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Plazmataz

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Posts posted by Plazmataz

  1. I used the phaser to differentiate the synth from the bass. Even if it does sound cheesy, it does its job. I'll play around with some effects and see if there's a better way to do that.

    Perhaps the choir was a bad choice... I already have the flutes playing notes in the final recap there, and I used the choir because I wanted to emphasize the major key tonality that dominates the section. I'll try to find a better way to do that than with a classical choir singing 4-part harmony, which honestly does sound a little ridiculous now that I've said that.

    Only real issue is a wrong note at 2:38

    As for improvements... I'd say shorten by about 20 seconds. Right now it feels like a hip-hop track, which would be fine...if it actually was a hip-hop track, and it's not. As it is, it just feels rather empty.

    Also as someone else already mentioned, see if you can work the sitar into the first synth melody.

    Trust me, there are no wrong notes. The flute solo is in E Phrygian dominant, so if you're referring to the augmented second jump, that is by no means a mistake.

    And the track isn't a hip-hop track, but I suppose the piece overall had some hip-hop influence, now that I look at it. I don't really know what you mean by empty, but I think adding the sitar earlier is a great idea.

  2. So I came back to this the other day and powered through until the song was finished. I need to sleep on it for a while, but if it still sounds good after that, I might just submit what I have. Any feedback would be awesome, by the way.

    stats.png

    So as the song went on, I decided that I needed to bring out the key's major tonic, which I'd been neglecting up until now. So now the song, which stays in E Phrygian dominant throughout, concludes on the major chord.

    Also, synth flute solo.

  3. Ah, Runescape music is so unappreciated. Sure, the quality of the ingame tracks are retardedly low (straight MIDI), but I always thought the composition work in the game was pretty top-notch regardless of the final quality of the tracks.

    This is a well-rounded, ambient, chill mix. I love the way your synths mesh, they work very well. The melodies could stand to be changed up from the originals every once in a while, but I don't think it's a big deal if they're left as-is; the soundscape more than makes up for the similarity of the melody to the original.

    My only real advice is this: make the track go somewhere. Build up to something bigger, give us a big honkin' climax to look forward to.

  4. I really like this; good work, soldier. It's pretty laid back in its dissonance, and I'm really feeling the ambience in the first section of the song. Then things tie off as if the song ends sort of prematurely, but right at 3:45 the song steps up and tells me, "That ambience is a thing of the past; this is the beginning of the end." The song steps dramatically into the foreground and makes itself known. I love this part.

    Now the only thing I didn't really get was an end. When the cello starts its grinding at the 3:45 mark, it's almost as if its promising me a badass climax where all the instruments just take off and peak. The section with piano hitting those low notes feels abrupt and empty to me. It felt like you were building up to something big with the harps and strings and piano, but it never went there.

  5. First of all, this song is really kicking ass. I was really getting into the interplay between the harp, the strings, and the drums are working for 100%. However, I thought that nearer to the end the transitions were kind of lacking, and that the polish and flow you'd built up to that point kind of broke down. The section where the instruments drop out altogether and leave that weird whispering effect (around 2:45 I think) seemed a little out of place, but when the moving strings and the drums came back I felt like it was set right. Maybe that's what you were going for.

    At any rate, the beginning of the end at 3:45 seems very abrupt. I think this part would be much more effective if it sort of grew out of the phrase preceding it, rather picking up right when the old textures cut out. I hope that makes sense. :|

  6. I had no "story" in mind. The confusion only stems from the fact that I don't think things through when I put songs together. How would you recommend this be repaired?

    And unfortunately, the source only gave me one theme to work with as far as a second melody goes. That would leave me having to compose a new one, and I can't compose anything original worth a damn.

  7. Good luck.

    Also, I recommend some light synth touches (not full trance but some some electronic spin) just so it's not COMPLETELY asian/eastern sounding.

    It could sound a lot cooler if it had some Eastern Electronic feel to it.

    I had a little synth in the beginning. It would take very little effort to work more little bits of synth into the rest of it.

    And what do you mean by Eastern Electronic? Elaborate, please.

  8. And don't be afraid to give percussion some shine too... it seems a little drowned out/weak mostly because (I assume) it's just a big drum with rim shots.

    I assume this is further proof that I suck at drum sequencing, because it's actually a complicated mix of three different drum kits, two of them ethnic in nature. :-(

  9. As for repeating the theme, I already said the song isn't finished. If you think I'll cap off the song without recapitulating at least once, you take me for a sorry fool.

    And to honest, the violin is already kind of drowning in reverb. It could take a little more delay, though, I suppose. But I think I'll look into some other voices for that lead; you make a good point.

    And call me uninitiated, but it's probably just coincidence rather than some sort of merit that two judges commented on this track. :P

  10. I've taken all of your wonderful advice (many heartfelt thanks to those who provided it), and produced more song. Behold.

    stats.png

    Take note of the fact that the song is still not at the end yet. Before I'm finished, there'll be another few minutes after what you have here.

    Aside from that, anyone have any thoughts? Is it working for you, or do I need to head back to the drawing board?

  11. Oh, and get a better kick drum, this one almost sounds like you stole it from a dance kit.

    That's exactly what I did, actually. The one thing I've never really been able to do is build good electronic beats, so all I can pull off without making a total fool of myself if a lame kick drone.

    ...Yeah.

    You know, if anyone has any pointers on how to work with drums, I'd really appreciate it. Because I don't really know anything about them.

    Need more trippy.... delays, phasers, flanges.

    Also I kept wanting the song to build into some sort of fusion-world-synthesizer-electronica climax of the main Corneria theme.

    You got good samples with a solid sound in the mix. Give us some drums that would make Aphex Twin proud, some synth work to hyp'en it up and it think you got a winner.

    But... that's JMO.

    Well, I do plan on having the song build up to a climax, but all I have finished so far is the introduction, where the main voices make their melodramatic entrances. Although my concern is, as I said before, I'll never be able to get the drums to work with it, which is why the song is so melodically heavy up to this point, and also why I haven't progressed any further yet. Any help on that would pretty much make me giddy.

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