jabond23

Ok, a couple of quick things. First, you might wanna wait longer than 38 minutes before posting a comment like that. Second, you MIGHT wanna let people know what this song is even from. Not everyone knows what Moonsong is and i don't feel much like google-ing it either to find out. Anyways, aside from that, you seem to be a decent piano player. One suggestion is to get a decent midi keyboard. They only run about $100 for a decent sounding one. I know, i've got an M-audio keyboard. You can also get a decent mic for recording your piano if your recording off an actual piano. The arrangement i guess is ok, but again, i don't know the source so i can't really comment on that yet. Let's get that figured that first.

Damn, see, i had no idea about that, lol. I was just doing what i always did. Learn one small thing with every mix and apply it to ALL my mixes, lol. I'm gonna mess around more with the new EQ advice you've given me. Also, i wouldn't mind knowing more about compression. I know the basics, enough to get my music to sound better. Also, for that arpeggio pickup, i just used the 6 notes that are played from the source, D up half a step each time til it hits G sharp. That's for both that quick hit in the intro and right after the solo. Then In the source its the other way round though, obviously. I might make the quick hits parts more scalar like you mentioned. I like the down scale though just after the solo at 2:26. EDIT: Here's a new WIP with the fixed kick drum. I took off the compression again and tweaked the EQ to the settings you specified. YEAH!!

You seem to be a decent guitarist and its pretty well done and for the most part everything sounds well balanced. I gather from your post that you wanna add these to the remixes section? hmmm..well....good luck with that my friend! BUT, just so ya know, this and your other are just covers. Don't get me wrong, this one in particular are very well done. But if you want them to be posted on here, you need to submit it and hope for the best and it should be a little more of a remix though. Well thank you for sharing.

Ok, first, you really like being thorough with your responses, lol. Just kidding man, i know your just looking for some good advice. That and i should play this finally! Maybe when they release it soon on the PSN i'll download it. I know its supposed to be more like classic Final Fantasy. Anyways, this source is really cool. Very moving and melodic. I can tell already that your production is much better. That is one damn long sustain on those strings right in the beginning. I like how your incorporating different and new orchestral elements into your works. One big thing i notice is that there is a BIG lack of any low end, bass, sound to this track. One easy fix for that is to add just a simple bass track and have it follow the general chord progression. It doesn't have to be too powerful, but it can help bring together key parts and help strengthen the track. Go to my reverbnation page and listen to the Uprising (Downfall Pt 1) track. Its a short orchestral track but has the example that i'm talking about. You could even take an full orchestra vst and tune it down an octave or two. That'll add some bass too. Really i'm just nit-picking cause everything else sounds great man. Its a great arrangement and you can hear the source very clearly. Looking forward to you next update!

To be honest, i'm all too familiar with the source. I stopped playing Pokemon back when red/blue first came out. Beat that sum-bitch about 4 or 5 times and caught everyone of those damn Pokemon! lol Anyways. I really like the intro. Very melodic and sets the mood very well. I think your production is spot on man. The drums are very well done also. It seems easier to mix electronic music like this rather than metal, lol. My only gripe with the drums is that sometimes the snare sounds too fake. Not sure if that's me, but maybe its cause it fits with your genre of music for this remix. I like that piano. Sounds really good. What samples are the piano your using? I'm not too sure about the transitions though. It just kinda sounds like one song on the album ends and moves on to the track on the album. I'm sure that was your obvious intent though. Just my thoughts on that. Either way man, it says finished and its definitely finished! Good stuff man!

FANNNNNtastic! I love this remix man! everything about it is spot on.

Well i really wanna finish this too! lol. After a lot of tweaking and new ideas, i've got another update for you. I tried separating the tracks even more and i think i've done a good here. Of course, my DAW kept crashing cause of the ridiculous resources it uses, lol. Maybe i should consider getting, dare i say it, a Mac? hmmm....maybe. Also, i'm not sure what to name this still. Also, i figured out what was bogging down the drums. I used too much reverb. I had reverb on the drums tracks twice, lol.

Lol! Thanks man. Yeah, i think one more mod review is in order then maybe i submit it finally? I really wanted to spend a lot of time on this one to get it right.

Well i'm still messing around with this mix. I lowered the volume on all the tracks by a couple notches cause i think maybe the volume was dragging the tracks into each other. I also spent some time tweaking the EQs again. I love metal, but damn is it difficult to mix sometimes, lol. I can't really figure out anything else that i need to do with this mix. I'm still kinda working on that kick drum, but i'm not really sure what else i can do with it.

Ya know what man, as long as your happy with it, all the more power to ya. I've got a Line 6 UX2, which is kinda the same thing. Its all a usb interface which is cool for recording guitars for cheap. I only spent $99 on mine and it was worth every penny for what i've gotten out of it. I would still consider some other kinda bsss line, or at least at the end of every 4 or 8 measures add a little ascending scale or something along those lines. Good luck man.

Yeah, i think this would be pretty cool as a metal track. I think the composition is very well done.

This is always a great source, but i think there's a few things you can do to make it a little more interesting. One, make the bass drum a little more powerful. Whether its through EQ or just a little more volume even. Then ABSOLUTELY add some more fills and extra bass kick hits in there to make it a bit more interesting. Second, maybe change up the bass line. Have an almost walking bass line during the parts where its just the drums going 1 2 3 4 and that synth gate plaing the those same 3 chords over. The solo is cool, but i think think it needs a nice breakdown somewhere in the middle there. Maybe some descending chords based on the the 3 chords used in the source. Then add another solo. Definitely a guitar solo would be cool after the breakdown. If you need a live guitar solo, i can always do it for you. That's only if you can't play guitar.

