Native Dialect

Hmmm...interesting. That is a dangerous word around these parts haha. Just like "variation." I'll see what other synths I have that may be more "lively" if you will. But i'm not sure i'll find anything that will suit my current needs. I have recently obtained some refills, but not many. I could place some reverb on it to provide it some presence. I'll see what I come up with...

I taught myself by ear, as I was unable to find any sheet music for this song. I'm glad that you like the mix. Stay tuned though, as I do want to clean up the EQ any way possible. I could attempt to give you chords, but i'm unsure if i'd be giving you the correct ones. But I can give you the notes that make up each chord 1st chord A,E,G,B,D 2nd chord D,A,C,E 3rd chord B, A, C#, E 4th chord G, D, F, A, C Please note that this is a two handed song, so you will be playing keys in the bass and treble cleff. The last chord is all bass cleff and ledger notes where as the other three chords usually involve keys from the bass and treble cleff. I hope you can sort that out. Or perhaps somebody with a bit more savy, can identify the chords that those notes make up.

That is essentially what I was attempting to get at. "Your mix is in a traditional Western minor key and the scooping and pitch bends (i.e the "twang") don't work because the notes don't always lock in and settle diatonically, even though the melody you're playingis a regular old minor key melody" Your musical eloquence is obviously of a prodigious stature compared to my own. I am very much creating this theme with Western musical ideas in mind, and on that thought, I did not make a wise decision for my instrument choice. Yes I did create this mix in Common Time, which does not lend itself to the Sitar. And your other comment... "the lead sucks because it has very little presence or definition. Weak attack, thin sound, etc. It gets lost in the soundscape. I'm talking about it on a technical level." Purely your musical opinion. Though based around technical musical concepts, it is still an idea rooted in your own tastes of what should drive the track, rather than any definable certainty. I can accept that you or others may not like it, but I had the same criticism of my choice of synths in my Ibuki remix. It didn't stop it from gaining some popularity on these forums and on Youtube. I'll change the Sitar, but i'm not changing my lead synth. If you want to put in more "punch" i'll gladly send you the Reason file and you can choose your own synth. But otherwise, i'll just say that we will have to disagree. I am fond of this synth choice, and you are not. There is no right or wrong, as it is purely a matter of your opinion versus my own. That isn't a battle to be fought or won.

1)If it has a "beat" feel to it, that is because I usually create hip hop beats. So I tend to create any song with a very similar structure in mind. But I assure you that I sequenced everything other than the drums. 2)I don't have any particular interest in a synth line with "punch." I really wanted this to be a mellow mix so that it fully embodies the idea of Chun-Li's grace and not just her fighting skills. That is why I chose not to make this a fighting arrangement (a song that sounds as if the character would actually have this as their stage music). It is more of a song that uses elements of her existing themes, but for the purposes of a different mood. 3)The Sitar actually isn't out of tune. I am unsure of what the rest of you use, but I personally use Reason 3.0. In it, there is an instrument called Mumbai (named after the city formerly known as Bombay, in India). When the notes are played individually, they sound off in a "cleaner" fashion. However when ever played as an arpeggio, it creates that twang sound beteween transitions, that leads it to sound "off." I unfortunately can't control this even when I adjust the decay and bend levels of the instrument. It is just the nature of the instrument in Reason. I am not sure how many of you listen to Indian/Punjabi music, but it usually features time signatures that are foreign to typical western expectations. It also embodies differing rhythms (sort of like how jazz was impossible in Western music until African rhythms were introduced to European people). I believe the instrument has the twang in Reason, to mimic this difference. Unfortunately, it was my only option for an Asian string instrument. I was searching for a Pipa (Chinese lute) but could only come across this Sitar (Indian lute). Anyways here is a video example that highlights what i'm trying to explain. The differing time signature, the twang in the arpeggios, the droning sound. None of it relates to being out of tune. It's just the nature of Sitars. With that being said, i'll reconsider my instrument choice since it is difficult for me to get the instrument to work in Common Time. I'll attempt a Piano or another synth, if I feel it offers enough variation from the main synth. Thank you for listening and commenting.

Unfortunately I can't EQ it because I live recorded the playback from Reason, while playing along with the melody, via Fruity Loops. As for the instrument choice, I was trying to keep with the jazz feel, but i''ll see about shifting to a more dynamic piano. As for more content, i'll see what I can add in addition to the thirty second sax solo. Thanks for listening and thanks for the advice.

