SMW2: Yoshi's Island - Flower Garden Remix

[Nostalvania]

Here is my Remix of Flower Garden from the SNES game Yoshi's Island:

http://tindeck.com/listen/kuab (Tindeck)

https://www.box.com/s/leixsotn9odscmkk7vci (Box)

Source: http://youtu.be/6afS8Hwfx3g

Let me know what you think, feedback welcome.

Edited March 10, 2013 by Nostalvania

[Theory of N]

I'm loving the groove you've got going. Nice basswork and accompaniment. I think the organ you use for the lead would benefit from being in a higher octave. At the moment, it's kind of fighting with the accompaniment keys.

You do a really good job of varying up the source enough to keep it interesting most of the time but I think it still kind of suffers from going on with the same 16 bar progression over and over again for so long. Like at 2:15, you've got the right idea; that's a nice change and would make a good segue into a new section but it just goes right back into the same thing you just came from. Same segue the next time around so it sounds like those 16 bars are just unnecessary. The slower middle section doesn't sound too bad but I think the transition into it is too abrupt.

I think my biggest beef with this is how artificial it sounds. Live instrumentation would not only make it sound better, it would help with the ear fatigue that comes from the same 16 bar progression being repeated. Get some live instruments in here and you've got yourself a killer remix.

[BaconProcurement]

This remix illicit two two things, the Pilotwings 64 soundtrack and a mental image of what "Yoshi's Lounge Bar" would look like. I definitely enjoyed this mix and love to hear the finished product when you are done with it. Since I don't have any musical production experience, I'm just going to agree with Theory of N.

[timaeus222]

Yep, needs some live implementation with the samples you have, especially the EP and organ.

The source itself could be too short to really expand on in the way you have now without adding another source, so perhaps that could be a good idea?

2:00-2:15 was a good idea, and that's what I would expect from a source expansion, so keep going with that.

2:40 is a great bass breakdown, but it desperately needs more articulation on the bass, as well as backup strings.

I don't think the organ is fighting with the EP at all, the EP just needs to be brought to the back a tiny bit more.

Nice, jazzy interpretation. Probably your best to date, good job.

[Nostalvania]

Thanks for the feedback guys!

Yes I agree, adding live Instruments would make it sound better. Unfortunately I don't have any experience nor the equipment to record live Instruments. The only thing I could do is to play in the piano and organ parts with my Roland Digital Piano.

@Theory of N: I can see your point about the 16 bar progression being repeated.

Maybe the main theme is playing a bit too often. I think i could cut out a whole A-section. I might also shorten the part from 2:00.

Adding another source is also an option (Timaeus).

By the way, is the B-section at 3:12 recognizable?

[Skrypnyk]

this brings back warm and fuzzy memories.

It's a cute mix. Turned on Jamiroquai after listening just to see if they were of similar styles, and help give some advice.

I suppose the big thing is that while your arrangement is really nice, the song production is plain plain. Very traditional choices in instruments, acoustic drums, organ, bass, etc. and since it's sequenced, or at the very least recorded via midi, you're stuck with recorded samples. I think you can make that work, provided you do something a little special with them.

Horns or fanfare would help punch various parts of the piece, a wah wah guitar or any kind of funky guitar would turn this up a huge notch too.

I'm listening to it again and I didn't even notice the cowbell on the first go around at 2:00. Panning the tamb and cowbell would give the mix some nice space. Adding a clap to go with the snare every 4th beat or something would add subtle variation too.

It needs a certain punch, a certain kick, a certain kick punch block. As it stands it's great music as background filler for an announcement or broadcast, but on its own it's quite forgettable.

[Theory of N]

Luckily, you just happen to be in the midst of a whole bunch of really talented musicians. If you're interested in live instruments, start up a recruitment thread and people will respond. We like playing our instruments

If you don't necessarily want to go that route you'll likely have to do what Skryp's talking about. Aside from the one middle section and the fact that it's all mostly the same 16 bars, contrast would REALLY help this mix. Dynamic variation, meter change, key change, drastic timbral differences (you don't really get much of that with the organ and flute)...all of these things would do the trick.

It needs a certain punch, a certain kick, a certain kick punch block.

Clever, you

[Nostalvania]

If you're interested in live instruments, start up a recruitment thread and people will respond.

Yeah, that's also a possibility, of course.

and since it's sequenced, or at the very least recorded via midi, you're stuck with recorded samples.

The organ solo at 3:31 was played live (midi), but I've adjusted a few notes afterwards.

Thank you for the feedback and advice.

[Brandon Strader]

There's nothing wrong with recording live with a midi keyboard, as long as you don't mercilessly quantize everything. There's not much of a difference between playing in live with unquantized midi and playing it on an actual organ, depending on the libraries you have. (I know no vintage organ enthusiasts are going to call me out on this so I'm comfortable making the claim!) If you have a library like B4 II, It's almost like having an organ in your computer. Oh yes.

