DragonAvenger Posted October 1, 2013 Share Posted October 1, 2013 (edited) LINK: Your ReMixer name: MuseFist and TJ Nekko Your real name: Andrew Noll and Dominic Noll Your email address: Your userid: 5018 (!Nekko!) Name of game(s): Little Nemo: The Dream Master Name of individual song(s) arranged: Mushroom Forest Additional information about game including composer, system, etc. (if it has not yet been added to the site): http://ocremix.org/game/124/little-nemo-the-dream-master-nes Link to the original soundtrack (if it is not one of the sound archives already available on the site): http://ocremix.org/song/890 Your own comments about the mix, for example the inspiration behind it, how it was made, etc: Musefist and I were looking for a musical project one weekend: take a song and turn it in an unexpected direction. We landed on a song from one of our favorite games, Little Nemo: The Dream Master on the NES. We initially tried a tribal theme because we thought it would be hilarious direction but it ended up sounding amazing. We wanted it to be a happier song, something melodic and mechanically raw, which is reflected in our instruments. We used didgeridoos, marimbas, bongos, shakers, and a few other instruments. The chanting was done by Musefist using a Shure SM57 mic. We started working on this song back in November of 2010 and have been working on it off and on since then, so we hope you like it. Made in FL Studio 10, Reason 5, ProTools 10 ------------------ Edited December 15, 2013 by Liontamer closed decision Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonAvenger Posted October 9, 2013 Author Share Posted October 9, 2013 Definitely a different and pretty fun take on the source. A few things that I notice right away is that the didgeridoos and the chanting (and later the countermelody) are a bit overpowering to the melody in the marimba (which also could come up in general). The marimba's feel a bit distant as well, turning down the reverb a touch will help with that. I''m not totally feeling some of the note choices in the countermelody at 2:38, I think a few adjustments there would be beneficial. Arrangementally I feel like this stalls a bit once it gets going because the structure of the piece remains constant throughout. I think switching up the sections would give you some solid variation. Maybe an original section would help as well. I think you're on the right track, but you need to make some adjustments as-is. I'd like to hear this again. NO (resubmit) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liontamer Posted October 10, 2013 Share Posted October 10, 2013 Hahaha, what the hell is this? Well, that intro definitely caught my attention. Took a while to build, but the theme finally came in at :34. I thought the lead should have been more in the foreground. The positioning of things in the soundscape was definitely too distant; the premise itself isn't bad, but it shouldn't sound THIS distant, that's all. The melodic arrangement didn't really have much interpretation to speak of; up until 2:21 it was dependant on the surrounding instrumentation. Finally some melodic variation occurred at 2:21, followed by the original countermelody layered with another cover-ish iteration of the theme at 2:37. So basically there was only 15 or 16 seconds of some sort of melodic variations. See what else you can bring to the table there. Not sure the vocals fading back in at 3:14 really fit with the key of the source tune, so it was a strange way to close it. Nice delayed fade-out of the final notes. We're definitely not calling for it to be squeaky clean-sounding with no ambiance in the soundscape, but yeah, rework the mixing so the lead cuts through more and so everything doesn't sound so far away. Also, I'm overall OK with cover-ish melodic stuff when it's paired with otherwise interpretive elements and additions. That said, it's always a balance, and I think you'd be in better shape by interpreting the actual source melody some more. It doesn't mean you need to take it over the top with super-busy, complicated variations, just something more than what's here, which was a pretty paint-by-numbers marimba line. Great potential here though, it's a very unique approach as far as the style. NO (resubmit) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OceansAndrew Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 This is a classic example of a solid idea and a really creative approach that could use a bit more polish to make it really live up to the promise it has. The mixing needs a lot of adjustment, as does panning and even a bit of arrangement. I am definitely good with leaving the source melody as is, but there should be some added harmony or rhythm changes that give it more personality and development. You will really want to focus on the mixing though; get that melody in the center and build the other elements around it. You are panning stuff already, you'll just need to have a solid plan of why you are panning things in a certain way to support the main part of the track. No, please resubmit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chimpazilla Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 Ok, I just love that didgeridoo. Makes me want to do my own didge mix... but I digress. Such a fun mix! Lots of potential here. I'm smiling! I like the soundscape generally, it is nice and wide... although having the lead pushed so far back (and the didge so far forward) all the way through isn't the best mixing choice. I'd suggest after the intro, pushing the didge backwards with reverb and volume automation, and bringing the mallet lead forward. The minimal drumming seems to work well here, with the busy didgeridoo acting as a tonal percussive. The hand drumming sounds great. The writing is verbatim to the source for a good part of the track, and seems to recycle the same instrument patterns frequently. Some of the more interpretive parts are quite sparse, and seem to consist of the main writing but with a few notes removed. Some source-melody and bassline variations would really add interest to the track, as would some drum variations or fun syncopation changes. How about a different lead for one or two sections as well? I love the ideas in the sitar section, but wow is that section busy. I'd recommend dropping the didgeridoo completely out of this section (and do some other percussive thing there), and also taming the release on the sitar to avoid midrange mud caused by its long tail. Great start, and it is so fun and groovy. I hope you'll fix this up and resubmit it! NO (resubmit) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexstyle Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 Hrm, let’s see—there are a bunch of issues with this track, so I’ll name a few glaring ones. 1. Most of your instruments are fighting with each other for sonic space. The sitar, vocals, didgeridoo, and synth vibes all occupy generally the same spectrum, so you’re going to have to balance each one’s airtime so that they don’t all crowd each other. Even the bassline is skewed towards the midrange, and that doesn’t help either. 2. I feel like it’s a bit disjointed, melodically. This may be just me, but the vocal sample doesn’t really mesh well with everything else, as it doesn’t resolve to the root note at any point, and is usually kinda dissonant with whatever else is playing. 3. The arrangement overall needs a lot of polish, as well. You’d do well to incorporate a lot more melodic variation, as you seem to re-use a decent amount of patterns (the bass and the synth vibe come to mind). Get some new sounds in there, and don’t make the synth vibe do all the heavy lifting--keep it fresh! I think you tried to do this a bit with the sitar, but it ended up just clogging the mix, since it's part of the same sonic space as everything else that's going, too. There’s probably more, but I’d say you’d do well to spend time working on the issues here, and then take it over to the Workshop forums. That way, you’ll be able to get a bunch more feedback. Even if this particular arrangement doesn’t end up making it through, try and learn as much as you can while improving it—you’ve got some cool ideas (seriously, we need more didgeridoo around here), so I’d love to see you learn how to put those good ideas into a fluid, polished track. NO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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