Really solid work. I almost didn't think there was going to be anything other than instrument difference, until the synth guitar solo popped in. Awesome drum work and a nice choice of insntruments.

I just wanted to thank you for being the first person on this site to enjoy the song for what it is rather than admonishing for what it is not. I almost gave up on it and took it down until I read your comments. I plan to work on the EQ situation with this track, but the ultimate direction is set as a smoother more downtempo version of the original versions of the song. I'm glad you liked the Ibuki mix by the way. I plan to do some EQ work for that as well. I have a team lined up for an unofficial (not associated with OC Remix either) fan album for Street Fighter. It is the 20th annivesary after all. So I want to celebrate Street Fighter as well

You left conflicting remarks. "it's kind of dizzying to listen to now, as the rhythm of the synth is different for each new measure" But then you say... "given the style, the listener will probably overlook the repetitive nature of the rest of the instrumentation" I realize you are providing honest and helpful advice. You obviously have the position to do so as you are a listed ReMixer. But I can not both be too diverse in rhythm and at the same time have repetitive instrumentation. I almost took your comment to heart about the drums though. I went back and listened to the original China Vox and concluded that that song used the same drum beat the entire time save for a stutter of the drum pattern for a breakdown. Otherwise, the only variation came in moments where there are no drums. I at least used two seperate sets of drum rhythms. So I don't know where to go to improve that. As for the Sitar, it won't really get more on track than that. If it were a Pipa it would have a much more familar sound like a Western Guitar, but a Sitar has a natural reverb-esque sound when it is played (I left it unmodified when I sequenced it), so I'm assuming that it won't fit Western time signatures unless I based everything else around that instrument rather than using the instrument despite everything else. I could choose another instrument, but I feel that this mix is synth heavy enough. As for quantizing, I attempted that after your remark and it literally did not alter the sequencing of the notes. To me that means that as far as Reason is concerned, I played everything in time with 4/4 and 95bpm. I kid you not. Quantizing had no effect. Now the one area I find to be free of debate is the actual rhythm of my synth that replicates the melody of Chun-Li's Third Strike theme. I could keep it the same everytime you hear it, but wouldn't that lend to the repetitive nature you speak of? Given that I kept the mix short (the original China Vox is very repetitive, but in light of being a tune for a Fighting game, I don't expect variation), I had to do something to keep it busy and different. But you feel that it is too busy. But I feel that leaving the rhythm the same will ultimately make the song boring. Do you have any other feasible proposals that would aid this song? Any additional comments would be appreciated.

Song archived

Things done: -EQ'd the bass down. The drums sound more clear as a result -Lowered the EQ on "Gated Pads" instrument that was referred to as "beepy sound" -Edited the Piano Chords (no more lag) -Edited the theremin line (a bit smoother) I didn't get rid of the "beepy sound." I literally spent a good hour and a half going through every Mono Synth, Lead Synth, Polysynth, Pad, Piano, Keyboard and Texture trying to find a replacement. I found none that fit the jazz motif, or that did not come off as genuinely irksome (high pitch, whine decay etc). I appreciate the advice though, as I did put most of it to use.

I'll work on lowering the bass. I EQ'd it down on my initial recording so that it wouldn't sound distorted, but it seems that it is still too heavy. Yes I did some what do a live recording of it. Usually I can export a song into a wav file that Reason creates with all of the proper levels. But this time since I was using Fruity Loops, I had to playback the song in Reason, while playing along in Fruity Loops on Spook Keys (the theremin) and recording the track. I know I can use ReWire to host Reason in Fruity Loops but for some reason, my theremin melody line always lags when I test the track by playing it back. So it seemed like my only option was to just live record. But i'll work on that. I did find the lag you noticed. For some reason, when I play the refrain of the main piano chord, for a second time, I struck a single key and then a chord. I don't know why I didn't catch that. I think i'll remove the scratched vocals from the start of the song. I just didn't want the intro to get to boring while waiting for the bass, then the drums. But ultimately I think more harm was done than good, when it came to that scratch. I'll see if I can work on choosing a different synth sound to accompany the softkeys section. Thank you for the input.

I just listened to the most recent update. Those levels are much better. It feels more like you are using dynamics (from softer to louder, or the inverse) as opposed to merely having everything EQ'd up high. Good work sir.

Tindeck won't let me listen to it So I can't really comment on your newer mix.

