NyxTheShield
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Posts posted by NyxTheShield
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Super down for this <3 SoE had always a special part on my heart! I would like to claim either Ebon Keep - Town or if possible, add the dark castle theme to the list of tracks (
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Title: Not decided yet
Source Game: Aquatic Ambience - Donkey Kong Country
Link to the Track: https://clyp.it/zoeithy5
Comments: I have been practicing a lot since I got an EWI. This track is just an amalgamation of all that training into a single piece, with all of the new things I have learnt by playing with it (I can't belieive I didn't get a breath controller til now hahaha). Influenced by Coltrane at moments, I hope you like it!
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Iron Blue Intention or Divine Bloodlines are both 2 personal favourites of mine, I could do either! @MindWanderer
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Damn i forgot to reply here @MindWanderer, I would like to tackle An Empty Tome if still possible.
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Link to The Track: https://www.newgrounds.com/audio/listen/818804
Source: Bloody Tears [Castlevania I], Monster Dance [Castlevania II], Bloody Tears / Monster Dance [Smash Bros. Ultimate]Description: Managed to make this before the Smash Bros. direct, I hope I don't end looking like a fool hahahaha Anyways, I liked how this arrangement ended, so I figured out it would be a good thing to get a review and try to get it into OCRemix, I hope you like it!
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7 hours ago, timaeus222 said:
Just from a quick listen, I thought the drums stayed fairly static... It just stays with the same kind of half-time rhythm, with relatively few fills. Try using toms sometime, to make the pacing more engaging.
The lead guitars can have more attention to detail for added realism. It seems like you may be using Shreddage? Some of the sustains are lacking life, especially at 1:56 - 2:07 with those straight eighth notes and limited vibrato. Putting pitch bends would help (i.e. bending up, or bending up/down for vibrato; but always bend up first, not down first), as well as visualizing when the guitarist would slide his hand on the neck and pick extra hard, etc.
Zircon has a great tips video on that for Shreddage here, if it helps at least in principle:
Another example is here, where pitch bends really bring the guitar to life, depending on what you want to write:
Did you listen to the old version or the clyp version? I added a lot of vibrato and pitch bend to the sustains, specially in the solo section, pretty sure I didnt left any sustained note without vibrato or a pitch bend
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18 minutes ago, Geoffrey Taucer said:
Regarding the percussion: honestly, this isn't my forte, but here are my thoughts:
I don't think it needs a complete overhaul, just a bit more flair and variation. As for compression, again I don't have as good an ear for this as some, but it just feels like the volume doesn't change from hit to hit. Honestly, you might be able to address this with velocity variation rather than decreasing compression, but I'd play around a bit with the compression. Do you also have some sort of tube saturation on the drums? That's what it sounds like to me, and it's a cool effect but it feels like you went just a little too strong on it.
Totally get what you mean with the rythm guitars, and I can hear what you're talking about as far as them not being themain thing to fill out the bass; my biggest complaint is that they just seem to disappear in the mix. A slightly dryer mix (ie les reverb) might help this, but that might also take away from the huge spaciousness of the current mix. But overall, they don't really feel like they've found their niche. Like, they kind of fill the same place as the leads but they're not as strong, and they kind of fill the same space as the percussion but they're less punchy so.... it doesn't feel like they know where to sit in the mix. Hopefully that makes sense.Looking forward to hearing the updated version!
Played around the drums setting, tuned the saturation a bit down and worked on the dynamics of everything, while adressing most of the problems you pointed out. I might rework the ending part a bit, but here is the new version:
https://clyp.it/nlwjlbuiEDIT: This might also sound WAY, WAY different to youtube, since Youtube usually compress the fuck out of the music while also applying a gain reduction of around 5db
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13 hours ago, Geoffrey Taucer said:
EVAL:
Arrangement is on the conservative side, but I think there's just enough variation here to clear the bar in that regard. The original soloing at 1:48 is excellent. However, the percussion could use more variation. You have a few changeups, but on the whole the rhythm is too samey throughout the mix. I'd also like to hear more in the final chorus (starting at 2:40) to make it stand out and feel different from earlier iterations. This would be a great place to add in some guitar fills, since the melody leaves plenty of space for those sorts of flourishes.
