(synthpop) I Don't Know Why by Pacific Deep

[Some Desperate Glory]

It's been a while but Pacific Deep has a new song. Hope you like it.



I Don't Know Why

Sometimes you make a choice
Without really trying
Spend your time
Merely complying

Each day I tell myself
That this is the end
Just because I cling to you
Doesn’t make you my friend

I know it’s wrong for me
But what can I do?
All roads don’t lead to Rome
They lead right back to you

I don’t know why
I don’t know why
I always let you
Make me cry

This is my life
How I live day to day
I try to escape
But I still got bills to pay

How far can I go?
How far can I fall?
Is there something else?
Or is this all?

I’ve lost my will
I’ve lost my heart
My engine won’t turn
It won’t even start

[raymondh]

This is our first song that combined the use of native devices, rack extensions, VST instruments and hardware synths Reason 9.5 is such a fantastic production environment!

We used:

Instruments:
Dave Smith Instruments Mopho x4
Roland JP-08, JU-06
Sonic Projects OP-X Pro-II
Arturia Matrix-12v2
Reveal Sound ReSpire
Rob Papen Vecto, Quad, Predator, RG-RE
Propellerhead NN-XT, ReDrum
Korg Polysix RE
Blamsoft/eXode Expanse

Effects:
Propellerhead Synchronous, The Echo, RV7000, Polar, Scream 4
Kuassa EVE-AT4, EVE-AT1
JPS Chenille
Synapse DR-1, Fat Space
Softube dyna-mite, FET
Sonic Charge Echobode

[mbfrancis]

Love this, your guys' stuff is always super fun.

That's a lot of gear - I'm wondering, would it have been much different if you had to stay in (old) Reason? - how did hardware and/or VSTs impact workflow / creative output?

[raymondh]

Love this, your guys' stuff is always super fun.

That's a lot of gear - I'm wondering, would it have been much different if you had to stay in (old) Reason? - how did hardware and/or VSTs impact workflow / creative output?

Thanks very much! Appreciate it a lot!

I love the way Reason is evolving. For me, I'm inspired by sound, especially analog synths with sizzling filters, warm saturation and the imperfections of drifting oscillators and variations in the sound of discrete oscillator circuits. I don't get excited as much by contemporary sounds. I think I'd be on another DAW if it weren't for the open-ness that Propellerhead has introduced that has given me access to these types of sounds.

I never got on well with ReWire, so found myself fully producing using FL Studio or Tracktion. Would have continued to use Logic Audio until PC version was dropped.

But when Reason introduced Rack Extensions, and one of the first RE's was the wonderful Korg Polysix RE - that was a complete game changer for me - it inspired a chord progression hook for an instrumental that Carl liked, and that was how Pacific Deep started

And then the External MIDI device: I'm a poor keyboard player so I end up fixing my stuff in the piano roll, so that enabled me to effectively use the outboard gear.

Carl & I both use blocks a lot for helping with arrangements. Even when not using blocks mode, it is good for drawing in the song structure as we work.

The Spectrum EQ was another game changer for me; I never understood how to use the SSL channel strip well, and the graphic EQ is now a fundamental part of our workflow.

The advancement and variety of Rack Extensions and the introduction of VSTs has now created some new opportunities as well as some challenges.

On the upside - some REs / VSTs are as good as hardware. Synapse The Legend is so, so good. Arturia V collection is versatile and CPU friendly. Sonic Projects OP-X is superb and virtually indistinguishable from hardware.
Software is so good now that sometimes I feel I should sell my hardware synths. But when I sit down at my desk with sliders, switches and stuff it puts me into a different mindset than when I sit down at work where I also use a computer.

The downside is it makes it harder to collaborate. When everything was in the box, all we needed to do was make sure we owned the same Refills (we were pretty set with Bitley Fairlight/WBF + Jiggery Pokery Kings Of Kong + Pinknoise Orange/Analog Monsters and a few others). But now Carl has some plugs ins I don't have and vice versa. So we bounce-in-place to audio in our projects. Has a workflow impact but still works ok. We were used to this a bit, obviously with audio tracks for Carl's vocals and guitar. Bigger Reason files now = more Dropbox space though

cheers!
Raymond

[mbfrancis]

Wow, Raymond, what a thoughtful, thorough, and well-written reply. Thanks for writing this up!

I have a few pieces of old outboard gear but wiring everything up is too much of a hassle. I'd love to run stuff -- even whole mixes -- through my tube preamp, but again it's just a pain.

Oh well. Thanks again.

[sumusik]

It's been a while but Pacific Deep has a new song. Hope you like it.

Played through this a few times. Man it's catchy! Good work!

[raymondh]

Wow, Raymond, what a thoughtful, thorough, and well-written reply. Thanks for writing this up!

I have a few pieces of old outboard gear but wiring everything up is too much of a hassle. I'd love to run stuff -- even whole mixes -- through my tube preamp, but again it's just a pain.

Oh well. Thanks again.

Even though it's a pain, it would be great to hear what sort of result you could get, even if you only intend to try it once! You never know!
Though your music is awesome already so it would be just a bit of polish!

[jappe]

Music, vocals and lyrics fit perfect to create that devastating broken love mood, very well done!

[raymondh]

Music, vocals and lyrics fit perfect to create that devastating broken love mood, very well done!

Thanks!