I actually hear a slight difference. I think it sounds better now. Although i do kinda agree with you on the kick still. I'll tweak it some more and try the other kick also. It is slightly EQed, but i need to tweak it more. Its always the little things. Not that the bass kick is little, but shouldn't be this big a problem, lol. Also i agree with you about the mixing with headphones issue. I never use headphones cause when i do it always sounds off when hearing it on speakers.

Its just that your intro got my into some playing some power metal riffs on the gee-tar, lol. I love the violin in the intro and is that a live acoustic guitar? Cause its sounds crisp and clean. I think the choir is decent for now. I don't mind listening to a long epic track. I've written a few of those myself. Looking forward to where this track goes.

I use Mixcraft 5. I like it, but then again i haven't really use anything else other than FL Studio 8, or i think 9 is out now. You should be able to pan the guitar tracks to one side or the other to a percentage. I know in Mixcraft 5 you can do that, and should be able to do that with just about any recording software. The tone itself isn't bad but i think some tweaking of the EQ should help. Maybe raise the highs slightly and the mids right around 1k or 2k should help that also. Another thing is that some recording software can let you import midi files and then edit them that way. This will also let you change the instruments if you want more of a symphonic metal sound or such. I've never used garageband, so i'm not all too sure on how it operates, but i know that if you go to http://www.acoustica.com/mixcraft/index.htm you can download a demo of version 5. I really like Mixcraft 5 for doing metal especially. Just something to think about. It'll take some time but you'll get the hang of it dude.

I really like this intro now. It really captures that symphonic/power metal vibe. I think that after this intro should just be some blazing drums and guitars with a nice keyboard lead. I'm curious to see how it sounds with the everything else you wrote for it. I might even write a short song around this myself if you don't mind?

Dude, this is pretty cool. I write a lot of video game themed tracks myself and this is pretty bad ass. Sounds like something from a japanese anime or possible a Mega Man game. Are those live or midi/vst guitars? I think its midi, especially when the guitar plays that lead about half way through the song. doesn't matter though cause its awesome man. I think it sounds great as it is and looking forward to hearing more from you!

Alright, well, first off, welcome to forum buddy! I see you play the guitar. One big problem i have with this, and maybe its just cause this is a 1st draft WIP, is that your obviously playing OVER the original source! Now, maybe that was your intention and i'm sure some people would like this on the youtubes, but on here its very taboo my friend. First, what DAW or recording software are you using to record this? Second, are you recording your guitars live or through an interface? Now, your playing is decent and very sturdy throughout the song. Another thing i noticed is that all the guitars are panned only to one side. I'm not at ALL trying to discourage you here. Believe me, i know what the road to recording your own stuff looks like. We'll get this figured out buddy. I'm a big metal head and that's reflected greatly with my music and remixes. Just check out my Zelda dungeon remix HERE. I think you'll get the point. Anyways, let me know on those first 2 points and we'll talk some more my friend.

Hey, i sent you a PM with some info about myself and such. Let me know what ya think? Thanks, Joe

Alright, thanks to SLyGeN and his very thorough comments, i've got another update for ya. I did all tweaks the SLyGeN suggested an a couple more small tweaks and this is what i came up with: Its come a long way and this my 8th version. Better to take my time than just rushing it, lol. BTW, yes, SLyGeN, i'm still using my old kick for now, but i tweaked it a lot to make it more powerful sounding.

Hey man, i'm defending you. I think you did a f***ing awesome job with the vox on Always Wrong and i'm glad you did them for me!!

YES!! Exactly! i obviously know how to edit velocities, which is why the cymbals aren't as loud as the snare and bass kick. The vst i'm using, ezdrummer, has what they call a "huminization" button, but that obviously doesn't work like its supposed to. You'd think it would just have a randomization button for the velocities. If anyone else knows how to set up the velocities in such a manner please let me know! Thanks.

Devin Townsend would be awesome. I think you should record the vocals in the manner you see fit for the song. I'm not gonna hold it to you for any style i pick. Its really up to you my friend.

Yes, i'm really looking forward to hearing Brandon's version for either of these songs! A swell fellow by the name of Cyril the Wolf did a vocal track for Always Wrong and you can check it out here: He did a very Phil Anselmo of Pantera sound. Which i think fits very nicely with the tone of the song. Its supposed to be a very angry song and he conveys that state of mind very well with his singing. This is actually one of the very times i've ever mixed vocals into the track and he had some quick production comments about but i think it came out decent. PS Still VERY looking forward to hearing Brandon's version also!!

Of course since i'm doing a metal remix of anything i think i kinda understand what the bass drum should sound like, lol. Its just figuring it out within drumkit from hell. I've only had it for a few weeks now so i'm still tinkering around with it. I tried tweaking a lot of things for the bass drum track and hopefully got a nicer sound out of it. I really wanna give it a more Dimmu Borgir sound cause i like that sound better. I also made the rhythym guitars a little more prominent. If it still doesn't sound quite right SLyGen, let me know and i'm more than welcome to you giving me a sample to use instead.