OCR01452 - *YES* Chrono Trigger 'At the End of All Things' *RESUB*

[djpretzel]

LT Edit - Original Decision: http://www.ocremix.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=53396

1st RESUB Decision: http://www.ocremix.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=69646

Link:

Contact Info

Your ReMixer name: Abadoss

Your real name: Kenneth Edward Keyn

Your email address: Abadoss@yahoo.com

Your website: http://www.warnerpacific.edu/personal/kkeyn/

Your userid (number, not name) on our forums: 2642

ReMix Info

Name of game(s) ReMixed: Chrono Trigger

Name of individual song(s) ReMixed: The Brink of Time, Guardia Millennial Fair

Additional information:

I started remixing this piece in February 2004, using Finale 2003. During that time, I sought the help of Jeremy Robson, who, after hearing his Philharmonic Suite: Part I, I hoped would be able to master what I had started, since Finale's only output is MIDI.

However, when I showed him, what I thought to be, my finished piece, he critiqued it and handed it back saying that I could still improve it. So, I went back, fixed what he said was wrong and tried again... and again, and again, etc. Nearly two years later, through the music department on campus, I gained access to Finale 2006 equiped with Garritan Personal Orchestra.

Through much reworking in instrumentation, expression, dynamics, and stereo positioning, - I'm, once again, hoping this is the last time I say this - I feel I have a finished piece. However, if it weren't for the gracious consultation of Mr. Robson, I wouldn't have a complete piece. He kept challenging me to go back and make it better. Hopefully, it's at a level worth listening to.

I chose "The Brink of Time" pretty much on a whim. I went over to vgmusic.com and picked out several MIDIs that I thought I might like to remix and that was one of them. However, I felt that I needed a little bit more, so I decided to couple it with a theme that I'd been wanting to do for a long time, "Guardia Millennial Fair". About six months in, I started hearing "Zelda's Lullaby" from The Legend of Zelda:

The Ocarina of Time in part of the cello line, so I tried to accent that a little and, later on, I gave it to the oboe, which quotes it in the second repeat of the initial A section.

Speaking of sections, this entire piece fits under the form of Compound Ternary (|:A:|:B:|:A'). I originally considered it a Rondo (A|B|A'|B'|C|A"), since it had three statements of what I had first considered the A section, or a Sonata (|:A:|BA'), since my original ideas of the A and B sections fit better as the two themes of the Exposition (A) and C worked as the Development (, with the A' being the Recapitulation. However, as Ilook at it now, the theme of the Development ( actually repeats before going to the Recapitulation (A'), which makes it more practical to consider the piece in a Ternary form. The Compound end of it comes from the fact that each of the sections can be broken down intosmaller forms (A =

AB|A'B' / B = CC'|D / A' = A"A").

The piece was written in Finale 2003 and mastered in Finale 2006 (with Garritan Personal Orchestra).

[Liontamer]

http://snesmusic.org/spcsets/ct.rsn - "The Brink of Time" (ct-2-13.spc) & "Guardia Millenial Fair" (ct-1-06.spc)

http://www.zophar.net/usf/lozusf.rar - 26 "Zelda's Theme"

I do wonder why you gave 0 additional info about this 2nd resub, since the submission letter is almost exactly the same as last time.

Liontamer]I think you could do more with these samples; there's no need to change anything there, Ken, but you should be working towards giving the sound much more body and depth. Do that along with some well thought-out stereo action and some further interpretation on the Guardia Fair theme and this would have a much better chance. It's fortunate, at least in my opinion, that this doesn't sound as emotionally bankrupt as the previous version, but at the same time it noticeably needs more work on the nuances.

I said that last time around, Ken, and you really managed to bounce back in a big way on this one with the production, creating a much more ornate atmosphere. I'm glad you persevered here. The low-end sometimes got a bit cluttered, but other than that it was smooth sailing.

After hearing some 2nd resubmissions not get the job done, this was a refreshing change of pace. The arrangement was already there beforehand, but adding more definition to the sounds improved the overall product in a synnergistic way. Congratulations, bro, and be sure to thank Sil. Very relaxing listen.

YES

[GrayLightning]

Definite YES. Full vote later.

Edit:

This may be one of the mixes that has taken the longest time to get on OCR with multiple resubmissions and a lot of hard work by Abadoss to arrange and polish the mix. I'm extremely happy to see when a mixer takes the critique we've given/strives to get better/continues without given up - and in this case it has paid off. The year and half or so of work has been realized with a really strong mix.

To me the best aspect of the mix is the wonderous arrangement. I like all the intricacies of the mix and the medley of themes are woven together extremely well. Very solid orchestration all around as well. Love the use of all the various instruments. The harp writing is particularly nice, imo.

Production is far better than the last version you sent to us. GPO sounds great in the right hands and it shows here. Remember with intimate and close mic'd samples that often there's very little release trails and decay. This is true of GPO and has been alluded to in JJT's vote and other votes in the past. The key is other than basic reverb is to lengthen the decay settings a bit more, as well as to increase the predelay. Something you should consider next time.

Quality mix, I have no hesitations with the Yes vote or this passing.

[JJT]

Warner Pacific...

Not much of a college, but as a native son of Portland, I've gotta give you a shout out. Yeah Portlanders!

On to the mix...

Great arrangement, and good use of the samples you had access to.

Speaking of which, the samples themselves are all decent, except for the piano. I'm a little more particular than most, but I thought it sounded too dry and frankly, pretty fake. The cutoff is also very ubrupt, which doesn't sit well with my ears.

There's still room for improvement here (especially some of the sequencing--the 16th note runs on the harp sound pretty mechancial) but the arrangement is very well done, and the production is passable.

One of my favorite parts is the chord voicings in the strings during the Millenial Fair section. Very tasteful, very mature arranging.

Good work. Keep improving and keep arranging stuff. I'd like to hear more from you.

YES

[The Orichalcon]

Things were pretty dull and sparse until 1:13, this mix really kicks up a notch at that point, really utilising those samples and that waltz time signature to it's fullest. Very nice.

Arrangement is the strongest part of this mix, while I feel that some parts could have been a little more complex, it works for a gentle backing sound. My major gripe is with that bell that's clanging it's way through the background of most of the mix. Whether it's personal taste or not, it's really starting to grind my last nerve.

Those Brink of Time sections win me over though, they're so well arranged and mastered that it's just a nice relaxing song to listen to. The harp probably could have made a graceful exit temporarily before the Guardia section came in, to aide the transition a bit better. This is the main section that I felt could have built to something a little stronger than what we get at the end of the mix.

I'm still a little iffy over this one. But it's mastered well enough, and arranged well enough that it's going to pass regardless of what I think. That bell will either be a hit or miss though with the public majority.

k, YES