HankTheSpankTankJankerson

Bump.

What were your intentions behind inserting the original back in at 2:30?

Your bass notes are sharp in the first minute or so, but, that being said, your technique is really on point! How are you tuning your bottom 2 strings? I find that if I tune mine 15¢ flat, I get the best results when fretting, because fretting bends the pitch up above desired. I own an 8 string Ibanez, just to qualify. Nice metal solo in the final 3rd of the song, buddy. I know this isn't really the criticism you were looking for, but your cover really struck me, so I thought I would say something. Peace.

Did you transcribe this by ear or did you find and use a midi file of the original?

I like the xylophone choice in the beginning - like bones rattling around. I heard it in another Bonetroussle Orchestral Remix, I do believe. Similar orchestration not withstanding, I don't like the transition between "Bonetroussle" and "Spear of Justice." It sounds like the tunes were - to quote a good friend - stapled together. The tempi are not similar (either that or I don't know what kind of rhythmic math you performed to modulate time signatures). The same goes for "Spear of Justice" going into "Megalovania." I do enjoy the use of strings and percussion, but if I were you, I would either add more brass in heavier sections, or turn what brass you have now UP. It's woodwind-heavy. Maybe add a contrabassoon and bass clarinet if you have good patches! Thanks for the remix, my man. Good work, and talk to you later!

We got groupings!

To Capitalize on what @LongBoxofChocolate (Manny) is saying, we are about 10 tunes deep into this album as far as writing goes. Parts are getting prepared. We have plans to release a couple of singles, we even have concept art and liner notes. We aren't just firing into the air on this one. We did not feel another thread was necessary You aren't crazy, @Brandon Strader. You gotta love something before you are willing to put 1000+ hours into it. I didn't quite know what I was getting into when Manny came to me and our producer with the Undertale album concept, but I am sure glad I said yes. I love the Wagnerian themes Toby Fox uses throughout this thing, and I am having so much fun developing them as they come along. Manny and I are going to see this thing through, and I want to make it clear - our commitment to getting it done. Again, reiterating that we ARE INDEED working on our Undertale Album.

As a professional musician, I can let you know that I don't ask for a composer/arranger's transcript before I employ their services. I only care that they can write for my group. As a teacher, I can let you know that grades are an indication of someone's understanding of content taught by the instructor. AKA - poor academic performance is supposed to be synonymous with a lack of knowledge after the class is over. For professional composers, the real thing that matters is your portfolio/catalog and your influences, so I would say the content side is more important than the grades side. Grades get you into school, though. I know that if you make a C or lower in some classes at the undergraduate level, it is basically a failing grade - you have to retake the course often with the same professor. This can be a death sentence. It makes some undergrads change their major, or worse, eternal students. All that aside, the most important things to have as a music major is a rock star private lessons teacher on your primary instrument, the relationships you form at the university level, and opportunities to have your stuff heard. If your stuff doesn't get performed, what good are you as a composer? If people want to play and hear your stuff, you are set. You can make a decent living if you are self-published and are business-minded. But then, how are you going to pay for insurance and everything? Having benefits with an employer can go a long way towards both your health, retirement, and general mental sanity. TLDR: Just get a great theory/composition teacher and get your music played. Before the first project is over start the next. Freelance = no down time.

LongBoxofChocolate is looking for a Viola or Cello player to record melodic content for our Undertale album. Right now, "Waterfall" is what we could use you on the most, but please let us know if you are interested in more. We have well formatted sheet music ready to go for you, and we have a demo track for you to record alongside for reference. Please let me know if you are interested. All arranging is done in-house. Thank you, - Hank Jankerson -

Awesome static art in the video. Where do people get this stuff!? (In a good way, baby!) Nothing all that original until 1:20. I think using a synth package that sounded different than the original 8-bit synths could have done this arrangement a favor. During the first couple minutes, I thought I was listening to a slowed down version of the original. Your development section is enticing, I just wished you carried it even further away from the original so I could here your interpretation! At 2:21, you have an awesome syncopated 16th note motive (3+3+2) that I just LOVE. I wish I could have heard some more of that business. Getting mileage out of the source material... I debated arranging this, but I wasn't quite up to the challenge until I heard your cover of it. Thank you for opening a creative door for me. I was having a hard time developing the motives in this song - will think further on it.

Let me know if you want horns recorded.

A+ on the style change midway through.

A video game track needs to loop, yes. The player needs uninterrupted atmosphere, which has everything to do with continuity. Having a sudden key change ain't no thing, so just have an interesting leading tone goin back to the A section, and you'll be fine. Or don't and you may be fine anyway depending on what root you picked! This sounds lovely so far! It feels ominous and action-oriented. Good job.

This sounds like a good start. I agree with Timaeus about the volume, which, whatever, I can turn it down in my car, but I like your easy buildup. As a musician, I would like some non-diatonic chords to get it started, but I really want that drop, dude. Gimme the drop. Drop the beat, Francis...

I think most of what we have worked on between when this was submitted and now has to be our production, which is in no small part due to our sound engineer. I am pretty proud of our more recent stuff on soundcloud, but we are always working on a clear sound

Yeah, man, I hear ya. There is certainly something to be said for faithfulness to the original. What brand of EWI is that? I have been shopping for one.

Thanks for posting, bud. Is the drop at 1:15? If so, I could have used clearer buildup to it. IMHO it needs to be framed better (possibly a thinning out of texture beforehand). Also, the kick/snare/hat stay the same, and it could be argued that the drops call for bigger drums. Lack of differentiating orchestration blurs sections and robs dubstep of its effect. Cheers, dude.

This is just like Smooth McGroove's stuff.

The MIDI scoops made me giggle some - if you are going to make this arrangement such a drastic style change from the original, you might want to fiddle with taking those out because its not exactly something an "orchestra" would do. Aesthetic conflicts and all that. If you are going to slow the tempo down to 154, you might want to try legato endings of staccato (during syncopated sections).

What brand of EWI is that, if you don't mind me asking?

Testing again

Test

Yes! Loving the filler lines and counterpoint. That lead is super fat and sexy, but its covering up the harmonies a little. Nice drop, too. The swung rhythms in your arrangement have done this tune some good.

Yeah, man! Thanks for the informed criticism! Notched EQ is something we haven't accessed before (as far as I know). The flute is a Dizi which is a Chinese bamboo flute. It has a piece of rice paper over a tone hole that buzzes the tone the flute is playing. The principle is close to that of a kazoo. The gringo version is to just put scotch tape over the tone hole, but that seals the flute off and chokes out some higher frequencies. ANYWAYS, What you're hearing is a characteristic of the instrument, which we thought would bring some charm to the track.