timaeus222

Mannnn 2013 mix up in 2020, but still sounding hot!

MOD REVIEW Arrangement/Sound Design I think the written ideas are there, and obviously it's not too original/liberal. "Underground Sewer" is readily recognizable, but I don't think it's too close to the source. There is definitely a sense of dynamics and panning here, or at least the notion is there. The one thing that stands out to me is that 0:15 - 1:20 vs. 2:31 - 3:36 are very similar-sounding. The differences boil down to a simple instrument swap (such as the countermelody at 3:12 - 3:21, or the swap at 2:52 vs. 1:30 where you just changed which instrument was louder than the other), which to me feels like a placeholder move. One option I think you have is a bit more commitment to richer sound design (or sound layering, if design isn't your forte), to further differentiate the later portions of the ReMix. Even though you may be limited to certain sounds, you can definitely use the Layer tool in FL Studio to, for example, combine multiple lead sounds, each with different qualities, to make one big lead, or take different bell sounds, filter out low frequencies on the brighter layers, then stack those on top of the original mid-heavy layer to make the result sound bigger. Here's a video that demonstrates sound layering pretty well: This elevation of sound design later on in the ReMix would help make the arrangement sound more progressive, as opposed to certain 'musicians' playing more loudly and certain other 'musicians' playing more quietly to 'change things up'. Another option is to vary the melodic contour to add a sense of progression, but this is arguably harder to pull off if you don't happen to have a lot of musical background. Production/Mixing The mixing isn't too bad. I can technically hear most of the elements well enough, but the stereo image is sometimes awkward. Specifically, I hear you have a bass panned to the left (say at 0:50), when the ear naturally wants to hear basses, kick drums, snares, etc. in the center because they provide the foundation to the groove. The drums aren't that beefy, which is sometimes okay, but because of how they sound single-layered, they seem rather vanilla. These can benefit from a bit of layering as well. For example, the snare lacks high end, so you could layer on something like a TR-909 snare to add that high end splash that it could use to cut through the mix. Here's a nice tutorial for layering drums: The bass mixing in general is a bit indistinct, but I think it has a lot to do with the basic nature of the bass sounds you chose (built primarily out of sine waves), and for now we'll see how it sounds with the bass in the center. Overall The main takeaways would be: Work on layering your sounds. Even if the individual layers sound basic/vanilla, combining different layers with their own unique qualities will make for a more-interesting single instrument. Specific examples are the snare lacking high end and the leads at 1:30 vs. 2:52 simply swapping volumes rather than being new-sounding instruments. Because of the way this arrangement was written, bigger sound design will act as contrast, if not in addition to any variation in the melody that you could do. In general, place your bass-heavy instruments in the center, which is where many bass-heavy instruments should go so that they don't distract too much from what's usually important (the lead and harmony). This isn't ready to be posted. It has a lot of potential though, so I think you should keep working on it, and we'll see where it goes! END OF MOD REVIEW

"Cerebral" certainly describes this mix well. Lots of cool, subtle percussive effects/details that don't really distract the listener, and just add a layer for acute listeners to notice.

Hm, I don't know, it might be time to give our own definition to what a Melissa is... Melissa - When a particularly talented musician pulls off a graceful feat. Certainly a proper homage to this wondrous game and its playful soundtrack!

Hm, I would say it's a fun listen. One minor production issue I can see is that the sound effects you are using are fairly narrow, such as the chains at 0:31 and the laugh at 1:15. I feel like there could be enhancement of the stereo image without making it sound unnatural. To do that, one way is to add a ping-pong delay with a delay time of 15 ms or less, just so that you fool your ears into thinking that the sound is more stereo than before. You can do that with Fruity Delay 2 manually, or if you prefer you can try it with Fruity Stereo Shaper. I like the lofi part at 1:20, and while I think it technically isn't too lofi as far as the fidelity goes, the muted brass does sound noticeably fake, particularly on the trills. If you stick to those samples, I guess what you could do is slightly lengthen the notes to overlap a bit more, and increase how up-and-down the alternated velocities go. I don't think those two production issues bring it down though. It's mainly that the overall soundscape, to me, is more like how it would be if this were put into a remake of the game, rather than being an arrangement that puts your own twist on it (it's too conservative). Still, I enjoyed this as it was, and while I wouldn't say it's currently ready for OCR, it's a good way to get in the mood for Halloween.

Nice and chill vibe you had. I will say the main pluck synth does sound a bit static; it could have used more motion, like with a filter LFO or a slight phaser. Same with the pads at 1:30, for example; the high reverb with the low frequency cutoff muds together the chords when a filter envelope (with a somewhat long release) to slightly open up the frequency range could engage the listener more. Other than that, a good listen.

Quite an old topic, but I figure I'll throw my 2 cents into here... I don't think it's a good idea to press your headphones more tightly onto your ears. What that does is trap more of the bass and just force more sound into your ears instead of letting it sound natural. Headphones are not made for you to tighten them up onto your head; they're made to just put on and take off without having to customize for your own head.

I was honestly not sure what to call the fake key change. Guess I'll roll with that! FWIW, the "PMD2" imitation was pretty good. Sounds like it would fit in the real game!

