AlmightyArceus Posted July 21, 2011 Author Share Posted July 21, 2011 ........no input on the new version? This has been up for over a week now.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emunator Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 Alright, this feels like it's improving but I think ultimately, you're being limited by the software/samples you have to work with. The drum, piano, and synth writing is definitely getting pretty good. You've got some awesome improvisation that fits the creepy mood of the source, and those runs after about 2:35 on the piano are damn cool! The sequencing on the piano still doesn't feel very realistic, it feels a little bit too quantized. I also noticed with this listen that the intro feels very detached and there's no real flow between that and the body of the mix. It just fades in and out, and then there's another fade-in at the start of the next section. You can definitely smooth out that transition further with the tools you've got. In my honest opinion, I'm starting to worry that Garage Band just doesn't have expressive enough samples to really carry an arrangement like this. I'm not gonna say it can't be done, because I don't really know the limits on what your DAW can and can't do, but right now it feels like sample quality is the biggest issue working against you here :\ Your arrangement here is becoming increasingly better with each update, but the sound quality overall is bringing it down in a major way. Maybe a collab might be in order if you really want to bring this up to the OCR bar? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlmightyArceus Posted August 16, 2011 Author Share Posted August 16, 2011 So this is just me messing around, but in this version, I played around with the fact that Tower of Heaven sounds like Secret of the Forest from Chrono Trigger. As such, I added a bit of it for the bridge of the song starting at about 3:10. This adds a new song to the mix but at the same time keeps the same sort of flow. I like what came out from this, considering the random addition to the song last night when I had the idea, but give me your opinion as to whether you like this version or the older version (5.1) better. Link: http://www.box.net/shared/ap612i1830k7mrhi5yz8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ad.mixx Posted August 17, 2011 Share Posted August 17, 2011 I wouldn't forget about this Technically, this is only the second version I've heard of this song. This one and the one right before the Chrono Trigger edit. I really like the lead synth you have there, and the works very well. The drums were a little weak, but I can tell that's not the point in this mix. The production is great for garageband. I really was hoping for a little more for the closing. Not sure what, but something felt missing. It might just be me though, so really don't worry about that comment too much unless other people agree. Good job on this though. I really like it. Hopefully you finish this soon if you haven't yet, I wanna see this on OCR! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cvramen Posted August 17, 2011 Share Posted August 17, 2011 You have accomplished the (what I feel is) difficult task of making this not sound too much like the original source material. Good work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlmightyArceus Posted August 24, 2011 Author Share Posted August 24, 2011 Since this has been here for a while and been worked and reworked many times, I believe I am ready to submit this. I like the version that I currently have, and so I am going to go forth. Any final opinions before submission? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Level 99 Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 Yes, I will be listening to this today to give you my opinion on it. I got your message, sorry about the delay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlmightyArceus Posted August 29, 2011 Author Share Posted August 29, 2011 Yes, I will be listening to this today to give you my opinion on it. I got your message, sorry about the delay. Oh really now? Ahaha don't worry bro, it's okay, take your time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlmightyArceus Posted July 27, 2012 Author Share Posted July 27, 2012 I've been working on this for quite some time now and have had this thread on the Finished status, adding lots of touches etc. However, my original attempt was flat out rejected; my second submission was rejected by a single vote, primarily due to soloing and the original solo piano section. Now, I have substantially altered that and am seeking Mod Review as in my mind, this track is nearly complete. Please take some time to listen to this track; opinions are much appreciated: https://www.box.com/s/568dc2e14417192536b6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gario Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 MOD REVIEW Alright, so this one has some nice production values to it. The arrangement has the source in it (though it still sounds like Zelda: ALTTP Light world dungeon music, to me... ), and it has a pretty solid structure to it. It's feeling a bit long to me, though, and the square melody that rings throughout the track feels like it meanders around a lot. All of the change-ups help it out, but the melody still just feels like random wankery when you decide to wank on it. Don't read into that sentence any more than you need to. With good wank, the wank lines move from one point to another - without that it sounds like the wank is just there to wank, and that's not really a good sound. The length does feel completely needless, though - I feel an entire song up to 4:52, with an ending little drop, there... then the song continues. I'd suggest cutting off the ending entirely, and closing the song at that point. The background pad is pretty vanilla. Not much that I can suggest otherwise - maybe a pad with some muted upper partials? - but it did stand out as being under par to the rest of the track. I think you can leave it safely, for the sake of the OCR panel, but I thought I should point it out. Otherwise, it's pretty good. Cut the length of the track and perhaps mess around with the square wank so it sounds less like wank and you'll be in good shape. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlmightyArceus Posted July 30, 2012 Author Share Posted July 30, 2012 MOD REVIEWIt's feeling a bit long to me, though, and the square melody that rings throughout the track feels. With good wank, the wank lines move from one point to another - without that it sounds like the wank is just there to wank, and that's not really a good sound. There are a few lead lines that indeed upon second listening do need a bit of melodic improvement; purpose has always been behind them, but some just don't turn out as well as others. I'm sure you know the feel. The length does feel completely needless, though - I feel an entire song up to 4:52, with an ending little drop, there... then the song continues. I'd suggest cutting off the ending entirely, and closing the song at that point. That's really funny you say that, because that's the ending I've had every other single version. No joke. I've just had it fade out and I thought it was a good little ending on a G major chord, but one of the judges thought of it as a cop out so I went ahead and changed it up for this one. Glad to see I have some similar thoughts going on that ending. The background pad is pretty vanilla. Not much that I can suggest otherwise - maybe a pad with some muted upper partials? - but it did stand out as being under par to the rest of the track. I think you can leave it safely, for the sake of the OCR panel, but I thought I should point it out. I feel like this version I kind of pulled back more on the pads; I can definitely bring it more up to par there. Gonna add in some sine harmonies or something along those lines Otherwise, it's pretty good. Cut the length of the track and perhaps mess around with the square wank so it sounds less like wank and you'll be in good shape. Good luck! Thank you so much for reviewing this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlmightyArceus Posted August 3, 2012 Author Share Posted August 3, 2012 MOD REVIEWIt's feeling a bit long to me, though, and the square melody that rings throughout the track feels like it meanders around a lot. All of the change-ups help it out, but the melody still just feels like random wankery when you decide to wank on it. Don't read into that sentence any more than you need to. With good wank, the wank lines move from one point to another - without that it sounds like the wank is just there to wank, and that's not really a good sound. Could you give me a few examples (exact times in the music) when the wankery is too much? I want to know what you hear that is displeasing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gario Posted August 4, 2012 Share Posted August 4, 2012 Too much wank tends to cause a premature eargasm. Hmm, y'know, listening to it again it doesn't seem to affect me as much. I'll give you the specifics, though. The 1:37 wank is a little bit on the directionless side, like it's just doing a bunch of circles or something. The synth that fades in at 3:40 seems to also be wanking just because it can. The other spots are not quite as bad, and I don't suggest removing the wank, necessarily. Just make them more like decorations of more interesting lines rather than decorations of really boring lines (where the only decoration available is doing busywork circles with the wank). Hopefully that helps you a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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