Jump to content

Audity

Members
  • Posts

    347
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Posts posted by Audity

  1. I reviewed your other version awhile ago. I also listen to a lot of music from this series of games.

    Too much silence during the first several seconds.

    I think the super quiet piano at the beginning should fade in slowly, or fade in somehow, and not have it at such a low volume the whole time. The entire intro seems a bit dragged out as it is, so having barely audible piano, while quite nice for a little bit, doesn't have to stay at such a low volume the whole time. Speaking of the intro, it's a bit too long, and yet, not necessarily; the same time length could be kept, but have something more to it to make it not seem so long, like something else interesting while the piano is fading in in whatever fashion.

    The samples and EQ kinda' make the song feel lifeless. The treble is too sharp, when wearing headphones at least, and the bass is too soft. I don't really know much about mid-range, but it does feel a bit empty, so I don't know how one would go about filling that in.

    The song feels full at 2:17, with the different, darker bass sound, and the nicely panned hi-hats/whatever, and completely different sounding piano. 2:44 sounds okay, but there's just something weird about most of the song that I can't place.

    4:14 progression sounds very familiar as if it was in some other song.

    4:39's 16ths synth line sounds like it needs to be louder. Without that, it sounds like the same old piano and beats song that's been going on for 3 minutes.

    Don't really know what to say other than the production needs to be better. Things seem like they want to please my ears by filling them with all sorts of good EQ/fuller-production ranges/dynamics, but it's like they get a constant grating sound instead.

  2. I've always been a fan of Shnab's VGMix piano works in a similar vein to this one. At first I was really craving for more Metroid, since many parts of this sound too spartanly away from the original from which it's trying to spin (or is it?).

    I guess you could say that unlike what the write-up says, I can browse the internet while listening and really feel this piano at the same time. It's quite a focused sound throughout the whole, and yet all over the place. It's like what I'd sound like if I could actually play in some decent keys, and keep in focus, while I'm randomly banging on the piano instead of practicing. Perhaps many other lazy newb piano players can say the same thing.

    I really like how it transitions from the ending silence back into the beginning of the track. But overall I still wish it was a little more thematic like your FF9 or Earthbound VGMix. Maybe it's actually the same as those, but put simply this original tune craves for more something like what this piece has become.

  3. I never really paid attention to the Grandia II OST until recently. I was too much a fan of the first game's music, but then most of it got old, sans less than a dozen tracks or something.

    So then I turned to G2's tracks. So much of it is really peppy sounding, and cliche I guess, but with absolutely amazing samples in my opinion (they could seem annoying to some). It's a breath of fresh air from all these generic RPG tracks/samples I was hearing while finally going through GamingForce Audio's Best Song Competition from awhile back, and would make for some great driving music for me since that peppyness is something I personally love when it's done right, even if cheesy; at least it's really really moving music, on top of the samples that I like so much.

    Most of the sad/dramatic/not-upbeat songs are not as good, at all. In fact most are the worst music ever made ever. Well, rivaling/mimicking them, anyway.

    I would have made this request be NOT to remix anything from this game, but given Darkesword's ReMix from this game, I guess anything goes. Most of the above described songs would be very hard to mix without them losing their appeal, probably because they're all really cheesy with simply an insane groove that I happen to like.

    That said, here are some tracks worth considering that don't necessarily fit my beloved ranting above's descriptions: (you might know where to go to listen, or not)

    17 - The Garden Of Dreams~ The Mysterious Girl from the ~Deus~ OST

    Eerie song that has insane amounts of potential.

    21- Granas Sanctuary from the ~Deus~ OST

    Hints of the song Deus itself in this, but with decent variations. Could enhance the guitar/church atmosphere of the whole thing.

    07 - The Moon Of Valmar from the Povo OST

    Worthwhile progression that gets a little too messy. Again, potential to change into something way cooler.

    Any of the fight musics.

    Or as a last resort, any of the town themes.

