Phonetic Hero Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 Hey ever'peoples, I had to keep myself entertained while waiting for feedback on Mayan Malfunction, and here's the (unfinished) product. I wanted to start adding in chip elements to my stuff, and I've been wanting to take a crack at drum n bass styled writing for a while (at least drum-wise). Let me know if I've accomplished what I've set out to! Also, production is about as far from finished from arrangement, but I figured I'd check and see if this thing is headed in the right direction. Source: Wily Tower 1, Wily Tower 2, and a quick Grenade Man/Title melodic mashup. Mix Let me know what you think! pH Edit: Latest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cris Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 nice job man! especially this synth which starts at 1:18 keep it up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guifrog Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 Wubble, coming with a rumble! That's a sick arrangement you've got there, but what the EEEEEEEEEEE is that noise during the intro? I'd say it's a questionable way to start a song 0:59-1:01 and 1:04-1:06, I wasn't expecting for the notes to play in major. Are they intended to be like that? Anywayz, I really like the energy throughout this mix, but I think there's too much compression and reverb, which clashes with the dry synths you introduce at 1:19. Diggin' those glitching effects, btw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OfficialJab Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 Really, I'd just love to hear a whole remix of Wily 1 without others mixed in, but I guess I won't know until I hear it. Great song so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phonetic Hero Posted July 20, 2011 Author Share Posted July 20, 2011 Thanks everyone! Finally got some feedback 1st time around, instead of pulling teeth a week and a half after the OP. I appreciate it @Cris: Glad you like it. It took me for-frigging-EVER to come up with a lead I was actually happy with, so I'm glad it paid off. @Guifrog: First of all, totally dug "Shiva Nataraja!" I actually took an Asian art course last year (and ended up dropping at the end of the semester.. college art courses are fucked-up-hard) so I knew a lot of what was going on in the description. Onto the business at hand, the major notes are straight from the source, so yes, they're fairly intentional And yes, good lord, after listening to it more, that intro sound effect is in dire need of an octave lowering and some additional sound and volume work. Also, can you be a bit more specific as far as compression goes? I didn't add ANY additional compression on any instruments or the master track, do you think it's a good idea to add a comp. plug-in and go below the neutral mark? I'd be happy to fix it if I knew what to fix, and I'm still pretty new to production stuff, so bear with me. I'm feeling like a lot of it's coming from certain instruments that need to be toned down and the chip drums when they come back in at 1:07 (I think the velocities are stuck all the way up for some reason, not too hard to fix) I do know how to fix the reverb though; even though I didn't add too much, the echo really plays hypes it way past "a little bit wet" to "stupid-wet typhoon." I'll probably end up keeping the reverb as-is in the intro, then toning it down when things get going around :45 @Official Jab: Promise I won't mess things up with other sources. Wily 1 has more than enough to work with, but I really like Wily 2 also, which is quite a bit shorter with less to work with, so I imagine it won't be seeing its own mix (from me, at least) anytime soon. And Grenade man is just pure 80's synth and bass badass, and it's only a half step from the key of the others, so I can't NOT put it in, right? Thanks for the crits! I'll come back to it when I can, I have to write a TON of stuff for the drumlines I'm teaching (starting in 2 days..), so I'm not sure when it'll be, but hopefully soon. If you felt inclined to crit on my other piece, Mayan Malfunction, to help me get it ready to sub that'd be awesome, but don't feel obligated. Be back when I can, and thanks again! pH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockos Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 I love your high tone scream synth from the start. Awesome. And the distorted kick is REALLY cool. It add to the intro. But I would crash something at 0:36 when starting the big synth. Otherwise, I love drum and bass and I would like to see a more punchier snare. A little bit on low would help your kick too. Nice start. Keep it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phonetic Hero Posted July 21, 2011 Author Share Posted July 21, 2011 Alright, I didn't have a WHOLE lot of time, but I fixed excess reverb, played with balance a little bit, changed a chord progression, and threw down a new melody which I thought was going to be Grenade Man, but the menu theme found its way in somehow and I mashed em up. I was going to cancel it and just stick with Grenade Man, but if it flows it flows. The transition needs some work, obviously, because it's pretty much non-existent as-is. That part will be filled out too, but I don't have time atm. Let me know how it's sounding, I'll throw more down when I get a break from teaching. Still unnamed, I'll have to work on that too pH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockos Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 Still much reverb on snare. And your synth at 1:19 is overpowered. Balance need work a little bit more. Same thing at 1:45. Synth overload. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magnetic Ether Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 Wow, once again, really good stuff! The intro sounds a lot better compared to the original version, and once it gets going at 0:43 it sounds great! I'm liking the chiptune elements too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phonetic Hero Posted July 27, 2011 Author Share Posted July 27, 2011 First line made me smile and thanks! Pretty big update coming fairly soon (although I do have to write drumline parts for 4 show tunes in the next few days), with lots of relish added to the first minute and a half or so and hopefully another couple minutes added to the arrangement (maybe even finished out). I'll keep you posted. Thanks again for the comments! pH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phonetic Hero Posted August 9, 2011 Author Share Posted August 9, 2011 Here we go, finally got an update going after a loooong period of a loooot of teaching. I really like where the song is going now, especially the increasingly warmer chords toward the end (well, the CURRENT end anyway). I've never really written anything that emotes in this warmer, feel-goody sort of way, so I'm excited about expanding my repertoire; thoughts and critiques on the last few sections are especially welcome. Should be finished up arrangement-wise pretty soon, production hopefully soon after. Opinions are very appreciated! New Version Thanks in advance pH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phonetic Hero Posted August 19, 2011 Author Share Posted August 19, 2011 Wow this got buried with terrible speed, anyone wanna help me out? I got some time away from drumline finally and worked on it a little more, so I even updated the link, just for you Edit: Well, the link's being updated right now actually.. it'll be done in a sec Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timaeus222 Posted August 19, 2011 Share Posted August 19, 2011 I'd like to see some more power on the kicks at 0:13 - 0:36. The stuff that kicks in at 0:43 is quite nice. The only thing there I see is probably the lack of low frequencies in the bass for the kick at 0:43 - 1:20. EQ it, but don't let it overpower your other instruments, though. There could be an expansion on the width of the sound at 1:35 - 1:44, to give some contrast to the previous 10 seconds. The lead at 2:11 can also have some note-by-note modulation as needed. It's the lead, so make it shine! 2:25 - Nearing the end! Improve on that in whatever way you feel is fit, just make it sound like an improvement from 2:11 - 2:24. Sounding great so far, keep it up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phonetic Hero Posted August 22, 2011 Author Share Posted August 22, 2011 Thanks for the crits man, I just went ahead and finished up the arrangement haha. There was a spot where I was going to add in a synth solo, so I went ahead and did that and added a lot to the end. I probably had about 30 automation clips by the end of the piece to make everything happen, and I'm sure I'll do some tweaking, but here it is for right now. Production crits are especially welcome! I especially like how the last couple minutes or so ended up turning out, and they were sort of an experiment in recycling patterns and using them with other bits that weren't previously used together (you might call it "resourceful," you might call it "lazy"...). I wanted to see if it would strengthen the hooks of the piece and make it more memorable, so let me know if it was successful or not. Also, this is my first actual synth solo, and I'm not much for improv most of the time, so let me know how that turned out too Jump, Slide, Die, Fly The name should be pretty familiar if you've played Wily Tower levels 1 and 2 before) pH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OfficialJab Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 Sounds outstanding, one of my new favourites. I'd drop fly off the title, Jump Slide Die has a great flow to it. Great mix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phonetic Hero Posted August 24, 2011 Author Share Posted August 24, 2011 Good advice on the title glad you liked it! Did a bit of production work so it doesn't get muddied up, especially towards the end. altered the solo a bit for good measure too. Not sure how I feel about the chip kick now though, it sounds a bit dirtier when I need it to cut more; might do some work with it later. Kept the same link, feel free to keep commenting pH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bananabomberman Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 Hmm. The only suggestion I have is to change up the instrument for the grenade man theme during the 2 minute area. Everything else I quite like. Great work =] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrewGourley Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 Super. Solid. Mix. There are so many good things going on here, my inferior ability to provide feedback would not do any good for somebody who obviously already knows what he's doing. A couple of times during the listen some of the higher pitched synths felt just a little harsh, and I'm not a huge fan of the ending as it stands, but that's about all I can say here. Really like that bitty echoing clap effect, adds that typical drama that that effect usually brings about, but the fact it's constructed from an 8 bit sound makes it so perfect for this sort of mix -- embracing the fact that it is indeed a video game song remix. There's just a lot of good things going on here, it's really nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phonetic Hero Posted August 26, 2011 Author Share Posted August 26, 2011 DrewGourley: A couple of times during the listen some of the higher pitched synths felt just a little harsh, and I'm not a huge fan of the ending as it stands Harsh high frequencies? Damn! Is there any way I can get you (or anyone else who hears them) to give me specific locations so I can fix em soon? I hate listening to stuff that hurts my ears (and I can't imagine anyone else enjoys it), so the sooner the better. I also wasn't a fan of the ending at first, it was more of a joke and a quick