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Chrono Trigger Undersea Palace


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It's funny - I'd think that this source would be one of the 'over-mixed' sources on OCR (due to it's awesomeness), yet it only has two or three mixes... How sad.

I find the instrumentation to be a bit out of place for the beginning. The guitar is a bit out of place (even if it will be real - it just sounds slapped onto the song, as it is), the pan flute clashes against the guitar, at this point (not note wise, just instrumentation-wise), and the strings are a bit bland. I really like the idea presented at 1:52, though. Very interesting 'Asian' sound to that, combined with some electronic awesomeness. The pan flute is awesome from this point on, as well.

If it were me I'd actually start the song there and develop those ideas - that's where it really starts to get going, for me :-P.

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I think that if you make the arpreggio part change up a bit, it'd be a little easier on the ears; either that or make the rhythm more in the background, because it's a bit too distracting in the foreground. Love your ethnic instruments, great touch there.

The transitions between parts is also a bit random, Yes, the parts do transition at the correct bars, but you need some sort of hook, like an orchestral cymbol or something of the like.

Nonetheless, this is a great piece; can't wait to hear more.

BTW - which Orchestral VST are u using GT?? I want that lol.

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It's funny - I'd think that this source would be one of the 'over-mixed' sources on OCR (due to it's awesomeness), yet it only has two or three mixes... How sad.

I find the instrumentation to be a bit out of place for the beginning. The guitar is a bit out of place (even if it will be real - it just sounds slapped onto the song, as it is),

Are you talking about the shamisen or the powerchords? 'Cause the electric guitar powerchords ARE real in this version.

the pan flute clashes against the guitar, at this point (not note wise, just instrumentation-wise), and the strings are a bit bland.

I'll see what I can do with the strings. As for the pan flute... perhaps you mean the ehru? There's no wind instrument until the zourna comes in at 1:20.

I really like the idea presented at 1:52, though. Very interesting 'Asian' sound to that, combined with some electronic awesomeness. The pan flute is awesome from this point on, as well.

Thanks :D; I'm quite proud of this section. (Actually, it's a dizi, not a pan flute, but the sound is quite similar)

If it were me I'd actually start the song there and develop those ideas - that's where it really starts to get going, for me :-P.

I'll definitely play around with the asian vibe and see where it goes.

I think that if you make the arpreggio part change up a bit, it'd be a little easier on the ears; either that or make the rhythm more in the background, because it's a bit too distracting in the foreground. Love your ethnic instruments, great touch there.

I actually wanted the arpeggio part to be really bearing, really heavy, really tense, to enhance the feel of a "release" when it changes at 1:20. Perhaps I overdid it a bit, though...

The transitions between parts is also a bit random, Yes, the parts do transition at the correct bars, but you need some sort of hook, like an orchestral cymbol or something of the like.

I'm debating exactly what I want to do with the transitions; I'm torn between making them smoother and making them even more jarring -- sort of a MAKE YOU SHIT BRICKS transition. I'll probably experiment with both.

Nonetheless, this is a great piece; can't wait to hear more.

BTW - which Orchestral VST are u using GT?? I want that lol.

THanks :D

Here's what I used:

GUITARS: my carvin DCiforgetwhatnumber electric and Guitar Rig 3

Strings: EastWest Quantum Leap Symphonic Orchestra Gold XP

Percussion: Sitar Nation and EastWest SD2

everything else: EastWest Quantum Leap RA

EDIT: Sorry, I lied: the Didjeridoo and the Dizi aren't RA; they're Bela-D Spiritual Wind.

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I'm definitely a fan of ethnic instruments in pieces. I've used pan flute a lot myself. Sounds like you got a shamisen in there as well?

Whether or not the guitar goes with the song is subjective, I personally don't have a problem with it and actually would like to hear the guitars a tad bit more present in the mix. I know they aren't the main focus, but it's one of those deals where it feels like I'm listening to this orchestral song and my roommate is playing guitar back in his room or something.

