Kenogu Labz

Double-post, but I updated the mix. [Listen Here] I only extended the first electric guitar part slightly, to give it more time to fade out. I do still want it to be a taste for the end, so that part probably isn't gonna change much. That transition still needs some tweaking, though. It still feels intrusive. The acoustic guitar section is extended; this made up the majority of the change. It has a lengthened solo, and remains the lead in place of having the piano, which was scrapped for sounding junky. Fixed a couple things in the ending, including a couple of random bad instrument transitions, and an extra harmony for the guitar's final spin. Random tweaks in random places, most unnoticeable.

Thanks, Ascendancy! You pinpointed the main problem, I think. I'll see what I can do about shuffling some patterns around, and fleshing it out some more. Here is a link to the main source, if you don't mind youtube audio. It's a sort of eerie, depressing arrangement of The Prelude, coinciding with an eerie, depressing area in the game. Yes, Gario, To the End of the Wilderness makes a showing, as well as a cameo from Terra (from FF IX, not FF VI), one of the other really good songs from that track. That one's dimly audible at the beginning. Still not sure about quality, but I'll make sure to ask before I give up.

EDIT: See my top post on page 2 for a major update! I need someone who can play acoustic guitar to replace the Wild Arms lead. [(Not) Final WIP] - See top of page 3 for most recent! [Listen Here (V3)] [Listen Here (V2)] This is a WIP that's been 'in progress' for a looong time, and I finally just sat down and cranked the second half out. There are some known quality issues, which is why it likely won't make it on OCR, since I'm using a tracker with medium-quality samples and poor effects plugins. But I'd at least like some feedback on arrangement and direction. Any thoughts?

In terms of learning music theory, your best bet is not online. It takes a lot of time and effort; try looking for local teachers, or perhaps some community college courses. Or, if you're still in high-school, see what basic music courses they offer. There's really no quick way to learn. Just like anything else in life, you have to work hard to get anywhere!

I think they've got the idea. Genre blending tends to create some of the most interesting and unique mechanics, and it looks like they've got quite a good mix here. But no-one will really know until they release, eh?

The sound does sound a lot like some of the middle Castlevania games (SOtN?) instrumentation-wise, but I think that's what makes this sound good. It's very solid, and catchy, and removes the feeling of repetition the Vampire Killer theme tends to have.

This isn't just a boss theme medley, it's a veritable network of villains and bosses put together. It sounds like you've got a good foundation. Some of the playing could use a little fiddling around with, and a couple notes sound off (mostly in Succession of Witches, I think), but overall, quite an interesting combination. Hope you can find someone to flesh it out for you!

Whoah, really? TwiTerror = Josh Whelchel? Surprise of the day! Anyway, in terms of arrangement, this is amazing! Putting a whole new melody on top of the original worked great, especially with that solid vocal work. Catchy! Can't wait to see this submitted.

Hi, Wolfmizu! I'm not sure, but it sounds to me as if your MP3 file did not write correctly. You may want to check it. Everything sounds unsynced; the sounds are dissonant, and are all at different tempos. And you only have one or two voices playing at any given time, which makes for a very poor arrangement. Try to expand the arrangement further!

Nice job, especially with the Twoson mix. I'm having trouble hearing the source for the Winters mix. Still sounds fantastic. You think this'll make it through the OCR chip ruling?

This is quite the piece. The strong dissonance really matches the mood of the source perfectly, without overwhelming it. Great job!

This also needs some extreme variation. There is practically no dynamic change from beginning to end, giving the song a very droll feel. Some light percussion, or some give in the back strings, would greatly help.

I'm loving the cinematic approach you're trying to put on this. The train scene was one of my favorites, and you're capturing the mood well. The arrangement sounds solid; the problems lie in the samples you're using. The strings sound very synthetic and static; having more variety or higher-quality samples could help that quite a bit. Try working on the balance between your strings and percussion. Sometimes, one overcrowds the other, and the impact of some of those accents would be stronger if they're only loud when you want a strong point. Hard to explain, but think of how accents sound in, say, PoTC. Interesting start, though. Can't wait to hear more progress on it! :thumbsup:

I'm loving the style you're going for with this; it deserves some acoustic love. The one thing that's I noticed, for now, is your back loop. The drums never change, so your dynamic level stays pretty much the same throughout the song. Trying adding a little more dynamics: build to the high points of the song, instead of letting the melody do the work. Still, nicely done, though. Lookin' forward to seeing this knock the judges socks off!

Mazedude is a tracker. I can hear it in his stuff (which is some sweet stuff, by the way). Limited, but much less so than the NES. Aaanyway, thanks for the feedback; I'll keep working on it, though I doubt it'll make it here. As far as the NSF, I didn't post it because most don't have NSF players. Also, it's having looping problems (though I can't figure out where). But I'll put it up anyway, on the first post.

Mmm, good point. Looking at past chip submissions, it hasn't been good news (even Shnabubula's stuff!). Well, I'll keep working anyway; thanks for the tips, guys!

So, I've been working with NES hardware on a whim. I began by using FamiTracker, but when I moved on to MML, I started working on this song. So, here it is so far. It's not done yet, and it still loops around to the beginning. But hopefully it's still full of oldskool chipnes! MP3 file NSF file Sooo... tell me how it's going. Am I doing anything wacky? What kinda stuff do I need to fix? Not original enough? Not enough from the source? To improve this, I need to know what I have to change. So feedback galore, please! -Kenogu Labz

Alright, I think I see what you're getting at. I'm trying to give it a better start with a nice Timpani roll; maybe stick in the laugh for evilness sake at the beginning too. (Then again, maybe not. ) I'm definitely gonna try and get guitar on this, because this seems to make for more of a back-track. By the way, the Chrono reference is practically the whole last part of the song, after the roar. Hear Lavos' theme? Maybe it's too muddy to tell. *shrug*

Alright, I'm VERY new here, but I thought I'd throw this out as an example of something I'm working on. FF6 & Chrono Trigger - False Gods This is an arrangement using Catastrophe and Dancing Mad from FF6 (but who didn't know that already? ) and World Revolution from Chrono Trigger. Very unfinished, obviously, so I'm asking more about the direction: is this headed the right way, does it sound like it can be taken farther? Things I DO know I need to fix: Intro's a little long, I've had a couple ideas for this. May need more meat, thinking of bringing in my friend's guitar skillz. Yes, that bell IS dissonant sometimes. It's resonating with the fifths, methinks. No, I have no clue how to master these things. Tips are welcome! So, fire away, nothing's too harsh or too obscure! Thanks for your time. -Kenogu Labz

Hey, all! I've been coming to this place for good music ever since a friend showed me my first remix. I've been hooked ever since! I don't own any consoles, although the PC is usually enough to work with. I discovered the depth of soundtrack music after that first remix, and have been collecting remixes and originals since, taking up several gigs (to the distress of my family!) I've also experimented with composing using first tracking, and now FL for many years, and have even attempted to make soundtracks for a couple of indie games (which, unfortunately, never got much farther than planning stage). I decided I'd finally join up, though, so I can give and receive feedback on some of my favorite songs. So, I'll see ya around, and I look forward to hanging out here! -Kenogu Labz