I'm using your box link to check the song. The problem is not with your sounds, it is with the mixing and production.. There's a lot you could do to beef up the presence and sound of what you have recorded here. You could try parallel compression with the drums to give them a bit more snap, but as it is they're already more present than the rest of the instrumentation. You could try setting up a nice reverb send to use on your instruments -- particularly the drums -- so that they don't sound quite so plain. Don't ever use reverb on the kick, and of course, don't go overboard with the reverb in general, but it'll help give you a more approachable sound there. Don't be afraid to embrace the panning. I personally didn't think the cowbell panning was bad, but you could definitely move it perhaps 40 Right instead of leaving it so close to the middle. I also noticed some velocity issues with some of the drums. It's really noticeable on the ride bell when there is a consistent velocity for each of the notes. That's something you could revisit and make more human / more natural with a bit of tweaking. But like with most things, you don't want to go overboard.

Most of your organ sounds were quite too low. When you are using them to carry the song, you will need more volume on them. Use the EQ to bring more life to your left-panned organ, maybe compression, and raise the volume of it. You've got one organ that is turned down quite low near the center which could actually be panned farther right to give a good stereo sound, with that lead solo organ in a fairly good area as it is now. You've got a LOT of really CLEAN sounds here which is why you may be struggling to really give it that oomph that it needs. I don't think you really need to dirty anything up, but some reverb can go a long way, and raising volumes, and having a proper mastering chain with a multi-band limiter can also really help get you where you are trying to go here. BEST OF LUCK, and keep going, there's so much potential here!

[Nostalvania]

Thanks a lot for the feedback Brandon!

The problem is not with your sounds, it is with the mixing and production..

Yeah I know, mixing and production are probably my biggest weaknesses. But I'm working on it.

[Garrett Williamson]

This is a great arrangement, actually. The chords are really nice. Nothing to worry about there.

The drums are a bit too sequenced and they sound a little too fake. I'd go and do some stuff to them.

The bass is nice. I feel that's also a little to sequenced or something. Like, it just needs to sound a bit more real and not so perfect, if that makes sense.

Organ solo is nice. But again, something about it just is too perfect and doesn't sound real enough.

I think all of it is just too perfect. It needs to be a bit less perfect to sound more real, and maybe vary the velocity on the notes. I'd also say to put the tambourine in a little more on one of the ears. Not completely, but just like half or almost half or something. May be easier for it to pop out.

I love the swing part. And the bass playing the melody is great. Bring up the organ there. I can hardly hear it and there should be more of it.

When it goes into the straight beat, that's also really well done. I love the piano there. Maybe a little less perfect, like I've been saying.

The organ solo there is practically perfect. Nothing really needed to be changed there. It's really nice. Again, when the tambo comes in, stick it a bit more in one of the ears. Since this is a much more laid back song, it's not so hard to make everything pop out, but I think everything is in the center and there should be a bit more stereo action.

That synth near the end doing all that syncopated stuff is great. Bring that up a bit more and maybe put it a bit more in one of the ears, like with the tambo. I don't know.

Great ending to the remix, also.

[timaeus222]

The bass is nice. I feel that's also a little to sequenced or something. Like, it just needs to sound a bit more real and not so perfect, if that makes sense.

Organ solo is nice. But again, something about it just is too perfect and doesn't sound real enough.

I think all of it is just too perfect. It needs to be a bit less perfect to sound more real, and maybe vary the velocity on the notes. I'd also say to put the tambourine in a little more on one of the ears. Not completely, but just like half or almost half or something. May be easier for it to pop out.

I'd like to emphasize that being too imperfect will just be a bad performance. So... try to find a medium between realistically imperfect and perfect.

[Garrett Williamson]

I'd like to emphasize that being too imperfect will just be a bad performance. So... try to find a medium between realistically imperfect and perfect.

Well right. What he said. That's sorta what I meant.

[Nostalvania]

Thanks for the Feedback G-Mixer!

I think all of it is just too perfect. It needs to be a bit less perfect to sound more real, and maybe vary the velocity on the notes.

I think I used a bit too much quantization. I will most likely re-record some of the instruments, without quantization (if possible).

That synth near the end doing all that syncopated stuff is great.

That "synth" is actually supposed to be a guitar.

[Brandon Strader]

Re-recording without quantize and applying natural reverb should go a far way with this

[BlitzChris]

I haven't got a whole lot to add in terms of technical expertise, except to say that I love it and can't wait to hear the final version! It's certainly one I'll be looking out for!

Especially loved that organ solo towards the end.. It was just the right length. It had a natural end to it that flowed nicely onto the next segment which felt great.

At 2:36, is that supposed to be an acoustic sounding bass or more of a synthey bass?

[Nostalvania]

Thanks BlitzChris!

At 2:36, is that supposed to be an acoustic sounding bass or more of a synthey bass?

It's supposed to be an electric bass.