    Hopefully I won't get burned out on this any time soon.

  4. I wouldn't have commented on this, but you commented on my FF12 mix, this mix is from SoM, and the source tune is in my top 5 from the game no doubt. I attempted to arrange this myself but of course failed miserably, though I barely had an idea of what to do with the song. No percussion seems like the best choice for this kind of song, but you need to make sure it has strong sections that make up for having no percussion, especially given that at one point in this mix you pull that off flawlessly.

    Before I start: I'm listening on laptop speakers, so it's hard to pick up any details. Also, each paragraph goes into a specific section of this song.

    It starts out very unique and well-done, quickly seguing into a lonely instrument playing the progression of the piece you have willed together. Another similar instrument builds upon it to gather the gradual complexity this piece needs. 0:44-0:45 I think should either be left out completely (since the part right before sounds like a more perfect ending) or be paused until near the start of the next section. I think the song needs more flowing transitions.

    Piano comes in with an arrangement that sounds decent. It will be nice to be heard with those better samples you say you will be getting. Again, I think the transition to the next section should be better, like have a string instrument slowly come in, or some much better idea that I can't think of.

    Combining already established sounds for the next section is a nice choice, but the woodwind sample here is a little too loud. I can't hear the piano and this instrument merging well together, but that's just a problem of mixing levels/reverb/whatever. With these speakers I can't hear any strings that might be there. It sounds like there might be strings, but they are too soft for these speakers for me to hear it. Strings are possibly something to consider, but hopefully not make any too loud, at least not until the piano/woodwind gets more established.

    1:45 sounds like an extremely nice variation upon what has been brought so far, though once again the transition is a little weird, yet a little decent at the same time. I love the direction and role the "woodwind" takes, flurrying in the background (reminds me of the solo action in the remix from the game Delta that is on this site) while good string instruments appear and some new crystalline background 8th note progression takes hold. If you receive your new samples, I'd say to keep the string and crystalline "things" you have now and not replace them with something else unless you really find something better. Yeah I'm getting tired good thing I'm almost done. All I can say is this is the strongest section and that you should make it much longer.

    And then leave out the whole next piano section unless additions you have in mind follow up the previous section well...somehow. The key change or whatever sounds cheesy even if it starts to get better after its initial premise.

    But maybe keep the very last piano section, somewhere near the end of the final WIP.

    It's a tiny bit structured like my own FF12 WIP, especially toward the end where it gets random (I wonder...), and because of the fact that it doesn't go into the second half of the source song.

    Anyway, I like it for the most part. Just make some parts meld better and add some kind of substance to make transitions seem apparent rather than just silence, though silence may be good one or two times, especially if it's done a tiny bit better than it is implemented at the moment. I can't tell you if any volume is too loud on something (except for that one part I mentioned) since I'm listening with these speakers. I opt for no percussion to be used at all, and that's nothing to be ashamed of not using. The ending in the original where it keeps repeating I think should not be used at all, unless you fit in your own unique spin on it that goes with what you have so far; that part in the original I've always found to be really annoying and stupid sounding anyway. So if you can change it into something more appropriate: yay. I ran into the same trouble when attempting to arrange this myself.

  5. Pomp and pretense? What?? There's like half the people here not liking the song, and many valid reasons given why those don't personally like it, so judges (of all people) being called that makes 0% sense at all. Ah, guess such a worthless comment is not worth getting riled up over after all, given its percent on the "makes-sense"-o-meter. Moving on.

    I thought a few measures sounded good near the beginning when the melody was most prominent (I'm familiar with the original), but it sooned turned very very VERY weird sounding. I couldn't take it, and couldn't finish. I'll have to listen again later and edit this maybe; perhaps I'll get at least somewhat used to it and understand where the people who like it are coming from (and hear the rest of it). But first let me go listen to zyko's Legend of Lightning Larry mix randomly. Ah okay that's better :D

    Okay I listened to the rest of it. Overall there lacks focus (except for the fact that it features an acoustic sound for the majority of it) and drags on for quite a long time. The original fits this style perfectly, but I think in order for it to be interesting at 4 minutes, more has to be done to it than chaotic sounds and repeating the original many times. It's mainly just more of an interesting song than something I'd listen to. Ending is the most interesting part.

