Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 'Zelda's Lullaby Remix'

[simbeaver21]

Hello everyone, first time Remixer here. I've made quite a few remixes in my day. But I finally got the courage to submit one... and it was denied. I will give you the download link here. Please give it a listen and I would appreciate ANY feedback you could give me.

http://rapidshare.com/files/132573714/Zelda_s_Sweet_Lullaby.mp3

Thank you very much.

[Rozovian]

Piano plays source verbatim, and the other instruments feel very inconsistant with the piano sound.

It took almost two minutes before some interesting happened in the mix. That's clearly a sign of doing something wrong. So what are you doing wrong? Well, we've heard those same notes over and over. The backing things that you did don't really constitute a significant change from the feel of the source. You should rework the progression of the song to make it different.

A few pointers:

If you're going for a piano+synth, introduce the synth much earlier so it's a part of the mix from the start, instead of coming in later and seeming mispalced. If not, use another instrument.

If you've got a solo instrument, you need reverb. Otherwise, it sounds newby, no matter what it is. Guitars, synth, kazoo... just doesn't sound good without it. Too much reverb can ruin it, tho, so use your ears.

Thing about the stereo placement of instruments, as well as their EQ. If an instrument (such as your 1:45 bells) has a frequency that's just overpowering, reduce it with a good EQ.

Read OCR's submission standards. You'll find that they'll reject stuff that isn't arranged differently enough from the source material. This means varied melodies, backing, instrumentation, rhythm, tempo, key signature, chord progression, time signature, and/or overall feel. Not until after 1:45 does your remix get different from the source, and that's mostly just the instrumentation.

There, that should get you started. Rearranging something requires a whole other approach than what you just did. I suggest you start a new file, write something (like random strings chords, slow bassline, rhythm on a shaker, something new), and then see if you can fit Zelda's Lullaby to that. You'd probably have to change the melody a bit, but maybe that'll get you started on rearranging the source ina way that OCR will accept.

I wish you luck.

[simbeaver21]

Thanks for the constructive criticism. I will work on it some more.

[simbeaver21]

Or maybe I should just not sit on that one for too long and maybe focus on this one?

http://rapidshare.com/files/132717764/Terra_s_Tears.mp3.html

Any thoughts?

Any comments?

[sephanubisiii]

hmm this second peice is quite original and gives it a modern day feel. Can you also post the source of this seeing I really never heard it done this way and would like to hear the source to better compare the two. Overall, its nice ^.^ though also could you care to explain the feel and vibe you wanted to go with this?

[simbeaver21]

Here's the source one.

http://www.vgmusic.com/music/console/nintendo/snes/ff3over.mid

Well, from what I could find on VGMUSIC.COM. But you kind of have to understand the story behind it. I was just messing around with Fruity Loops over at a friend's house. I came up with the opening of this remix and I was sitting there and said, "Ok, now I have writers block. I have no idea where to go from here." And my friend says, "Well, that sounds a lot like Terra's theme." And then I went on from there to create what I did. And then once I got done with the acoustic part of the melody, my friend says, "well, make this next part more progressive-rock-like." So I tried to transition it from acoustic guitar, to electric rhythm and lead guitar, with a keyboard and drums and bass guitar. And then after I completed the transition, I was just like, "How can I make this as progressive as I can without going too far outside of the borders of the melody and still keep it all in check?" And that's what I came up with. Also, I don't know if you noticed, but I added a little bit of the Final Fantasy theme in there as well in the bass line and the keyboard at one point.

[sephanubisiii]

hmm okies, I do like how this went, alas the link for the source is dead, but thats fine ^.^, either way is does have a good beat to is and I can relax to it in a way yet it also gets me psyched for other games lol. Hmmmm with how this went, think you could remix either a Tron classic? or perhaps Zelda: WindWaker? seeing this sounds also more like a windwaker kinda beat also

[simbeaver21]

Hmm. Interesting. I would like to try a Wind Waker remix too.

[Rozovian]

The synth you've picked/tweaked has a little too much oif a twirly feel, it makes it a bit tough to listen to it. A backing pad would make it easier.

...And then it tranbsitions into poorly mixed rock-ish synth stuff . I gotta say that the rock-emulating first bit (1:18) didn't sound very good, but the following (1:49), when you weren't pretending to be real instruments, was way better. Still, drums need writing fixes as well as better samples and overall better mixing. At 2:06 comes a section that sounds passable, but the rest is subpar. Sorry man.

The levels are very different in the two sections. Twirly is LOUD in comparison, and it should be the other way around.

It takes a lot of work to do this stuff, to get your mind around how to arrange/rewrite stuff, as well as how to get the sound right. Keep trying, the original sections sit well with Terra's theme, so you'v eobviously got what it takes. Just... keep at it.