Final Fantasy VI - Terra's Theme

[TeraCMusic]

I am working on a mini-album of Final Fantasy songs, and I am kind of stuck on how to make Terra's theme really stand out. This is what I have so far, if anyone has any suggestions, I would greatly appreciate it! This is my first time taking a song and totally recreating it, so I need all the help I can get!

-Tera

UPDATED LINK: https://soundcloud.com/teracmusic/terrasthemetechno-mp3/s-QjwuT

https://soundcloud.com/teracmusic/terrasthemedraft

Edited January 27, 2014 by TeraCMusic

[DarkDjinn]

I am working on a mini-album of Final Fantasy songs, and I am kind of stuck on how to make Terra's theme really stand out. This is what I have so far, if anyone has any suggestions, I would greatly appreciate it! This is my first time taking a song and totally recreating it, so I need all the help I can get!

-Tera

https://soundcloud.com/teracmusic/terrasthemedraft

This sounds pretty good. I don't have any real criticism of it, can't wait to see where you go with it though One of the most recognizable tunes out of any Final Fantasy, in my opinion.

[Cash]

Hi Tera,

You're remixing Terra's theme and your name is also Tera, that's awesome! Anyway, onto the remix. I'm liking what I hear so far, you've made me curious to see where you go with this!

Just some productions comments. The choir (or are they strings?) in the intro sounds a little too fake for the mood. The delay effect you put on the piano is a bit much for my tastes, it sounds unnatural. I think the percussion is nice and epic though, well done on that. Also, when it's just the piano and percussion playing, the remix is sounding sparse. I'd recommend adding more layers, or have that section lead into another more intense section. That leads me to the arrangement.

I'm enjoying you're rendition of this mega-popular source. I'd say so far you've taken a unique approach, so that's good. My only other thought would be that the ending is building up to something, but never quite makes it. Perhaps you already have a plan, but I would love to see you expand the current ending into a more intense section. I'm hearing in my head what it could sound like, especially the percussion, and I'm excited. This has potential. I'm looking forward to what you come up with!

I checked out some of your other music (which is great by the way, especially your singing!) and I see that you play violin and sing. Maybe you could incorporate some violin or vocals into this remix. I'll be following you're progress on this, looking forward to more!

Edited January 27, 2014 by Cash

[timaeus222]

Hey Tera, great work on that Perfection soundtrack with Omni-Psyence.

The synth pad in the beginning, though it's partially my preference, is static to the point where it gets a tiny little bit grating. At this point it comes down to the sound design aspect to improve on the objective quality. The timbre of the pad is fine by itself, but when combined with the percolating arp, it's a semi-harsh timbre in comparison to the arp, and it doesn't seem to match IMO.

The only other issue I hear is that when the piano plays with the cinematic drums, the track has a sparse texture. Something to fill it in, like a big pad, would really help. I'm personally not bothered by the ping-pong delay.

[TeraCMusic]

Thanks so much for posting your suggestions! I've made note of them and will see what I can do

To Cash: Yes, I sing and play violin! I plan on incorporating both into this remix, so I am trying not to use the melody too much until I record those parts. The beginning part after the pad is indeed strings, I will look into making them sound more realistic. I agree that they sound a bit fake (I am currently using Magix Music Maker 2013 for this... It's very user-friendly but some of the samples could be much better). I recently got FL Studio 11, but I haven't gotten around to learning it's complex interface haha. Also, one thing about me is: I. LOVE. REVERB. Sometimes I overdo it though haha so I can definitely try to tone it down for the piano part

Timaeus222: Thank you! I am so happy you enjoyed my violin/vocal work on Perfection! Omni-Psyence is such a great remixer! I will see if I can find a softer-sounding pad, since I believe you are saying that this one seems a bit harsh. I have added something halfway into the piano part, and expanded a little bit from there.

