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Tiny Grains Sweep The Southern Skies


Meteo Xavier
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http://www.savefile.com/files/1782611

This is a song I started in April and spent all day today working on so its makes a decent overworld-ish type song. It's halfway inspired by FFIX and CREID.

I'm not very confident with this version as of yet. Its got some ideas but I'm having a hell of a time linking them together and making them believable and workable. About 99% of the instruments are soundfonts and, well, the short end of it is I don't have a clue what I'm doing here, in any aspect of the song.

I'm already aware of the major problems, but feel free to really tear into whats wrong here and how I can fix it. Thanks.

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  • 3 weeks later...

This reminds me of Vurez's old Port of Barbado remix.

0-:38'= This jumps into the flute too quickly. Extend the first 3-4 seconds of intro material by another 4-5 seconds. Then you can jump into the flute.

In fact, you may want to ditch the drums and introduce them later as sort of a build-up approach. Let the flute slowly take form before you hit full stride.

:39-1:06'= This slight shift in the song is too flute heavy; let it be complimented by some nice string backing. Don't be afraid to let the other effects dominate or take over for a few stretches before recalling the flute.

1:07: Extend this transition. Triple it's length before getting back to the original tune.

1:43'= Let the synths come to the forefront here. Otherwise the flute will continue to dominate.

2:11'= I'm not really digging the new effect here. It doesn't seem to match the smooth almost oceanic quality of the earlier material. Try a light chorus instead. In fact, I think a light choral element would really highlight the work you've done.

Well, I recommend letting the flute guide the song without overwhelming it. Throw in a chorus towards the mid/end, this should really be a nice and smooth effort. Hope this helps (even a little).

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KICK. ASS. Now thats what I'm talking about!

Greatly appreciate the very thorough review - problem is I've already experimented with many of you suggestions already and they just flat out didn't work. I did want this to be sort of a cross between an ambient overworld theme (which is why it starts so quickly), and kinda move into a more Irish counter. I'd love to bring in a backing string except I've already filled up the sound spectrum and can't fit it in anywhere.

The choral for the counter is a good suggestion and I'll definitely try it.

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It starts way too abruptly. I hear too much coming through the center channel all at once.

Later on the acoustic guitar feels WAY too midi chord strum for my taste. If that's the desired effect, then it works.

I'd say to pan the main electronic backing in the beginning between the two channels, so you can focus more on the flutething. Seeing as that's the real focus of the piece for the most part, I'd also say to put more production into it's sound. Cut some of the unrealistic frequencies, and possibly a little bit of vibrato to emulate a human's breathing pattern.

Edit: Hit "post" too soon through force of habit.

The volumes of most of the background instruments can be played with, that will help give space for more instruments at different volumes.

The end comes without payoff. Even in game music, there's a solid ending for any song that isn't a continious loop. Even for the ones that are, they've got fades in them so they can naturally loop. Even if you throw a fade in there, it'll make it sound less like an attack on the listener than anything else.

I'd like to see where you take this, but really it needs panning and volume changes desperately for the time being.

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Later on the acoustic guitar feels WAY too midi chord strum for my taste. If that's the desired effect, then it works.

Trying to get a decent acoustic guitar strum is extremely difficult, unless there's just a trick I don't know about. This is the best I can pull off at the moment.

I'd say to pan the main electronic backing in the beginning between the two channels, so you can focus more on the flutething.

Between the two channels? Like, put a stereo seperator on it or something? I think that would overbleed the other frequencies. I spent the sum of like 20 hours trying to get all the sounds to balance even to this point and I'm running out of time.

I'd also say to put more production into it's sound. Cut some of the unrealistic frequencies, and possibly a little bit of vibrato to emulate a human's breathing pattern.

I did try some of that, but the end result of experimenting with all that is what you hear from it now. I don't even know if I can fit more production into it at this point. Its not really meant to sound realistic, just a believable ambient, celtic, overworldish kinda theme. I can only pull off so much right now.

The volumes of most of the background instruments can be played with, that will help give space for more instruments at different volumes.

Like I said, I spent an ungodly amount of time on it already, but if you have some specific ideas, go ahead.

The end comes without payoff.

Well its not done yet....

I'd like to see where you take this, but really it needs panning and volume changes desperately for the time being.

Despite my counters, I quite agree with you, I just don't think there's anything more I can do with it on a major scale that wouldn't mean having to start from scratch or scrapping it altogether (neither of which is an option). Now, if you could tell me specifically would needs to be moved or taken down some, I'll try it and see if it works. You gave me a few suggestions that I'll try already.

Much thanks for taking the time to help me guys!

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http://www.savefile.com/files/1812034

Latest version. I found something of an ending and fixed some things. This song is never going to be just great (not until after my mixing and mastering partner gets done with it anyway), but I think I have it pretty much finished. Yeah, its not the best ending in the world, but I'm running out of CD space and sacrifices must be made.

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