It feels like Final Fantasy boss music. But that isn't bad. That creates that "epic feeling" that certainly fits in the realm of the Halo universe. I agree that the rhythm sounds like it was done with MIDI (musical instrument digital interface) instruments rather than modern sound loops and instruments, but that isn't a bad thing either. The only suggestion I have is to rework the EQ just a bit. Some of the song seemed too loud. Clear, but too loud. Otherwise, you have a fantastic track on your hands. You should keep at it. I see you going far if you remain dedicated to this craft.

Song deleted, and revised

I enjoy Youtube because of its larger community function. You are able to get more casual viewers/listeners because of the structure of the site. I could just as easily have used iMeem or Sound Click, but those tend to only garner traffic that is specifically directed there. Besides, I host some of the same songs that are found on my Youtube, on my Myspace account.

Please...any additional ideas or thoughts on the stated subjects, would be helpful. I really want this to be good when I submit it in a couple of weeks.

At this point in time, the only mp3 links I have are on my myspace. If you want to pick get some other remixes i've done that are not video game related, just check out my myspace page. http://www.myspace.com/thenativedialect At this point, i'm getting two distinct sentiments from this thread. 1)People generally like the vibe of the actual mix and the like the fact that I approached both a mostly untouched game and an even more untouched character. 2)Most people don't like the Mega Man-esque synth that I chose as the lead. With that in mind, does anyone have any potential suggestions for a different instrument? I use Reason 3.0. So if you have any ideas, please feel free to share. I haven't acquired any ReFill discs for Reason, so I only have the basic instrument set that comes with the program. But again, any suggestions are welcomed and appreciated. Thanks.

The tracks are available on I have wondered why for the longest time, nobody has tackled this collection of songs The work that the Folins did with such limited technology, was astounding. I think they got their thematic ideas across very well with the SNES architechture. I'd love to hear what somebody could do with modern software/instruments (could you imagine the guitar solos from that game with real guitars and not chip work?).

Disregard this thread. Consider this a project that I am not likely to return to.

On the note of the lead synth and the transition synth, I chose them for good reasons. 1) They have a very similar quality to the synths heard in various older Capcom games. Specifically those featuring Mega Man. By using these synths, I tried to capture some of the nostalgia of other Capcom games, indirectly. 2) I wanted to give Ibuki a very modern feel. She is one of the more traditional Street Fighter characters and she is even a traditional ninja (unlike Guy, the Bushin Street Ninja). Despite her traditional role, Ibuki's story conveys the idea that she is a reluctant ninja. She prefers to just be a regular teenage girl, as opposed to being a ninja in a clan. The instruments I chose were selected to help invoke this image of a modern school girl, but at the same time, to remind you that she is still a warrior. It is my hope that people can hear these ideas when they listen to my remix.

I dig the violin and the harpsichord. I feel that they really pick up, where the piano and the flute were keeping things almost too tame. I feel that it works best that way since it gives a much more genuine emotion to the theme. After all, within the context of the game, this song is supposed to represent a major turning point or epiphany for Phoenix. Beautiful execution. Even if it doesn't make it as a mix here (which is highly unlikely) i'd say that this is better than the greater majority of what comes up on this site. Excellent instrument choice, fantastic use of polyphonic layering. Keep it up.

I tried to follow a structured idea with this remix. -Introduce my theme 0:00-0:14 -Introduce the interpretation of the source 0:14-0:32 -Transition 0:32-0:43 -Repeat interpretation of the source 0:44-1:02 -Expand the theme 1:06-1:29 -Break 1:30-1:36 -Reintroduce interpreted source with altered melody 1:36-1:50 -Return to interpretation of source 1:51-2:04 -Transition 2:05-2:19 -Breakdown 2:20-2:34 -Return to altered expanded theme 2:35-2:57 -Ending/Fade 2:58-3:10 That was ultimately as non-repetitive as I could get it, without having a shorter song. I honestly would have cut the song after 1:36...but I know that OC Remix is big on having two minutes minimum. Oh and glad that you enjoy my other work. Hopefully I can get other lyricsts to record over those. Until then I just settle for laying over acapellas. You can hear the same beats without vocals, on my Youtube (the same youtube that is hosting the video in this thread). An interesting and obscure note though. For my remix of the song, Classic, I actually sampled violins from the song "Shen-Fa" on the Shenmue Soundtrack.

Song deleted, and revised

Project cancelled