DarkDjinn: Thanks! I hope I can make this sound as epic as it is in my head

I worked on it more while waiting for some suggestions, so here's an updated version. I apologize that I haven't really changed anything, but I will be sure to include your suggestions for the next update

https://soundcloud.com/teracmusic/terrasthemetechno-mp3/s-QjwuT

P.S.- I want this 'remix' to be anywhere from 4-6 minutes long, so it definitely is not done yet Just keep that in mind!

Edited January 27, 2014 by TeraCMusic

[timaeus222]

I recently got FL Studio 11, but I haven't gotten around to learning it's complex interface haha.

Oh, really? Cool! If you need any help on that, feel free to ask! Proud lover of FL right here.

[Cash]

Hey Tera, I like the additions so far. I like the way the new synth modulates through that section. The buildup is sounding pretty good, I'm curious where you'll take it from here. Keep up the good work!

By the way, I also use FL Studio 11. I'll happy to answer any questions you might have! Timaeus most likely knows more about FL though, considering his music is better than mine.

[MinnieMoog]

Oh, really? Cool! If you need any help on that, feel free to ask! Proud lover of FL right here.

Sweet, so I'm not in the single's club it looks like. I'm using FL 9, myself.

As for the track, I'm quite liking it. And I agree with timaeus222, the piano delay is totally fine. Though I could be bias here, since I'm a huge fan of delay... But er. There are definitely spots that need filling out, and I will also agree that the pad at the beginning could use something to help add variation to it, whether it be subtle filter work-- another lead, etc. Or maybe even a bit more ambience to accent it? The separation on the strings to the choir pad is nice. But when the kick comes in, it feels... A bit muddier than it should be, at least to me. Is there any side-chaining going on in there? It sounds like very little to me, if any. I think maybe some EQing on the lower frequencies of the other instruments aside from the kick, and perhaps a bit (more?) of side-chain strength on the kick signal to the pad could help raise that kick a bit and give it a bit more clarity in the midst of the pad. The transition to the piano and percussive section sounds awesome. I don't necessarily have an issue with it being emptier there, but perhaps if you came back to that phrase at a later point in the song you could add a more driving rhythm and a pad or arp sequence to back the section up? But of course, it's your piece. Maybe you had something else in mind?

Also, I too would be more than happy to assist in FL help. But maybe I'm less experienced than some. I've been working with FL for only about... eh, maybe three years now? Either way, other veterans are going to teach me a thing or two as well.

[TeraCMusic]

Hey Tera, I like the additions so far. I like the way the new synth modulates through that section. The buildup is sounding pretty good, I'm curious where you'll take it from here. Keep up the good work!

By the way, I also use FL Studio 11. I'll happy to answer any questions you might have! Timaeus most likely knows more about FL though, considering his music is better than mine.

Thanks so much!! I am so glad you like what I added. I'll be sure to work on it more and post the progress once again

[TeraCMusic]

Sweet, so I'm not in the single's club it looks like. I'm using FL 9, myself.

As for the track, I'm quite liking it. And I agree with timaeus222, the piano delay is totally fine. Though I could be bias here, since I'm a huge fan of delay... But er. There are definitely spots that need filling out, and I will also agree that the pad at the beginning could use something to help add variation to it, whether it be subtle filter work-- another lead, etc. Or maybe even a bit more ambience to accent it? The separation on the strings to the choir pad is nice. But when the kick comes in, it feels... A bit muddier than it should be, at least to me. Is there any side-chaining going on in there? It sounds like very little to me, if any. I think maybe some EQing on the lower frequencies of the other instruments aside from the kick, and perhaps a bit (more?) of side-chain strength on the kick signal to the pad could help raise that kick a bit and give it a bit more clarity in the midst of the pad. The transition to the piano and percussive section sounds awesome. I don't necessarily have an issue with it being emptier there, but perhaps if you came back to that phrase at a later point in the song you could add a more driving rhythm and a pad or arp sequence to back the section up? But of course, it's your piece. Maybe you had something else in mind?

