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docnano

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  1. On 3/13/2019 at 10:19 PM, djpretzel said:

    Digging this! Flute harmony part at 2'05" sounds a *lil* weird but resolves at 2'08" with the change. Definitely has that vintage VGM feeling of being aloft, in the clouds, in - what else? - an airship :)

    Thanks for the feedback!  I guess the augmented fifth was an unconventional choice there, but I wanted to convey a sense of “airy wonderment”.  Maybe could have foreshadowed it a bit to make it less of a surprise.

    Hope you’re doing well.

  2. I'd also like to acknowledge the role of critical feedback in the writing of this arrangement.  I think it was Theophany that encouraged me to do a substantive rewrite of an earlier version (into which I had already poured several hours of work).  But the previous version was confused, with too many ideas vying for the listener's attention.  In restarting from scratch after playing around with the themes a bit, I had a much clearer vision for the arrangement, and what emerged was by far a superior product.

     

    In other words, don't succumb to the sunk-cost fallacy -- sometimes it's best to start over from a clean slate.

  3. Wow, 2011... has it really been that long since we heard a new remix from Mustin?

    Love the chill vibe of this mix.  I can also relate to the personal story; I have my own vivid memory of playing FF4 into the wee hours of the morning at a friend's house, hunting for where to drop the Key of Magma.  It was just that kind of game -- a real high point for the series, in no small part because of fantastic musical themes like this.

  4. Wow, wasn't expecting that tempo change :-D. This kicks some serious butt. Well, the first 2/3 of it does. I really love how you're confident enough with all these instruments to pull something like this off, and quite well. And LOVELY vibrato on that whistle. I think your performances are safely within the realm of human charm without descending into slop. The arrangement is terrific for the most part, as well.

    My main gripes with the current version are with the Golden Saucer and Chocobo sections. First, the combination of the synth dobro (?) with the accordion for Golden Saucer isn't working for me -- maybe bring the accordion down a touch, or have it play a countermelody instead of the main melody. A real dobro would sound awesome here, but in absence of that, why not use your guitar? Also the transitions between themes are a bit jarring to me, more like a shameless medley. I'd cut one of the two additional themes out, or find a way of tying them more closely to the main theme via chord progressions or backing rhythmic motifs.

    Regarding the fiddle part, you could always hit up some of the violinists on OCR. I know of Chris Woo (Amaterasu) and Gabe Terracciano. I've heard worse samples in accepted mixes, but a live one would be waay better. :-D

    Oh, and great way to end it. I really hope you submit this when it's done!

  5. YES. To excess. I frequently go through binges of my own music only to later collapse in a funk of revulsion at my own narcissism.

    That's not to say that there aren't real benefits of reviewing one's own work for the sake of improvement. But at it's core I'd have to say the practice is hedonic, at least for me. I enjoy the music that I make -- not only because I make music that I like, but also due to the added emotional attachment one feels for one's (intellectual or biological) offspring. Since songs are not other people that require or reciprocate affection, this is probably best done in moderation.

  6. I do have one little tip if you're going to be using this dynamic contrast - try and watch the piano notes' attack when going louder. You managed to get this contrast working well, but I felt as if the attack was a little too soft to really match the full blown effect of the execution. If you can't cut the attack any further, then all I could really suggest was layer staccato notes over the top in post-production; it's a strange idea, but having handled piano production many times before it's definitely no easy task.

    Yeah, the main S90 ES piano sound is definitely more suited to playing softer and more sensitive passages. Thanks for the tip!

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