finish, but the more I listened to it the more it grew on me and I kinda really love it now. Odds are I won't be changing it unless it's a huge, problematic deal-breaker, and after a couple listens I hope it grows on all you as well. Aside from that, you guys seem to be digging it, which means a whole lot to me; glad I'm finally finding my stylistic niche. Hope I can get it doctored up soon and ready to be submitted soon (I'm aiming for a couple days, since that's when my three weeks are up haha)!! I'm also contemplating adding the "Jump, Jump!" and "Slide, Slide!" robot voice sound effects from those specific points in the game, any thoughts on that subject? Glad it seems to be going well. More thoughts are always welcome! pH Edit: Also, for the life of me, I can't figure out how to change the status from WIP to anything else (finished, mod review, etc.); I guess it's different now instead of just going to edit and switching it? If anyone can shed any light on this, I'd appreciate it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rozovian Posted August 26, 2011 Share Posted August 26, 2011 Compressor trouble when the kicks come in around 0:44. The busier the gets, the more I hear. If you're unsure of what you're doing, using a multiband compressor instead of a regular one on the master would make the compression less blatant. If you'd rather use a regular one, drop the whole thing a dB or two. it's fairly loud right now, and will has more to gain in dynamics than it loses in loudness. Occasional sounds stand out a little too much, like the 0:09 delayed percussive noise burst thing or the outro instrument. I suggest you listen through for things that stand out a little too much, and drop them slightly. _SLIGHTLY_. The overall mix is pretty good, there's just the nitpicky stuff left. Outro beeps feels a bit arbitary. Could just be that the simple synth is too loud, loops for too long, or that the whole track doesn't feel like it concludes clearly enough. idunno, you could go for a book-ends kind of end where you bring in the sustained sound from the intro to accompany the beeps to signal that it's at its end rather than at a break or something. Making the preceding part feel more like an ending would also help, but there's lots of ways to do that and I don't know which would fit your track the best. Using some of the harmonies of the Tower Stage 2 source might work. Hard to judge source usage when I'm not familiar with the sources and would rather not spend an evening looping those two (or four) sources, but from a few listens, it seems it's familiar. A haphazard guess - it's good enough, but that's something you would know better than I would - being more familiar with the sources and knowing what you've done with them. Arrangement works all right, but it could conclude better. At least drop the levels on the last instrument to keep it from being louder than your track finale. Nice work, good luck with it. As for the thread title thingy, go to edit, then go advanced. There you should be able to change it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrewGourley Posted August 26, 2011 Share Posted August 26, 2011 Harsh high frequencies? Damn! Is there any way I can get you (or anyone else who hears them) to give me specific locations so I can fix em soon? I hate listening to stuff that hurts my ears (and I can't imagine anyone else enjoys it), so the sooner the better. I'm on it! I'll post in here soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrewGourley Posted August 26, 2011 Share Posted August 26, 2011 OK! The first time I was hurt by a synth was the one at 1:45 - 1:58 -- Not the pitch, just the overall feel of it is too distorted. The synth at 2:12 is better -- I made this note to create a sort of baseline to what I feel was ok. 2:45 - 2:49 and 2:55 - 3:06 is where the high frequencies really got to me. The synth at 3:07 I had a hard time deciding whether or not it was ok for me, seemed to be the same or similar to the one at 1:45 - 1:58, but almost ok. I hope this is helpful -- I could also just be completely full of shit, but hey... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phonetic Hero Posted August 27, 2011 Author Share Posted August 27, 2011 Sweet, thanks guys! I'll get on it as soon as I can, probably tomorrow. Appreciate all the feedback, I'll absorb it as best I can. And I've been trying the "Go Advanced" option and still can't find the option to change the thread tag... ugh, frustrating Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phonetic Hero Posted August 30, 2011 Author Share Posted August 30, 2011 Alright, did lots of production work and cleaned a lot of stuff up, hopefully it's up to snuff now. I changed the instrumentation at the Grenade Man/Title melody part so the distortion wouldn't be a bother, altered velocities and EQ'ing on the solo synth, and did a lot more EQ'ing in general to clear stuff up. Also, this thing ended up with over 40 total automation clips, for the record. I also added a new ending, and hot DAMN that soundscape gets beefy. I dig it a lot, I hope you guys will too! Let me know what you think! Update vs. Previous pH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
synesthetic Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 Alright, did lots of production work and cleaned a lot of stuff up, hopefully it's up to snuff now. I changed the instrumentation at the Grenade Man/Title melody part so the distortion wouldn't be a bother, altered velocities and EQ'ing on the solo synth, and did a lot more EQ'ing in general to clear stuff up. Also, this thing ended up with over 40 total automation clips, for the record.I also added a new ending, and hot DAMN that soundscape gets beefy. I dig it a lot, I hope you guys will too! Let me know what you think! Update vs. Previous pH This is really cool. ♥ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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