Slimy

As of late, I've been panning all the instruments to where they would be in an actual orchestra setup, more or less - high stuff to the left and low stuff to the right, though I try to keep it balanced. I'm wondering if it would be a better to pan the low instruments in the middle, and high instruments to the sides, or only pan things that I want to draw attention to. Any advice?

Fixed some gain issues in this final version. https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/tx8libfh9b4zjzp/Adventure%20Through%20Lavender%20Town.mp3 If there's no objections, I'll submit this.

For panning, I usually arrange my orchestra instruments as they would appear in a real orchestra - violins to the far left. But since your violin is having a single, awesomely-played solo, it should probably stay right in the middle. What you could do though, is pan all the other string doing just chords to the right and left around your piano and violin.

https://soundcloud.com/slimy-4/a-brief-history-of-hyrule-1 I didn't like the remix-to-original ratio, so I sprinkled the triforce theme into the original part I added. It actually fits because one of the first things mentioned in the prologue is the "golden power." I also added a variation in the prologue, and made the ending louder. Feedback would be appreciated!

https://soundcloud.com/slimy-4/a-brief-history-of-hyrule I added an original part inspired by the intro at 0:25, that transitions into the prologue theme. I also gave the song a name.

https://soundcloud.com/slimy-4/adventure-through-lavender Saved the update over the last one. Very minor changes. The most significant one is a note change at 5:45 Any final thoughts?

I actually did this awhile ago, before I had any samples to work with. https://soundcloud.com/slimy-4/metroid-title-theme-remix About several months ago I started replacing the tracks with samples, but I was never really satisfied with it, nor did I finish. Though I could remake the entire thing if anyone wants, but it's more of a reorchestration.

https://soundcloud.com/slimy-4/adventure-through-lavender Another update. I touched on the things said in the mod review. I didn't change the flute at 1:37 because I think the dryness transitions the mood nicely, though I did change the higher one because it sounded nice with vibrato. I applied a humanizing effect over the string marcatos at the beginning. The velocities of every note was changed randomly within 10% of what it used to be. I'm not sure if it's an improvement, or what else I could do. I also added some minor dynamics - they fade out slightly and crescendo back a few times now.

Not a fan of that main synth, I can't seem to take it seriously. But I love all those extra sounds you put in!

There's something I find odd about the orchestra hits at the beginning, maybe a lack of variation. It might sound better if you made some of those notes legato, or made the dynamics less subtle, changed the velocities, etc. They sound better after 0:40 when they stop being the melody though. In that part I think they accent the melody nicely and add a nice wallop in general. I also like the horn counter melody that comes in.

There's an original bit at 1:24, and Agahnim's theme is hardly at all like the original. But I'll try to add an introduction bit before the prologue song. It could start at a mf and decrescendo, making that transition less jarring.

Well, if no one else thinks the beginning is too loud, I'm not sure what to do with this. I'll put it up for mod review.

My DAW is Acoustica Mixcraft 6, and I used Eastwest/Quantum Leap Symphonic Orchestra Silver. Though I also used a clash cymbal sound that comes with Mixcraft because EWQL Silver cymbals don't have sharp attacks. Are you sure the dry sounding flute in this part it a bad thing? It transitions into the Lavender Town theme after all. I agree with the other critiques though. Actually, when the full orchestra kicks into the route 12 theme, I was worried the piccolos playing glissando notes for flair covered up the melody, I didn't realize that it's the trumpets that are too quiet. I think the choppy piano fits the Lavender Town theme, but everywhere else it would sound much better with smoother attacks. Thanks for the modly mod review!

Metroid Other M. It wasn't what anyone wanted or was expecting, but out of context it was pretty good.

I'm not so sure that it's a problem. Except for the swell at the end, the fanfare isn't louder than the crescendo at 1:37. And if I were writing a score for this, the fanfare would have a dynamic marking of ff, 1:37 would have an f, and 0:25 would have a p or mp. The fanfare is supposed to be loud, so, are you sure you didn't just have your speakers turned low because of the fanfare? Thanks for the feedback though!