Production is mostly good, but there are a few issues that stand out to me. First, back off on the compression and saturation, especially in the percussion. I'd also bump up the volume on some of the harmonic squeals (ie at 1:03). The lead guitars, while they don't sound 100% authentic, have some really pretty tone, though again I'd back off on the compression so that tone can still shine through in the busier sections. The rhythm guitars sound a bit thin by comparison. There's several ways this could be addressed; my first impulse would be to see how they sound an octave lower. If that doesn't suit your tastes, then probably double them (or at least double the bass note) with something to give it a bit more low-end punch.
I like your use of reverb throughout; I think you did a good job of using it in such a way to make the mix sound big and spacious without making it too muddy.This definitely has potential, but I don't think it's sub-ready yet.
I have been playing with the mix the past day. While I agree with the drums being the samey through the song, I actually dont know what to do to 'differentiate them, do you think just a tad of variation here and there (Like adding an extra kick, removing a snare, chaning the transition bit etc) would work or are you thinking about a bigger overhaul to them? I kinda like the way they carry the rhytm through right now.
About the drum kit's compression, is there anything specific that's throwing you off? I tried backing off my current processing chain, and while they sound less compressed they also become kinda dull (Instead of using some kind of sidechaining to make the kick punch through, I use a heavier compression instead for example). Any pointer regarding this would be amazing.
About the rhytm guitars, I kinda agree with what you say, they are a bit thin and I will try to handle this. The main thing is, they are not the ones driving the bass rhytm of the song, so they are basically high passed at around 100hz, adding a bass note to them just muddies the mix a lot and doesnt make them punch through. I messed around with the amps settings tho and now they sound much stronger, will post an update asap.
Also, yeah, good idea!! I will add some stuff at 2:40, also fixed the pinch squeal sound at 1:03 and in the ending. Thanks for the feedback!
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- Title: Placeholder
- Source: Donkey Kong Country 1 - Life in the Mines
- Link to the Track (NEW VERSION): https://clyp.it/nlwjlbui
- Link to the Track (First WIP):
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- Description: I haven't submitted anything on OCR in a while, but this track made me feel I should do it. A reimagination of the original in a rock/metal style. I hope you like it! Any feedback is greatly appreciated.
EDIT BY TAUCER: here's the source:
- LamanKnight and orlouge82
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Original Title: Forest Interlude
Description: Forest Interlude is one of my favourite tracks ever. DK land is also one of my fav games on the GB, so I decided to make an arrangement based on DK Land II OST Style.
Link to the Track:
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1 hour ago, timaeus222 said:
You don't need to keep posting to bump the topic.
Oh sorry, I didn't read that part, thanks for the heads up
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17 minutes ago, Rozovian said:
Just as a reminder, take off the eval tag once you get an eval. That way, we'll know when you're looking for an evaluation of a new version.
Glad to read you're making progress. I'll try to catch this next time it's on eval, I don't want to spoil it until then.
Hahaha I think I am done with this one for a while, Just to be sure I listened once again to it with refreshened ears and now I can't see any of the flaws that the first version had (I actually worked all day on this), unless Slimy or another person in the forum has another comment on it I think i will keep the eval tag (I almost submitted it to be honest hahaha)
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Went to eat and take a walk to refresh my ears and changed once again the notes on the left hand that seemed weird to me plus I adjusted the timing, so now there is an actual offset between notes. After that i Listened to the song through my Sennheisers, Earbuds, Cheap Earphones and Notebook Speakers and now I am really happy with the results:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/93823550/Papyrus_8.mp3
Thanks guys for your help, I really, really appreciate it.
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22 minutes ago, Slimy said:
Left hand sounds much better now, and the right hand is integrated with it better. I liked the tempo change at 0:11. Much better dynamics too. I didn't mention this before, but I like how you incorporated a bit of megalovania into this.
