Harmony
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Posts posted by Harmony
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Well the good news is that there are decent samples in play and the arrangement is good as well. The bad news is that, as has already been said, the interaction between the instruments is generally sloppy. I’m with Larry that a darker, shorter-tailed reverb would help matters but some significant restructuring in terms of panning, EQ, etc. is also in need. Compositionally I don’t think that the piece jumps around too much but a stronger development of each section (that would probably be the result of tighter production and better instrumentation) would help make this much more satisfying.
I’d like to note that the piano roll to the chimes and strings at 2:10 is pretty cool.
Good work but a lot of loose ends need to be tightened.
NO
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Arrangement and groove are rock solid. Come the end at 3:15 my ears are begging for more but to leave us wanting more is infinitely better than to leave us wanting less.
The piano sounds wonderful. I think the quantization is a little tight but it’s well within acceptable limits and a looser performance is only a matter of personal preference. The excellent guitar performance that I’ve come to expect from Ty is incorporated sparsely but with great impact. From the crunchy intro to the thematic pad/guitar solo at 2:30, the guitar adds a hint of that monster ballad vibe that children of the 80’s might especially appreciate.
I’ve got a few minor gripes here and there. Most notably is the simplicity of both the percussion and the synth design. While I would like more original sounding synths at 1:52 or more robust drum sequencing throughout, I’ll chalk both up to a successful attempt to remain somewhat true to the feel of the original. Also, as Larry mentions, I think that the pads are mixed a bit loudly, especially past 2:20. They give way to much presence to the outro in which a softer approach would yield a smoother resolution.
Good stuff all around though and a favorite of mine from RoTS. Congrats on your successful work on that project and on another posted ReMix.
YES
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Show 013 - Wangs & Hooters working together in Harmony (the judge)
First I'm the least sexy judge and now I've got Wangs & Hooters "working" in me. Aye me. I give you remixes, I give you reviews...are you not entertained!? Oh OCR, why hast thou forsaken me?
[/melodramatic shakespearian, film, and biblical references]
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I've reviewed the latest version and I'll be sticking with a YES.
I appreciate the concerns that are being raised about the sparse nature of much of the mix. I certainly consider the suggestions that have been made to thicken this mix up, especially Gray's mention of more reverb and delay, appropriate. As is however, I think the subtle pads and FX adequately hold this mix together for just under 4 mins.
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This has the potential to be great. The tons of melodies that get layered with each other are individually awesome and also fit together nicely. The two themes are neatly incorporated with each other and the breakdown at 1:04 is pretty sweet. There’s just too much clutter. The melodies aren’t panned away from each other, they are mixed pretty low, a lot of the synths have a very similar sound and as Shna mentioned, too many elements are fighting for the same register space for too long. These issues all become more relevant during the crowded section from 2:08-3:12.
Other points of concern for me include the punchy nature of the synths at 0:00 and 1:38. Although the velocity oscillations were probably intentional in the intro, personal preference would want a smoother synth line. At 1:38 the lead synth is too loud. I love vocal samples to death but Duke’s cameo at 1:34 doesn’t fit. If you leave it in you may want to try some chorus+reverb processing to thicken it up and better blend it into the mix. The song is short enough with enough variety that I don’t think that the dance beat gets overused but some of the samples could be more interesting, i.e. the hi-hat.
The composition gets repetitive towards the end but I can hear an increasing harmonic complexity that if properly realized could turn that repetitiveness into an energy packed finale build. Unfortunately as elements are added, they all get muddled together as has been mentioned. Good stuff so far but aim for more clarity in this mix and you’ll be headed in the right direction.
NO (Please Rework/Resubmit)
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Beautiful vocals at the onset of things. Sadly when the supporting instruments arrive at 0:49, I can’t help but feel underwhelmed at the sparse beat and synth guitar. To take some of the edge off, it might be nice to hear a more distant vocal entrance that builds to the incorporation of the synth elements. All-in-all the groove in the first section isn’t bad but its lack of variety is something that needs to be addressed. I love the vocals on lead through 3:24. There’s a tantalizingly light reverb over the otherwise clean recording that helps fill in some of the supporting sounds' shortcomings. I wish that the vocals were mixed a little quieter however as they obscure the rest of the instruments at points (2:00-2:09, 2:20, ...)
From a creative standpoint I’ve got no problems with the level of interpretation as I hear great arrangement ideas throughout. However I think significant compositional problems exist in the repetitiveness of 0:49-3:24, the lackluster transition at 3:24 and repeated repetitiveness in the supporting instruments from 4:00-end. I especially can’t let the 2+ minute run of the unvaried beat from the first section slide. I like the industrial sounds but the groove isn’t engaging enough to hold things down as long as it attempts to. The metal section was a lot more dynamic with drum fills galore, sultry lyrics, guitar solos and a pretty decent sounding rhythm guitar rounding things out. The power chords get pretty stale though with a very repetitive pattern from 4:00-5:12 and the drums are really too weak to help out.
