/index.html

[Moekii]

You are really quite talented. I've not listened to much of your work before today, I'm glad it occurred to me to do so

Do you play everything into the recording or do you control it all via midi?

[Tapewolf]

You are really quite talented. I've not listened to much of your work before today, I'm glad it occurred to me to do so

Do you play everything into the recording or do you control it all via midi?

Thanks.  I'm afraid it is all MIDI sequenced, there are only two songs which have any live overdubs, both on the second album.  "Borderline" has a synth line at the very end, and "One less hero" has a solo on spoons which took about a dozen takes to get right.


BTW, strictly only the author is supposed to wake up a thread like that, but I'll let that slide

[Tapewolf]

Here's my current piece of music, mixed down over the weekend.  It's more 1970s-style progressive rock, clocking in around 6:30.

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/3012959
...and for those not able or willing to use FA:
http://tapewolf.wildernessguardians.com/audio/ballad_of_daniel_lagrange.mp3

This is actually based around the same incubus character featuring in 'Daryil Answered'. And like that song, there is a certain debt to Daniel Ti'Fiona in the way things are turning out for him. It is set prior to the earlier song, if that makes sense.

As is often the case, this song was recorded on a pair of synchronized TSR-8 machines and mixed down to a Studer A807. For more specific details on how it was put together, ask - my mind has had a complete mental block right now and I can't think what to put about it proactively.

I owe thanks to Ren, Wuffnpuff and Keaton for their comments and suggestions, which have definitely shaped the way this song has turned out.



My name is Daniel and I spent my whole life hunting and destroying evil
That's what I do
One day I saw that what I did was also evil
From a different point of view

Judge not, lest ye be judged

[Things are not as simple could be
Everything is different now for me]

The realisation that my life and been spent poorly left my thoughts all tangled
Left me confused
I sought a way to make amends and life my life more wisely
This I pursued.

[Things I'd done were never as they'd seem
Everything before was like a dream]

Judge not, lest ye be judged

I thought that I could find the truth
But all I found was twisted blasphemy
The hymns of praise I thought I'd sung
Were only songs of lies and larceny

My name is Daniel and I spent my whole life hunting and destroying evil
But I was wrong
Since then I've found a little evil helps bring balance
To an over-righteous throng

[Even good is bad if took too far
Neutral shades of grey is all we are]

Judge not, lest ye be judged

[Fibre]

Nice! So is this Daniel a new character only featured in your music, or is he from some of your writing that I have missed?

Are this and/or "And Daryil Answered" previews from your next album? Also, mind if I watch you on FA?

[Tapewolf]

Nice! So is this Daniel a new character only featured in your music, or is he from some of your writing that I have missed?

I'm planning to write about him (specifically I'm thinking of doing a full write-up of "Daryil Answered"), but there aren't any stories about him yet.

Are this and/or "And Daryil Answered" previews from your next album? Also, mind if I watch you on FA?

Yes, and feel free.  I think most people consider it a privilege to have someone want to watch them...

As for the album, I think I have it all down now.  I will rerecord the vocals on "Daryil Answered" at some point and I would very much like someone to voice the demon, but either way I'm going to be looking at mixing it at some point over the next couple of months.  It's unlikely to be ready for January, though.

[Fibre]

Nice! So is this Daniel a new character only featured in your music, or is he from some of your writing that I have missed?

I'm planning to write about him (specifically I'm thinking of doing a full write-up of "Daryil Answered"), but there aren't any stories about him yet.

I had assumed that "And Daryil Answered" was from Jakob's point of view. I guess it makes more sense to be from someone else.

Are this and/or "And Daryil Answered" previews from your next album? Also, mind if I watch you on FA?

Yes, and feel free.  I think most people consider it a privilege to have someone want to watch them...

Heh, I'm kind of unsure about "FA etiquette". I think there was at least one artist who was blocking anyone who tried to watch them that didn't get permission, or something like that...

