timaeus222

Well, I know of two that work; I'll PM them to you.

It wasn't my intention to hard-pan it; East West Quantum Leap Stormdrums's Metal Kit just happened to give the hats a hard-pan right in the .nki, so unfortunately I couldn't do much to fix it. I tried. I supposed I could find separate hat patches and use those instead, but I don't really feel like doing that right now.

Thanks for the tips. Here are the new changes I made: -Mixing- Lead: Refined the realism (tapping when necessary, etc.), the EQ, and the reverb. Low Rhythm: Refined the reverb, increased the stereo width, and lowered the lows a bit. Regular Rhythm: Refined the reverb, did some proper double tracking (I knew how to do it in Kontakt for a while now, but I didn't do that yet on this track), and edited the EQ to compensate (lows on the left, highs on the right, etc.). Bass: Added a compressor to make the levels less erratic, bumped up the lows, and removed the stereo width (I don't know why I had that). Drums: Refined the reverb. Strings: Fixed the balance, so now you can hear them. Pick Scrapes/Pinch Squeals: Fixed the EQ to fit better with the lead when both are playing at the same time. -Arrangement- - Replaced the arpeggio lead in the intro and similar repeats with the "Lead" rather than the "Regular Rhythm". - Lowered the levels of the pinch squeals and pick scrapes. - Refined the lead's melody and part of its notes in the solo. - Polished the breakdown section. Remix: >>The Death of King Desmond (Metal Mix) V4.6<< The Death of King Desmond (Metal Mix) V4.5 The Death of King Desmond (Metal Mix) V4.4 The Death of King Desmond (Metal Mix) V4.3 The Death of King Desmond (Metal Mix) V4.2 The Death of King Desmond (Metal Mix) V4 The Death of King Desmond (Metal Mix) V3 The Death of King Desmond (Metal Mix) V2 The Death of King Desmond (Metal Mix) V1 Source:

Haha, you're going to hate me for this, but at the spot where it says, "Note that there are also so called "modes" besides just major and minor. The intervals are the same, but they begin from different notes. There are also additional scales (like harmonic and melodic minor) that use different intervals. Look it up later.", that foreshadows a short paragraph on modes. "Look it up later" isn't fun. You might as well write about them, since I couldn't find anything about ionian, dorian, phrygian, lydian, mixolydian, aeolian, or locrian modes in what you wrote currently, and as I am with my sense of character, I expected to see that. It's not too hard to explain, right? You already did, except without the official names. Besides, you can't expect "newbs" to just know when what they find is what they are supposed to find. xD Where you wrote, "so every note will contain tones higher than the note pitch. As does our voice.", a good example is the tines in an E. Piano. In the section after where it says, "the blues note, and microtonal music. Learn the basics first, tho.", it'd be awesome if you included this definition I developed for the word "melody": "A memorable sequence of notes that flow in a logical manner while lying within the same key of the current section of the song." That might help people write reasonable melodies. ;D Can I also request a small section on chordal feel? It probably belongs in the "direction" section, sometime after "Much like stories, music can be written with changes out of the blue or with changes foreshadowed". If you can do this, that would be badass. If you end up having trouble with it, zircon might be able to give some insight on it, from what I know about his experience. This is what I mean: Each chord, when placed after a chord, foreshadows a specific chord. Sometimes, you'll have to nail a specific chord to get exactly the feel that you want. Some chord progressions are present in certain styles of songs, but sometimes are meant only for those styles. Some chord progressions work so well that they actually give the listener the feeling that this is a specific section of the song and they'll know more about what to expect next. It'd be epic if you could include a section about what chord progressions, or at least, what diad progressions create what type of feel or foreshadow what diads. ------- I did really like the idea of EQ being a chisel, though. That section is dead on. Sweet controlling metaphor

Sounds pretty good. What you could improve on is probably just the sound quality for now. Try gathering better supplies, and I believe that'll help a ton.

Looking forward to hear any other remixes from Elzferno. This is one of my favorite tracks. xD If only.

Wow, this mix gives such a happy-go-lucky feel. xD The change-up at 0:46 felt a bit strange to me in terms of the flute, but everything else seemed to flow nicely. I like the panning "duel" type section at about 1:16. That is a cool transition. The breakdown at about 1:32 works great when the bass comes back in (well, it probably just gets louder for a moment as a lead in) at 1:45. Aw, a fade ending. I kinda wish there was a real ending. Or at least, a slower fade. Oh well, the song still sounded great overall.

The vocals didn't really seem to fit in my perspective, but everything else was really well done. Omnisphere is fun. It's one of the reasons I go to Guitar Center. xD Great job on this piece!