The repeating strings you got goin on sounds good......for a while.....but listening to it for a solid 1:20 seems a bit much.

Sorry, I'm tapped out for the day and don't have a whole lot to offer =P

EDIT: lol, I see you posted below me, and in fact, you are using a shamisen, sweet! I love the instrument (check out yoshida brothers, they are amazing) and also I realized that I too made the mistake of thinking the other instrument as a pan flute!

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I thought it was cool. Then I heard the didgeridoo.

Now it's fucking awesome.

Still, you need to do more with the background strings than just repeat them into oblivion.

And there's something less tangible wrong with it... some kind of vague auditory smudging, the instruments blending together in a not-good kinda way. I don't have a proper music vocabulary to describe it.

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Yes, Schala's theme works very well.

As for all of my mistakes, I'm not familiar with any of the instruments that you listed me for being wrong with... probably why I attributed them to other instruments, lol. My bad.

As for the guitar (I was talking about the guitar :P) I believe the tone sort of threw me off. It makes the sound blend a little too much, making it sound mechanical, for me (That's personal preference, though - nothing wrong with the tone, technically).

So was that a Didgeridoo at 1:52, there? I thought it was electronic, but now that you mention it... heh, it sounds very nice.

I'm debating exactly what I want to do with the transitions; I'm torn between making them smoother and making them even more jarring -- sort of a MAKE YOU SHIT BRICKS transition. I'll probably experiment with both.
BTW, I actually don't care HOW the transitions work, but other people here do, which is lame . Because progressional music doesn't HAVE to have good transitions, so long as the music over-all is awesome...apparently people don't listen to Led Zeppelin, Infected Mushroom, Opeth, System of a Down or any other equivalents to those styles =p

I'm actually a huge fan of 'kick-the-shit-out-of-you' sudden transitions. The psychological impact is awesome... just don't do it for every transition - keep it at once or twice per song to keep the full psychological impact.

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Here's what I used:

GUITARS: my carvin DCiforgetwhatnumber electric and Guitar Rig 3

Strings: EastWest Quantum Leap Symphonic Orchestra Gold XP

Percussion: Sitar Nation and EastWest SD2

everything else: EastWest Quantum Leap RA

EDIT: Sorry, I lied: the Didjeridoo and the Dizi aren't RA; they're Bela-D Spiritual Wind.

God dang, I suspected as much. Those things are bloody expensive eh. Oh well, Looks like I better start saving my peanuts lol.:tomatoface:

BTW, I actually don't care HOW the transitions work, but other people here do, which is lame . Because progressional music doesn't HAVE to have good transitions, so long as the music over-all is awesome...apparently people don't listen to Led Zeppelin, Infected Mushroom, Opeth, System of a Down or any other equivalents to those styles =p

Sorry for sounding two-faced there :S

(oh and can u stop by my EWJ thread to post your opinion :D)

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Agreeing with Spakku on the didgeridoo and Nubioso on percussion. Excellent choices.

I have to say, though, I read your comments before listening and was expecting bricks all over the room. But the transitions strike me as natural for some reason (maybe I've listened to enough Led Zeppelin, HoboKa?).

The mix itself is great (as is to be expected). I only heard one problem: there's a little glitch with the strings at 0:12, 0:19, 0:38, and 0:50. I'll agree with Nubioso that the strings can get to be a bit much but the overlying elements successfully push them into the background. The string instrument which replaces them at the end (the shamisen?) is very nice.

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I really like your idea here sir, very very much so. Try to make the intro build into everything a tad more, but it's a great concept. I'd like to speak to you about it.

Haha, if I'm interpereting you correctly.... sorry; at this point my plan is to do this one solo. BUT I may change my mind (and by "change my mind" I mean "get lazy and look for somebody else to finish my work for me")

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God dang, I suspected as much. Those things are bloody expensive eh. Oh well, Looks like I better start saving my peanuts lol.:tomatoface:

Hehe, actually, I just a month or two ago splurged on some new stuff, and had a couple libraries I hadn't made much use of yet, so with this mix I was specifically setting out to use every library I could, especially the new ones I just got. That way I could tell myself I was actually justified in paying that much goddamn money for them.

