OCR00954 - Final Fantasy VI 'Mode Serpent' [Archive]

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djpretzel

03-22-2003, 04:08 AM

What did you think? Post your opinion of this ReMix.

GrayLightning

03-22-2003, 04:16 AM

I've heard this since its initial concept stages and I have to say the end result is one of Quinn's best works. Great guitar work, and awesome strings. I love the huge reverb, it particularly lends itself well to piece. One has the feeling of being underwater. Very interesting ambiance. Great work. One of the best Final Fantasy VI mixes I've heard.

sgx

03-22-2003, 06:06 AM

Hey I really like this. Cool sounds, neat guitar, very interesting and original. I haven't heard a mix like this before. I'm gonna nitpick: 0:48 I don't like the melody panned so far to the right. But very nice otherwise.

Joe Redifer

03-22-2003, 09:28 AM

ziwtra

03-22-2003, 02:29 PM

This is perhaps the most surprising and wonderful interpretation of the serpent trench theme I've heard. Add to this the thoughtful execution, attention to detail and taste for subtleties, and we've got a winner. Quite a gem for OC Remix.

yh

risingson77

03-22-2003, 04:39 PM

Quinn X5

03-22-2003, 06:26 PM

Thanks for the listen, everyone....and thrice as much for enjoying it :)

Yeah, I'm in agreement that the fret noises are much too loud....but as it was my first stab at a guitar driven mix, I honestly didn't even notice how annoying it was until someone mentioned it....

I won't remaster this one, I don't think, but it'll be a good step in helping my next guitar mix be better. Once again, thanks to all who listened and commented. Makes the world mine for a few minutes....

~Quinn

risingson77

03-22-2003, 06:47 PM

The guitar was synthesized, right?

GrayLightning

03-22-2003, 06:55 PM

No. That's why the fret noises are kinda loud. I mentioned that to Quinn a while ago. But I think, all in all they add something cool to the mix.

Ryan8bit

03-22-2003, 07:00 PM

Not the way I would've pictured the Serpent Trench music. Probably a bit too arranged for my tastes, or missing some of the core elements that made the song good in the first place (staccato hits with the echo, and some of the background strings). Don't get me wrong, this mix is still good and produced well, just not what I personally felt the music should sound like.

risingson77

03-22-2003, 07:18 PM

No. That's why the fret noises are kinda loud. I mentioned that to Quinn a while ago. But I think, all in all they add something cool to the mix.

I've never heard fret noises that loud on a live guitar. O_o

GrayLightning

03-22-2003, 07:22 PM

Well, like Quinn said, it was his first stab at guitar. Guitar isn't his weapon of choice. 8) At first I really didn't like them either, but they really have grown on me.

Jeff

03-22-2003, 08:13 PM

I like this for the most part. Very good sound quality and construction. But the fret noise kills it. It is waaaaay too loud and becomes annoying. If there was a mix that was exactly the same EXCEPT with the fret noise lowered by at least 6db I would enjoy it much more and wouldn't have anything bad to say at all.

That's exactly what I was gonna say. >_<

Great mix, but the fret noise is waaaay too loud and artificial sounding. Could we have a ReMastering? :)

ditto. I'd love to hear it remastered, Quinn, then again it would be a bit of a hassle to resubmit once a song's been posted officially. That's what the WIP area is for. Anyway, the experience from this piece should help make your next one just that much better.

Quinn X5

03-22-2003, 11:06 PM

I've never heard fret noises that loud on a live guitar. O_o

Well, I'm admittedly an amateur on guitar, and I'm not the greatest recording engineer, so....yes, of course, it was a real guitar! ^_^

~Quinn

risingson77

03-23-2003, 12:29 AM

ZeaLVT

03-23-2003, 05:01 AM

Well I liked it! When I really get into a song it's easy for me to ignore things that can be annoying - I thought the mix was clever and well done.

Israfel

03-23-2003, 05:41 AM

Great stuff. I actually like the fret noises too- others would edit them out (in a never-ending quest to sound like everyone else) but they have a wonderful, unique and surreal sound.

I've told you over IM how much I like this piece, and my opinion hasn't changed in the least.

ChuckSplatt

03-23-2003, 07:07 PM

As a prog fan, kudos to Quinn for this great remix. Kudos to djpretzel to linking to Marillion, one of my favorite groups of all time.