Also, I too would be more than happy to assist in FL help. But maybe I'm less experienced than some. I've been working with FL for only about... eh, maybe three years now? Either way, other veterans are going to teach me a thing or two as well.

This is why I love OCR. I am getting such great feedback! Thank you for your input! I will add it to my list hehe I will try my best to incorporate everyone's suggestions... All of these production terms are kind of confusing to me, but I will ask my other friends to help me out I am sure that with time, I will understand what everyone is saying a bit better haha. I want to make my first remix successful so again, thanks to everyone for sending me suggestions!

[Gario]

Oh, Terra's theme, how we all love it. I like the atmosphere in this one throughout, so nice setup on it.

A few thoughts on it, though - how long do you expect the piece to be? If you plan on a 5-6 minute remix then the intro works pretty well, but anything less than that and it's going to sound too long in comparison to the piece. Three parts to an intro is excessive, though it can work in a fairly long remix. Just be aware of it.

The bass that comes in at 0:51 sounds overcompressed. In some styles of hardcore it's a good drum to use, but in this context it's pretty distracting. You change to another bass drum later that sounds more fitting to the style; I suggest using that drum in that section instead.

The background texture at ~1:50 that have the EQ lift up and give that distinct feeling of "opening up" feel like they give way to too many highs, since it almost sounds like buzzing when they finish upping the EQ. The effect is great, but I suggest giving the instrument a bit of a high pass on it.

Otherwise I like it. Let's see where you take it.

[TeraCMusic]

Oh, Terra's theme, how we all love it. I like the atmosphere in this one throughout, so nice setup on it.

A few thoughts on it, though - how long do you expect the piece to be? If you plan on a 5-6 minute remix then the intro works pretty well, but anything less than that and it's going to sound too long in comparison to the piece. Three parts to an intro is excessive, though it can work in a fairly long remix. Just be aware of it.

The bass that comes in at 0:51 sounds overcompressed. In some styles of hardcore it's a good drum to use, but in this context it's pretty distracting. You change to another bass drum later that sounds more fitting to the style; I suggest using that drum in that section instead.

The background texture at ~1:50 that have the EQ lift up and give that distinct feeling of "opening up" feel like they give way to too many highs, since it almost sounds like buzzing when they finish upping the EQ. The effect is great, but I suggest giving the instrument a bit of a high pass on it.

Otherwise I like it. Let's see where you take it.

These are all good points! I want to try making this remix about 4-6 minutes in length. I can definitely adjust the intro if it falls short of the 5-6 minute minimum. A lot of my ideas are still stuck in my head, so I will have to wait until I am closer to finishing before adjusting the beginning.

I've decided that the first drum sample I used will be changed for a different one lol. It's a placeholder for now. I definitely like the later drum samples a lot more I'll try to find a better one for that section!

I actually thought the same thing about the part around 1:50, I will try to tweak that!

Wow... I realize that I have a lot of work to do! I am so happy that everyone likes my ideas so far, though

[timaeus222]

These are all good points! I want to try making this remix about 4-6 minutes in length. I can definitely adjust the intro if it falls short of the 5-6 minute minimum. A lot of my ideas are still stuck in my head, so I will have to wait until I am closer to finishing before adjusting the beginning.

...

I actually thought the same thing about the part around 1:50, I will try to tweak that!

I just wanna clarify; the 5-6 minute "minimum" is just an estimate, so there's no hard-and-fast rule for that.

As for 1:50, also clarifying, Gario's saying that the low-pass cutoff automation envelope sounds like it ends too high (or this could serve as some vocabulary! ).

[TeraCMusic]

I just wanna clarify; the 5-6 minute "minimum" is just an estimate, so there's no hard-and-fast rule for that.

As for 1:50, also clarifying, Gario's saying that the low-pass cutoff automation envelope sounds like it ends too high (or this could serve as some vocabulary! ).