As for the album, I think I have it all down now.  I will rerecord the vocals on "Daryil Answered" at some point and I would very much like someone to voice the demon, but either way I'm going to be looking at mixing it at some point over the next couple of months.  It's unlikely to be ready for January, though.

Cool, you must have a lot more unreleased material for it (or I've managed to miss it). I can't wait to hear it when you finish it.

[Tapewolf]

I had assumed that "And Daryil Answered" was from Jakob's point of view. I guess it makes more sense to be from someone else.

Yes.  It was inspired by the Daniel Tifiona->DP fight as you can probably tell.  I started writing it when it seemed improbable that Cyra would come to his aid and sort of forked it off from there.  Then Cyra did come to his aid, albeit afterwards.

The original title of the song was "...and Cyra answered."

Heh, I'm kind of unsure about "FA etiquette". I think there was at least one artist who was blocking anyone who tried to watch them that didn't get permission, or something like that...

I suppose you'll always have assholes...

Cool, you must have a lot more unreleased material for it (or I've managed to miss it). I can't wait to hear it when you finish it.

Sadly most of it has already been made public, there is one song I'm keeping under wraps though.  I'm not convinced it's one of the better ones, mind...

I don't have the track listing to hand but it's something like this (I'll fix it when I boot back into Linux etc):



Hippie Music Volume 6 - Songs of Lies and Larceny

Side A
Mr. Apocalypse
SAIA blues
Fishsticks
The Last Days of the Black Hand
The ballad of Daniel LaGrange

Side B
All Machine
The Incubus Song
Professional Suicide
Tome of Demonography
...and Daryil Answered

[Fibre]

Yes.  It was inspired by the Daniel Tifiona->DP fight as you can probably tell.  I started writing it when it seemed improbable that Cyra would come to his aid and sort of forked it off from there.  Then Cyra did come to his aid, albeit afterwards.

The original title of the song was "...and Cyra answered."

It seems that if there is a reference to spot, I will find a way to miss it. Despite the almost explicit reference in your original post for it, and having read that post several times. Everything makes much more sense with that context.

Sadly most of it has already been made public, there is one song I'm keeping under wraps though.  I'm not convinced it's one of the better ones, mind...

I don't have the track listing to hand but it's something like this (I'll fix it when I boot back into Linux etc):

Cool, thanks. I did find a few that I had missed. Hearing an entire new album full of music for the first time is always fun, but it's kind of neat to get a preview as well. I just enjoy listening to the individual preview songs a few times, but don't actually put them into my regular rotation until the full album is available (where I always listen to the whole thing at once)...

[Tapewolf]

This is my latest piece of work for anyone who's interested:

http://tapewolf.wildernessguardians.com/audio/nialls_song.wav.mp3 (9:34)

...it was inspired by This picture by Mewgal (or Toast).  I can post the lyrics later if required.

There are two known issues with this mix, firstly I left the final verse too quiet, and secondly there's a dropout in the tape right at the end.  Other than that, I'm quite pleased with it.

I'm less pleased with the name, but I guess it's better than "Song 209".

[Ren Gaulen]

I rather like the song. Good work, Tape!

[Tapewolf]

Here's a demo mix of my current project:

http://tapewolf.wildernessguardians.com/audio/stuff/demonhunter-analog.mp3 (12MB)
I'm going to stick in on FA as well when I can find a compression setting that fits their 10MB maximum file size.

EDIT: Here:  http://www.furaffinity.net/view/4412076/

This has been under development for some time, and uses new equipment, specifically the MS20 filter in the Korg Monotron, and the ring modulator I built to help with Chicki's voice in the radio project.

I think I came in late in a couple of verses.  I'm tempted to redo the first couple.
Keaton requested an instrumental version of this, but it wouldn't fit on the tape.  I will get around to it, though.

[VAE]

Awesome as usual...
my only regret is this wasn't around yesterday when i was colouring for CCC  J/K

For fact i especially liked the melody played in the middle or what (i use mpg123 so i can't exactly say when it starts or ends, but you probably know anyways)

[Tapewolf]

For fact i especially liked the melody played in the middle or what (i use mpg123 so i can't exactly say when it starts or ends, but you probably know anyways)

Have you considered using mocp?