I've never heard a soundscape quite like this. Definitely memorable, and one I will certainly share with others!

Hm... I do think that the new synth (hypersaw?) in the breakdown at 2:10 - 2:40 seems too much. I remember hearing it early on as an accent, and I believe that it isn't needed in this breakdown because it decreases the contrast you have with the more energetic parts of the ReMix. Other than that, just let the ending trail off for longer naturally (it's abrupt right now), and I think you're good to go.

The intro is a lot better already, just by easing into it! The lead also is improved with your layering so that it isn't basically just thin/resonant. Overall a great boost from what I first listened to. At the moment I would say the hi hats playing the off-beat are kinda loud though (especially at 2:26), either because they're lacking some reverb in the upper-midrange, or they are a little loud in volume, or both. Other than that, just add an ending and you should be well on your way. You seem to have a good idea of pacing here.

I like the glassy stutter synth at the beginning. Good way to establish the atmosphere there. Also good development of textures to keep the groove from getting too stale. However, I would say the lead sound at 1:35 for example, is too thin. Compared to the bass, which is really meaty, the lead is just overpowered when it's playing melody. I would consider picking a different sound for the lead, one that has more body and expression. Lastly, I think the beginning maybe comes in with the claps too quickly (before 0:32), so that the intro doesn't really sound like it eases you into the track; it just starts.

A pleasant surprise! I like the 'desert' feel in the middle (2:02)!

I don't know why I haven't heard this. This is such a great contrast from your usual work, and I very much want to see you do more like this! I hear the overcompression, but it isn't at all a problem in the big picture.

This is some cheeky stuff. Good to see that it set a new precedent as well, and wasn't just NOed and asked to be extended.

Gario's always been a swell guy on the Workshop forums, and his contribution to this album is full of celebratory energy. The choir fills the soundscape pretty nicely, adding an uplifting textural bed to support the leads, and the brass and strings maintain the energy by accenting the leads. The stutter-crazy lead sequencing, though, is what really exemplifies his attention to detail when it comes to extracting expression and nuance out of generally lower-quality sounds. I don't know about his title though; I consider this track more of a blue shift to higher energy. #BadSpectroscopyJoke

I really like how Sir_NutS has a distinct flavor to his soundscapes; I can usually tell when something he makes is something he made---I get a 'signature sound' feel. This is one aggressive, bouncy, and balls-to-the-wall glitch hop track; Usa contributed some wicked solos, and NutS made it hardcore! This is something I definitely recommend for someone in the mood to rock out to this sick electronic playground! - Direct from my artist comments from when this was going to be on an album

A Sir J mix? Hell yeah!

I really like the harmonies here. Really tasteful stuff. Guitar was the highlight for me. I was gonna say it took on a Western sound later on, and then I see Wild Arms being mentioned, so it's not just me!

There's just something about the guitar samples in this that filled out the atmosphere in a way that the synth guitars by themselves did not. I think that is an even greater improvement than before! The guitar soundscape is more full/meaty and less nasal, and overall the EQ is tamer in the upper treble as well. I honestly think this is ready to submit to see how it will go, as far as polishing it based on the intended vision. Just don't forget to cut out the many seconds of silence at the end.

Mazedude never fails to amaze me! Dhsu's piano actually fits in with the glitchy chip style, but sounds also mostly preserved from the original performance rather than being glitched to line up with the chip. 100% downloading this one. I disagree that it wasn't polished enough---it's possible to be too critical of yourself, and I think this was extremely polished. I also appreciate your more-than-two-cents. Your prose is still fun to read to this day.

I think I remember having a hard time understanding the vocoded vocals, and maybe the very end could have trailed on for a little longer, but that aside... Tuberz did a great job on his lead vocals. The funk guitar riffs were a nice subtle touch, and the slap bass and drums playing off each other throughout helped keep this arrangement engaging!

There we go, I think you got it. Especially noticeable at 1:45, - 1:47, the guitar sounds less nasal and does have more presence, but as far as I can tell, you didn't accidentally put back the old bass clutter. You'd have to A/B it to notice the difference I think. Otherwise, you may want to ask someone like @Gario perhaps to take a look as well. I'm not sure though, he's last been here a month ago. Nonetheless, the main challenge I'd be concerned about is just that the "guitar" doesn't actually sound like a guitar, so as-is, it kinda has to function as a fake guitar while still suiting the overall soundscape. As far as comparing to posted mixes, this should be a good one to think about, since it's a pretty similar style. As it turns out, this guy did the mixing himself, I never actually mixed it for him interestingly enough. Another similar ReMix to compare to: The main things to focus on are: Are my drums present enough compared to the guitar/bass? Is there significant pumping on the overall mix when the kick and bass are slamming the limiter (2:55 - 4:12)? Is it fatiguing to listen to this?

It does sound a lot better! The drums have more presence, and there's not nearly as much overcompression as there was before. Even v3 still had a bit of that leftover. I will however say that the guitars don't sound as heavy, as they've lost some low end presence (40-60 Hz most importantly) compared to v3 (most noticeable at 2:55), while they do actually have a bit more presence above 10000 Hz after lifting some of that overcompression. What happened to the bass there? V3: V5:

Sounds like a plan, chief!