Right! I understand. As for the part at 1:50... does that mean I should add a high-pass filter? lol I feel so incompetent haha

I am taking this Music Production course offered by Berklee College of Music via Coursera (the course is free), so I am hoping that they touch on all of these terms xD Thanks again for clarifying

[timaeus222]

Right! I understand. As for the part at 1:50... does that mean I should add a high-pass filter? lol I feel so incompetent haha

I am taking this Music Production course offered by Berklee College of Music via Coursera (the course is free), so I am hoping that they touch on all of these terms xD Thanks again for clarifying

Ah, it's okay! Actually, what's happening is that the treble frequencies are slowly being exposed by either an automation clip (a simple module that does things for you automatically based on what you specify) or an internal synth envelope (a slope that a synth parameter [knob feature] follows to modulate/modify a property within its interface at that particular speeds and directions).

Since it sounds like a low-pass filter envelope, what I'd do is either:

- If it's an automation clip, lower the far-right tip of the automation path down a bit.

- If it's an internal synth envelope, look at what envelope is specified to modulate the cutoff, and turn down the Attack a little bit.

Presumably, since the automation lasts pretty long, I think it's an actual automation clip?

[Gario]

Ack, I meant low pass! Sorry, I meant to say cut some highs by using a LOW-pass filter (you know, letting the lows pass). I'm sorry for the confusion, there.

[TeraCMusic]

Ack, I meant low pass! Sorry, I meant to say cut some highs by using a LOW-pass filter (you know, letting the lows pass). I'm sorry for the confusion, there.

Oh! I understand now! Thanks for the clarification

[XPRTNovice]

Hey there.

First, sorry it took me so long to get to this. I'd make excuses, but I'd rather just get to my thoughts.

I actually kind of enjoyed the synth pad at the beginning, and how it built up over time. I was ready for everything to come in right when it did. The boom-a-chuck-a with the piano solo in the beginning is nice.

I might automate the volume on the countermelody synth that starts at 1:29, as when it reaches certain parts of its cycle it gets a bit overbearing, and then it sort of fades away. I like the effect, but maybe it could be less dramatic. When it reaches the loudest part of its cycle, it's REALLY loud.

The drums that come in at 1:56 are really cool, but the volume of that synth gets wonky again around the same time. Like I said, I like the effect of it going in and out, but it's a bit intense as it is right now, in my opinion.

You should absolutely finish this. And I'm not sure you should call it techno But that's subjective.

Other than what I've said above, I don't hear any big problems in the arrangement or in the mixing. I'm curious see where you're going with it. I know where I would take it, but I'm not telling

[TeraCMusic]

Hey! I am so glad you got around to listening to it! Thanks so much for the feedback.

I'll put a link for the most recent version I have of the song. I took everyone's advice for the most part, I still need to find better entrance drums though. So yeah, I reduced the harshness of the pad, (hopefully) used a better string VST, reduced the reverb a bit on the piano, added a low pass filter for the part around 1:50 (still buzzes a bit, not sure how else to fix it)... I lowered the volume of the synth at 1:29 a bit (I can try to add a low pass filter to this one too if needed). I also added a nice part around 1:39 which SHOULD hopefully pan slowly from the right ear to the left, and then back to the middle.

WOW. Haha that's a lot of fixes I made! I really hope everything sounds better... If not, please let me know so I can do some more tweaking.

LINK: https://soundcloud.com/teracmusic/terras-theme-techno-wip

Also... what genre would this even be? The reason why I put Techno is because that's what I had initially planned this "remix" to be. If anyone has an idea as to what category this falls into, I would be really grateful!

Hey there.

First, sorry it took me so long to get to this. I'd make excuses, but I'd rather just get to my thoughts.

I actually kind of enjoyed the synth pad at the beginning, and how it built up over time. I was ready for everything to come in right when it did. The boom-a-chuck-a with the piano solo in the beginning is nice.