I think the piano has too strong of an attack, and could be softer and use more reverb. Though that may just be my style preference. But I think you should make the dynamics less subtle. I like how you started playing an octave higher near the end. But at the end of the song your bow stopped gripping the string! Just something to keep in mind for future recordings; maybe you could not slow the bow too much and just lift it off the string, or fade out artificially. This is about 100x better than my first song.

https://soundcloud.com/slimy-4/adventure-through-lavender-town-update-1 Another update. I changed one note, can you find it? Any feedback before I flag this for mod review?

I think the piano at the very beginning might sound a bit too perfect. Maybe you could humanize that beginning part a bit, and stretch those chords out without changing the tempo. I think the chords sound good, the lead instruments sound good, and everything seems well-balanced. The bass sounded really nice at the beginning, despite it's simplicity. And the strings are beautiful when they come in. It does end too abruptly. Maybe you could start taking instruments out until just the piano is left? A great song, overall.

Usually I have an idea in my head of what a particular part of the song will sound like, which I try to recreate. After that I just slap on extra instruments whenever I think it's necessary or will sound good.

Newest: https://soundcloud.com/slimy-4/a-brief-history-of-hyrule-1 I made an orchestral remix of mostly the intro and prologue song, but I also added in some variations of other songs. (Original: https://soundcloud.com/slimy-4/the-legend-of-zelda-a-link-to-the-past-remix-of-intro) After the fanfare-ish intro, It begins with a loose variation of the intro and Triforce theme before transitioning into the prologue music, the song then transitions into a variation of Agahnim's theme, symbolic of all the evil stuff he does in the prologue. Then it transitions into a (hopeful sounding?) variation of Zelda's theme, and ends with a snippet of the overworld theme. Just to sound heroic. Here are the sources: Opening: Agahnim's theme: Zelda's theme: (only used a seconds of these but here they are) Triforce theme: Overworld theme: Feedback would be appreciated!

I think the chior sounds rather bad from the beginning to 0:16. Maybe because the dynamics are exactly the same as the strings? Or maybe there isn't enough reverb on the chior. The chior sounds better after 0:16 though.

https://soundcloud.com/slimy-4/adventure-through-lavender-town-update Thanks for all the responses! I tried to tie the two halves together better by having an oboe play the route 12 theme at 0:32. Not sure what else I could do, I'll think about it. There's been some minor changes, like extra notes in some chords, woodblocks at 0:42, a trombone at 5:25, and more triangle action. I also humanized the piano, and tried to pan the instruments to where they would be in an actual orchestra. Feedback on these things would be appreciated. I shortened all of the rests. (Cash, you weren't the only one who didn't like those. ) Although I only shortened the one before the "jump scare" that concludes the Lavender Town theme by about half a second, because I think the silence is an excellent way to increase the suspense. I also changed the volume throughout the song, so that quiet bits aren't too quiet. Thanks for giving it a listen!

https://soundcloud.com/slimy-4/adventure-through-lavender-town-update-1 (Outdated: https://soundcloud.com/slimy-4/adventure-through-lavender-town-wip-pokemon-remix https://soundcloud.com/slimy-4/adventure-through-lavender-town-update) Tried to tell a bit of a story with this one. I started the song with feelings the player might have emerging from the "Cave-of-Can't-See-Anything", then on the short road to Lavender Town. It then transitions into the Lavender Town theme itself, before ending on a triumphant sounding remix of the Route 12 theme. Many of the more original sounding bits (that drag the song on for over 8 minutes) are variations of the Lavender Town and Route 12 melodies, or vaguely inspired from them. Here are the original source tunes: Route 10+12: Lavender Town: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQ_0JY2-3FU Feedback would be appreciated!

Uploaded an updated version here: https://soundcloud.com/slimy-4/kraids-lair-wip-updated Thanks for the feedback! I found that the problem with the strings is that the samples sound like they take about a 32nd note to fade in. After pushing them forward slightly they seems to be on the beat now. The flute doesn't seems to be behind now that the strings are in place, and I did take out most of the reverb in it. I took out most of the reverb from the low brass as well. I also tried humanizing the horn solos at the beginning and end, and the oboe at 1:44. I tried mixing it a bit, though mixing is very foreign to me.

Do you mean that the percussion is overpowering the strings? I noticed that this is especially a problem during the lower part. Also, does anyone think the horn solo at the beginning would sound better an octave lower? Also, a horn trill might fit in at about 1:18, but I'm not sure if it would sound good with my samples. Here's what I was able to make: https://soundcloud.com/slimy-4/test-brass-trills