Orchestrated Chrono Trigger medley

[djdanlib]

Here is a preview of what I'm doing: Millennium 2 (preliminary title, 4:11, approx. 8 MB)

Included in this arrangement are: 600 AD and Schala's Theme. There are a few short little nuggets included as well.

I have been working on this all summer, and have wanted to do this for a couple years. After a few false starts earlier in the year, all these pieces are finally together to create an early preview of what I'm trying to do. It's better to release an unfinished product than to work indefinitely when no one can hear it!

So.. I hope fans of the game will enjoy it, and I also hope the next version of this track will be even better!

[docnano]

I hear you -- working on a track for months without soliciting feedback can drive me crazy, even if it's not quite ready for prime time yet. I applaud you for sharing at this stage.

This is a pleasant mix, pretty well arranged, and certainly evocative of the source (not a bad thing!). However, the fact that it doesn't stray too far from the original source could pose a problem for the judges should you submit it in the future, so I'd encourage you to explore more variation -- rhythmically, harmonically, instrumentally. I like the variation introduced at 2:10; more of this and other similar ideas would be great.

Varying up the tempo could add some nice drama. Some dramatic ritardandi between some sections would be nice (e.g. leading into the section starting at 2:10), as well as more subtle changes to shape melodic phrases. I think this is an under-utilized technique in many remixes on this site, and is especially important for orchestral works.

The flute playing the melody is really nicely expressive -- volume changes and vibrato are well used. You might consider changing up the melodic line a little bit when it comes back around, or giving the lead to another instrument (or even some sort of duet).

At 1:20, the spiccato (?) strings sound pretty good, but they clash with the legato strings. Maybe decide one way or the other, or switch one of them to a different instrument set. This section could use some (light) woodwinds, maybe? Also, what about adding some more mid-range tones to the string parts in general?

Finally, I'm not really feeling the transition at 3:00. It seems like mellow, ALL OF A SUDDEN LOUD, then mellow. You could try introducing this (and the next section) more gradually, or explore other transitions.

I hope my suggestions aren't too overwhelming. This is a good start, and you should definitely continue working on this. I've been working on one remix off and on for over a year now, and it's still evolving...

[Rooch20]

I really like the Schala theme at the end. I hope that, if you have the time, you can make it as a separate remix.

[Scrap McNapps]

:40 the flute is too far behind for this part. This is related to strings being too far in front.

2:59 The brass samples for this made the transition underwhelming. It also didn’t feel right (trust me, I am guilty of doing this too). It went from calm, to triumphant loud, to dreamy. Ditch the loud.

Overall an interesting arrangement. I look forward to hearing an update.

[djdanlib]

Wow guys, I got totally sidetracked from this project ages ago and recently remembered it. I should revisit it. Also, someone PMed me ages ago about a little collaboration on it.

Thanks for all the detailed feedback (you guys are absolutely right) and yes, I was starting to tinker with the Schala theme at the end and sort of split it off and had a jazzy type of thing happening with it... it's hard to describe, but it's not even long enough to consider posting yet.

Sorry for 6 month old thread necromancy without music! Hopefully soon I will get a real update together!