Heat's Prayer

[DigitalDevilDrums]

Ok! So this is my first posting of a mix from the games Digital Devil Saga 1/2.

Considering my forum name, it'd be treason not to use music from these games as my first post.

I've actually used a few different themes - the theme from the opening track, "Pray" from DDS1, and then "Heat's Theme" and "Om Mani Padme Hum" from DDS2. Plus some original counterpoint thrown in.

I should say that I'm currently living in SK, and the only speakers I have are these crappy little things, so I've done a lot of listening with headphones/speakers. So there may be things that I simply can't hear due to speaker quality (or lack of).

Anyway, I look forward to hearing your comments.

-Dana

And here's the edit with the LINK INCLUDED.

http://www.box.net/shared/msqs7p5qmv

I am teh smrt

Another edit: Here are links to the source tracks. I forgot that many people never played these games (you're missing out).

http://www.box.net/shared/107ebjpfbj - The slow, eighth note rhythm in low notes that enters at 0:50

http://www.box.net/shared/ysxayaoan9 - The bell part that comes in at 1:20

http://www.box.net/shared/dqqsxjbupd - The repeated electronic pattern that comes in at 0:15

[DigitalDevilDrums]

Just a bump to say that I uploaded a new version of the track. It's pretty much final, since I'm pretty happy with it, and I've gotten no responses.

Though I would still appreciate any feedback. I know the music is probably not that well known, but any comments would still be helpful.

Thanks!

[SplinterOfChaos]

Not the highest quality instruments I've ever heard, but I am enjoying this. It's very floaty and calming. But, sometimes, the instruments float into each other instead of harmonizing. The usual advice for this I think is to vary the range of the instruments more. Almost all of your instruments are in the high range.

At 2:35, I'm really not digging the main instrument. Maybe it's just this section. Actually, that lead...bell, I think it is, doesn't cut it for me.

I'm not the best judge of repetition because my mind tends to wander instead of concentrating only on the song, but I don't think this is repetitive.

Sorry, I didn't have the patience right now to cross reference the three sources at the moment.

[Rozovian]

Not gonna listen to three sources. Too lazy. Maybe later.

Intro synth need longer release. Pan modulation on the backing... works better when it's not alone like that. The drums could use some more processing, but I think those sample can work. I don't like them much, tho. They're a bit unevenly processed, too, you've got loud snares at 1:35, but the snares then get buried in the soundscapes for the rest of the track. Needs to be more balanced with the other sounds. Sounds like it's you compression that's screwing with it. Less compression on master, more compression on the individual tracks.

The track, overall, is a little quiet. Needs to have the tracks balanced, then some master compression to boost it a few dB. Read up on mixing and especially compression, and try to listen for those weird volume jumps in your track, there's a few around 3:40 that you can trey listening for. Avoid having those.

As for the writing, I think it's passable. The tracks would need to be better mixed, some might benefit from some faint reverb, others from EQ, but overall, I don't have a problem wit the writing. Dunno if it's interpretive enough, or if there's enough source, but I'd venture a guess that there's no shortage of source here.

This sounds promising. Good luck with it.

[DigitalDevilDrums]

Cool, thanks!

Yeah the compression was giving me a really hard time on this for some reason. I thought I had eliminated all the bumps in that last take, but maybe not. But it seems that everytime I EQed or compessed something, another problem would pop up as a result (or maybe I just couldn't hear it before). Anyway, I guess I need to try an figure that out some more.

As far as writing, the 3 source tunes are taken mostly verbatim, and mixed in different combinations, while the more improvisatory passage with the kinda bass/plunky instrument (I'm great at describing sounds) is original counterpoint.