Skolar Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 Continuing with my Kirby trend, as expected. This time it's the "Oh, you're doing that one" song: Remix on SoundCloud Comments and critiques of any kind, as always. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timaeus222 Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 Er... this song is way too fast for the samples you chose. You see what I mean, right? Piano professionals would have trouble playing that fast perfectly. No strings ensemble can play that fast, nor is it realistic. :/ Good idea, but try to go for a more realistic approach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skolar Posted November 13, 2012 Author Share Posted November 13, 2012 Yeah, it's definitely way too fast. It was supposed to be sort of ridiculous, but I can see where, to somebody better experienced, it would just sound "wrong". Okay, so: Pushing samples too far: Doesn't work. Thank you, that's the type of stuff I need to have pointed out to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crypto_magnum Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 I feel that a piano could be made to work for much of the song, but there are definitely some unplayable passages in there... particularly, you can't do repeated notes in rapid succession like that; the physical keys don't rise back up fast enough for the player to re-strike them like you do at 0:41. The strings are problematic much in the same way, but for much more of the song. String players can play some pretty insanely fast passages, but it's not going to sound all neat and tidy and mechanical when they do. We need to hear the effort. The samples/articulations also aren't helping the lines you're writing. Specifically, there's too much space between the notes; no way is a string player going to be able to move his or her bow like that, coming to a complete stop with that much room to spare before reversing direction. If you want to take this song in an orchestral direction, that is going to be a real challenge, I think, because the source tempo is crazy fast, but here's how I would approach it: first, consider moving the solo line to an instrument which excels in staccato lines, like the xylophone or any other non-metallic keyboard. Consider rewriting the supporting chords into something more playable, like "oom-pah" pizzicato strings (just an example). Try trading fast lines between the winds. Don't be afraid to have most of your instruments just accentuate major beats and downbeats, to avoid overcrowding. Production-wise, be careful of the tails of each note, and be extra careful with reverb. In the mix you posted, the tails were often cut off, creating too much space, while the reverb was almost non-existent. I'd caution against overcompensating and going overboard with the reverb though, especially with a very fast song; there are so many notes so close together that even the slightest hint of too much 'verb could turn the song to mud. A worthy experiment and a challenging source! I wish I could play it on the piano, because it sounds like fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skolar Posted November 13, 2012 Author Share Posted November 13, 2012 Oh cool! ... Using different instruments for the rapid-fire parts like that would sound more realistic, and on top of that it'd give the song even more activity. That's a Miyamoto-style, double-edged solution. I wanna try that now! Yeah, I really need to force myself to do a little extra work on things like bass lines and supporting parts. Thanks for the thoughts. I was sort of sick of this song, but I feel like trying to implement some of those ideas, now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.