I think a well developed first half would eliminate the need for the metal section altogether but as is, both sections need to be fleshed out and polished off a little more before I can pass this. More variety on the beat through 3:24, better tie between the two sections, and more variety in the guitar/drums during the last minute and you’re good to go.
NO (Please Resubmit)
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Wow, what a wonderful change of pace. Once I got over the disappointment of not hearing a classic Shna Rare Mineral Addict-esque take on the theme I was completely drawn to the delicate woodwinds and strings that fill this mix. The clarinet/oboe work through 0:41 is a great intro before the strings and brass build to a more central role from 0:42-2:25. As tends to be the case with sampled and sequenced strings, some of the solo violin sounds a bit shaky to me (2:00, 4:50 come to mind) but this is a minor issue that is masked well here. Selectively placed lows and a vibrant snare keep the atmosphere light throughout, even during the build starting near the 4-min mark. Man I love the panning on that snare. Rolls are here, accents are there, ghost notes all around; great stuff.
I can be a sucker for a decent sounding piece but the arrangement, which doesn’t lull for a second, takes the cake on this one. Sam takes the simple solo guitar melodies of the source and builds an intricate orchestral tapestry that at once feels like a natural extension of the theme and is a creative expression of Sam’s talents.
Nice work and keep ‘em coming.
YES
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Ah, we’ve talked a lot about this mix David and it’s come such a long way from the first time that I heard it. Glad to see that you’re constantly improving it and your skills as a remixer.
This one isn’t up to OCR standards yet though. There’s a lot of reverb here that clouds up the mix. This is especially true of the low taiko drums. Further adding to the clutter, not much panning is used so all of the instruments sit right on top of each other.
The percussion seems to jump around and not really get into any solid groove which makes it difficult to get into the song. Try getting a solid repetitive beat down and laying that under the entire track. Then add and subtract from it as necessary to give enough variety. I wouldn’t say that this is the best way to build a drum track but I think it will help in this situation. Additionally, you’ve got a pretty cool bassline with an interesting breakdown at 1:44 but it needs a lot of humanization and variation.
Feel free to keep working on this one but don’t neglect working on other projects too. A lot of experience comes in the form of the shear number of songs that you’ve tried to remix so start building your portfolio
NO
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Atmospheric pads?
Well.. as a little hint, I will be working with Bela D on such a library. In fact, two libraries, with different moods/styles for both. Formal announcement later
Naturally, all OCR forum members will have unlimited free access to these libraries...naturally
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Wow Zircon, those guitars are pretty frikin sweet. Although they sound amazing, I can tell the difference but I doubt that a majority of general listeners would be able to. Also amazing is that for only $149 you get Lyrical Distortion sample library which includes random release triggering, hammer-ons, yada yada. If that's the sound that you're after it looks like a good deal. [/product endorsement]
I would like to find some atmospheric pads like what you usually find in New Age music.I've always liked the pads in Big Pads Demo and Big Synth Demo available here:
http://www.melodymachine.com/demo_desc.htm
Some of the sounds are a little harsh but they are worth having. If I recall, Gort's synths, available at HammerSound.net, has some decent simple pads as well.
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Sounds pretty dope for MIDI stuff, but we generally don't take MIDI.
Just to clarify, it’s the General MIDI sound quality that will typically disqualify a mix, not the exclusive use of MIDI. Some ReMixers, myself included, have only used MIDI sequencing (no VSTs or fancy-schmancy processing) and still turn out great stuff.
This mix, as fun as it is, suffers from poor samples. The bagpipes are the definition of wonky, the fiddles and the brass sound thin and some of the percussive sounds could be a lot richer. The snare isn’t bad but the vibraslap, the castanets and the cymbals all could be better. If you’re going to stick to MIDI then what you need, as Larry suggested, is to boost your sound quality and versatility by picking up some of the tons of free soundfonts out there. For a great start, head over to HammerSound.net.
Also taking away from the fun is the close stylistic and compositional adherence to the source. It’s surely an upgrade but I’m generally looking for a more expansive take on the theme when the sound quality can’t jump in to save the day.
Overall, good stuff Ronak. There’s a lot of potential displayed here so hopefully you’ll keep working on this and other projects even when summertime boredom isn’t there to be your motivation.
