[LoZ:LA] Shrine of Destiny

[dbrown1986]

--=[ Done by request of Artwaste ]=--

(So even if this goes nowhere I can still send you the MP3 if you like it Art).

Request Thread: http://ocremix.org/forums/showthread.php?t=30438

ReMixer: DJ H3L10S, DarkSim

Real Name: David Brown, DarkSim

E-Mail: dbrown1986@hotmail.com, biocolor09@hotmail.com

Website: http://www.myspace.com/biocolor09

UserID #: 30784

Game(s) Arranged: Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening

Song(s) Arranged: Southern Face Shrine

Composers: Kazumi Totaka, Minako Hamano & Kozue Ishikawa

OST Link: http://www.zeldauniverse.net/download.php?type=soundtracks&sector=linksawakeningost&file=56%20-%20Southern%20Shrine

UPDATED

Overview:

Rev. 1: Starting point, nice; but needs more.

Rev. 2: Livened up the drums with some Equalization. Also added in a soft choir element; that sounds nice, but I'm not quite sure if it adds a good element to the arrangement overall.

Rev. 3: Changed the style of the final synth, although I'm not sure it sits well with the rest of the arrangement.

Rev. 4: Added bass harmonics and adjusted drums (per NE's suggestion).

Rev. 5: Drums came in over the top on last revision, made volume and leveling adjustments.

Rev. 6: More drum adjustments.

Rev. 7: Converted Drum Samples to Addictive Drums; added portomento (1/32) to the bass melody & mastered all patterns/steps.

Rev. 8: Gave the drums more OOMPH in this revision, definitely the ONE.

Rev. 9: EXCELLENT rendition by DarkSim.

Rev. 10: DarkSim adjusted some of his work.

Rev. 11: DarkSim is on vacation. Made some adjustments to his additions, downscaled the bass, uplifted the snare.

Rev. 12: Snare lead-in came in to heavy, made adjustments.

(OLD) OCR Revision #8: http://soundcloud.com/dbrown1986/loz-links-awakening-shrine-of-destiny-ocr-canidate-revision-8 (Drum dB adjustment)

(OLD) OCR Revision #9: http://www.tindeck.com/listen/idte (Bass and additional synth added by DarkSim)

(OLD) OCR Revision #10: http://www.tindeck.com/listen/ihzh (Darksim made some adjustments to his bass and leads.)

(OLD)OCR Revision #11: http://www.tindeck.com/listen/dqrf (Adjustments to DarkSims bass and snare)

(NEW) OCR Revision #12: http://www.tindeck.com/listen/uedo (Snare adjustments)

[No Escape]

I really enjoyed the harmonies in the intro, I just wish you had less mechanical sounding patches. A little more cymbal work would definitely help this track a lot as well. This is my genre of music, nor my style of track, but I'm really diggin this for some reason. For the genre, you could definitely use some bass. The kick sounds sick, but I feel like I should be hearing bass slides everywhere. It would give you another layer of rhythm that could create more changes in the track. I say all this, but this track seems relatively easy to listen to as is.

BTW, I'm not a mod and I'm relatively new, so I'm not busting your balls, but I think you're supposed to put your track as "finished" first, and then "mod review" after some feedback (I've seen how some mods are about this crap). Of course, this could be considered feedback from a non-mod, so maybe you're alright after all . By the way, what's a user bar? As you can see, my profile is very visually lacking. Any chance you could hook me up with a sig?

P.S. I'm trying to start a project, and I like your work. Check out THIS THREAD and let me know if you can cover something.

[No Escape]

Better... But not quite it. Listen to 2:00-2:15 of this track to understand what I'm saying. I'm talking about deep bass, using slides (starting on a harmonic and sliding down to the root note)

Let me know once you've heard it, as I'm not supposed to let ppl here it until it's released.

[dbrown1986]

So at 2:00 it starts high and elevates down towards the note at 2:15, that prob wouldn't sound to good with the arrangement (unless I made some MAD changes); and I'm not sure that this far in I could match something like that with the tempo either.

Besides the sliding bass; what else could you imagine working with this? I'm trying to encompass a wide variety, but I want to make sure that I'm not being repititive while at the same time, I have to make sure that the track doesn't sound mooshy or blends with other harmonics.

[No Escape]

LOL NO!!! I'm talking about individual bass slides. There are 3 of them in that window. They start one octave above the root note, and slide down before the next note in the progression is hit (4 bass notes per progression, or 4 measures if you will). Listen carefully. I know you're using headphones, so the bass response isn't there exactly, but listen for the sound of a note moving down. In this case, the note's are C# and C on a Keyboard. In this case, each slide is about 2 seconds long. By the way, sig request?

