Zelda alttp - Dark World [Funk/Jazz/Odd meter]

I always wanted to remix Dark World from lttp, and i always thought that it would fit into a 7/8 rhythm (and i was right). Not finished yet, but here's what i've got so far.

Remix: https://app.box.com/s/qmjsrz4t86go1xrkaj7hw662iflng5ng

Source: http://youtu.be/fde_HaMXCo8

Definitely a more faithful approach, do you agree?

I love the concept; I have a few suggestions to take it even farther.

1) A more varied bass line would be good, especially under the melody, which is fairly sustained.

2) More dynamic variation would help; the piece sits at pretty much the same level. Even the piano comping is at a fairly even level.

3) I'd look for a different organ preset (or, if you're using a plugin or keyboard that has a proper B3 simulation, change your drawbar settings). Your patch exposes one of the high overtones and sustains it, especially near the start, and I'm finding it fairly piercing. If I had to guess, it sounds like the drawbars are at 008000008 initially. That's a great setting for some funky comping where you're playing percussively and fast, but for the long sustained parts in the melody, it just feels like too much, especially when the melody is played fairly high.

I love the concept; I have a few suggestions to take it even farther.

1) A more varied bass line would be good, especially under the melody, which is fairly sustained.

2) More dynamic variation would help; the piece sits at pretty much the same level. Even the piano comping is at a fairly even level.

3) I'd look for a different organ preset (or, if you're using a plugin or keyboard that has a proper B3 simulation, change your drawbar settings). Your patch exposes one of the high overtones and sustains it, especially near the start, and I'm finding it fairly piercing. If I had to guess, it sounds like the drawbars are at 008000008 initially. That's a great setting for some funky comping where you're playing percussively and fast, but for the long sustained parts in the melody, it just feels like too much, especially when the melody is played fairly high.

Thanks for the feedback man!

Ok, i'll try to vary the bassline some more, although i don't want the bass to be overly active.

I agree about the dynamics, i'll see what can be done.

Regarding the organ; yeah, it's a jazz organ plugin with a B3 simulation. I'll try some different drawbar settings.

I always wanted to remix Dark World from lttp, and i always thought that it would fit into a 7/8 rhythm (and i was right). Not finished yet, but here's what i've got so far.

Remix: https://app.box.com/s/qmjsrz4t86go1xrkaj7hw662iflng5ng

Source: http://youtu.be/fde_HaMXCo8

Definitely a more faithful approach, do you agree?

My Favourite ALTtP theme, i enjoyed this remix a lot, i liked the idea. I have only 2 "problems" with it:

The piano sounds fake. Not fake as in performance, because it sounds real in that aspect. But the samples/vst used doesnt sound right. At least that's what i hear. Maybe a bit of reeverb could help it a bit.

The other is the kick, this is prolly me complaining but i find the sound distracting.

Aside from that, really good job.

What if we collab and I write a Jaco-esque bass part?

Yeah, you could use a piano with more variation in dynamic layers. Also, check the piano timings; sometimes it feels sloppy. For example, 1:21 - 1:24 has a few late chords.

I agree with pretty much everything Kanthos said. That high part of the organ is pretty piercing, but I think the dynamic variation and varied bassline could be remedied in one swoop by adding a quiet section shortly when/after your WIP track ends. Some solo bass getting down with some quiet drumming into a gradual reprise of the main theme is something I would personally do, especially after those neat little fills right at the end there. It would also serve to the added benefit of making your mix slightly less faithful to the source, but I digress.

I can't really comment on the piano issues people are mentioning.

I like it! I can't wait to hear the finished product.

Thanks guys!

The piano doesn't sound that bad to me actually. Anyways, i think i could tweak the sound a bit or use another sample, i just don't have that many alternatives in that regard.

@ timaeus: Sorry for being a spoiler but i think i want to work again on that bass part myself, aight?

Thanks guys!

The piano doesn't sound that bad to me actually. Anyways, i think i could tweak the sound a bit or use another sample, i just don't have that many alternatives in that regard.

@ timaeus: Sorry for being a spoiler but i think i want to work again on that bass part myself, aight?

It doesn't sound bad, but it could sound much better. What are you using exactly for it?