NO
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This is a wonderful rearrangement that takes the source to some pretty creative places. I wish more of the piano was scattered about rather than tacked on the end but the intermediate energetic synths and constantly developing composition round this piece out nicely. Sadly though I’ve got to NO this because from start to finish one thing after another muds up the scene. Tone down the thick bass, work on de-cluttering 2:20-3:07, shorten the reverb decays and knock off some low frequencies and my YES is ready to go.
NO (PLEASE Resubmit)
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There are plenty of ReMixers who do wonders without a keyboard so no need to beg for donations Sam. Spend the time instead practicing with what you have.
Practice adding more variety to the supporting instruments. The strings lack dynamic and harmonic complexity. They kind of just drone along, not changing in intensity (there was a bit of something nice at 1:46) and not contributing nearly as much as they could. The harp does a good job of playing off of the piano and the music box later in the mix although the repeating chromatic melodies get a little tiring past the 2 minute mark.
Practice humanizing your instruments. The piano is very plunky and loses the delicate charm that this piece calls for. The consistently long attack on the horn at 0:24-1:42 gives the lead a sluggish feel that doesn’t help the dragging arrangement. You can certainly find better samples for many of the instruments you’ve chosen but it wouldn’t be a waste of time to learn to get more out of the samples that you have.
Practice creatively reinterpreting the source material. If I take out the drums and bass from the original then I have something very similar to your mix in terms of composition and sound. Make the piece more engaging by rearranging the melodic sections, building and removing harmony, changing tempo, changing key—experiment.
Gotta love the SFX ending. Stop by the ReMixing and WIP forums to get some help with your future submissions. Keep working at it.
NO
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That first drum beat from 0:17-0:29 has that late 80’s vibe; good stuff. For the genre, this arrangement is good. The melodies are played in a relatively straightforward manner but the mix develops and stays fresh, incorporating solid composition with plenty of well executed transitions. I appreciate the effort to create a dance track without the standard omm-tss played throughout. The percussion does a lot of creative things and when we do get the omm-tss from 3:20-3:34 it falls right in line.
On the downside, this mix gets awfully cluttered at points (1:12-1:40, 1:54-2:09, …). Combine that with how loudly everything is mixed and it’s not sitting well with me. Why not put some panning distance between the synths and piano during the chorus sections? Don’t let all of your efforts to create interesting and dynamic synths get diminished by having them blend too much with each other.
Other than that, the production is fine. Engaging on the whole and I can’t find a big enough reason to stand in this mix’s way. Like Larry I would have liked more melodic variation but it’s not that large of a necessity here.
YES
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This is a fun mix with some interesting arrangement ideas. Good job sequencing the piano. It could have been less rigid but the right hand captures the boogie-woogie vibe pretty well. The samples aren’t the greatest though. The piano and the brass section are good for this style but the solo sax, which plays such a key role in this mix, is pretty general MIDI, although I think that its sequencing isn't terrible.
The drums need to be a lot more expressive. Their samples aren’t the best so it’s good that they don’t do much to stand out for most of the mix but when we do notice them, as in the drum rolls during the few transitions, they really take the quality down a notch. Definitely hit the ReMixing forum and pick up some better drums (and other samples as well). With the new samples, get a little more creative with the drum groove rather than only switching things up during the transitions.
Fun stuff but not developed enough in terms of sound quality or arrangement. Keep working at it.
NO
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Another enjoyable mix Philip. I love the variety of guitars that we get in this one. From flanged, to clean to distorted, they all mesh well and fit the mood of the piece. The ep/bass solo at 1:57 is a great jam that does a good job of switching things up without straying far from the feel of the rest of the piece. I’m not really feeling the some of the electronica-esque FX thrown in with such an organic piece though. The cut at 2:56 feels odd and the stutters near the 3:00 mark don’t seem to fit either. The reversed FX at 5:16 along with the final section (5:54-end) are pretty cool though. Larry mentioned the lead’s laziness at that point, and I agree, but I thought the sloppy lead sounded pretty pimp in this case, especially with the Overworld theme thrown in over the crunchy rhythm guitars.
“Blue Stars over the Fisherman’s Horizon” felt long at 5 minutes and with a similar composition style, slow development and limited variation of key elements, this mix feels long at 7 mins. There are a lot of cool arrangement ideas packed in but somehow it’s just not translating into 7 mins of listenability. One culprit is the percussion which stays way too constant for way too long. The bass solo near 1:57 is a point that needs a change of beat but the entire first half of the mix could go for some variation in that department. Other than varying the drum pattern you could also mix things up by adding some other percussive sounds (shakers, hand percussion, new snares, etc.). Another issue is the reverb which tends to blur the distinct sections and instruments together. Aim for more clarity and the piece will become more engaging. You also might consider playing with the clean rhythm guitar that seems to remain pretty constant in terms of performance and processing. It might be interesting to hear it change along with the other elements during the distorted section starting at 4:55.