    I remember zyko's songs back on VGMix 1.0, and they were more of this kind of artistic style than anything recently he's done. Well, recently, except now, for this song, of course, comma.

  6. Liontamer complaining about beats?!

    Anyway, here are my thoughts.

    The introduction is slow, but not annoying. I can say this because the whole song has some very cool parts that the listener is likely to anticipate throughout the whole song, as soon as he or she has heard it once or more. I can also say this because this song's intro is a really nice break from all these action-packed songs I've been hearing recently, making FourLittleMetroids just so happen to be suited well for being situated within an audio CD.

    Either way, the whole song flows nicely. As for the eerie sounds & strings which approach our ears at 1:00, I can't really say they're incredibly awesome anymore, but they haven't gotten old after all these listens. It's likely the most memorable aspect, causing listeners all over to easily identify this song.

    Starting the song, the first meaty section chimes at 1:35 in with Brinstar. Except instead of chimes, AmIEvil implements well-mixed, well-panned choir, and a pulsing/grating lower-ended spectrum, with its clear bass and percussion, and a barely noticable, strange electronicy bongo sample drumming to Brinstar's harmonic melody. Back to the voices: they sing high quality into my ears. Everything's synthesized, yet is the epitome of an OCR, sans liberality in the melody/progression (barely even needed, given the numerous structural and transitional difference). To no one's dismay, the song isn't over yet, and eventually gets to a point where liberality does get introduced, further sprucing up its structure. Keep reading to find out! (Or just listen to the song.)

    The choir melts away, 2:05 comes in, and I'm not enjoying this mp3 as much, but what can one do! Oh, not much but maybe soften up the EQ a bit, and make it not so repetitious and grating with the piano, etc. Or even just make it cooler sounding! But wait, we are soon granted this request at 2:39 (cool transition here), sans (sans!) the coolness, with a true Maridia sound. In retrospect, it's a seemless transition, but, regardless, the piece is at a point where its conservative temperament begins to weaken my attention span. Mayhaps I should be grateful to this, due to it possibly being a plot construed by the Possibly Evil one? For soon at 3:32 my boredom will be washed away, and an excitement, ten times greater than any one prior, will shoot up my spine, at the same time straightening it as well as my mind....

    ...The tempo slows a bit, dynamics build, respectable, eerie electronics enter the planet's hallways, the speed returns to normal, a brief, beautiful reverb ripples itself within the walls, and we're off to the best section, 3:47. Play it loud, please. My only curiousity is why the bass stays the same. I wonder if subtle (progression?) changes besides the ones already applied (getting louder, etc.) could have made the song more moving.

    Oh, wait, now play it really loud, because the song's best sample introduces (literally---it sounds like it struggles at 4:00, quickly breaking free to openly spray its funk) itself. Hmm, it's not much of a spray, but more of a super-soaker's cylindrically pressurized liquid flowing through a filtered nozzle. And that means something good I think. Now I'm wondering if this melody is from any Metroid game. 'Sounds like it is not.

    The crime here is that the best sections are so short (however, I can make up for this by the fact that I can listen to this ending infinitely). I need more similarly unique samples! Unfortunately, we are soon met up with the weakest sample at 4:28, though it has its charm. I guess. At 4:31, the background chaotic noise really goes by noticed, ascending a potentially horrible sounding section up into an interesting flurry of semi-ending. Because I enjoy the whole song, it's fine to listen casually, partially due to the mixing levels of the combined samples. But when analyzing, I notice the same old bassline, and the same old melody, and an ending that could have been better-thought out. Maybe the author found out his true identity to be one of Evil tendencies after discovering a pandora's box of quality samples, and then decided he had better things to do with his time, like destroy insecure ReMixer's n00by songs. Truly an evil heretic.

    Overall while listening, I am thrown back and forth between a groove and a deep-thought-ed peace of mind. But sometimes people need just the groove (with more chord-progressive variety)! And sometimes they need just the peace! But luckily most of OCR just likes Super Metroid, so why shouldn't they have yet retrieved such a concoction of mysteerie?

    (Hah, it's pretty funny. Back in the day I used to have similar thoughts as other reviewers here, regarding the imagining of a surreal environment, while listening to this mix particularly. The conjured images were quite vivid, but now this ReMix is just a cool little song thing. Oh, well; so much for imagination. Luckily I still remember an image I thought of when listening to this song. If I had super artistic skills I could post an image for everyone! But I can't do that, yet you could say it was something akin to the ruins inside a recently sunken Titanic, except more grey.)

  7. It's an electroplankton original, not a remix. I don't know if there are default songs in the actual game, but this song won't be passed unless you remixed one of those if they exist, or remixed a song from another game with electroplankton samples. Even then, electroplankton wouldn't appear in the OCR database, but only the song you remixed...

    ...Unless by some weird change of events the judges decide to make an exception for this game only. But then it would be like OverClocked&ElectroPlankton ReMix, since this would be the only place to get songs made with electroplankton. Actually, that's probably not true. Are there any sites out there that let people submit and download originals done with this game? I bought a DS just for this game, but then never got around to it, so sold the DS.

    Sounds interesting, but I'd have to check again when something more is done with it.

  8. Mmm, a very distinguishable remix. It's very clear-cut, yet at the same time deserves much attention due to the various structure/production it has.

    The introduction during my second listen (I just came home from taking a test) made me really attracted to it, as opposed to my first listen (before the test), which was purely critical. I was like, "Man, this sounds professional" as I sat back to casually listen. Unfortunately, that unique production somehow faded away once the introduction passed. I'm just sayin'. Some may say the song goes too many places, but it's better than having no introduction. Many songs have way more random introductions than that (pop songs lol).

    For the lullaby theme, remembering it from the game kinda' makes it cheesy, but the repeating, slight chord variation makes at least those singular parts incredibly enjoyable. They're fitting with the song's overall progression, and it isn't simply some random chord change for the sake of arrangement.

    This is barely a part of the huge picture, however.

    The piano break starts out nice, but then gets a bit weird (too arranged?), especially if one is simply trying to enjoy a laid-back listen (like how the rest of the song is). Eventually, additional elements make themselves present, which make the song laid-back once again.

    For the Song of Storms, I think it's literally the perfect remix for a song like the original, regarding this site's standards anyway, and the "genre" given by this ReMix. There's a "blatantly direct arrangement" of the Song after said piano break. This was a bit awkward at first, since I'm very familiar with this game and its music. Then, upon the second listen, I realized that the section following the "blatantly direct arrangement" is a *complete* re-arrangement! This is doubly nice because it makes the whole song focused around this unique phrase, and some may not even realize it: this "complete" re-arrangement appears even before the piano break, which can be heard once again if the listener plays the song twice. Somehow, the way it appears after the "blatantly direct arrangement", is more sublime than the one (which goes by unnoticed) before the piano break. Again, just sayin'---but it's actually an enhancement of the overall song structure in my book, and probably everyone's when regarding it on a technical level.

    The whole song's production is of various types, at least in my mind (I may be wrong, but things sound different as they move along). This keeps the song fresh unlike NoppZ's previous works (which are usually enjoyable due to such eclectic behavior in arranging, but start to grate after awhile).

    Well, that's it for my review, except that I wanted to add there's this weird noise at 1:06 that repeats many times over. It's quite faint, and makes me believe that something more could have been done with it, almost like the remixer forgot about it completely. (It's a nice concept, but still too faint.)

  9. Wow that was actually one of my better old reviews (two posts above...old account).

    Just thought I'd pop in again and say that I still enjoy this, except I noticed a grating constant "hi-hat" sound in the right ear during the 2nd half of the song (possibly first as well). I can usually get by somehow enjoying something after spotting an annoying repeating sound, hopefully by listening with speakers next time.

    The gating-like synth sample/harmonization, during this one part (before the two main phrases repeat again), is wonderful.

  10. I love this source tune's melody, and I've never even heard the source itself.

    And Jive turns it into one of the most energetic mixes on the site, mainly brought about by the constantly repeating circular-sounding synth. The mix can be said to use many electronic-music cliches, and actually I can agree a little since they're often mixed too sharply, but I can't help but love the sound anyway. Put this in any rhythm game for me any day.

    Someone said the ending melody should have been more powerful or something, and I agree with that to no end. Given the high energy throughout the rest, the sample is weak in comparison.

  11. So I just went to go clean the toilet seat, and I heard something inside the toilet. It was none other than the beginning of this ReMix! I swear I heard it! So I ran over to the internet in order to review the whole song, due to me literally hearing what sounded like the beginning.

    This mix is quite versitile. The introduction is very drawn out, yet pretty appropriate in how the left ear sounds during it, mainly.

    When the melody comes in at 1:10, however, I feel a bit of melodyitus, in that the melody doesn't really seem to fit with the rest of the intro (which sounds more game-boy metroid-like). I know purists of the original like the post above have a completely opposite look (wait, I just looked at his post again and he also said 1:10 didn't fit), but as for me, I've never played this part of the game, so it sounds more like the ending to a Mario game. The softness of this section is well-anticipated, but the start of the "Mario melody" doesn't fit.

    The rest, I don't really know what to say except that it never gets boring, unless you don't like the genre of the whole piece, which is very one-genre-ish due to the sample sets. Fun.

  12. I was trying to listen to the highly addictive bongoloop stuffs but all the sudden this bass kick starts up and messes things up a little bit. Not a showstopper, but just something I noticed, which could probably be better implemented with a less narrow soundscape. This was actually like the 10th time listening to this song and I just noticed this. I don't care that it sounds "MIDI-ish". Highly enjoyable piece of rhythmic work that doesn't stray far from the original, yet derivative enough for its own merit. Nice job!

  13. I thought 1.5 parts of the vocals were a bit questionable, and wish they would vary up in tone a little bit during some if its repeating, but man that ending piano sounds incredibly good.

    Someone mentioned reverb issues, and I did heard them for a little bit. Then I stopped. At least, most of the time it isn't an issue, and when I'm just listening to the song for fun, I don't notice anything.

  14. The volume of the many things seem out of place. Overall there's a nice loud air of reverb thing going on which I like. The arrangement is good too, which is what inspired me to come here and review it while listening to it being played on the latest vgdj episode.

    I still say your Yamato Man mix from VGMix is the best, mainly because the original melody is one of my favorites ever. I highly suggest submitting that here, either as is, or making it more intense. I always have to turn the volume up to max :o. Other than that, don't stop making music when you can!

  15. Is that the Mario RPG casino music? Sounds ridiculously improved, and actually listenable, as if that bass-line was meant for that exact surround progression you gave i....WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S NEVER GOING TO BE COMPLETE oh

    I mean continue with your mario 3 mix. And while you're at it, arrange about 5000 more musics plz, and make money somehow. Lots of money, so you never stop making music.

  16. Having heard the main melody about 500 times before, it's gotten a bit boring, so it playing by its lonesome during the beginning wasn't great for me. Due to me knowing how the whole song sounds now, listening to the newly incorporated melody at about the one minute mark, despite it being quite lonesome as well, has me enjoying it now, due to its very remixed nature of "Balcony", so it's appropriate for buildup obviously, whereas I might not have understood it upon first listen. It's not until the Balcony section at 1:30 or so starts playing that the whole song piques my interest, regardless of what listen # I'm on. It reminds me of the calm piano section in Corran's Cave Story mix. Sounds more like a remix of Terra's theme from FF6 at points, with a hint of Metroid Prime atmosphere.

    I'm not a fan of the great increases in volume. Strings are pretty nice otherwise, and I like the synth solo (that area of the mix sounds like a smooth rendition of some Mega Man song). The song follows no real genre guidelines, which has me really picky picky about things. But ultimAtely (lol) I find the combinations of instruments occasionally to not work out well to my liking; this is teamed with the volume issues. This remix is what it is, but personally I would have liked some additional elements thrown in somewhere, or some kind of other driving force (besides the bass), since as I mentioned before I don't really like the melody. The whole song's not really much of a solo Cave Story mix than it is Cave Story, Mega Man, Secret of Mana (the Balcony source tune and melody in and of themselves reek of SoM), and FF6. Okay okay it's a Cave Story mix :).

    Regardless of any of my possible harshness given with my spoken opinion (perhaps I need to listen with speakers instead, or listen with a higher volume, which would probably be painful given the 2nd half of the song, something I very dislike [the bass is really nice at higher volumes, no matter the section of the song]), I will completely and eagerly await more submissions by DrumUltimA, since I think he's capable of a very wide range of techniques and genres.

    Edit: actually listening to it with higher volume really makes me not think of the instruments having an out-of-place feeling anymore. However I still feel uncomfortable listening to those strings when they first enter.

    1:14-1:19 right ear has some issues. I can somewhat hear some kind of musicality that was trying to be done with it, but it sounds a bit cluttered. Luckily besides the string volume, random singular synth-note volume increase, and possibly cluttered ending, this is pretty much the only "flaw" in production that I can spot, with my highly trained (not) production-noticing ears.

  17. Has a major problem with being too loud, but I like the kind of artistic expression that was put into this anyway. I thought the best parts were when this certain melody is playing. It's the melody that's played on a sharp trebley sample in the middle of AmIEvil's remix of this same song. So I thought that could be focused on a bit more, given it has a lot of energy, and seems to be this remix's main drive that would have people remember it, if that's what you're aiming for.

    The beat that was added in the beginning, compared to its inexistence in your first WIP, has a nice production ring to it. But then I'm not too sure about that dirty synth that comes in. Sounds pretty standard, but doesn't have to go away.

    1:26 sounds plain bad. It ruins the highly enjoyable 2nd section of that above-mentioned main melody. I think that long-note synth that's added at that part ruins everything until 1:46.

    Lovely Cave Story-like effect at 2:21. Afterwards (and before, though I didn't spend much time listening between 1:46 and 2:21) is just okay. Then it gets too cluttered at 2:44. The downward progression soon after is a nice retrospect, but perhaps 2:44's section could be a little better.

    Despite how surprisingly loud 2:21 is compared to what has been happening prior, 3:13 I find to be quite awesome in intensity. The high pitch at 3:30 is even better. I actually really like these two sections.

    The main melody comes in again, though I don't think there's good enough focus on it, seeing as how many things overpower it. Maybe some cool personal touch could be implemented to change around the melody (a.k.a. make it more conclusive, like that "call and answer" basic melody 101 that they teach in music theory, regarding melodies) to make this mix really stand out. Since, after all, that main melody stands out enough as it is, like I've been saying all along.

    4:48 repeats that bad 1:26 progression. Maybe you could turn 1:26 into a good progression, and 4:48 an even better progression.

    The ending piano sounds very out of place, and very overdone, but you might be aware of this. Other than that, again, see if you can make things less distorted. I hate mastering songs, myself, so I wouldn't know how, besides changing the volume painstakingly, which always seems to make things sound not like I want it. If that happens, try it anyway, and then come back later. You might just like it better. Either that or try really hard to think why your changes would sound better if you "turned this knob here and turned this other knob there".

    Hm, this is actually quite fun. Maybe I should provide advice as opposed to remixing altogether!

×
×
  • Create New...