I don't really have much I can say on this, but one thing that really stands out to me is the final hit. It seems to create an overload. Try to fix that. When the left edge of the time slider reaches the right edge of the word "as" (lol, I had no good idea on how to say that), the piano sequencing or playing could be refined. I figure you want a buildup type sound. Try creating a greater difference in the velocities of each note. For example, in the fast arpeggios when the left edge of the time slider is halfway between "as" and "Favorite", everything "sounds" like it's nearly the same velocity, so that's something you should look at. Other than that, I think other people are giving the right critique.

Cool, good luck! Also, I wanted to clarify what I meant by action toms and a layered clap-snare hit. http://zirconstudios.bandcamp.com/track/coccoon-altitude Take a listen to that at 2:20, and something similar to that type of percussion is what I mean. Maybe not quite that powerful in my depiction, but you get the idea.

@mak: The ~500Hz is my mid range. The rhythm guitars deserve some mid-range power. I'll drop it a bit but not too much. The drums are panned because... it was East West Quantum Leap producers' fault? They wanted the stereo feel of a real drum set I guess. @Argle: The low end should be from the bass, not from the guitar. You're the only person to have said "boost the lows on the rhythm guitar". ---------------------- Changes: - Changed the EQ on the low riff channel, decreased decay and release for faster mutes. - Some EQ stuff suggested by mak. - I changed the lead. Now that I got Strawberry Evolution Electric Guitar, I put in a much better lead that cuts through much more effectively. It also has the full range of an electric guitar, yay. - Breakdown section is slightly different due to the lead change. The original lead played the rhythm guitar so now I have both and the new lead plays the non-chords in that section. The dive bomb was a whammy bar effect. Both leads are still under the same amp settings so they'll sound as similar as possible. Remix: >>The Death of King Desmond (Metal Mix) V4.5<< The Death of King Desmond (Metal Mix) V4.4 The Death of King Desmond (Metal Mix) V4.3 The Death of King Desmond (Metal Mix) V4.2 The Death of King Desmond (Metal Mix) V4 The Death of King Desmond (Metal Mix) V3 The Death of King Desmond (Metal Mix) V2 The Death of King Desmond (Metal Mix) V1 Source: Author's Note: Please, only advise me to do something if it's going to be: - Worthwhile - Valid - Effective (Bumped once since June 27, 2012) (Bumped once since July 27, 2012)

This is sounding really cool! Some things: The E. piano would benefit a lot from some variation. Instead of simply long sustains most of the time, try adding some staccato chords, like at 0:21.5 - 0:22.5 and other similar places that make sense. You could even try a different EP library if you have one. There's probably a better one out there somewhere. At 0:48, the lead that comes in would greatly benefit from slightly louder delay. The choir aahs at 1:36 and 3:12 appear to be pulsing in and out, probably from some sort of panning LFO or something. Try it without that and see how it sounds to you. The sax that comes in at 2:24 might sound better an octave up as a solo-type instrument, without a doubled up octave below. Good take on the Bossa Nova, though. Keep working on it! Sounding great.

For some reason, the sub bass that goes up until 0:39 bugs me. It might be because I just listened to someone else's Jungle-style remix, but anyways, that's how it appears to be. At 0:45, I do agree with Rozo. The kick has a crazy amount of low end, and the decay on it is kind of irritating, no offense. Try using a different kick, one that's not so heavy on the subs or has so wide a frequency range in the lows. At 0:49 - 0:52, the arp starts to get out of tune. I don't know if you wanted that, but it feels awkward to me. Otherwise, definitely try something like a constant timbre change. That would help a lot on its repetitive tone. For some reason, the trance lead seems a tad over-detuned. Try reducing the detune on that just a bit, maybe about 2%, and that might help. I hear some rapid LFO on it sometimes, and it doesn't work that well with such a detuned lead. Overall, add some more progressive elements and ideas in. It feels really repetitive most of the time. Good luck.