Yes, I registered just to post this remark. :P

Gwilym

03-23-2003, 10:45 PM

fantastic fantastic. even by quinn's standards.

despite the new addition of the guitar, this is unmistakably quinn - utopian, futuristic... with a similar atmosphere to his previous mix 'mamabrain' - and with surprisingly few similarities to his previous (also excellent) serpent trench mix 'software escape.'

which is part of what makes this song so great - can you think of anyone who would describe the original serpent trench as 'futuristic utopian?' i doubt it. and very few people could manage such an about-face of genre without butchering the song. quinn has. quinn rules all over you. :P

but...unfortunately, he's fallen victim to one of his old problems. the FADE-OUT. now i don't inherently dislike a song simply because it fades out at the end, but like many of his other songs i've had this complaint about, the song fades out while it's still going, rather than just playing an outro loop. sure, it's basically just repeating itself at that point, and 3 minutes is a perfectly respectable length for the track, but the fade-out still irks me every time i listen, and it's the only particularly important thing that stops the song from being 'perfect' to me.

plus there are a few technical issues. the frets, for instance - they don't usually bother me, but if i put the volume up too loud they can become quite piercing. too much high-end, i guess. and the drums, while programmed very well, simply don't match up to everything else. all the other samples fit perfectly, but the percussion has a distinctly keyboardish quality. the rest of the song deserves better. but it really isn't a nagging problem, just something that could be improved.

and, quickly, a bit more individual praisery:

0:00 - short understated electro-soundfuckery intro = 8)

0:23 - HOW DO YOU DO THAT. adding a perfectly blended chorus to what used to be a dirge... i'm very impressed.

1:45 - very nice section; reminds me of tekken 2. the phasing on the guitar works very perfectly. strange how a 'guitar amateur' such as yourself can be responsible for the only guitar work in a vgmix that i've paid particular interest to, eh :wink:

ah yes. very nice song indeed. not my favourite quinnsong, but i have over fifty of them, not one of which do i not like, so that's hardly a criticism. :wink:

i'm becoming more and more convinced that quinn's name is a guarantor of quality. i hope i'm not alone.

OmNiExiZt

03-25-2003, 06:52 PM

This song is definitely fantastic. It's one of those songs where the music actually takes me to my happy place.

Mustin

03-26-2003, 06:42 PM

Very good stuff. Quinn, you've take the right direction - I'm loving your mixes.

Kinda cheaped us on the fade-out, but keep the good songs coming.

Quinn X5

03-29-2003, 07:20 PM

Thanks again to all who downloaded and listened, and even more thanks to those with extremely kind, encouraging comments. Beyond appreciation.

~Quinn

SPACE-COWBOY

04-25-2003, 01:25 AM

that's some damn good stuff.

-§

verycleanteeth

09-10-2003, 09:17 PM

this song is vastly underrated. :D

Newfie

11-29-2003, 02:46 AM

Wow, in my depressed state of mood lately this really brings it down. Heh, not saying this is bad, i absolutely love the song. The guitar and percussion is done exceptionally well. I'm not sure if I heard a flange in there, probably not. Anyways this song is amazing 9.5/10.

Fenrir

10-26-2004, 06:56 PM

I'm a big fan of the percussion in this song. I think it lends a nice beat to the song, and gives it a nice counterpoint to the ambient underwater feel. Props.

Alianger

07-17-2005, 11:03 PM

sorry, but i absolutely loath the fret noices, and the percussion makes the song feel bland, kind of drowning the (beautiful) melody.

Selios

10-03-2005, 07:36 PM

Hey! this is one of my favourite FF musics! These strings are amazing. The style fits perfectly to the original. (actually, I had planned working on this music already, but I'm less than a newbie in arrangement, and I've been on anoter project, my first one, for some time;) Well, there's where you recognize pro's, I guess.

Bummerdude

10-08-2005, 07:30 PM

GRRRRRREAT!!!

Makenshi

01-06-2006, 07:50 PM

This is one of my all time favorite songs, one which I never get tired of listening to, no matter what mood I am in. Every element fits in perfectly and makes it a dreamy experience. Brilliant.

Mr Azar

01-01-2009, 07:39 PM

Magic. Pure magic.

tweek

10-20-2009, 04:46 PM

Yet another Quinn Fox track that is in desperate need of Barry White esque vocals. Starts out very sexy and smooth. It's got the very ambient sound that we've come to love from Quinn, but it also has the more active drums that he introduced more and more with each track. This has a great chill vibe to it just like all the others, but this one strikes me a bit differently. It seems to have a little more R&B to it than the others, but it's still the Quinn Fox sound. Excellent stuff. The guitar sounds great. And the classic QF fadeout :). Great work again mate!

ChaosPlayer

11-17-2009, 07:43 AM

A+ Must listen. If you ever like hip-hop beats to it or a Jazzy like substance, the golden sound is yours for you to listen. This is one of my favorite pieces from OC not because it has the nice complexity to it, but it's pure.

12-02-2009, 06:05 PM

Nice crazy panning on the guitars here. I also really enjoy the drum sound. It's powerful without being overbearing, and really does a nice job of driving the otherwise ethereal and floating arrangement along. Speaking of floating, the synth washes are really nice, and blend well with the more textured guitar approach. Classy stuff. The source doesn't really have a huge hook, but this is still engaging. Thumbs up. :-)