Gaia's Tomb (Golden Sun 2 Remix)

[Steele]

This is my latest remix of Golden Sun 2's Gaia Rock theme.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

OLD----->https://soundcloud.com/kammo64/gaias-tomb-golden-sun-2-remix <---------OLD

Thanks in advance

Here is the latest version of the remix. It took a while because of exams.

https://soundcloud.com/kammo64/gaias-tomb-golden-sun-2-gaia-1

Here is the source

I am looking for mixing feedback in particular. My ears have become accustom to the song and I think I need some new ears on it.

Edited December 11, 2013 by Kammo64

[HoboKa]

This is kinda cool actually. Lot's of clipping unfortunately and no source tune link, so I can't tell how much of it is original material etc. Throw a Limiter on the master track, so you can kill most if not all of the clipping. But still, I'd reccomend lowering the volume of every instrument by at least 1/8 and throw each instrument into a mixer track and EQ them accordingly.

I'd say that the arrangement is pretty strong, albeit, those rhythm guitars before 2:28 feel pretty weak, luckily they sound much better thereafter. Probably would need some more variation over-all as it feels a bit repetitious towards the end, almost like you got tired of the source tune at that point...happens all the time to me haha.

If you're not aiming to get posted then don't change anything compositional-wise and just fix up the EQ, volume levels and get rid of that clipping ASAP. If you need specifics, I can sit down and time-stamp everything and go over it all with you in more detail.

I'd also need a source link.

Edited September 29, 2013 by HoboKa

[HoboKa]

Just posting twice to let u know I updated my first reply to make it a bit easier to understand...hope it helps.

[Nostalvania]

Yeah, a source link is always a good thing, especially for people (like me) who are not familiar with the source.

The title and the mood of the piece tell me that this is some kind of egyptian/desert stage theme, so I assume that the mix is probably pretty close to the source in terms of mood and harmony.

Anyway, the remix sounds pretty decent IMO.

I'm not an mixing expert but I think there are probably too many low and low mid frequencies which make the mix sound a bit muddy.

The solo guitar at 2:28 is cool, I like it.

I agree with HoboKa on the volume levels, I think some instruments could be more in the background than others.

Edited September 29, 2013 by Nostalvania

[timaeus222]

Source:

On another note, this is actually a really cool source tune. Makes me want to remix it someday.

[Nostalvania]

Source:

Ok, thanks Tim-aye-us

Yeah nice source, I like dat bass. Definitely got that egyptian feel, although it's more rockish.

[HoboKa]

Source:

On another note, this is actually a really cool source tune. Makes me want to remix it someday.

Hmm, it is a pretty decent source tune. Worthy of a PRC round at the very least :3

I'd prob need 2 compare the 2 tracks several times, but I've heard the remix twice and the source once insofar. Gonna say that it plays it pretty close to the original with lots of good variation in the support melodies and instruments, so there's no issue with it being too liberal. Hmm...the ending seems pretty abrupt btw - may want to either make a decent fade out with all the instruments playing in a loop, or make a small outtro with a catchy original melody or a play on the original and give it some kind of an ending cadence, if you know what I mean. But having the instruments just drop off and carried away by only the delay effects isn't enough imo.

Edited September 30, 2013 by HoboKa

[Steele]

This is kinda cool actually. Lot's of clipping unfortunately and no source tune link, so I can't tell how much of it is original material etc. Throw a Limiter on the master track, so you can kill most if not all of the clipping. But still, I'd reccomend lowering the volume of every instrument by at least 1/8 and throw each instrument into a mixer track and EQ them accordingly.

I'd say that the arrangement is pretty strong, albeit, those rhythm guitars before 2:28 feel pretty weak, luckily they sound much better thereafter. Probably would need some more variation over-all as it feels a bit repetitious towards the end, almost like you got tired of the source tune at that point...happens all the time to me haha.

If you're not aiming to get posted then don't change anything compositional-wise and just fix up the EQ, volume levels and get rid of that clipping ASAP. If you need specifics, I can sit down and time-stamp everything and go over it all with you in more detail.

I'd also need a source link.

I would love to get this Remix posted! Sorry for the late reply I have been on holidays for a week.

Is there any other kind of feedback that I could get? I am going to start working on this remix again this week and would love some insight .

P.S. Thanks for the source tune timaeus

[HoboKa]

I would love to get this Remix posted! Sorry for the late reply I have been on holidays for a week.

Is there any other kind of feedback that I could get? I am going to start working on this remix again this week and would love some insight .

P.S. Thanks for the source tune timaeus

Sure I guess I can try and get this thing more thoroughly critted sometime soon-ish. Too late tonight

[Steele]

Sure I guess I can try and get this thing more thoroughly critted sometime soon-ish. Too late tonight

Take your time . You will be my hero. Thanks a lot man!

[Steele]

Thanks for the feedback guys.

This is my latest version of the remix

https://soundcloud.com/kammo64/gaias-tomb-golden-sun-2-gaia-1

I am working to get this YES from OCR so any feedback would be great

[Steele]

There appears to be no further feedback for this track. I don't know if its because there isn't much wrong or if there is too much wrong but I think I'll put it up for Mod review soon.