The intro until 0:25 sounds a bit too much like it would fit in the actual game's engine. Maybe you could add some vibrato or other articulations on the lead that make it seem less like it was a direct rip from the game. ;D I do like how you increased the reverb at 0:18 for some contrast through. At 0:26 - 0:52, the percussion has the same kick rhythm the entire time. Maybe you could change that up starting here, and put the kick at the earlier logical rhythmic place (I believe it's half a beat left). The delayed cymbal (delayed or fade-sequenced? Kind of the same, but not completely) at 0:26 doesn't seem to work that well there. I think that a high decay, 70-30 wet-dry ratio reverb might work a lot better in that spot and at 0:49. The transition SFX at 0:51 is a bit awkward. Maybe you can try some modulation effects, like a low bandwidth band pass shift, or a low pass frequency increase, or maybe even a resonance increase AND low pass frequency increase. At 0:53 and 1:44, that section's snare could use some more high-end. Right now the low end is somewhat interfering with the low pad. Don't get rid of the low end, but reduce it a bit, and layer on a snare with some more high end punch. A good compressor I love to use is "endorphin". Try it, it's free, and great on drums. Also at 0:53 and 1:44, you should definitely change the lead to a MUCH more dynamic one. Try creating a PWM lead with a late attack vibrato (maybe 40 ms), and maybe even a high pass effect routed to an envelope with a late attack, (maybe about 50 ms). I don't know if your plugins can do that, but there are some that can. Definitely add some reverb on it to give it presence. At 1:18, it seems like a pseudo-breakdown is what you were going for. Maybe you could low pass the percussion a bit so that it seems "lo-fi", for a great contrast. At 2:10, there is no lead in sound to the breakdown section. Try something. Maybe a cymbal with high decay reverb and a low pass frequency decrease? The bass pitch envelope at 2:21 is good, but it's covering only the bass. Try adding on a reverse cymbal to cover more frequencies in that lead in; that might work better than just the bass. At 2:24, you could start bringing in some action toms, along with strong layered claps and high end snares. That would be really cool. They could even carry onto the end of the song. Think of 2:24 to the end as the long, triumphant outtro. Somehow, I believe a reverse cymbal with delay at 3:15 would be more effective; try that! The piano at 3:27 and anywhere else should be played live if possible, for more realism. Right now it seems the hard timbre of the piano is heard in almost every note, giving it more of an artificial feel. It's fine if you're playing forte, but don't do that the whole time. Maybe increase the velocity response? Also, try to go for more of a realistic room reverb on the piano; that would really make it great. Kind of like this video I made: Good luck!

I'm still in the library at the moment with a terrible sound system, so I can't really give any feedback yet, but I'll probably do that when I get home.

The intro until 0:18 should maybe be reworked. I feel like it doesn't quite match the feel of the song overall. It might make sense to the judges, I dunno. If I'm correct, you are generally using some sort of lo-fi effect on the drums for the most part, or at least using some sort of lo-fi EQ or samples. At 0:45, it would make good sense to bring in some stronger drums. When the piano is playing before then, the lo-fi drums make sense because they leave room for the piano to breathe. I agree, at 0:53 the triangle wave that comes in has too much in the mid frequencies and is interfering with the piano's naturally wide frequency range. Try high passing it just a little bit, and possibly lowering the mix level about 2%. How it ends at 1:03, however, is quite fitting. Do a little experiment and up the decay some on the reverb and see how it works out. Or, alternatively, you could export a wav file of that triangle wave sequence only and I'll apply my own reverb and send it back for you to see what my go at it would sound like. It really sounds like a long decay at 1:03 would create a really awesome feel. At 1:03, maybe you could even increase the volume of that cymbal with an extra long decay to lead into that breakdown section. At 1:06 - 1:18, the sweeps are quite nice. If you haven't already, try experimenting with some jazz chords on the sweeps. For example, an Fadd2 third inversion in whatever key fits this song (Fadd2 third inversion is C-F-G-A). Chords like those would fit the sweep pad really well. At 1:22 - 1:56, maybe you can change up the lo-fi drums and have a variant in which you have soft snares with a high decay reverb with, maybe, a 70-30 wet-dry ratio. At 1:56 - 2:15, you can transition into more powerful drums there too, if you want. And ending that section by putting another cymbal with a high decay reverb at 2:15 would also work nicely. At 2:52, the portamento triangle wave lead is really high. Maybe you could add a subtle low pass filter on it? There and any other instances. 3:01 could have a smoother lead in, since I don't think a lead with such a contrasting volume would be expected in a section like that. Maybe you can fade in a quarter-measure intro sequence? The ending is actually a bit cheesy, though. But you could make it work by, perhaps, adding some upper harmonies to the lead starting at the last three notes. Maybe a note a fourth up, then a major third, then a major second, then a major third? The second and third note would add up to be the same length as the second note in the lead. The fourth note should be short, but with a good decay on the reverb, it should have a nice tail at the end. Because of the really cool ideas on this, I'm wondering what DAW you use. I would love to collaborate on this, regardless. xD

Why don't you put it on your Soundcloud? Mediafire really doesn't share wav files that well, and you already have a Soundcloud account.

I'm not scared of writing music, but it's still difficult for me to get good ideas out. If I can't get ideas out on a notepad or something, then I wait until a better idea comes along. Still waiting.

