Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - 'Hyrulian Winds'

[JKOL]

Link to remix:Hyrulian Winds (Current version)

Source:

This is my remix of "Windmill Hut" aka "Song of Storms".

It's my first remix so I'd be thankful for any comments/feedback.

[pokemoneinstein]

Not bad at all for a first-timer! You've clearly got a very good grasp on this.

First thing I notice that's really out of place are the high-velocity piano notes up in the really high range when the pizzicato strings come in. I think you should either lower their velocity by a lot or get rid of them.

The piano could use some work as it gets to the low notes in the dramatic part around 2:30, or really any time it hits the low notes. A better sample may be in order.

I love the medieval whistle, but it does need to be brought down a tad in terms of volume. The ocarina just afterwards is fine.

All in all, pretty nice! It's going to need some work on production for OCR standards, but the arrangement is wonderful as-is.

[JKOL]

Thanks for the feedback.

I agree with most of it, but could you elaborate what you mean by "The piano could use some work as it gets to the low notes in the dramatic part around 2:30"?

I'm not quite sure what you mean. Are the low notes too loud, etc?

Thanks!

[pokemoneinstein]

They're not too loud, per sé, but too intense. It's not even the fault of the velocity. There's almost a rumbling, which I think would be better off for a timpani or bass drum. That kind of noise happens on any piano, but I think it's particularly problematic here. Wait for someone who's better at production tips than I to come along and give their input, but I think you may just need to invest in a better (or different) sample.

[JKOL]

Alright, thanks! I appreciate your comments.

Do you hear any rumbling at 2:20?

Because I used timpani at 2:30 and throughout a lot of the piece.

Could the timpani be the cause of the rumble that you're hearing?

Or, it could probably just be the natural rumbling of the piano.

I really do hope it's not a problem with the piano,

because it's one of the best sampled (imo) pianos out there at the moment and I really like the sound of it personally.

Thanks.

[Radiowar]

i think part of the issue that pokemoneinstein is describing is the fact that youve rolled off so much of the high-end that in some registers we hear more of the key action than we might like (the section from 0:58-1:30 stands out in particular, where the high pitches in the piano are almost entirely lost, and the ones that arent are quite piercing).

i think theres a lot i could say about this remix. there are a lot of really nice moments (the section at ~3:00 is very cool). i think what really holds this arrangement back is partly due to the source, which doesnt exactly give you much to work with. i think the general idea youve got here (crescendos, building texture, etc) is a good approach to the source, but i think it could use more musical variety. for one thing, the theme plays beginning to end pretty much throughout the entire piece. the few modifications you have made to the source are generally limited to slight rhythmic changes, and little variations of those last few notes. i would experiment with fragmentation of the source, which would allow you to Hint at the original without stating it outright, thus creating suspense, anticipation, etc. which is to say, dont be afraid to have moments without explicit statements of the theme. and dont be afraid to let the piano take a back seat occasionally! nearly every statement of the theme in the orchestra is doubled in the piano. it might be nice to allow the orchestra a moment to develop on its own, if for no other reason than to contrast with the sections that are so focused on the piano.

a few nitpicky things:

that suspension at 0:24 sounds to me like it should really resolve down. you could even do it with a turn if you wanted to have that upper note in there. thats subjective, but i think there a couple arguments for it, first being that it is (i believe) a C chord where we would expect the F to resolve to E, not G, but also that our familiarity with the original creates the expectation for that resolution. i personally think that the F-E suspension could be a really effective play on the listener's expectations.

the piano part at 0:54-0:58 is a little confusing, for a few reasons. that fragment in the upper register seems to come out of nowhere (dynamically speaking), but also because im pretty sure its not possible with the lower arpeggio and chords in the middle? if you do want that fragment to be there, it might be a good opportunity to get the orchestra involved. perhaps you could give that part to the violins?

seems like theres an off note in the trumpets at around 1:43-44, that minor third drop sounded unintentional, or awkward at the very least.

[JKOL]

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I really appreciate it. I've fixed a few things now (hopefully!).

Here's version 2:

https://soundcloud.com/jkol/the-legend-of-zelda-ocarina-of