Why doesn’t that reversed guitar strum at 5:52 start on tempo? Very cool idea but stretch that puppy out and move it so that it’s on beat and it will sound much better.
Good stuff but I don’t think its reaching its potential right now. Less reverb, more variety (especially with the percussion), and a few odds and ends as mentioned by the other judges could make this mix shine. Looking forward to the resub on this and also a new mix from you that I hear might hit the panel soon.
NO (Please Resubmit)
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Good stuffs on the sound quality front. The juxtaposition of light airy drone synths with distorted percussion and SFX works really well. I enjoy the strange FX and subtle groove from 1:32-1:58 and the panned distorted kicks are interesting as well. The loss of the pads from 2:27-2:40 is odd but the vibraphone deal at 2:56 is wonderful enough to let me forget.
Arrangement is engaging but as Vig mentioned, this piece noodles. Although there is obviously a lot of foresight and planning on display here, more thought needs to be given to cohesion. No one melodic/percussive section feels well related to any other section, making the piece seem more haphazard than it should. I also think that “Confusing Melody” deserved more attention than it got, it being the backbone of this mix and all. Sure that drone stays with us for most of the mix but why not rearrange that to give the piece more ebb and flow, more rise and fall? Let the note morph from one synth to another. You did this in the beginning where the note started out with an organ then switched to strings. I was hoping to hear it further evolve. Let the note expand to some chord, then fall back to a single note. It doesn’t have to be as intrusive to the ambiance as one might imagine.
This mix very much reminds me of Sheila Chandra’s "ABoneCroneDrone" series of songs which each use one root note that evolves throughout the piece with flowing synths and harmonies. Check her out for good ambient music and possibly some ideas for your mix. In the end, this is a cool piece that just needs some work tying things together. I hope to see a resub of this one.
NO (Please Resubmit)
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Oh I so want to see!! But I don't have Reason
SONAR leaves me out in the cold once again...
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I think that the mellow piano sample, though lacking the high end sparkle that makes certain samples stand out from the crowd, works with this piece. I understand the concerns about the low end but the sample is cleanly recorded, appropriately panned and dark enough to carry the intent of the piece.
The performance is on-and-off to me. There are sections (0:00-0:56, 2:36-2:59) that have a very stately, minuet-like quality that give the theme an elegance impossible on the NES. Unfortunately, that same performance style carries over into sections where a more fluid approach is warranted to keep the piece from feeling plunky and unnatural (1:52-2:36, 3:07-3:38). Try to keep some of those accents in check as well. Subtlety is the key there and while I feel that they are much better handled than in “Where Force Stood Still” a few notes are still a bit jarring (2:15, 2:43, …).
The chord at 3:52, along with the 9ths at the end are beautiful. Although the simplicity of the chord structure throughout the rest of the piece compliments some sections, it detracts from others. The left hand during 1:52-2:14 for example is very plain and underutilized. In general, the left hand doesn’t get the arrangement attention that it deserves and I think that this simplicity stems from its close adherence to the source. Greater interpretation and expansion of the original melodies would help in this area.
I also agree that this is the best piano mix that I’ve heard from you Bev and the split vote shows how good of a piece this is. In the end though I feel that some sections need a more complex performance, others need more complex chords, while others are nice as they are. If this doesn’t make it this time, hopefully a resubmit will be in its future.
NO (Please Resubmit)
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For as many themes are here, they are combined quite nicely. The arrangement of each of those sections is great as well. I would have preferred fewer themes and even more fluid transitions but there’s a solid drive throughout the piece that carries us from start to finish without too many hiccups.
I don’t think that the harpsichord at 1:31-1:45 is strong enough to stand on its own. The sample feels too flat and buzzy for such a great instrument. However, its return as a supporting instrument at 5:56 through the end is delicate and delightful; easily my favorite section of this mix. What a great way to close the mix out. And what a great way to close out this vote, 3 and 2/3 straight YES’s
YES
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The other guys have covered the reasons that I have to put the final nail on this. I love Jazz Jackrabbit and I was excited to see a mix of arguably the coolest song from the game on the panel but it’s not nearly interpretive enough. The mix has a nice thick groove (repetitive though), a dreamy reverb (a little overbearing during the fuller sections), and some decent samples. Throw more of your own arrangement flare into the mix the next time around. Keep working at it.