Sorry for sounding two-faced there :S

(oh and can u stop by my EWJ thread to post your opinion :D)

EWJ thread?

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Haha, if I'm interpereting you correctly.... sorry; at this point my plan is to do this one solo. BUT I may change my mind (and by "change my mind" I mean "get lazy and look for somebody else to finish my work for me")

Haha, right on man. Either way, we should work together again soon.:)

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  • 3 weeks later...

By the sound of it, you seem to have added some more of your ethnic instrumentation in the beginning. That was a good move, as it seems to fit in with the other half of you mix, now (which I loved). I don't know, though - I'm still not feeling the guitar in it. I think it's the sound your using for it - the distortion just brings in too much mud to the instrument, as it is. It sounds bland and dull - perhaps bringing out the upper mids to highs a bit will help make the sound sharper, fitting the instrument in with the rest of the music better (of course, be careful not to clip the other sounds while doing so 8-O).

The use of the guitar at 2:29 - 2:47 seems to conflict with the mood of the song there, for me... I just feel the power chords sound out of place at that spot. The way the rest of the notes are coming together there makes me want the guitar to use better counterpoint... meaning no power chords (Parallel 5ths are bad juju in counterpoint :|). I'd suggest a single note (or an octave - but that's hard on the guitar without using power chords) or using a counter-melody rather than power chords, there.

Telling a guitarist not to use power chords is like telling a pianist not to use arrpegios, I know - but I just feel that part of the song would be better without them (preparing to duck under the tomatos of the other guitarists out there, now :tomatoface:).

If your going to solo at 2:48, you'll need something else in the background to back the guitar better - I don't believe that the music there now will support a solo very well, as it stands. There's only a fifth that plays there statically - the solo has no place to move around to, either making it sound boring or just musically off, in the end :?. You could use the harmonies of the source to create a better backing for your solo at 2:48.

Otherwise, keep it up - I really do like where it's at, right now. I like the guitar, in general, and feel like it could stand out to make the music better, as a whole - it's just that I feel it isn't there, yet. Finish it... we want a finished product.

By the way, I like the Schala tune in there - it adds class.

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If your going to solo at 2:48, you'll need something else in the background to back the guitar better - I don't believe that the music there now will support a solo very well, as it stands. There's only a fifth that plays there statically - the solo has no place to move around to, either making it sound boring or just musically off, in the end :?. You could use the harmonies of the source to create a better backing for your solo at 2:48.

Actually, this is exactly what I was going for: bare, harsh, and exposed. More like sound effects and wankery than melodic soloing.

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Interesting mix. Was is just me, or did I not hear any music for the first near 4 seconds? Is that intentional? Or was there a lead-in missing? Sounds fine, either way, imho. I really have only 1 issue with it. The only issue is it seems a bit stale/bland. I understand you're going for just some changing mix of "sound effects and wankery", but are you going for more variety/originality with the composition itself?

Oh and the supposed "solo" @ 2:48? When I first heard the gregorian chant-like sustain, I thought How cool would that be if the entire piece were remixed like that? Then again, perhaps that's for the Request forum.

4 :-D out of 5 :-D

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Everything except the guitar sounds good to me. I like the percussion heavy approach. Guitar sounds good at 01:20-01:52 where it fills out the sound well. Elsewhere it draws attention but doesn't deliver. I agree with Gario on the sound, it's dull and kind of mushy, unexciting when it's exposed. I'll admit my bias, I've never been a fan of these sort of sustained power chords but I do think it would benefit from spicing up for other ears as well.

--Eino

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  • 1 month later...

I'm quite enjoying this. I'm eager to hear it all polished up, it's got a great feel to it.

If I had a gripe, it'd be that most of the transitions feel very sudden. I think with some lead-ins / lead-outs alone, this mix would feel a lot more polished.

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