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OCR02531 - *YES* Final Fantasy 8 'White Magic Is for Sissies'


OceansAndrew
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Game: Final Fantasy VIII

Name of arrangement: White Magic Is For Sissies

Song: Don't Be Afraid

Original Composer: Nobuo Uematsu

Remixer: Knight of the Round

Real name: Justin Taylor

User ID: 43205

Genre: Polyrhythmic Metal

This is actually an older track of mine. I created my first version of this a little over a year ago for my old Myspace page, but I've learned well, a LOT more about recording/engineering since then. It was my first Final Fantasy track that was more of a "remix" than it was a cover, so I decided that I would re-recorded it and submit it for evaluation.

I love polyrhythms, and had a blast with the 5/4 time signature that this song has by keeping a nasty underlying 4/4 groove for some of the 5/4 parts. For the song itself, it's a pretty conservative remix of the original, keeping most of the original arrangement and 5/4 time sig, with a few changes here and there, along with an original ending based on the original rhythm riff.

Production was fairly similar to my last track. I used Sony Acid to record, mix and master (with Izotope Ozone). Recorded rhythm and lead guitars with an Agile Intrepid 8 string guitar into a 60W ENGL Fireball head through a VHT Fatbottom cabinet (dual mic'd), along with a clean track being ran into Line6 PODFarm for re-amping (which I then used used multiple amps for blending). Bass was recorded direct into a SansAMP Bass Driver, then into PODFarm as well. Drums were programmed via Superior Drummer 2.0, then the snare and kick were replaced with Steven Slate drum samples. That's pretty much it! Enjoy!

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  • 4 weeks later...

I like your time signature changes, they add some nice flavor to the track. Arrangementally, i think this is sticking too close to the source melodically, and tends to get repetitious with you repeating the sections almost every time. The repeats are occasionally cool, but it gets very predictable quickly. There are a couple transitions that feel out sorts, especially 3:03, where the momentum completely stops. The end section is kinda cool, but I have to admit I'm not making the connection to the source at that point, and it feels a little tacked on as a result.

Sound-wise, I'm being brickwalled by the rhythm section. I can barely make out any details in the melody lines or any counter-melodies you have here. Overall the balance needs an overhaul. You definitely go balls to the wall, but this is overdoing it a bit for me.

Lots of work on this one, but you've got a good start.

NO

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Overall I felt that the sound itself was powerful and tight, but the track felt like a super metal version of the source with an original ending added. The mids were a touch too scooped for my tastes, but I feel that the sounds were fine.

I think adding even a bit of source into the ending would have been a home run. The 5/4 was excellent, though, and really worked, and the variation between sections was subtle.

Also you kids with your 8 string guitars, that's like, what? Half a bass? Love it. :D

Overall I think it's pretty close. I would really, REALLY like to hear some source added to the ending.

Yes (conditional on a bit more source)

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This is definitely your most accessible (yet still brutal) mix yet, coming from a listener who really is not privy to most of the nuances of the genre. I don't have much to say about the mix, it still feels like it has a lot of the same issues in terms of balance that I've noticed in your previous submissions, but the general consensus seems to be that it's an appropriate choice for the genre so I'll take everybody at their word on that :-P

I too wish the ending was a little bit more cohesive with the rest of the track. Some source usage, or reworking the section so that it had more of a crescendo/climax would have made it a lot stronger of an addition, IMO. That said, I don't think it's inherently detrimental to the piece overall so I can live with it.

Very solid, technical performances and a cool arrangement, I admire your craft, sir Knight!

YES

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  • 1 month later...

I always have a problem with the leads/melodies never being loud enough in metal remixes, maybe that's just how metal is. I unno.

anyway, overall I'm really digging this, gotta agree with OA about the ending there, but it's not worth going conditional over as the song is above the bar. but I do agree that incorporating some source in that section would 'seal the deal' so to speak.

nice work.

YES

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