DragonAvenger Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Dear OC ReMix Judges, Here is an improved version of an arrangement I submitted to OverClocked ReMix on Dec. 12, 2011, that was evaluated by OA, DragonAvenger, and halc on Mar. 13, 2012 and rejected on the grounds of poor sample quality and mastering. I have been working over the piece for the past year with new samples and with the assistance of the Work-in-Progress forums (and I've learned quite a bit about mastering!). Original submission thread: http://ocremix.org/forums/showthread.php?t=38115 Work-in-Progress thread: http://ocremix.org/forums/showthread.php?t=40239 ReMix information: ReMixer: Sauraen OC ReMix Forums Userid: 47320 Game: The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (1993, Nintendo, Game Boy) ReMix Title: Melodies of Mabe Village Songs arranged: Ballad of the Wind Fish, Mabe Village, Koholint Island Software used: Sibelius, EastWest/Quantum Leap Complete Composers Collection, Audacity I hope you enjoy this arrangement. Sincerely, Sauraen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chimpazilla Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Wow, I remember this track from nearly two years ago in the wip forum. Such a beautiful arrangement. I loved it immediately, but the samples and sequencing were not up to par. This is a HUGE improvement. The samples sound so much better, and nicely humanized. The drums are still sounding a bit muffled, and the playing style is a bit repetitive and may actually be at times a bit too upbeat for the mood of the track, for example the breakdown from 2:08-3:20 feels to me like it could use a softer drum pattern and/or a bit more variation. Mixing could even be improved further, the bass could use a bit more definition and slight mud cleanup, and I think there is a bit too much reverb overall, most noticeable on the piano. Haha, those brass staccato notes at 4:35 aren't fooling anyone! Leads are clean and clear and nicely placed in the soundstage. I hate fadeout endings. You could easily have ended the song right at 5:00, without going into the extra verse and the fadeout. *sigh* Still, this sounds terrific now, and I'm comfortable passing it. Nice work! YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OceansAndrew Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 This is definitely an improvement, though a few parts still stick out a little to me. The woodwinds early on sounded pretty thin and exposed, and the room sound on them sounded a bit off compared to the piano and strings. The brass sounds similarly exposed when it comes out, though the drums tie things together a bit. I think overall the woodwind and brass treatment isn't matching the piano and strings, and as-is, is making it sound less cohesive than it could be. Definitely a step up, but needs a little more polish! Hit me up if you want more detailed critique! No, please resubmit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nutritious Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 Quite the beautiful arrangement here. Nice use of instrumentation and good dynamics. Drums felt a bit repetatively sequenced, though they were relegated to the background for the mix. I think the kit could've been brought forward a bit more and variation within each section would've helped the realism factor. Andrew's point on the woodwinds is valid, but I didn't feel it was enough of an issue to be a dealbreaker for me. I guess it this could be considered a mix that features several soloists that are heard above the rest of the group. Fakey brass stuck out a bit briefly at 4:11, which is odd considering the quality of samples utilized here. Fadeout There is room for improvement here, but there's a lot of good stuff as well. We'll see what the other J's have to say, but for me it's a YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkeSword Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Oh hey, it's my favorite Zelda game! Nothing beats Link's Awakening. This is super pretty. Really straightforward arrangement on Wind Fish, with nice use of piano and winds. Samples aren't perfect but you're making them work for you. It's got kind of a lo-fi PC JRPG vibe to it, like an old Falcom game. Transitions are perfect. Love how you move into Mabe Village and Koholint Island. Feels so organic! Really awesome arrangement, and I'm not just saying that because of Zelda-bias. Great job. YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vig Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Great arrangement. Great writing. The drums sound pretty weak, but I'm not gonna stress out over it. I think you could have very easily made this a 4 minute track and it would have been stronger overall. But again, I won't stress about it. Pretty good track. YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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