Specifically what's off about it is that it's a hard tone, and the low number of velocity layers makes the hard tone stay hard even on lower velocities, when a real piano would give a softer tone on softer keypresses.

Markus, you should write stuff in some weird time signatures, like 4/4 or 3/4

Markus, you should write stuff in some weird time signatures, like 4/4 or 3/4

Nah dude alternating 9/8 to 7/8

Nah dude alternating 9/8 to 7/8

7/4 to 6/4 to 5/4 to 4/4 to 3/4 to 2/4 to 1/4!

7/4 to 6/4 to 5/4 to 4/4 to 3/4 to 2/4 to 1/4!

The closest i know is a simultaneous 3/4, 4/4 and 5/4 lol

It doesn't sound bad, but it could sound much better. What are you using exactly for it?

I used The Giant from the kontakt library.

As for weird time signatures; i once wrote a mix in 9/8 to 3/4 to 5/4 back to 9/8 and also with a part that has a 4/4 superimposed on 9/8.

In that case you should have no problem tweaking the velocity response; try the dynamic range knob, or even soften the tone a bit.

In that case you should have no problem tweaking the velocity response; try the dynamic range knob, or even soften the tone a bit.

Yeah i'll try that, thanks for the advice.

Update!

https://app.box.com/s/40l7fd5fliawuq1cjq4b2f6xgtj6gdym

Changes:

- Adjusted the drawbar settings of the organ

- Increased the dynamic range of the piano and softened the tone a bit

- More varied bassline

- Added a bass solo and another B section

Much better, i would soften the pianoa bit more but that's just a personal call hahahaha it sounds much nicer now.

I would also boost the bass a bit in the solo, but heh, it's pretty solid as it stands, good job :3

I think maybe if you add a lead guitar somewhere, it will give it a fuller Jazz band feel.

great work btw. Sounds like something from Star Ocean:The Last Hope. Awesome music in that game.

the intro leading up to the organ is my favorite. the intensity of the piano may can go just a little bit softer, but keep at it yo!

Much nicer drawbar setting! A couple other fine points about the organ: one is that the organ playing the melody can be a bit more full, or at least boosted in volume a bit. The other is that you don't have to be afraid of the fast rotor setting. For example, in the section at 1:32, you could go to the fast setting halfway through, leave it, and sustain the final chord for longer, using the swell pedal to take down the volume and let the chord die out a bit. The best B3 players in this kind of style are always switching rotor speeds (and even drawbar positions!) on a regular basis; a bit more variety will make the part more lifelike.

Love the bass solo!

Much nicer drawbar setting! A couple other fine points about the organ: one is that the organ playing the melody can be a bit more full, or at least boosted in volume a bit. The other is that you don't have to be afraid of the fast rotor setting. For example, in the section at 1:32, you could go to the fast setting halfway through, leave it, and sustain the final chord for longer, using the swell pedal to take down the volume and let the chord die out a bit. The best B3 players in this kind of style are always switching rotor speeds (and even drawbar positions!) on a regular basis; a bit more variety will make the part more lifelike.

Love the bass solo!

Ok, i'll try to use the fast rotor setting a bit more. I'm glad you like the bass solo

Thanks for the feedback guys!

Yeah, this is just mostly me being picky as a huge lover of the B3 (despite never having played the actual organ; I really need to change that). A keyboard with a proper organ emulation and drawbars is a big part of my live sound. Either way, this is a great concept, and especially with the bass solo taking it out of the realm of a straight melodic cover in a different time signature, I think it has a good chance of being accepted here once it's finished, if you choose to submit.

Made some progress https://app.box.com/s/pdxy7bnp68gy79v1zudjjwpkesm6b86c

Added one more C section and an outro groove. I think the arrangement is near completion, just have to find a proper ending.

EDIT: Arrangement is finished! I added a short organ solo and an ending. I dunno, maybe the bassline at 3:20 is a bit too much, ha ha.

New version: https://app.box.com/s/0nrnjgj394t9h477lpkgq4664wp1qbh3

Bass line too much? For my tastes, it's one of the highlights in the song. I love this arrangement!

Bass line too much? For my tastes, it's one of the highlights in the song. I love this arrangement!

Cheers! I think i'm gonna change/adjust some little things here n' there and then probably put it up for mod review.

Edit: Added more lows on the piano