*NO* Street Fighter 2 'Soaring Bird'

[Emunator]

Definitely a NO on production grounds because of muddy mixing, compression issues caused by the kick, and general production quality, but there's a lot of potential in the arrangement and the artist specifically requested constructive criticism, so I'm paneling this in hopes of getting some good feedback for the artist! ~ Emu
 

Remixer Name: Yanagine

Real Name: John Henderson

 

Remixed game: Street Fighter Franchise

Song Name. Soaring Bird

Song: Chun li Theme

 

I just signed up with your site for the second time. I've been following you guys on an doff since 2005 and actually submitted a song back then. It was rejected, but in truth kinda deserved the rejection lol. This song is a shorter version of the original 9 minute version (True to trance/edm form) I recently finished. I made it as a way to learn my new music software and thought why not submit it to you guys. I hope you enjoy it. Any feedback and constructive criticism is appreciated. Thanks

 

Source: 

Edited March 11, 2016 by Liontamer
closed decision

[Sir_NutS]

Source Breakdown:
00:00 - 00:57     : Piano chord hook is derived from the original main hook, melodies, embellishments and details derived from main melody in the original
01:42 - 02:54     : E-Piano hook derived from original lead, however other than that there's not much source-wise going here.
03:10 - 03:25     : Stickerbrush Symphony (more on this later)
03:26 - 03:53    : Original lead melody
03:53 - 04:15     : Sparse derivations from the orignal melody
04:15 - 04:38     : Stickerbrush Symphony
04:38 - 04:54     : variations from original melody

If 1:42 - 02:54 is to be counted, that makes 3:52 total, or around 56% source usage.  The section after 04:54 could be considered "source inspired" but not directly derived from it.

This Remix is also using parts from Donkey Kong Country 2's "Stickerbrush Symphony".  I don't know why the author didn't mention it.

With that out of the way, I'm afraid the production issues hold this track back from approval.  First I'd like you to get some sort of signal analyzer, so you will better understand whats wrong, even if your listening hardware (or your ears) isn't pointing you in that direction.  If your software supports VST I recommend getting Voxengo SPAN, which is a free tool.  

Now, the main problem in your mix are the low frequencies.  Your bass is all sub, and your kick has no punch whatsoever.  Now if you use a signal analyzer, you can verify that the signal range from ~100 to 350 hz is empty most of the time, or has little content.  Generally, what goes here is the punch of your kick and the low-mid frequencies of your bass.

Having a bass that is only sub can work however this one is too loud in relation to all the other elements in your track, and goes too low in the pitch range.  You can also use an equalizer with a low cut mode, or a high pass filter to filter out frequencies below 30hz, which are hurting your mix because they are mostly inaudible to the human ear but will affect compressors which can detect them. Your kick is also very low in the frequency range and needs some mid range punch.  It gets lost in the kick rolls along with the bass, because it also has a long release time in the low end which you aren't taking care of.  So if you're doing kick rolls try to shorten your release so the track doesn't drown in subs.

When you manage to give your kick and bass their own space via eq and sidechain, then you can work on the rest of your mix.  I don't have many issues with the rest of your mix but your sidechained chords could be a bit less dry and have presence to them, a small high end boost and slight midrange cut could help them cut through your mix better.  Try layering your chords with a less static sound to give them depth.  Also, loosen up a bit on the compression.  Your percussion elements could also be mixed better, the conga for example, sounds louder than it should and separated from the other elements.

Production issues aside, I liked your arrangement.  Sometimes it was a bit sparse but that helped it mantain the ambience.  I think you could cut a bit on the repetitive sections such as near the start at around 0:50.  I found your transition to the climax at 02:51 to be really weak.  The pervasive sub bass and lack of effects to accentuate the buildup may be culprit here, and I suggest working on your buildup to this section.

I think you're on the right path and I liked the idea.  You know how to keep things changing, I liked you didn't go autopilot on your drums, the little embellishments, the use of filters on your chords, and the attention to detail on your arrangement.  I would like to hear a better executed version of this track in the future.

NO (resubmit)

 

[Liontamer]

Very blocky and thin piano sample opening things up. The synths brought in at :16 were generically produced, but I did like the glassy lead for the melody and the bassline sounded nice. I'm wondering why this is mixed so quietly, but we'll see if anything changes.

Around 1:35, there was a rebuild with very subtle additions of new elements, but the overall groove felt very static until the change in pattern at 2:53; it's not poorly made, but there's just not much interest in this build as a listener, IMO. The phasing synth brought in at 2:38 sounded super generic and was just crowding out other elements, and I didn't enjoy when it took over as the lead at 2:53, as it sounded behind the beat. The "Stickerbush Symphony" cameo from 3:10-3:25 was an odd placement, but nothing inherently bad.

It felt like 3:51 was a short cut-and-paste of 2:53 with some accents added, including "Stickerbush Symphony" coming in again as the track shifted to a dropoff.

It's promising stuff so far, John, but unpolished. It's strange to hear a relatively varied arrangement sound so plodding; for example the relative energy level of the piece peaked at 2:38, and the densest sections with the phasing synths don't have the energy intended by the writing, while the beats & groove behind it were very plainly written. While Sir_NutS had great insight with the production criticisms, I'd like to see more about whether the execution of the arrangement clicks; for me, the interpretation is there, but the execution is not, at least not yet. For me, writing with more creative dynamic contrast and adding more energy to the arrangement would be the most important area to address.

NO (resubmit)

[DaMonz]

Whoaaaa the lows! I think the bass and kick should definitely be the first issues to address here. Mr. NutS gave excellent advice there, and on the overall production, and I couldn't have said any of it better. I strongly recommend using all this advice in order to improve the balance in your mix.

As for the arrangement, I think you're on the right track for sure. There's a good sense of flow, there's a structure, there's an intention, and I like that a lot. I generally like the ambience in your track. I do agree with Larry though that there are very little contrasts, and I think this devalues most of the variation in the writing. This may be a side effect of the production issues, and might be partially (or completely) solved along with production fixes, but I slightly doubt it. I think it would be a good idea to review your arrangement's structure, and identify the intended energy levels of each part. After doing that, you might have a better idea of what could be done to accentuate those intentions (by adding instruments, altering the writing, etc.)

And about the Stickerbrush thing, I think it may not have been intentional? It *is* the same pattern, but I wouldn't be that surprised if it was just coincidence. That specific part did slightly clash with the chords played by the other parts and sounded a bit unnatural to me, but it's a nitpick.

I think this is a great start, but definitely needs a lot of work. I'd love to hear an improved version eventually. Best of luck!

NO (resubmit)