NO
Oh and thanks for your website, it brought back a lot of memories. Commander Keen, SkyRoads, Crystal Caves man…Crystal Caves…
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First thing that strikes me is the piano’s EQ. To give this piano a brighter and more open sound without taking away any of the darkness, try adjusting the EQ by increasing the 3-7kHz range and slightly decreasing the 600Hz range. It’s not crucial to my decision but tweaking the EQ can be an important affair for solo piano.
The theme is well incorporated and expressively interpreted. The performance certainly has a human touch to it in terms of tempo and timing. I’ve got issue with some of the note velocities however. The piece sounds like it was played on a partially or unweighted keyboard, causing some of the notes to be played unnaturally loud or soft. Hey, not all of us have the luxury of a weighted keyboard but if you’re without one that just means you’ll have to spend some time editing velocities post-performance.
Also, the sustain doesn’t feel quite right in a few parts. Points like 3:22 have an unnatural choppy feel and the sustain on sections like 3:31-3:40 allows chords to bleed together that really shouldn’t. That pedal of yours should help so keep practicing with it.
Larry and Shna covered most of the other issues. I don’t feel that the mix is detrimentally sparse but more interesting composition for the left hand would certainly make for a more rich texture.
Overall though this is an enjoyable piece Bev. A little more work here and there would do heaps of good.
NO (Please Resubmit)
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Wow, I love the source material. In principle I think that the orchestrated approach could be a wonderful arrangement decision in contrast to the metal guitar driven original. I think that a combination of inexperienced sequencing and simplistic execution of some good ideas sells this mix short though.
The samples themselves sound pretty decent but the mechanical sequencing takes a lot away. This problem pops up in the choppy harpsichord lead starting at 2:08-2:44. The percussion, starting with the weak snare rolls at 1:01 and all the way through the awkward dry kick from 2:14-end, needs a lot of work. As it stands the drums don’t mesh well with the rest of the elements or themselves so start by trying to make the snares, toms, kicks, and cymbals sound more like they are from the same set. Then you might work on the sequencing and FX processing.
There are some solid compositional ideas packed in here. The lead changes often, the mood and tempo shifts are effective and there are attempts at building dynamics by adding and taking away harmonic complexity. Had the actual execution been a little more skillful, this mix has the potential to sound great. Aside from the actual performance, there is the issue of usage of the source. As you mentioned Jahan, you added a lot of original material and here I think it’s overshadowing the source. The source has plenty of solid melodies to run with so you really should have had an easier time incorporating it into this mix.
The poor use of the source and the weak instrumentation did this mix in, but not bad for a remixing newbie. There are plenty of remixers that primarily use soundfonts so you’re not alone. You might try stopping by OCR’s WIP and ReMixing forums to see what else is out there. There are some great musicians hanging around those spots that we can all learn a lot from. Keep working at it.
NO
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There are a few interesting arrangement ideas here, not the least of which is the 7/8 meter. The two themes blend relatively well and I don’t get too much of a sense of the dreaded melodyitis. Good samples are used and they are generally used well. Love the choir. It’s too bad that there is a very washed out lo-fi feel to this mix. It sounds like this has been re-encoded at 192kbps from a much lower bit rate.
The tribal drum loop is nice but it never changes, even when it desperately needs to like at 1:48. The most we get is some added cymbal shots which sound odd and dull due to the encoding. There is subtle variety in the various sections, but a single added harmony here or an addition supporting element there isn’t enough to make the kind of variation necessary to pull off a 2:32 mix.
This is a fun listen but it would be a lot better with better encoding and more attention to variation, especially of the percussion. Keep working at it.
NO
*NO* Faxanadu 'In the Shadow of the Evil One' *RESUB*
in Judges Decisions
Posted
Not a bad improvement. I don’t have the original to compare against but from what I recall, in this latest version the clipping is gone, the choir is subdued, the arrangement is more creative and the soundfield is less sparse.
We still have the low sample quality though and I think that this is what’s most hurting this piece. There’s no low end to this mix as the bass and kick remain minor players where they are desperately needed to fill the sound out. I don’t know what you do with the bass at points like 2:13, 2:27, 2:37, etc. but the bass should have that same richness in the longer more melodic sections. There are a lot of neat percussion ideas here however the kick and toms sound bone dry giving them zero depth. Try adding a bit of reverb, possibly a chorus or distortion effect and pumping up the lower frequencies to give them a more expansive, less GM sound.
I love the SFX peppered throughout, especially the water intro and scream around the 1:00 mark. Overall however this piece feels overly cluttered and unfocused. Try a few of Shna’s compositional suggestions, work on thickening up your sounds while maintaining clarity and this piece will be even more enjoyable than it already is. Keep working at it.
NO