Please let me know if something stands out that shouldn't.

[TheReverend]

Hello! I am not at all familiar with the source music, but I will give this track a listen. I am an amateur listener, but I will provide my critique as honestly as I can. Nothing I say is personal, and I only hope it is constructive and helps you get a "YES" from OCR!

Pros:

I like that the drums aren't way overactive. I think it lends the song a groovy kind of drive that isn't frantic sounding. I reverse cymbals are a nice addition to sections of the song as well. Just be careful not to overuse them so they lose their intended effect.

The choir stabs give this a really nice ambiance and are used tastefully and no so liberally that I get tired of hearing them.

Djembes are a nice touch and gives the mix an almost tribal feel for part of the song. I was really sad to hear this section end so soon. I think you could do quite a bit with the lighter, "tribal" sound. However, I really liked the transition back into the full song.

The flute instrument you use in the aforementioned section also contributed greatly to the tribal feel. I really like that instrument and I can hear it faintly in the background throughout the mix.

1:22-1:24 filter drop is a pleasant transition into the "B" part of the song.

1:37 instrument fill is a tasteful bit on the top. It was a nice tease, and I REALLY like the sample you use.

The rhythm guitar inclusion really gives this mix a heavy drive, but it starts out sounding somewhat hollow, but that fits with the initial filter fade into the full rock section of the song. I address this below, but it may be falling victim to overcompression.

Cons:

Choir sample initially struck me as a bit flat, but it's grown on me during subsequent listens. Not sure if I see this as a con anymore.

Tinny sounding lead arpeggio. It just sounds a little edgy and grating (to me) to open the track with something that sounds like a laser beam on my skull. It fades into the mix fairly well later on in the track. There's nothing to brace the listener for that razor sharp sound right out of the gate.

Guitar sounds a little hollow, like the lower frequencies were slashed substantially. However, (as I address further down) this might be due to some mixing issues.

The bass sample you have repeating through most of the song also sounds somewhat flat, almost like FL BooBass. I feel like it has a good driving pattern, albeit somewhat repetitive (but that's what basslines do, right?). I'm just not sold on the sample. It also tends to be a bit busy for my taste.

The only real dynamic contrast I noticed in the song was between 0:36 and 0:52. Part of that was the instrumentation used in that section, but I think the song is somewhat overcompressed. I am no expert of course, but it does seem like your waveform is pretty maxed for most of the song. It sometimes sounds muddy with all of the instruments playing at once. From 2:12 to the end of the song, I have trouble hearing the bassline and kick drum, as the track is already so full with the lead melodic instrument and the rhythm guitar. Perhaps backing down the level of compression and balancing the instruments a bit more might alleviate the "too full" feeling of the track.

Other thoughts:

I am no mixing master, guitar guru, or musical genius. I think this remix has a LOT of good in it with a few rough spots. I think some attention and polish to the mix and a few tweaks of the samples, mainly the bass and opening instrument, can do a lot to elevate this track closer to a YES.

I enjoyed listening and wish you the best!

[timaeus222]

The bells playing in the beginning are fine in that their timbre isn't so grating to me. However, their sequencing is very mechanical in the velocities and the rigidity. I'm not exactly sold on the drums, either. The clap-like snare doesn't seem to fit. Maybe something that is a little shorter on the release might fit in better. Up until 0:35, things sound alright. Not "wow", but still alright. 0:35 sounds very dry with the upfront hand drums. It almost sounds like you meant to not put reverb there just so you wouldn't get too much muddiness from the bassy hits. Just raise the low cut on the reverb if you don't want reverb to affect the low end. The flute there also sounds like it's falling behind and is definitely sounding detached.

0:52 sounds pretty full, but there's too much going on right there for it to be solid enough. I'm hearing a lead, a bass, a buried choir, a very buried resonant arp, and maybe a string instrument harmonization. Needs some bass mixing fixes there. Can't really give specifics though since I don't know what you really have playing. I didn't find 1:21 jarring, so that's fine. Cool atonal hits at 1:22.

When the guitar comes in at 1:55, it sounds high passed, before the automation at 1:58 for the drop. I didn't find that drop all that heavy though. 2:12 sounded so muddy that I didn't really feel a "wham". That may be a somewhat minor thing, but it's up there in importance, especially since it's over 10 seconds in the track. It's enough time to anticipate something big, but it isn't big.

2:45 is pretty muddy as well. 2:48 adds bells with a lot of delay, while the bass is very mechanical and lack-luster. It's exposed enough to be a substantial issue. I think it's the loudest thing after 2:48.

The major issues for me would be the mechanical sequencing of the intro bells, the dryness of the hand drums at 0:35, the mechanical and detached-sounding flute sequencing, the drop at 2:12, the mechanical bass sequencing at 2:48, and especially, the muddiness essentially throughout.

The arrangement sounds good. If the production and sequencing were touched up, I think this can pass. Keep working on it!

Edited September 9, 2014 by timaeus222