*NO* Chrono Trigger 'The Fall of Zeal' *RESUB*

[Liontamer]

Remixer name: Darangen

Real name: Michael Boyd

Email: darangen@hotmail.com

Remix Info

Remixed Game: Chrono Trigger

Name of Song: Schala's Theme

Comments:

Resubmitting this. The original judge decisions are at http://www.ocremix.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=46935. This is about as far as I'm willing to change anything on this, so don't ask for another resumbission. Some of the things I've changed include samples, volumes, layers, additional parts, and a new ending that doesn't fade out. As much as I didn't want to change some of the samples, I did anyways (I really wanted that violin sound, it whined, and that's what I wanted). Contrary to popular belief, I meant for the piano to be one of the leading instruments, but I turned that down too since everyone thought it was too loud. I layered some of the instruments so they wouldn't pierce any ears. I added strings, harps, drums, and synths to the middle section where it used to be solo piano as well. And lastly, I took out the fading ending and reworked it. I added some reverb here and there to give it a more spaced out feel too, it may seem to be much, but I wanted to keep a sombre mood. This is as far as I can change things without it losing my original vision.

Hope you all like it this way.

- Michael 'Darangen' Boyd

[Vig]

there are some problems with the mixing. the strings have a very strange attack...the sample just isnt very pleasant. reverb could have helped. there are some drum issues, too much reverb or compression on the kick.

The biggest problem is still the arrangement. I told darengen this a few weeks ago when i chose not to resubmit it for him. The arrangemetn starts out alright, but then it completely drops to almost nothing 1/4 of the way in, and spends the rest of the song slowly building, but way too slowly. it pretty much isnt going anywhere. The arrangement is very anticlimactic.

Dynamically the arrangement just isnt well thought-out.

NO

[Israfel]

One problem (and this may just be me) that I hear is the opening progression. This i-VII movement is unfortunately rather cliche, but you seem enamored with it such that it is repeated throughout- gives the piece a somewhat derivative feel. But originality is a bit overrated anyway, so I'll try to overlook it.

However, when that progression returns at about 3:40, the oboe solo part being played over it seems almost entirely random- it sounds like you were just trying to find notes that fit with the harmony rather than writing an effective melody. And this is one of the few mixes where I think that a focused, shorter length would result in a more satisfying form. This piece tended to drag on a bit without any real forward momentum.

While a valiant effort with no tremendously serious problems, it never really manages to rise above a competent mediocrity- nothing horribly bad, but nothing particularly good either.

As such, I'm siding with a somewhat borderline NO

[Liontamer]

http://www.snesmusic.org/spcsets/ct.rsn - "Sara's (Schala's) Theme" (ct-3-06.spc)

This one still has some issues, and I'm sure will snag some more NOs, but I felt the arrangement was where it needed to be, despite the fact that I thought the reverb (which was purposeful) could have been toned down (ah shaddap), and the instrument combinations should have sounded more cohesive. There was a lot of improvement here compared to the original version.

I thought the piano opening (:00-:32) worked pretty well myself and the piano was a strong point for the track. I think the percussion could be more subtle at times, like I would use just cymbals during the piano solo rather than drums. Nonetheless, from 1:08-2:28, I liked the way Mike placed additional elements here to fill out the piece during the melancholy piano solo. Good escalation by changing the sound of the synth strings at 2:11, before picking things up with the added perc work and the glassy Schala's melody lead at 2:28.

At times the percussion activity meshed really well with the rest, like from 3:40-4:27. During this same time, I thought the oboe lead came off a lot less haphazard than Izz feels, but I thought it was really exposed and should have sounded more realistic, or at least scaled back significantly.

This did a pretty good job taking limited parts from Schala's Theme and expanding upon them with good original ideas (most noticeably done by the piano). Could stand to be not as long like Izz pointed out, and the realism of the choir vox, strings & woodwind are all gonna hold this back, so I think Mike has some ways to go on his synth work.

Nonetheless (even though it's stupid Schala's theme) the overall presentation was adequate and the arrangement took the source material in what I felt was a compositionally new direction. Vig has a problem with the dynamics here and I can easily see it from his angle, but I felt the track was more appropriate with a fairly constant, subtle construction.

(I was originally YES-borderline, but have changed my vote. Check it out below.)

[GrayLightning]

I have to say I rather enjoyed it. Having two schala mixes on OCR, I'm really familiar with the source material and am hard to please. I'm always looking for a new take of the material instead of the generic Fruityloops preset take of the mix.

It does have the sense of dragging on, but on the other hand with both the composition and production I felt it created a very otherworldly and enjoyable soundscape. I particularly like the harp and piano writing and the interplay between them has to be one of my favorite parts of the mix. While I think the reverb is appropriate in the piece to give it a lusher sound, I think the piano could have been slightly dryer.

I think the percussion tended to lose focus as it went on. But it's kind of low key anyway and not a focal point of the mix. I wish the viola sample was better, but solo strings are not only hard to find, but incredibly difficult to sequence anyway.

The anticlimactic feel I thought was perfect for this kind of a mix, there was a sense of constant immersion at least for me. Dynamically, the piano parts could have been better put together though.

For me it comes down to the arrangement, which I quite enjoyed and found refreshing. There are problems, but I don't feel it's significant enough for a no from me. An effective and immersive mix. Good outweighs the bad, so YES

Schala is better than caramella.

[Malcos]

I like the piano work in this, although I don't like those strings, the attack isn't pleasant, that's the main issue for me. The remixer has created a nice mood here, good use of reverb in most places. I had a bit of a problem with the oboe, thought it was a too prominent, but overall, the atmosphere was there and so as such, the mix was effective, and I enjoyed listening to it.

