Liontamer Posted March 16, 2008 Share Posted March 16, 2008 * melodies_of_gaia * Daniel Gooding * Silentcomposition@yahoo.com * U=22379 * Final Fantasy VI * The Decisive Battle Remix Title - The Decisive Swing Found Myself Humming Final Fantasy Tunes, and added a little swing to the decisive battle theme. I figured, why not give it a shot. It ended up being a lot harder than expected to get it all to sound how I heard in my head, but it was a good learning experience. Also included in the song are small parts from Kefka's theme, and the battle theme. I had never really had written for Big Band Style before this either. Even with all the madness of finding the best sounds to fit, I still had a lot of fun making the remix. - Programmed with Sonar. --------------------------------------------------------------- http://snesmusic.org/v2/download.php?spcNow=ff6 - "The Decisive Battle" (ff6-124.spc), "Kefka" (ff6-108.spc) & "Battle Theme" (ff6-105.spc) Loved the arrangement to start out. From 1:10-1:44 though, when the focus went to the brass harmonies, all the brass samples were a lot more exposed. Wasn't feeling it at all. Moved over into some brief "Kefka" stuff from 1:44-2:01, transitioning into the "Battle Theme" being added in at 2:01 while "Kefka" remained in the background. Everything where the brass took center stage sounded pretty cheap; as I always say, there's got to be a way to get a more natural sound, either with what's in place or otherwise more serviceable samples. Nonetheless, the sequencing was pretty decent. With those concerns though, my decision's tough. I liked the pacing when the piano or bass was the lead, but when the brass took over, it somehow made the tempo and timing of everything feel more mechanical. I'm definitely on the borderline here, but my gut says the execution of the brass needs some refinement before this is ready for primetime. This could make it though, Daniel, so good luck with the rest of the vote. YES or NO, I hope you continue to submit in the future. Your arrangement ideas are pretty strong, and I'm looking forward to hearing more from you. NO (refine/resubmit) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcos Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 I think the brass sounded ok - it is very hard to find good brass samples, and whilst it is the weakest part of the mix I think the sound worked for the arrangement. This arrangement was very good indeed, incorporating all the themes from the various sources into a cohesive piece. The dynamics were very good, and the mix was very engaging. I'm not sure if the ending was as grandiose as it was probably mean to be - but it doesn't stop me from passing this. YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palpable Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 Great atmosphere and mood here - very slinky. I never would have thought the originals in this style would work (well, maybe "Kefka") but this is totally cohesive. Good direction and a nice variety of sections. Some of the lines have great phrasing. If this mix has a failing, it's the quality of some of the instruments. Truth be told, the only part that I had some concern about was 1:10-1:44. The brass does sound a little exposed in the lead role. It comes back towards the end of the song, but at that point there's a lot going on and it doesn't sound out-of-place. Or perhaps by then my ears were used to it. There were some other minor things that aren't that big a deal. I'm going to say borderline YES to this one. In the end, I think the strong arrangement outweighs the production issues. YES (borderline) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zircon Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 I thought the brass here was pretty good here, all things considered... the muted trumpet in particular sounded nice. I actually thought the piano sounded a little on the weak side instead.. too panned and wet for my taste. A more upfront, upright piano sound would have been nicer, IMO. In terms of arrangement, I was really feeling it up until 1:12 that section, through 1:44, was just too brass-heavy and not really that interesting. I would have liked to hear other instruments weaved into the texture, with fewer long sustained notes. The same goes for the repeat of this section later. While it's a creative interpretation, these parts sounded somewhat plodding. I was disappointed that the piano was not integrated more throughout the mix; you could have done some nice fills and riffs with it to help keep things interesting. As for other instruments, the bass sounds good, but sequenced in a very basic way. It could be playing faster, more intricate rhythms to achieve a more authentic sound. The drum sounds are all pretty weak, very "default GM" in my opinion - a more detailed jazz kit would benefit the mix quite a bit, with concert toms and maybe some other kinds of percussion like bongos/congas as well. It would spice up sections like the Kefka part very well. All in all, some very creative arrangement ideas, but I think this one isn't quite ready yet. I couldn't help feeling that in general the mix just felt sparse and empty at times, needing more instrumentation or more interesting writing to carry it better. Sample/quality is secondary (though could still be improved for some of the instruments.) I'd love to hear this resubbed. NO, resubmit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vig Posted June 2, 2008 Share Posted June 2, 2008 I'm not going to hold the brass against the song; it works well enough for me. I do think it's way out front. The piano is a bit thin as well. I would not have it panned so hard. I also agree with comments about the bass. Generally I think the arrangement is creative and functional, but I think the production is holding it back a bit. Hope to see a later incarnation. NO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anosou Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 Like Vig, I don't think the brass is a major problem but it could be better. Some programmed vibrato on the long notes, especially the solo saxophone would help the brass a lot. The drums are something I definitely think you could improve though. Both in terms of sample quality and sequencing. For jazz genres like this the drums usually play a central role in setting the groove and your sequencing is a bit stiff and simplified. (btw, if you have a way of converting Halion 2 format samples, check out http://www.geocities.com/duro7878/cw_dk_buy-now1.html , free, great and very flexible drum samples). The xylophone at 0:19-0:35 is nice and something I wish you would keep using throughout the arrangement. I also like the off-beat brass chords and how well the sources translated to swing. The writing at 1:12 is sweet in my opinion but, as zircon pointed out, it's really brass-heavy. This part would have translated good into piano, an instrument you aren't really using to its fullest potential. At 2:01 Kefka's theme fits very well with the battle theme, clever writing there. Overall, the arrangement is good but can use some changes (and even additions) in instrumentation. The production is not bad but some instruments (drums/brass) could benefit from some better samples. I am digging this a lot though so I'm really hoping for a resub Daniel, don't keep us waiting too long! NO (Resubmit Please) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkeSword Posted June 8, 2008 Share Posted June 8, 2008 Sequencing gets pretty mechanical in the bassline and percussion. It ends up sounding like one of those built-in demos they have on keyboards. The saxophone trying to swing was especially killing me. I think paying more attention to velocities would help with trying to sequence the swing. Accent 2 and 4 and your upbeats. I keep hearing a lot of plodding 1 and 3 and downbeat stuff. The arrangement here is great, but for a song with the word "swing" in the title, it's pretty square, and contrary to what Huey Lewis says, it is not hip to be square. NO, resub Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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