Final Fantasy VI - Gogo's Theme (Fictionalhead Remix)

[Fictionalhead]

Edit: Changed to Mod Review -- thanks for the feedback so far.

This was my entry for the FFVI remix competition. I'd say it's finished, but if there's any feedback you guys have on it, I'm open to input.

I tried to keep the playful nature of the original intact, while also updating it and making it a little more mysterious. I kept little nods to the original in it like the spin down to the timpani hit, and the filtered version of the original later in the tune. This is my first post in this forum too, so if I'm doing something wrong, let me know. I tried to read all the FAQs first.

Source:

Remix: http://soundcloud.com/fictionalhead/fictionalhead-in-the-zone

[DrumJ8]

I said my praise during the competition .. I think it sounds great and I love the arrangement. Hopefully the more experienced ReMixers out there see this and give some feedback. Good luck!

[P.S. nice Hans Zimmer remix as well!]

[Fictionalhead]

I said my praise during the competition .. I think it sounds great and I love the arrangement. Hopefully the more experienced ReMixers out there see this and give some feedback. Good luck!

[P.S. nice Hans Zimmer remix as well!]

Thanks for the feedback (both times). After I finished my third album, I promised myself I wouldn't just dive into making a fourth, but do some remixes and stuff instead. It's been quite fun delving into other people's tunes.

[Chernabogue]

Very nice mix, I like it. I love the different "parts". The samples are nice, the execution nicely done. The drums are maybe a little bit repetitive, but that's okay, thanks to the several parts in the song.

Nice work!

[Fictionalhead]

Thanks for the feedback. I've switched the status to Mod Review to see what the powers that be think of it to see if it's worth submitting to the site or not.

[Rozovian]

Right from the start, it feels like there's gonna be some mixing issues. Half way through, I'm thinking it's got more repetition issues than mixing issues, tho the compression and bright snare reverb still bothers me. At this point, almost 6 minutes of this doesn't seem like it's gonna work. Source usage is in the green, tho.

The whole thing sound empty. I get that it might be what you're going for, but mostly percussive instrumentation and very little sustained stuff makes it sound empty. The lack of mid-range stuff compounds the problem. A soft mid-range pad far back in the mix would even things out.

I get the hard compressed sound is intentional, but the combination of a long, dominant, bright snare and a big side-chained kick needs a stronger instrumentation to back it up. The drums really aren't interesting enough to stand on their own, and right now they're the focus of the mixing. The bass is about on the same level, but this isn't groovy enough to support the rest of the mix, certainly not for this length. I'd tone down the snare and bring out the melodies some more, but I don't know what direction best fits what you wanna do with the track.

Mixing and length/repetition issues. I do think it's ocr-material, just not quite yet.

[ambient]

Alright, interesting and playful source.

I think Rozo covered the issues with this track pretty well. I get the percussion, it is supposed to have that new wave-ish feel, and it definitely does. But the drums are loud and overtake the mix (the main culprit being that snare). This is probably because the arrangement is sparse, as Rozo mentioned. The drums are also rather repetitive. After a few more listens, it is even more apparent to me that the snare pretty much makes the mix sound full. If you had a short snare, the sparseness of the arrangement would stand out a lot more.

You have a few sections where there is not much going on in terms of arrangement, and when you have some mid-range instruments, they are really thin. Which brings me to another problem I have with this mix - the arrangement and synth design are rather basic. While you definitely rearranged the track, the arrangement is sparse and not necessarily interesting. It kinda loses the playful nature of the original, and never quite creates a fleshed out interpretation. The synth design could also be better. You see, ideally you will have both, great synth design and intricate arrangement. Sometimes you can compensate with one for the other.

I think you can fix a lot of issues by cutting down on the length of your track, which at almost 6 minutes is too long, and there is not enough meat to justify that length. You can make it more compact and beef up your arrangement a little, which should make it sound a lot less repetitive.

Finally, there is one critique that Rozo didn't mention - it's that piano. Very basic notes, very basic sound. Even if everything else with your mix was above the OCR bar, this alone would keep it from getting passed.

Sorry if I focused on the issues too much, I tend to do that and miss highlighting the strong elements of the mixes. Your source usage is definitely in line with the standards. You get what rearrangement means, and I think you will be able to implement the critiques to improve it without a problem. Mixing and mastering, while it needs some work (mostly tweaking volumes), is not far off.

Looking forward to hearing an update!

P.S. That bass in parts makes me think of Britney's If U Seek Amy. Love me, hate me, say what you want about me... never mind...