Mega Man 9 - 'Big Brute Force of Nature' [Thunder Tornado] (Drum & Bass, Dubstep, Ambient)

[timaeus222]

What's up? I haven't posted new tracks here in a while. Here's a complete overhaul of one of my old tracks. Drum & Bass with a lil dubstep and ambience here and there. A little Pop-ish towards the middle, and inspired by zircon and Lindsey Stirling. By the way, turn the Box.com volume up to 100%, since by default it isn't.

ReMix: https://app.box.com/s/663y2pg9zpoc4e9e0jzk

Source:

Feedback is welcome. I'll submit this soon.

Edited January 11, 2015 by timaeus222
MR complete

[Cidfox]

Very nice work.

Are you using a different snare at the beginning and at 1:15? I really like the way the snare sounds at 1:15, but at the beginning it doesn't feel like it completely fits. There's also a frequency in the clap at the beginning that was a tad sharp in my headphones. Really liked that wobble at 2:52 to lead into the drop. You have some awesome ideas when it comes to using fx. I see now what you're trying to get me to do.

What do you use to make your leads?

[timaeus222]

Very nice work.

Are you using a different snare at the beginning and at 1:15? I really like the way the snare sounds at 1:15, but at the beginning it doesn't feel like it completely fits. There's also a frequency in the clap at the beginning that was a tad sharp in my headphones. Really liked that wobble at 2:52 to lead into the drop. You have some awesome ideas when it comes to using fx. I see now what you're trying to get me to do.

What do you use to make your leads?

At the beginning, the clappy snare was kinda referencing the zircon piece I was inspired by. I'll try checking the snare EQ and filling out the soundscape some more. As for the slightly sharp frequency, sure, I'll check that.

I use Zebra2 to make my leads (and bass, and arps, and... yeah).

Edited August 31, 2014 by timaeus222

[Uffe von Lauterbach]

Thank goodness this is Tornado Man's theme, because he sure knows how to have a clean mix. Bad joke. I can't help but get lost in your remix.

[timaeus222]

Thank goodness this is Tornado Man's theme, because he sure knows how to have a clean mix. Bad joke. I can't help but get lost in your remix.

Haha, thanks (and I don't get it. Dust Tornado --> Dirt Devil --> clean? ). xD

Edited September 1, 2014 by timaeus222

[Uffe von Lauterbach]

Haha, thanks (and I don't get it. Dust Tornado --> Dirt Devil --> clean? ). xD

I was trying to say that he swept away the unnecessary stuff that causes a muddy track. Told you it was a bad joke. xD

[timaeus222]

Alright, I'm pretty sure I got the little issues fixed; the sharp frequency in the clap layer was probably the very high frequency that I boosted getting louder from the parallel compression, so I lowered how much I boosted it. I filled out the beginning a little more (0:24 - 0:46, which has that clap) and slightly adjusted the EQ on the snare layer there too; and, I added another pad layer to the outtro (3:18). If no one has any more nitpicks, then I think I'll be putting this up for Mod Review (same link as before), for old times' sake.

Sidenote: this took about 12 days (on and off) to do.

ReMix: https://app.box.com/s/663y2pg9zpoc4e9e0jzk

Source:

Edited January 11, 2015 by timaeus222

[XPRTNovice]

[MODREVIEW]

It really isn't necessary for me to comment on this, as the best I can do is severely pick nits, but...

- In general, I think the melody is a little buried. It might be a taste thing, but I like my melodies to be pronounced. I noticed it most after the drop at 1:25, but it was prevalent earlier as well and is a sort of reoccuring thing I heard.

- Maaaybe a touch more bassline support? +1-2db maybe.

- the drop at 2:55 is reeeuuhhl nice

Other than that man, nice arrangement. I like the way it kind of feels like a bubble bursting at the end; had I been arranging it I might have dragged out that ending a little bit but it's good as is. I don't see the judges having any major problems with this at all

[/MODREVIEW]

[timaeus222]

[MODREVIEW]

It really isn't necessary for me to comment on this, as the best I can do is severely pick nits, but...

- In general, I think the melody is a little buried. It might be a taste thing, but I like my melodies to be pronounced. I noticed it most after the drop at 1:25, but it was prevalent earlier as well and is a sort of reoccurring thing I heard.

- Maaaybe a touch more bassline support? +1-2db maybe.

- the drop at 2:55 is reeeuuhhl nice

Other than that man, nice arrangement. I like the way it kind of feels like a bubble bursting at the end; had I been arranging it I might have dragged out that ending a little bit but it's good as is. I don't see the judges having any major problems with this at all

[/MODREVIEW]

Allllrighty, I've addressed these points, which I did agree with. Probably a result of wanting the arps to be heard, at first, but I ended up automating the mids down on the pads a touch to help that.

A short list of final changes for educational purposes:

- slight increase in reverbiness of the snare and the sine wave to increase the overall spatiousness and cohesiveness

- slight levels fix of certain leads to expose some more of the nuances, and bass frequencies of bass and kick and make it more full

- very minor automation of a pad's midrange to make the arp a touch clearer due to the leads being louder

- adjusted overall loudness a little to compensate for a few things getting louder so that the uppermost treble doesn't get squashed too much

I'm almost happy with this, so I'll sub this when I get the chance! In the meantime, I may lower the sub bass a little to bring back the dubstep nuances, and louden the snare a little bit.

Edited September 29, 2014 by timaeus222