I might automate the volume on the countermelody synth that starts at 1:29, as when it reaches certain parts of its cycle it gets a bit overbearing, and then it sort of fades away. I like the effect, but maybe it could be less dramatic. When it reaches the loudest part of its cycle, it's REALLY loud.

The drums that come in at 1:56 are really cool, but the volume of that synth gets wonky again around the same time. Like I said, I like the effect of it going in and out, but it's a bit intense as it is right now, in my opinion.

You should absolutely finish this. And I'm not sure you should call it techno But that's subjective.

Other than what I've said above, I don't hear any big problems in the arrangement or in the mixing. I'm curious see where you're going with it. I know where I would take it, but I'm not telling

Edited February 9, 2014 by TeraCMusic
Posted the wrong link LOL

[timaeus222]

Cinematic electronic.

[TeraCMusic]

Cinematic electronic.

That's very fitting, actually! Thank you!

[timaeus222]

I like the addition of the lower strings at 0:27. It helps with the progression aspect. However, with that section and the one after it, it feels like it could be a little repetitive to other people since 30 seconds is about as long as a 3~4-minute electronic track's intro. Maybe you can add something to vary up the textures a bit, like some automated filters on the pad, or a high countermelody?

At 1:26, I think it could be cool to shift every other chunk of notes right by one note and taking out the last note in each chunk. That would offset the rhythm for every other arpeggio, and add rhythmic interest.

It sounds like there's a resonance at 1:53, since that high note is pretty piercing.

Sounding good so far!

[TeraCMusic]

I like the addition of the lower strings at 0:27. It helps with the progression aspect. However, with that section and the one after it, it feels like it could be a little repetitive to other people since 30 seconds is about as long as a 3~4-minute electronic track's intro. Maybe you can add something to vary up the textures a bit, like some automated filters on the pad, or a high countermelody?

At 1:26, I think it could be cool to shift every other chunk of notes right by one note and taking out the last note in each chunk. That would offset the rhythm for every other arpeggio, and add rhythmic interest.

It sounds like there's a resonance at 1:53, since that high note is pretty piercing.

Sounding good so far!

Yeah, I was kind of getting that feeling too, so I might cut a bit out of the intro I am still trying to stick to the 5 minute idea, but if it is shorter, I will definitely make the intro shorter as well

Ohhh I think I understand what you are saying about the arpeggio thing (it took me a while to process that haha). I will try it out!

Yes, I definitely agree with that. I might change the panning settings to make it appear softer (or figure out how to lower the velocity of the note on Magix). **EDIT** I found the velocity markers lol so I lowered the high notes

This makes me happy because now I can work on it some more! Thanks!

On another note, I am starting to get acquainted with FL Studio little by little... I like it a lot so far

Edited February 11, 2014 by TeraCMusic

[timaeus222]

Ohhh I think I understand what you are saying about the arpeggio thing (it took me a while to process that haha). I will try it out!

Yes, I definitely agree with that. I might change the panning settings to make it appear softer (or figure out how to lower the velocity of the note on Magix). **EDIT** I found the velocity markers lol so I lowered the high notes

This makes me happy because now I can work on it some more! Thanks!

On another note, I am starting to get acquainted with FL Studio little by little... I like it a lot so far

Oh, yeah, I *was* a little vague. Yeah, I meant to say to try taking out the last notes of every *other* chunk.

Great! =)

That's good! I really love FL's workflow and convenience. I can't get enough of its automation clips (I tend to use more layers for my automation clips than my musical content! ).

[TeraCMusic]

Just an update for you all following this thread: I haven't added much to the WIP; in fact, I've made it shorter than it was before haha. I'm trying to finish up Man with the Machine Gun first for the mini-album before I work more on this one. The good news is that I should be working on this in about a month or so! :)Please keep an eye out for my next post on here, and thanks so much again for all of your feedback!