mediaeaters Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 Hi all, Fresh off my first GDC, I met a few of the heavy hitters around these parts and would love to start meeting/collaborating with all of you. My full time gig is teaching audio production here in Austin, but I'm trying to write more these days, and this site seems like a good place to help push myself a bit. Anyway, on to the tunes... This is a work-in-progress of an Earthbound track I worked up the other day, featuring the cues Dr. Andonuts Lab, Bed and Breakfast, and Because I Love You. I'm not very experienced (yet!) in the chiptune/techno vibe, but for now sticking to what I know. While the arrangement doesn't differ vastly from the original, the instrumentation does -- and I hope to communicate a lot of the emotions felt while playing this game. Easily one of my all-time faves. And if you haven't played it...go buy a copy on eBay for $200 Take a listen and I'd love to get some feedback as I try to get something submitted officially in the coming days! http://snd.sc/17q2luu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timaeus222 Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 Taking a look at the pacing, I'm finding it pretty plodding. That's mainly because the first drone-like pad has a pretty static texture. Although there's other stuff happening around it, like anvils (with tape delay?), plucky portamento synths, filter envelope basses, etc., the pad itself doesn't keep my attention very well. I find the stop at 0:43 very strange. Sounds like an ending, then suddenly a guitar comes in. Same at 0:57, 1:10, 1:22, and 1:35. That messes with the pacing a whole bunch. 1:58 anvil is a tiny bit resonant or too high in treble. Based on arrangement, I don't believe this would pass, but the production is great, and the instrumentation is cohesive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mediaeaters Posted June 20, 2013 Author Share Posted June 20, 2013 Thanks for the crit. It's supposed to be "sleepy," but if it's coming across as "plodding," well that will never do As for the break between sections, the first part is meant to be a dream state, and I'm planning to add some field recordings of morning-type-sounds to bridge the gap once I find the time. Hopefully that will make the jump a bit more clear. I'll see what I can do to tighten things up, or just create some more interest in general overall! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mediaeaters Posted June 23, 2013 Author Share Posted June 23, 2013 So a bit more work on this one, and it's really turning into a concept piece more than a remix... Here's the basic premise: Ness is working in Dr. Andonuts' lab, hears knocking at door, Pokey/Giygas appears swirling static crescendos until he hears a voice... Then birds. He's awake. It was a dream. Gets ready for the day. All is peaceful...until... There's a knock at the door. http://snd.sc/1333FBY Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timaeus222 Posted June 23, 2013 Share Posted June 23, 2013 Sounding much better. 0:50 is a little risky. EQ-wise it sounds good. I think you should lower the volume of the sounds used there about 0.2~0.6dB each though, at least until when you lower them it actually makes a difference. i.e. Let's say they peak at 0.6dB. If you lower them until they reach 0dB and you've had a soft knee limiter on the whole time, they should sound like they're at the same volume. Personally, I thought the first minute was much better than what came after. I think you should keep polishing what comes after until you're satisfied, because the first minute trumps the rest by a long shot. Ending is a bit weird though. Maybe you can use actual door knock samples. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mediaeaters Posted June 23, 2013 Author Share Posted June 23, 2013 Any specifics on what you're not liking about the second half besides the pauses? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timaeus222 Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 (edited) It's not the pauses I don't like, but the way you handle those pauses. Before each one, there's only the decay of certain instruments (piano, chorused guitar, synth SFX, birds, etc.), but nothing much to connect each distinct section. If you look at 0:38, 0:51, and 1:03, they all end the same way---with a piano decaying. From 0:32 to 1:09, it sounds like three iterations of the same chord progression, the same instruments, and the exact same guitar notes, even though they're slightly different articulations, plus a few new but pretty subtle modifications. For example, 0:44 is just 0:32 repeated with more overhead drums and background bells. 0:57 is just 0:44 repeated with new bell notes, but the bells are background based on how you placed them, so they aren't extremely noticeable the first listen through. 1:34 sounds like 0:32 without the strings and with a quiet little delayed mallet instrument added. Basically I'm asking that you think outside the box some more and find a way to connect those sections rather than just repeating them exactly as they are with slight, hard-to-notice variations. I notice them, but I notice a lot of subtleties, so don't count on my noticing them as a confirmation that you've done enough to differentiate the sections. , but you don't have to be this drastic in atmospheric shifts. Notice how the same Devil's Lab theme has loads of variation, though. Up until 1:18, the ReMix is still using 0:00-0:39 in the source! Edited June 24, 2013 by timaeus222 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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