Concerning the right hand, although it sounds better, I think the "pluckiness" problem is happening because attack of the right hand notes sounds much louder than the sustain. Is this is because you've made most of the right hand notes very staccato, and it's just the reverb carrying the notes afterward? If so, I don't think having so many overly-staccato notes fits the overall style of the song, or the left hand.
Some minor things:
- The grace notes at 0:28 are a bit painful. I think it would sound better if the grace notes were quieter, or started soft, but led up to the velocity of the actual note.
- Are the right hand notes at 2:37 octaves? If so, I think the 2nd note should have a lower velocity and maybe have some imperfection, because the pianist would barely have to to play it before having to move their hand.
- I think the repeated right hand notes at 2:11 and 2:14 get overly loud. I think you could ease off the velocity after the first time of a repeated note in this case.
Agree with most of those suggestion, I think I fixed them all. I also changed some of the staccato in the song, but I kinda enjoy how it sounds in the Megalovania part, where I just toned it down a bit.
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27 minutes ago, timaeus222 said:
Yeah, that sounds better, though still noticeably plunky. Do you think you could check an even more substantial exponential velocity response? So maybe "Convex 60%" or however it's called. Getting there!
I will try to edit by hand, I kinda like the sound I got with the lower chords and I don't wanna mess with it hahaha (I only have limtied options, Linear, Convex 25/50/100 and Concave 25/50/100)
EDIT: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/93823550/Papyrus_6.mp3 Tried with another setting.
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Just now, timaeus222 said:
Either way, the hand placement would be the same; you would just leave your middle and index fingers in place and move your thumb for the high note.
Hahaha yeah, I get that, but he was saying the chord repetition sounds MIDI because the volume was the same (Which, is the case because there is no chord repetition, I just hold the chords and repress the highest note)
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26 minutes ago, Slimy said:
After hearing the update - the style of the right hand doesn't match the left hand at all. It's plucky and staccato, while the left hand is smooth and legato.
Ok, so, the left hand generally follows a bass note, chord, chord pattern. But the 2 chords sound the same velocity as the bass note played, which sounds extremely midi. A pianist would compensate for playing 3 notes versus one by playing it softer. In the picture you posted, I can see that there actually is a difference in velocity, but the difference isn't enough to hear.
Could use much more. You're only using ~20% of your controller area.
Hmm I will check, but I think you guys are misjudging the movement of the left hand, I am not doing SIngle Note- Chord - Chord, In fact i am doing a Single Note- Chord - Single HIGH Note (You can see that in the daw screenshot)
EDIT: Updated almost the entire score, opinions? https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/93823550/Papyrus_5.mp3
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2 minutes ago, timaeus222 said:
The velocity response is essentially a way to control how low/high velocities access the samples in the sample library. Generally, low velocities access low-intensity samples, and high velocities access high-intensity samples. Changing the velocity response can change it so that, for example, lower velocities access lower-intensity samples than before (exponential curve).
Yeah I see it now, I had a Linear Response so the changes weren't so accentuated, I changed it to a Convex 50% curve (Should be an exponential response) and now the velocity changes are clearly notorius. Thanks for the tip!
1 minute ago, Slimy said:2 comments after seeing the project in your DAW:
- The notes of the right hand all seem to have the same duration, whereas a human player might alternate between staccato and legato, and generally put style into it. (we can't help ourselves!) For example, if I were playing this on a piano, I might play the first few seconds of the right hand rhythm like this: staccato, legato, legato, legato - staccato, staccato, legato, legato
- Your note velocities, despite being humanized, and all generally in the same place on your controller area. Why? You have an entire controller area to work with! Give it dynamics! Have the song start off soft, build it up to a forte, make it soft again, etc.
Will do! In the latest mp3 I posted you can see that thanks what Timaeus suggested those lower notes with "low velocity" now sounds much softer than before c:
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13 minutes ago, timaeus222 said:
That's updated? For some reason I still hear similar velocities in the right hand. Maybe it'll work better after checking the velocity response.
Wow, I didn't know that changing the response time would make such a difference
Paths Less Travelled Volume 2: Secret of Evermore
in Recruit & Collaborate!
Posted
Haha oopsies, I missed it, the Castle theme then!