The fast-paced little harpsichord piece in the middle, which became "Sparring with Demons", actually popped into my head unbidden during a game of Doom.  I immediately quit the game and threw it into the sequencer before I could forget it...

EDIT:

Apart from earlier today when I tried to put a 0.5" tape into a 0.25" box - twice in succession, complete with "Why isn't it closing...?" - the most memorable facepalm moment in recording this was when I accidentally read the demon as something like "Why do you fight us, when I'm your son...?   ...Oh--"

[hapless]

alias mp='mpg123 -Ccvvvvv'

I'm actually compiling versions with additional debug readouts, being crazy like that... But one or two -v's should give you a frame/time readout, and the more you put in, the more often it's updated (five v's should be every frame). -C activates keyboard controls.
I use mocp (well, moc - binary has that 'p' at end because /usr/bin/moc is already claimed by Qt MetaObject Compiler) for all other formats, but it's using the old semi-abandoned libmad as the MP[1-3] decoder. And laugh or not, mpg123's output sounds seems to sound better for me.

$EDT:
Okay, having listened the whole... good "as usual"... quite a lot of what I already seem to be calling in my head "the usual DTE style", and a few unexpected parts, like the little fast paced moment around 4:30 and the string harp(?) two minutes later...
Also, this song's spectral looks really cool at times.
*claps*

[Tapewolf]

Oops, apparently I forgot to post Anathema here when it was recorded around Christmas.  That's going to be sent in for mastering soon so I guess it's too late to get critique on it now.  It is on FA, though.


Anyway, my current song project has been this rather dark number:

http://tapewolf.wildernessguardians.com/audio/HeavensArmy-v2.mp3
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/5372292

...sometimes I need a bit of an emotional kick to spur me into writing.  This one certainly seems to have worked.


Lyrics


I found me in another world
When my mortal life was done
I'd earned the right to live up here
And I am not the only one

But heaven's not just clouds and singing
And so I joined the peacetime guard
Sent off to fight some vampire cult
Should training be this hard...?

"Oh and by the way," they said,
"Once an angel dies, he's dead."

We found us on a forest world
Where the vampire threat existed
If I knew it would be like this
I'd never have enlisted

Heaven's army falls apart
Raw recruits are slaughtered by the dozen
See Hell's minions...
Find a place to hide away...

I saw so many comrades die,
Enough to make an angel cry

Again I ask myself if I've been fooled
Or is this really Heaven?
Again I have to ask if I've been fooled
And it was all a scam...

A band of angels wishing they had guns
Instead of sword and spear
If I get out of this alive
I'm going to choose a new career

...and Heaven's army falls apart
Raw recruits are picked off by the dozen
See Hell's minions...
Find a place to hide away...

....

Heaven's army falls apart
Raw recruits are slaughtered by the dozen
See Hell's minions...
Find a place to hide away...

Again I ask myself if I've been fooled
Or is this really Heaven?
Again I ask myself if I've been fooled
And it was all a scam?

[Tapewolf]

This is my current project, aside from the A-side of 'Baklawa Doom', which I am a little reluctant to share at the present moment.  This is intended for the B-side of the album, along with 'Heaven's Army' and whatever else I can think up.

http://tapewolf.wildernessguardians.com/audio/Song_of_Keaton_take1.mp3
...unsurprisingly, it is a summary of the early life of Sunblink's character, Keaton.

I believe it's the first track I've posted here recorded on my 24-track machine.

I'm not happy with the performance of the first couple of verses, I will redo those, and probably the last two as well.  The mix is a bit full and difficult to understand in parts.  I'll probably hate it in the morning.
The drum track

Thanks to Lonewhitefly of 'Magic Hero vs Rock People' for giving me the idea of using the sick-sounding tape organ, a'la the Genesis song Seven Stones.

And yes, it is long.

EDIT:

See also 'take 2' which is on Youtube here, with a quick and nasty video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSJjymCNjMA