Nubioso

Well, even if by some luck the thing gets accepted, it'll be 3 months down the road because their queue list is so huge lol. I think production and musically it'll be fine, but I can totally see them not liking the story aspect of it, and just wanting a solid one piece song instead of broken up like I did.....or maybe I'll get extra points for originality, who knows =P

Yeah, I totally agree, which is why I even stated earlier "I expect harsh critiques from people who hate the transition" lol. I guess if I wanted to justify it, it would be this.... That what I'm trying to accomplish here is a song/story/levels of a game. When you're walking through a game, and entire different rooms, one song fades out and another pops in. Now of course, musically speaking and listening to a soundtrack, no one really wants to jump around songs. But I guess I'm going for this illusion that YOU are playing the game? Or something like that =P So you get the story, then you get the music which is the action part, i.e. playing the game, more story with scene switching, and in comes the music for the next level because link was pushed into the stone tower so he's in a different environment. Consider it a medley of sorts except I'm not just gonna throw a 4 on the floor beat down and throw 4 or 5 random songs over it in a 5 minute span! Also, as for clipping, I'm pretty sure my majoras mask sound was in fact a distorted sample, so I just had to get rid of it. It was underlying with the 2nd narrator talk as link is screaming. I've gotten a couple judges opinions through the IRC channel and I'm working on those now. The biggest part is just getting my female vocals. My girl unfortunately just lost her job so I don't think she'll want to sing anytime soon

The flute part is just modified stone temple theme still, and the oboe was just a small part I wrote to coincide with that one. I never actually thought to include her lullaby into that though. Mainly just went for the call and echo of the instruments and was going with the whole "since he's stuck in the tower, it'd be appropriate to have him play that and her just answer his melody accordingly" or something like that. Hmm, don't know, but thank you for the suggestion my friend, it is a good one!

Yes I did I believe this is actually only the 2nd song or so that I've seriously tried to put vocals to because I'll be the first to admit, I'm no vocalist! In fact, as a result, my abilities to get good vocal recordings have also taken a hit. I can record and mix instruments fantastically but mixing in vocals is not my strong point! Damn, lol, I actually never even thought about it.Ahh well, I just might have to leave it since I'm not rhyming the two forces, and I'm talking about two seperate forces =P Guess I coulda just said "evil" instead or somethin. Hopefully next update will address the beat issues, levels and mixing issues with the second halves vocals. Lip smacking in the narratives =P (and I THINK unfortunately, my links scream is distorted in the original ) so I might have to find another, and MAN if I can ever sit down with her, my female vocals!

Yeaaah, I kind of started it off as an oath to order, but then I just kind of changed paths on that =/I agree with you guys who are suggesting about the drum beat. It's pretty much a consistent suggestion I've gotten thus far to keep the energy of the song alive. Yeah, I believe it's because I had removed more bass frequencies out of the first part to allow more room for vocals and I haven't done that to this second part, and as a result, it's really covering up the vocals. Still gotta work on the EQ a little bit for that and it should clear up. Well, if you're talking the middle narrating passage, I can tell you that one is from me not drinking some water before hand and having a dry throat. It's actually my lips smacking unfortunately, not clipping. I made sure none of my takes clipped, so if anything it might be the result of me smashing the whole song too much on the master, I tend to do that when it's just a WIP and I'm trying to do a quick boost of level. Not sure what you mean here. I don't really have the flute play again as much as it plays a single continuous line. Basically trying to make it like the flute you first here is link and the second one (oboe) coming in is zelda answering or something Thanks for the suggestions folks, I've got quite a lot to work on musically with this piece. Hopefully next time you hear it, I'll have a nice improvement for you with clearer vocals and a 2nd part with more punch to it!

welp....like everyone says man, I'd really like to hear this song finished. You have a killer beginning going that's super nice, downtempo, and chill....which is what I REALLY like in music, that's the genre I'm all about (see bluetech, AMAZING!!) but yeah, would love to hear this finished

I'll say the same thing you said to me in your thread. Quit rambling on about stuff you've already said

I like it, it was hard to tell just how different it'd be without that source. It sounds like it'd still be in the game just more updated synths. Sounds cool and all, but I wonder if it's going to be considered too close to the source.

I'm working on my first remix now. I've never actually tried really remixing as a song as much as I've just had pieces of other songs that I've added on to. For me, I chose a game I remembered liking, then just listened through the songs to find one that struck my ear. I really like songs with minor tonalities and dark tones overall so I usually lean towards those. In the case of my zelda remix, I looked at the MIDI files and wanted to see what they were playing and then just changed arranging, edited the notes and/or replayed them how I wanted to. Replace simple basslines with more dynamic ones, take simple lead synths and turn them into sweet synthy solos in some places, find harmonies for the synths, etc..etc..etc...until you've taken something that could be considered a plain cake with no frosting and turned it into a 7 layer death by chocolate cake =P There's still that same cake in there....it's just now covered with gooey delicious frosting and chocolate......7 layers of them......awww yeah.......::drool::......oh yeah, music!

Source please

BUMP: Would like some critique on the new lyrics, the music of the second half as well as the transition. There's definitely enough to critique even without those first female vocals. I've got some of my own complaints of the mix, but I'd like to hear other peoples thoughts please. Thanks!

Yeah, I kind of just sat here for like.....6 or 7 hours, whatever the time between posts was and made them =P

UPDATE 3: (All Rap vocals added!) So literally, all I need is my female vocals and the recordings will be done and it'll mainly be cleaning up and levels and whatnot from there. Sweet, thanks! =P

I dig it man. You got a nice sound going on here, nice and chill and musically it makes sense which is always nice. I would work a little more on arrangement. Specifically meaning which instruments happen when, for how long, when they pop back in, etc..etc.. For example, the arpeggiating "twinkly stars" I guess I'll call them that starts with the bass in the beginning goes throughout the entire song. After a while it starts to annoy the ears when it continues for too long. I would suggest taking that part out, letting the beat and bass carry the song a little earlier, then sprinkle the song with it again later. That'll add some more dynamics to the song as far as lulls and climaxes go. So yeah, basically work on arrangement of your pieces, but overall I do like the sound of this one and would love to hear you continue progress on this one. What program are you using by the way?

Welll, my girl and I have both been lazy so no female vox yet, sorry I worked on continuing the story and thus adding to my song. I used "Stoner Tower" also from Majoras Mask. Once again in the efforts to have a kind of "story through song" theres some narration in the transition and I will be trying to lay some more rap-like vocals through the transition and on to the next part as well. To get the rest of the vocals will definitely take me some time, still haven't finished writing them! Let me know how the 2nd part is I suppose and whether or not you think you can dig the idea of that transition. (Its ok to be harsh, I fully expect most won't like the transition =P) Thanks! Source (Four Giants): http://www.vgmusic.com/music/console/nintendo/n64/Oath_To_Order.mid Source (Stone Tower): http://www.vgmusic.com/music/console/nintendo/n64/Stone_Tower_Temple_v3.mid

Sorry if I came off harsh, totally not trying to do that. You definitely have a good piece to work with, and honestly if there's only 1 or 2 complaints, you're off to a damn good start!

I'm definitely a fan of ethnic instruments in pieces. I've used pan flute a lot myself. Sounds like you got a shamisen in there as well? Whether or not the guitar goes with the song is subjective, I personally don't have a problem with it and actually would like to hear the guitars a tad bit more present in the mix. I know they aren't the main focus, but it's one of those deals where it feels like I'm listening to this orchestral song and my roommate is playing guitar back in his room or something. The repeating strings you got goin on sounds good......for a while.....but listening to it for a solid 1:20 seems a bit much. Sorry, I'm tapped out for the day and don't have a whole lot to offer =P EDIT: lol, I see you posted below me, and in fact, you are using a shamisen, sweet! I love the instrument (check out yoshida brothers, they are amazing) and also I realized that I too made the mistake of thinking the other instrument as a pan flute!

I said source please and totally didn't mean to submit only that, so I went and edited that post and made some actual comments =P I'm only posting so you'll see the thread bump and come back in hehe

Source please Doesn't sound too bad. The hi-hat is a little loud to me. Seems like all your instruments are behind the ticking of the hi-hat instead of in front of it like they should be. At the 1:33-1:34 mark the little harpsichord sounding instrument you got goin on there seems really dissonant to what's playing around it, to the point of just sounding like mistaken notes. On the note of dissonance, once those pads come in at 1:37 it REALLY sounds just all over the place and notes not meshing well with each other IMO and just starts to sound a little like a cluster f***.

yeah, I was thinking the same thing. It kind of has a water drop sound to it. Boooeeep.... <---- (I know everyone totally understands this technical lingo right!? =P ) But yeah, the boosted bass is definitely better, it's closer where it should have been all along. With this style of music it's all about that fat bass sound kind of carrying the whole thing IMO.

Source please =D Anywho, yeah, like you said, the mixing levels are a tad bit off, but overall I dig the sound. The vocal recordings seem pretty smooth and the whole things has a nice head bouncing groove to it. Sorry if I don't have a lot to say, but considering what you have here, (and the fact I don't know the source), it sounds like a pretty solid song that simply needs some level adjustments and things here and there. Also, considering you've got what...like 9 remixes under your belt and I'm barely at a few posts right now, I'd assume you'd know better than I what the mix should be like by the end. =P

Nice, now that's closer to the sound I imagine for jazz. Personally, i still think it needs to be a little more present in the mix, can't really hear any good fat low end off of it, but better indeed.

I tend to do the same thing in my mixes (them being too muddy because I want a super powerful bass and kick drum which combat each other) so maybe that's why (in my mind) I'm keen to picking it up in that first mix. Dunno

Definitely! Great suggestion, wish I woulda thought about it =P Seems like everyone is on the upright bass with walking line for sure, but hey, that's jazz man! I can't remember if they have a demo mode or not but Trilogy by Spectrasonics is a VST plug-in with some amazing bass sounds and some REALLY good upright bass sounds. They even got "true staccato" which uses different keys to play the same note, but it's the same as plucking up or down respectively.