Nostalvania Posted September 3, 2015 Share Posted September 3, 2015 (edited) Hi everybody! Here is a jazz/funk/electronic remix of the spark man theme i'm currently working on. I only have about 2 minutes so far, will add more later if i have any good ideas. Source: https://youtu.be/6J5cN87c2yM Remix (Updated 10.04.2015) https://app.box.com/s/cbd8na1pxx5dpjacbmq4r47bvpvp5ofk Edited November 4, 2015 by Nostalvania Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nostalvania Posted September 16, 2015 Author Share Posted September 16, 2015 Hey! Ok, so i finished the track. I added some quiter parts with violin, and also an organ solo. https://app.box.com/s/879cn6ee9531v1sprgoc0o72wosdju7o Feedback is appreciated Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nostalvania Posted September 19, 2015 Author Share Posted September 19, 2015 Updated version: https://app.box.com/s/ts8vh1u5nik15ho9rooijoyshtfh4ymo I adjusted some notes and articulations of the violin, changed some of the chords and a few other things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowlerhat Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 Hmm, I personally feel like there are a few odd things harmonic wise, in the mix. At 00.47, when the bongo's come in, there's some clashing between the main lead and the II-V-I chord progression. It just doesn't sound very natural, the combination that is. Because later at the epic organ solo it sounds fine. The ending is pretty abrupt harmonic wise, too. And, this might be a personal thing, but I'd personally choose a different instrument than the violin to play the melody at the loungy bridge thingy. It fits the melodic vibe, but considering that you're using a double bass, organ, bongo's and synths I'd expect something more loungier, like a flute or a trumpet. But using a violin is interesting as well, so it isn't really that important. You should lower the volume of every last note of the musical sentences, though. It may be the most important note, but I think you're accentuating it a little too much right now. But, nonetheless, this is really good!! Nostalvania 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timaeus222 Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 I didn't think the 0:47 harmonies were necessarily clashing in a bad way, per se. There could have been slightly better chord choices there, but what's there is fine by me; I got what you were going for. I don't really understand the violin in the breakdown at 2:02 and 3:04 though. It sounds too "pulsed", meaning that the attack envelope is consistently too slow. I think it could work better if you wrote it staccato for the first, third, and fourth notes in each repeated phrase, while the e. piano in the background could be sequenced a bit more quietly so that it doesn't take over. Right now I find the violin lagging, rather than being a tight "solo". The violin's really the only huge deal IMO. The arrangement is really transformative as usual. Nostalvania 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nostalvania Posted September 23, 2015 Author Share Posted September 23, 2015 @Bowlerhat: I couldn't really hear something clashing in the 00:47 section. It's probably not the greatest chord progression but it works IMO. I agree about the abrupt ending, although i think it sounds better when you listen to it several times. Anyways, maybe i can find a better ending. I'm wondering where in the track you heard a double bass and synths? I actually used an electric bass and no synths. I've tried different sounds for the breakdown section, trumpet, flutes, saxes, but the violin sounded the best IMO. However, it's possible that i'll try another instrument for that section. @Timaeus: Yeah, i think i can hear the issues with the violin and i'll try the staccato phrasing you suggested. Thanks for the feedback! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowlerhat Posted September 24, 2015 Share Posted September 24, 2015 Oh, wow, I really didn't word that well... Sorry. With the synths I meant the electric piano thingies. I'm really bad at electric instruments so I always confuse them... I did think you were using a double bass instead of an electric bass, though. With clashing I didn't mean any dissonant clashing but more a clashing in a harmonic sense. The II-V-I progression obviously works well in jazz, so I understand the underlying thought behind it, but the main melody doesn't really harmonize as well to the progression as the other melodies harmonize to the I-VII-VI-V progression. So it isn't a bad reharmonization, but just not as convincing as the rest of the arrangement. I'd personally try altering the main melody a bit (notewise, not melody wise) to make it fit a little better. It's not as if everyone suddenly won't recognize the source anymore. I hope it makes a bit more sense now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nostalvania Posted September 29, 2015 Author Share Posted September 29, 2015 Ok, here's an update: https://app.box.com/s/xrldol687g5v5rbrgarmd0m8mhe1ho2b So i worked on that violin part and made it more staccato and also lowered the volume of the e-piano a bit in that section. @Bowlerhat The 00:47 section still sounds good to me so i left it for the time being. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eino Keskitalo Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 Nice stuff! I like the violin as an instrument choice here, it adds something unusual, yet fitting. I'm a sucker for jazz/prog violin! Good adaptation. I'll have to try to give this a closer listen. I did feel like the melody could adapt itself to the chord changes more. Nostalvania 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timaeus222 Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 That sounds convincing to me! Maybe ask for a mod review later? Other than that, I think this is like 99% done. Nostalvania 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Impluo Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 Ok.. listening from work (shh!) on some shitty earbuds.. Sounds good! I don't have much to add, just a minor remark.The organ solo is distracting me a bit. The solo itself is great, however there is some panning going on (or a really slow Leslie?) that sounds strange to me. I think this is not that noticeable on nice speakers.. but I've got shitty™ earbuds Maybe I'm nitpicking a bit.. Good luck! Nostalvania 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nostalvania Posted September 29, 2015 Author Share Posted September 29, 2015 Ok.. listening from work (shh!) on some shitty earbuds.. Sounds good! I don't have much to add, just a minor remark. The organ solo is distracting me a bit. The solo itself is great, however there is some panning going on (or a really slow Leslie?) that sounds strange to me. I think this is not that noticeable on nice speakers.. but I've got shitty™ earbuds Maybe I'm nitpicking a bi Good luck! Thanks! Well i didn't pan the organ, that's for sure. Yeah, it's the leslie. I actually decreased the rotor speed for the most part of the solo. I think one solution would be to increase the rotor speed in the solo. Or turn off the leslie ha ha (no i don't think so) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timaeus222 Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 Maybe you could slightly decrease the rotor width in the leslie and find middle ground between headphones, speakers, and earbuds? Earbuds tend to send sound more directly into your ears due to their small output radii, making the perceived stereo width a bit wider than regular headphones. Or at least, that's how my earbuds feel in comparison to my Beyerdynamic DT-880s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nostalvania Posted September 29, 2015 Author Share Posted September 29, 2015 Maybe you could slightly decrease the rotor width in the leslie I tried to do that but couldn't find an option to change the rotor width Anyway, here is a version with slightly altered chord changes at 00:57 - 00:59 and 01:41 - 01:45. https://app.box.com/s/193zpbrgzmz33kqgf20hqhbtcyhebivw Better or worse? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timaeus222 Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 Do you have a stereo separation plugin? You could probably do the reverse of its function and narrow the stereo width of the leslie slightly. Personally I don't find it necessary, but if you wanted to do it, and there's no option you can find in the leslie itself, there's a workaround. Yeah, the chords sound better! Hm... what if you tried experimenting with the mix level on the wah for the e. piano? Maybe decrease it a bit to get more body into the tone and fill in the soundscape some more? Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WniU8SAgLs&t=6m4s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nostalvania Posted September 30, 2015 Author Share Posted September 30, 2015 Do you have a stereo separation plugin? You could probably do the reverse of its function and narrow the stereo width of the leslie slightly. Personally I don't find it necessary, but if you wanted to do it, and there's no option you can find in the leslie itself, there's a workaround. Yeah, the chords sound better! Hm... what if you tried experimenting with the mix level on the wah for the e. piano? Maybe decrease it a bit to get more body into the tone and fill in the soundscape some more? Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WniU8SAgLs&t=6m4s I've got a stereo enhancer, i think that should do it. Just to be sure, you're talkin' about the e.piano not the clavinet (panned right). There is actually no wah on the e.p, at least i didn't add any. I added a phaser though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timaeus222 Posted September 30, 2015 Share Posted September 30, 2015 In general I just mean the way you added motion to the e. piano tone, whether it was wah or phaser. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nostalvania Posted October 4, 2015 Author Share Posted October 4, 2015 Aight! I updated the remix for Mod-Review. https://app.box.com/s/cbd8na1pxx5dpjacbmq4r47bvpvp5ofk Changes: - Decreased the phaser on the e.p a bit - Slightly narrowed the organ in the solo - Extended the break at (3:35) to make the ending a bit less abrupt - Some bass fills at 01:45 - 01:47 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rozovian Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 Dat groove. I'm digging this. Pan effects are a little annoying on headphones, but no biggie. I hear source interpreted, it's recognizable and arranged, nothing stands out as bad. The strings might not be a convincing performance, but that hasn't stop tracks from being accepted. It might be a little soft in terms of levels (headphones, new setup, difficult to compare), but if you're satisfied with the levels, it's better to leave them as is than to mess with the dynamics and introduce compression problems. It's easier for listeners to turn the volume up than to turn the compression down. I'd be surprised if it was rejected. Excellent work. Nostalvania 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nostalvania Posted October 16, 2015 Author Share Posted October 16, 2015 (edited) Thanks very much Rozovian! I think i'll make some little adjustments here'n there before submitting. Edit: I was actually able to increase the volume a bit without causing any noticable compression. Submitted the track today Edited October 20, 2015 by Nostalvania Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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