Nabeel Ansari Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 Title says all. I used various Sci-Fi sounding instruments, some strings, and some piano to remix one of the best Megaman songs in history. There's also some of Forte's theme (well most of it actually)... Please give constructive criticism on how I can make this a little better. http://neblixsaber.googlepages.com/roboroadbattle.mp3 This is the mp3 if you need it. EDIT: I already know I need to change the ending (as said by Darkesword) so unless you have ideas on how to make the ending better please don't mention the ending. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psychol0gist Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 Mix sounds... revamped at best but nothing I would think as unique. Sticks a little too much to the source for my tastes. Needs a longer play time to pull it out and more input with your remixing techniques. There's fairly little to offer on the platter but I'll consider it an entree to the main course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nabeel Ansari Posted March 14, 2009 Author Share Posted March 14, 2009 I don't really know much about writing music (despite that I really tried to put something out there) So I'm really trying to make sense of what you told me So basically you are saying I need some more variation than the original and I need to add in my own stuff. Is that correct? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psychol0gist Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 In a nutshell, yes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nabeel Ansari Posted March 14, 2009 Author Share Posted March 14, 2009 Alright, thanks! W00T I CAN TALK MUSIC (joke) I'm still in middle school but I'm going to learn how to write music in high school. So it's probably gonna be two years until it's good enough to submit. T_T Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nabeel Ansari Posted March 14, 2009 Author Share Posted March 14, 2009 And thanks but I'm gonna wait for more opinions and feedback before I change it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nabeel Ansari Posted March 15, 2009 Author Share Posted March 15, 2009 Anyone else? I need some feedback, people. ToT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aselectbselect Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 First off, I've got to admit that I don't like the instrument choice - it sounds like default MIDI soundfonts, especially that bass, that 'plucked' thing that starts at :06, and those drum samples - they're so overplayed and easily recognizable that they're distracting. It's like using Comic Sans in a design job - most pros try to stay away from it, and with the wide selection of free softsynths and samples available online, there's just no reason to use those. (or things that sound similar, to give you the benefit of the doubt) The reverb is pretty heavy on a lot of the instruments, especially for those runs of 8th or 16th notes - things start sounding muddy, and you can't really pick out the parts that the individual instruments are playing. Especially at :56 when that dark bass hit comes in - it just gums everything up. Pulling back the background instruments and focusing on it would make it sound better, more epic. The bright piano/strings at 1:28 are good, and this is where the song feels like it starts to pick up... things are balanced a little better, for sure. So you've got a good idea, but what sounds like a rough draft, basicly - it needs a lot of polish, and swapping in higher quality instruments for what seem like essentially 'placeholders'. Also a lot of the accompaniment lines are pretty repetitive - it seems almost like some are repeating more 'because there's nothing better to put there' then 'because this is what the song needs there', you know? A little more variation would go a long way. Keep it up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nabeel Ansari Posted March 16, 2009 Author Share Posted March 16, 2009 Alright this is a little more specific and something I can work with. Okay now that I have something to work from it might take some time but now I know how to make it better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nabeel Ansari Posted April 6, 2009 Author Share Posted April 6, 2009 I just recently acquired Megaman sound effects. During the Bass part, there is now a laser battle between Megaman and Bass. I couldn't find any Megaman 7 sound effects, so I used X6 sound effects and deepened Dynamo's voice for Bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nabeel Ansari Posted April 6, 2009 Author Share Posted April 6, 2009 Alright never mind I'm gonna start this remix over from scratch. There's a lot of damage that would take too long to undo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gario Posted April 6, 2009 Share Posted April 6, 2009 I'm still in middle school but I'm going to learn how to write music in high school. Why wait until High School? When it comes to composition, it's not like they'll teach you very much. No, if you want to get started early, by all means do so! Your brother DS is a well respected remixer here at OC (as I'm sure you know), so take advantage of that and ask him about particular aspects of composition. Also, when you listen to music, start listening to it actively. Instead of just absorbing your favorite music, listen to exactly what you like (or don't like) about it and make a mental note of it. For example, if I were to do this with your piece (which is what your asking for when you ask people to review and critique ), I'd say the sample quality isn't good, much of the syncopation that is in the source (and makes it colorful) is lacking, and the mixing & mastering is poor. The tonality was off in some area, thus taking the piece as a whole down with it (like at 0:32 - those harmonies are off). The drums, while weak in the beginning, actually were quite initeresting when it picked up later. The idea of using Bass' theme in the middle was provokative and held my interest, and the sound bites, although used a bit heavily, added to the effect. Now, as a composer, this is what I'm thinking to myself. Mixing and mastering really contributes to a piece as a whole, so I will make sure that I don't make the levels to painfully loud in my own music. If a source is syncopated I will be careful when making the rhythm straight (or possibly not make that kind of change in my music). Using another theme in a mix was interesting, perhaps I'll consider doing it for one of my own mixes. Sound bites are interesting, maybe I'll add them to my own stuff... etc. etc. etc. That last paragraph is basically what goes through my mind when I'm listening to any piece of music - I try to take what I can out of it and make a mental note of what worked and what didn't. Don't wait for high school to start composing - give it time, listen to music critically, squeeze information out of your brother (and the rest of us, if you can, that's what I'm doing ), and try to keep writing every day. Before you know it you'll be a very decent composer/remixer (and you'll be able to show it off at high school, not just learn it ). Oh, and the tutorial forums are quite nice - I'd recommend reading them and any other book on music you can get your hands on. Music theory isn't required, but it helps. I wish you the best! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nabeel Ansari Posted April 8, 2009 Author Share Posted April 8, 2009 The reason I'll wait is because there's a lot going on right now and I can't exactly focus on the remix, which is why it sucks. -.- I'm gonna take some music classes in high school. While you said they don't teach me much, I'll still learn stuff I don't already know and it might just prove to be useful. I'm in the process of redoing the whole thing, and after tomorrow I'll be able to sit down and work out all of the effects and instruments and stuff. I've only started this because I thought DS's remixes were cool, but I realized a little while ago there's a lot more to it than making it sound cool. My knowledge of Fruityloops is also very basic if not completely useless, so I need to spend a little more time on it (I usually wander about in the world of Gaia, Fanfiction, Youtube, DeviantArt, etc.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gario Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 Heh, alright, that's fine. I understand, your still busy with school and stuff - in that case just keep remixing for fun, then on your own time. That'll keep you in shape, and the people here are willing to help out, if you post on the WIP forums. Have fun and good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nabeel Ansari Posted April 9, 2009 Author Share Posted April 9, 2009 Heh, alright, that's fine. I understand, your still busy with school and stuff - in that case just keep remixing for fun, then on your own time. That'll keep you in shape, and the people here are willing to help out, if you post on the WIP forums.Have fun and good luck. Alrighty then, thanks. I shall now disappear from OCR for a few weeks... IAMTHEBLACKMAGE *poof* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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