[dbrown1986]

I left a message on your profile about the sig, read that then send me a PM about it.

I am using headphones, and FruityLoops; is a slide possible on FL? If so, do you know how, I got a slide in there but I think it kind of sounds like shit.

[No Escape]

I thought you have a Korg keyboard. I have a Korg N1 and I just use a bass patch and the "portamento" setting. I don't know if FL has this, but I would ask some FL users (specifically Zircon, who is an FL expert) if it's possible to portamento in FL.

[dbrown1986]

I started out with a Korg; it was my Dad's.

I contacted Zircon about using that function in FL.

I listened to your track; I'm guessing by sliding you mean the notes from 2:00 - 2:15 that slide/blend into a lower octave rather than just switching to a lower octave? Sort of almost like a turn-table powering down? If not with FruityLoops, I can do this with Adobe Audition, but even I'm not sure what windows would work best in the composition; and if I can keep with the tempo.

[dbrown1986]

Figured out the slide; got that in there and its ALL OVER the place, sounds GREAT. Also gave the drums and kick a TOTAL MAKEOVER. Likewise; I'm moving this over to finished for more critique.

[Sbeast]

I just listened to both the source and the latest revision. The style works great for this piece, sort of ambient/electronica or something. But its lacking a couple of things. I'm hearing no bass at all, or maybe its just very low in the mix. That would really fill out the space and give some more depth to the song. The kick fits well, and I like all the synth choices. Although there is some, it needs a bit more dynamic contrast. I can imagine it building towards a huge climax near the end. The added synth starting at 01:40 helps, but it needs even more. Hope that helps.

[dbrown1986]

I just listened to both the source and the latest revision. The style works great for this piece, sort of ambient/electronica or something. But its lacking a couple of things. I'm hearing no bass at all, or maybe its just very low in the mix. That would really fill out the space and give some more depth to the song. The kick fits well, and I like all the synth choices. Although there is some, it needs a bit more dynamic contrast. I can imagine it building towards a huge climax near the end. The added synth starting at 01:40 helps, but it needs even more. Hope that helps.

Sounds like you might have listened to Rev. 6 or Rev. 7, everything is a little more apparent in Rev. 8 (which I JUST posted). The melody is dubbed with a portomento baseline throughout most of the song starting at 0:37 and running throughout the song until 2:45. Are you suggesting I use a different kind of base, or just liven it up a little? Also, at this point if I add any more harmonies or synths; although they might fit well; it might start to congest the track and perhaps make it sound too mushy; desperately strung-out and far too blended. This OCR is more or less source based; the closing Synth is all the climax I feel it deserves; anything more will overpower the rest of the arrangement.

[Sbeast]

It was Rev. 8 but I thought that was just a synth accompaniment part. I would add a deep sounding bass that follows the chord progression in time with the kick drum. Just a suggestion really, it might work. I agree that you don't want the end to sound cluttered or anything but I feel it just needs something more to distinguish it from the previous sections. Maybe a variation on the percussion?

Well either way its sounding decent, well done!

[No Escape]

So I listened to the newest rendition ( and I can see your working hard here. After hearing it in the mix, I'll agree with SBeast and say that there needs to be a regular bassline following the kick. Maybe have the portamento come in after 4 measures of the drums playing and tone them down in the mix a little. I like the changes made, and I would keep them. And, dude check out my sweet user bar.

[dbrown1986]

Okay guys!

I totally agree that a port on the kick would be a nice touch; but should that be off beat 1/3 or 3/4? Also; I'm playing around a bit with it; but as of yet, I can't really get a good note out of it, everything I've thrown in with the kick sounds really bad. No Escape, or SB, you've listened to the song enough at this point; where would you put it? The notes of the source are so awkward that it's hard for one or two notes in portomento to stay with the beat and the melody (especially the melody, as it goes off tune). What notes would you place 'em at?

FYI - I have no degree in M.T. so I'm pretty much mainstream; doing this stuff on my spare time.

This is how I see patterns and time signatures; and I think I'm way off...

□--□ (1/3)

-□---□ (2/4)

--□---□ (3/4)

---□---□ (4/4)

-------□-------□ (8/8)

-------□---------------□ (8/16)

---------------□---------------□ (16/16)

---------------□-------------------------------□ (16/32)

-------------------------------□-------------------------------□ (32/32)

[DarkSim]

Whoa, I just listened to this for the first time and

popped straight into my head - of course LA came before GTA IV (the track's called "King Ring" by Seryoga), but damn that's a similar motif. Also with that in mind, try taking a bit of inspiration from this song regarding the bass and drums - I'm dying to hear a beefy kick drum and bass in your remix somewhere, but even the drums as you have now just still aren't powerful enough.

