Game and Watch gallery: Octopus

[Overflow]

This is to be my second remix.

http://host-a.net/Overflow/Mr.%20Cephalopod.mp3

What do you guys think?

It's quiet because if I have it too loud in garageband and then export it, it becomes all fuzzy. I make it quiet then increase its volume in itunes.

Here's the original:

http://www.vgmusic.com/music/console/nintendo/gameboy/Octopus.mid

Also, is the max file size for a remix 6mb? if so then I need to lower it. It's at 6.4 right now.

So yeah; any advice?

EDIT: fixed link

[Skrypnyk]

file size on a remix doesn't matter, unless you want to submit to OCR.

the good/bad news, is that this will in no way make it onto the site, so you don't have to worry about fixing the file size.

The mixing/mastering is quite poor. Not to say making the overall track louder will help, but it is on the quiet side of things. All samples sound poor in quality and really lo-fi. The synths are also very simple, very thin, and very poor sounding. All the sounds mush together.

It's also quite repetitive and doesn't develop into anything.

Long story short, it's a dull, beginner mix. As much as I don't want to bash everything in the song, everything in the song is quite poor.

You did manage to avoid clipping. So thumbs up on that.

[Overflow]

If I make it any louder the quality just drops. I don't know how to get around this.

As far as synth quality goes, is that just because I'm using garageband, or is there actually improvements I could make?

I don't want it to be repetitive or lead to nowhere, but that seems to happen in most my songs.

But, is the song like, in tune with itself? like, there aren't any parts that contradict, are there?

I don't know what to do to help it. Any advice?

[Overflow]

I fixed the link, BTW

[Rozovian]

A machine-gun snare roll, overall quiet, repetitive, a bit genre-jumping, and overall poor mixing. That's the bad news.

Good news is, it's interesting and doesn't feel as long as it actually is. Cutting some length out (a minute or two) would kill repetition and length, and you wouldn't have to worry about the file size.

You need a limiter, altho using GB's preset multipressor might even it out enough.

Leave the genre-jumping to those that have a bit more experience with different genres and focus on whichever you think you'll do a better job at. The source lends itself well to a mellow aquatic piece, but whatever you feel you want to do, do that. Just don't try to do everything at once.

As for mixing, the crashes that come in after 4 mins... drop levels on those A LOT. Seriously. Then just listen to the trsack, over and over, and decide what insturments are the most important at any time, and drop the levels on the others. GB can automate track volume and pan, learn to use those (the volume automation at least).

Most importantly, learn to listen. This is a nice track, and it reminds me of my GB days. I've actually got an aquatic original track made in GB on my host. Maybe you can learn something from it, altho it's from before my current skills. Good luck

[Skrypnyk]

If I make it any louder the quality just drops. I don't know how to get around this.

As far as synth quality goes, is that just because I'm using garageband, or is there actually improvements I could make?

I don't want it to be repetitive or lead to nowhere, but that seems to happen in most my songs.

But, is the song like, in tune with itself? like, there aren't any parts that contradict, are there?

I don't know what to do to help it. Any advice?

My apologies for sounding like an anal prick in my early post, but I find giving new composers any advice usually goes in one ear and out the other. The problem is, I can't tell you how to make a song/remix, nor do I really want to. It is after all, your creation. I can say 'add this, add that, do this, do that', but I don't think any overhaul done to the mix would get it posted (especially if my assumption that you are indeed someone new to this).

The only advice I'm willing to give is to keep practicing. Make new original songs, make new remixes, learn more about the program, learn more about synthesis, about song developing, emulate songs already on the site, etc. etc. etc.