There are some things I find important when creating an (as) seamless (as possible) blend of instruments: - Internal EQ for editing the EQ of the source/patch, rather than using external EQ to edit a static source/patch. Sometimes a sound is just missing a frequency, and it doesn't sound quite right. You can't just add it back using external EQ, so it's nice to be able to customize the patch's original sound. - Reverb. I know this sounds general, but there are some facets to reverb that give a sound a realistic feel if done correctly. Probably the best reverb tool I've found is ArtsAcoustic Reverb. Although it costs money, it's completely worth it. You can use it to edit properties such as Spread, Room Size, Diffusion, Damping, Wet/Dry ratio, etc. http://www.artsacoustic.com/images/aar_front.gif - EQ. Essentially, make sure each instrument has as much in each frequency range as necessary; no more, no less. Let's say if the mids in a lead were less than -8dB loud, then the lead sounds like it's missing the mids. In that case, you have too little mids, and you're going to have to bump it up enough so it sounds full enough, but not too much so it takes up the space where other instruments could fit, like band passed pads for backup, or a decently loud, dynamic arpeggio that constantly shifts frequencies and, at some point, passes by the mid-frequency range. - More about EQ. Make sure each instrument's EQ overlaps with others' EQ as little as possible, so that you don't get a "muddy" sound in a specific frequency range that's overloaded with multiple sounds of similar timbres. A trick I like to use is to put an EQ on the master track so I can evaluate what's going on. If I can see everything that's going on and recognize exactly when each instrument is playing, then the EQ is either really good, close, or already there.

I was actually referring to the reverb decay mix on the layered clap/snare(s). There are some reverb effects plugins that have a low end mix, high mids mix, and highs mix. For example, take a look at this: http://static.kvraudio.com/i/b/uhbik-a.jpg What I had said above is right above the "u-he.com", in case that visual helps you in understanding anything you hadn't before. The type of reverb mix I was suggesting has about 10% lows, 60% mids, and 70% highs, if put in the most general way possible. You probably don't have something that does it exactly like what I'm talking about. Hope it helps!

At 0:50, the wubs that come in, to me, seem to have too much reverb. Maybe back off a bit on the reverb and focus on getting a wider sound out of them. Try increasing the stereo width in whatever way works. It would be great if the leads had some slow attack vibrato. 1:26 - the analog saw there might benefit from pluck-type sequencing. I like the reverb idea going on at 1:51, but try reducing the high mids on the reverb and raising the highs. I think more of a hissy reverb might work better. Just not too much or it will interfere with the triangle wave lead there. If you had it at, say, 60%, raise it to about 70%, not 80%, etc. I do like the KeyFol there though (the timbre changing at different spots on the keyboard).

Well, if you want it to sound modern, it shouldn't have that square-saw wave at 0:23. That's an 80s type synth, usually. Same with the monophonic saw wave at 2:35. In general, the piano is getting drowned out of the DnB drums. Although the drums should be heard, they shouldn't overpower everything else. Try raising the velocity response to about 64 if you can. The square wave hybrid bass is also slightly classic. Maybe something with FM synthesis? Or you could just go for the classic feel. It doesn't necessarily have to be modern. Maybe you don't have the ideas ready for a "modern" mix.

Well, tutorial 5 certainly isn't dead on ocremix.

At around 0:03 - 0:19, watch out with the reverbed kick. Make sure it doesn't have too much low end reverb. The arp saw wave that comes in at 0:27 should benefit greatly from some modulation effects. You can try some sort of LFO effect that tweens between different waveform shapes, or something like that. Just change up its sound all the time. A good example of this would be the dynamic bass found in zircon's WIP Final Fantasy 6 Setzer's theme remix found on YouTube. At about 1:10, it would be fantastic if you had something building up to the fantastic synth coming in at about 1:19. Maybe a snare roll, or some effects from Massive if you have it? Dynamic low end growls might work. At 1:46, the lead (is it the lead, really?) could also use some dynamic variation. Not dynamics, but dynamically changing is what I mean. Don't use really simple synths. Instead, think about how you can improve them even more and not leave the audience waiting for the next section of the song to start, or worse yet, to skip ahead. You could even bring in a 3o3 arp or something to change it up. At 1:59, definitely put in a new lead for when Koopa's Road comes in. 2:26 seems to be the climax. Go crazy with synth fillers with the left-panned lead, and definitely use a more dynamic lead there too. At 3:01, the transition there with the frequency shift doesn't quite work. Maybe a snare roll there would be a better signal that the breakdown section is over. I would love to see this on ocremix! Just work on it more. However, if you don't mind, I would love to collaborate with you on this. What DAW do you use?

I really love the harmonies in this mix! Especially chords like those at 1:43, 1:56, 2:05, and 2:37. I just wish there was an upgrade to the percussion after 1:51, but that's alright.