Of course, if you're going for an airy, ambient feel then it's fine how they are now really, but I don't think there's enough variation in the track otherwise to make that genre really work. I think an extra melody layer in the higher frequency register would also fill out this track nicely - some chance to have a go at an improv solo or something after about 2:12 if you build up to it a bit more using some sweeps or something, maybe even lengthen the track another 4-8 bars if you add in some more original material.

Apart from that though you've got a really nice track here that sounds well produced and just in need of that extra something to make it shine, keep working on it!

EDIT: check your PMs

[dbrown1986]

I think most of the gaps we were looking to fill have been taken care of by DarkSim. Now we just have to wait for a mod to say Yay or Nay.

[Sbeast]

Now were talking! The bass really fills out the frequency spectrum and the added synth at the end is a nice addition. Great stuff from both of you.

[Cyril the Wolf]

I appreciate bass, but reign in on it a little bit, it really drowns out stuff when it comes in the first time. The second time its beautiful. But the first time it comes in it really overpowers, I have no idea why.

I feel like the snare could come up a little. (these are quibbles but quibbles are what makes things perfect)

The rest, great.

[No Escape]

Ok now we're talkin. Great revisions. Cyril's right, the added bass is a bit too heavy, but that's just a fader move. The rest sounds good. Good stylization, good transitions, and over-all good flow. One more thing though: the cymbal swells that are panned to the left should be centered a little more and brought down just a bit. Over-all, this track is definitely coming along just fine.

[dbrown1986]

I agree; the bass is a bit much, I'll be doing some leveling work on it, see if I can't bring out the the notes that are being drowned out and tone down the bass a little. DarkSim is on vacation; and with the latest touch being his work, it would be a bit difficult to ask him to make these changes.

I would if I could, but he uses another program; and I use FL Studio.

BTW - Beat another game I MIGHT do a mix for later, have a look here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFLP3ETMmZQ

EDIT: Made adjustments to the bass and snare; check first page.

[DarkSim]

BREAKING: Turns out my work has unblocked OCR so I can actually get on here! I'll try and make those changes when I can, but if you can fiddle with the track to get it to sound more balanced, then go for it. It should be possible as I only have the Kick and bass below 100Hz, with the kick slightly lower, so try quietening the frequency around 100-150Hz.

Thanks for the feedback as well guys, with those cymbal builds I have actually panned them towards the centre as they come in from the left. In hindsight, it was probably a little too subtle, but it is there

I just added that snare in to replace the first one I had, I felt that any louder and it started to really overpower the intricacies of the track, so I left it perhaps a little quieter than I would have. I'll see if I can bring it up a little next time I have a play with it.

Also, big thanks to dbrown/H3L10S for being cool about me hijacking his track! I just sort of had a moment of inspiration and decided to see how I could make it sound "better", and he's been supportive of my work, so thanks a lot

This track is still very much his though, so I don't wanna take too much credit for it.

PS. GarageBand? Lol... I'm using Ableton Live

[dbrown1986]

BREAKING: Turns out my work has unblocked OCR so I can actually get on here! I'll try and make those changes when I can, but if you can fiddle with the track to get it to sound more balanced, then go for it. It should be possible as I only have the Kick and bass below 100Hz, with the kick slightly lower, so try quietening the frequency around 100-150Hz.

Thanks for the feedback as well guys, with those cymbal builds I have actually panned them towards the centre as they come in from the left. In hindsight, it was probably a little too subtle, but it is there

I just added that snare in to replace the first one I had, I felt that any louder and it started to really overpower the intricacies of the track, so I left it perhaps a little quieter than I would have. I'll see if I can bring it up a little next time I have a play with it.

Also, big thanks to dbrown/H3L10S for being cool about me hijacking his track! I just sort of had a moment of inspiration and decided to see how I could make it sound "better", and he's been supportive of my work, so thanks a lot

This track is still very much his though, so I don't wanna take too much credit for it.

PS. GarageBand? Lol... I'm using Ableton Live

I did some leveling work, so you should check it out when you have a chance. Sorry I read in an old post (http://ocremix.org/forums/showthread.php?t=30408) that you used GB.

[dbrown1986]

this song needs mod review please.

[halc]

hey, this is pretty interesting actually. my main complaints are that it gets repetitive, and the beginning is pretty sparse. i'd like to have heard the drums come in way earlier, and then some more variation in instruments and such in the second half. it's also pretty conservative. production is pretty well balanced, with some creative sound choices. overall, i enjoy this quite a bit but i think the arrangement needs a little more variation to keep it from getting too boring, and perhaps a bit more original writing. nice work here, and best of luck