I am borderline because of some of the sound issues, but swinging towards a

YES

Keep all of our criticisms in mind for future mixes to make your future stuff even more effective.

[danny B]

First off, I like the overall style going on here. It's a somewhat unique take on an overused original. I'll focus on the major drawbacks first.

The length is easily too long. There are 3 minutes of musical ideas here in a 5:30+ package. Brevity would be to this tune's advantage. There is obviously an attempt at emotional showcasing, but it is so drawn out and unfocused that it comes off as overly melodramatic. Coming to a climax earlier, and working down from there in a tighter timeframe would make this song bunches more solid.

Sound quality as a whole has some nice spots but mostly falls below the bar for me. The piano is definately one of the higher quality offerings i've heard lately. After an intro insinuating a piano-centric mix of impeccable quality, the screechy-GM MIDI violin comes in. It features static velocity, and little, if any, DSP. For an instrument so far forth in the mix, this really needs more attention such as EQ and a respectable amount of reverb. Now, the whole echo/reverb percussion thing comes off as more lazy than anything here. It doesn't really introduce any kind of interesting element rhythmically or texturally[sic]. It sound like a very simple drum beat got put through an echo machine. In short, it's uninspired and bland.

This isn't a terribly bad thing that would cause me to reject a mix, but in combination with the kick sample that goes BOOM BOOM BA BOOM, I have some reservations. The kick absolutely dominates the entire mix, when it should simply occupy the majority of the low end. It either needs to release sooner, in conjuction with the percussions' rhythm, or a drier kick needs to be used. As it is now, all I hear when that part comes in is RUMBLY BUMBLY DIN!!!

Then, the only hope arrives - the Oboe. Upon hearing this new addition to the mix, I was hopeful. Then, my hopes were immediatly dashed - the same problems plaguing the violin now plagued the oboe. Static velocity, and a very GM quality. So really, upon trudging through 3:30 of this track, the same exact problem again rears its gruesome countenance. Not to mention that the melody sounds largely derivative and has no real life to itself. It sounds like random note selection from the key. Then, utilizing an elementary addition/subtraction scheme, the mixer brings this one to an unsatisfying end.

I could go on, but the other judges have covered most of my sentiments, save the ones voting YES.

NO

-D

[zykO]

i understand an artist's desire for his work's integrity... i can never allow myself to go back and change older work drastically in terms of arrangement, instrumentation or plan concept. so i respect your decision not to re-sub again if this is rejected.

however, i do not think this track works for me as it is right now. there is little going on in this track. its been mentioned before about the length - it doesn't bode well for a song that the listener's attention wanes a bit... i found myself distracted by other things several times and not in a good, zoning way...

for an emotionally charged track, this comes across too detached. far more than i'm willing to ignore and pretend isn't an issue - a couple have already mentioned a few things about the general lack of dynamic.

i'm not so concerned about the sound quality. the violin did bug but you already mentioned that the tone is part of the vision so there's no point criticizing it.

i'm sorry man but this just doesn't do enough to offset its bland demeanor.

have to give it a NO

[Liontamer]

I've done a great deal of thinking about this track over the last couple of days and have decided to do a rare, but I feel justified, change of vote on this. My original vote was YES-borderline, which y'all can read above.

For the record, I have to point out that no one asked me to reconsider my vote or attempted to change my mind. One important thing djp pointed out in our vote on Gecko Yamori's recent submission was that we've been rejecting material that looks to be about 70-80% where it ought to be. Me deciding to change my vote wasn't a case of me saying to myself "let me up my bar". Say what you will, those on and off the panel, but I think my bar is very high. What it really boils down to is that listening to this track even more has shown me some nagging issues that really hold the track back and ultimately say to me that it's not at the level it needs to be for passage.

Though I liked the percussion from 3:40-4:27, the activity from 3:23-3:40 & 4:27-5:01 that was disagreeable before really didn't mesh well at all with the other instruments in play. The sound of the perc work relative to the piece as a whole was an issue brought up by others for other times. Yet I felt these were the most troublesome areas there, while other spots weren't a problem or at least as much of a problem.

Also, the oboe coming in at 3:40 also didn't sit in well with the rest of the track either, and would have came across better with some reverb or effects to not have the poor sample so exposed. It shouldn't have been so loud in the forefont, and could have been pulled back a bit, especially since it detracts rather than adds to the melancholy feel that the piece is ultimately going for. Some light layering helped alleviate the problems, but going until 5:21 the oboe definitely was a weak element that became too significant of an issue for the last 2 minutes of the piece, weakening the close of the track.

There were a lot of highlights to this piece, and my positives for it are still the same, so those of you who are interested should really read them above. The arrangement was excellent to me. I certainly liked how a lot of the other techniques employed came off, and disagreed with other judges on both the impact of the lack of dynamic contrast and the alleged randomness of the composition in some areas.

Along with Darangen fielding comments from other people, including judges, I worked with Mike on suggestions and criticisms in order to revise the mix, so to say that it grates on me to change my vote on the mix is an understatement. I know Mike made this track for sentimental reasons, and I also disliked the artistic compromises he made with himself in order to resubmit the track, as that's nothing I feel an artist should do when attempting to revise a piece. Nonetheless, I can't help but feel that, upon even more listens, this mix falls behind on performance despite exceeding in creativity.

There are other tracks of Mike's that I'm looking forward to. I thought CT "The Depths of Isolation" was too liberal for OC, but having also voted on FF6 "Forsaken World", I don't think there'll be any problems on that one. I hate to seemingly downplay the Fall of Zeal, Mike, especially since there's no chance of it being resubmitted again, but I hope the mix was at least a useful experience in immersing yourself in synth work only and providing the foundations for stronger, more balanced work of that nature in the future.

NO