*NO* Final Fantasy 8 "The Oscar Goes to Laguna LOIRE" *PROJECT* *RESUB*

[Chimpazilla]

FOR FINAL FANTASY 8 PROJECT

Remixer name: Bluelighter Real name: Guillaume SAUMANDE Mail: ID forum: 21840 Game & Songs: Final Fantasy 8 & Slide Show part 2, Slide Show part 1, (Retaliation) Title of the original submission: 3, 2, 1… ACTION! Composer: Nobuo UEMATSU Album  project: Final Fantasy 8 Links: o   Slide Show p2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8m5J28Chio o   Slide Show p1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rh4AF6F4tk o   (a bit of Retaliation  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kN9m5KM-jvE) Hi OCR, On the occasion of ff8 album project, I've made a new version of my arrangement of slide show. Now, the mix is more concentrated on Slide Show pt2 and pt1. Beginning and ending describe an OSCAR Ceremony and middle sections describe some actions scene extracted from the movie of character Laguna.   I've also reworked on transitions to give more fluidity on this arrangement. Now, they are shorted and different parts come after the others more naturally.   View the new building of the arrangement and the concept little modified, I've preferred changing the title. The allusion to an OSCAR Ceremony is clearer ^^ I've understood the interest of a breakdown for this kind of mix. So I give you the plan of the arrangement with some notes on inspiration. Enjoy *************** Breakdown Originals o   Slide Show pt2 §  0 – 0'32'' Melodic line A (MLA) §  0'32'' – 0'49'' MLB o   Slide Show pt1 : §  0 – 0'21 MLC §  0'21 – 0'35 : not used §  0'35 – 0'42 MLD  o   (Retaliation - a little in rhythm of 10 first seconds for some parts) Mix o   in C o   Pt1: 0 -> 20'': intro – MLA (inspired by piano collection version) o   Pt2: 0'20 -> 0'48 : MLA in soft instrumentation o   Pt3: 48'' -> 1'15: MLA with march band rhythm o   in Fm o   Pt4: 1'15 -> 1'40: MLC idem -> Bass string increased to emphasize melody (slide show pt1 more recognizable now). MLD for transition o   Pt5: 1'40 -> 2'18: darker section -> few modifications to introduce next part §  Some bars present the stressful rhythm by low strings (near for rythm“Retaliation”) §  MLB with this same rhythm with irregularities in time signature o   Pt 6: 2'18 -> 3'05: §  Bass string rhythm take from “Retaliation” (discreet) §  in G#m : 2*MLB and MLC together §  in C#m:  MLC (one time) §  in F#m: MLD (to conclude and come to the next part). Rhythm of retaliation accentuated by winds. §  We retrieve here the transition of the OST between SlSh pt1 end and pt2 beginning o   Pt7: 3'05 -> end : in F  : MLA soft and march band rhythm §  Some modifications in tempo -> accelerating rhythm §  Same conclusion as the last version

Edited June 24, 2016 by Liontamer
closed decision

[Gario]

Well, this is a fun arrangement. You take it in quite a few directions, but I think it works well together. It sounds unexpectedly dark at 1:40, but then you tie it together using "Slide Show pt.1" at 1:57 to bring it all together, with the part 2 coming later to blend together into a nice little bit of drama in an otherwise upbeat track. I like it, nice work blending your sources into something cohesive.

The sample quality and mixing, though, is really killing this one. Your strings are very much mixed into the background of this one, even when they carry a theme. The instruments themselves sound like they're from the Playstation era - they all strike their notes the exact same way, no matter what, which makes it sound very mechanical and stiff. Instruments normally articulate their strikes in a different way when they start a phrase, are in the middle of playing a phrase and when they end one. For example, strings often swell into their first note a little, have no swell for the notes in the middle of a phrase, and often end a phrase with a little fading in the volume. These tiny details make an arrangement sound more like real humans performed the music, which your arrangement is sorely lacking, right now. It's a shame it misses on the humanization, too, since the actual orchestration is spot on.

It's a great arrangement with some wonderful orchestration, but the instruments don't sound real at all. The melodies often also get lost in the mix, as well. If you obtain better samples and/or humanize your instruments better, as well as mix the arrangement in such a way that the melodies come through better, I would see this as an easy pass. In it's current state, though, not so much.

NO

[Sir_NutS]

Man, I really love just how quirky your rhapsody arrangements are.  I wish we got more of this stuff on the site.  03:12 is so Gershwin it's not even funny.  
*Comes back to the vote after half an hour of listening to Gerswin*

Well I got sidetracked there.  Goes to show this is something that I really like.  I however have to agree with Gario on some points, not all.  I think your sample quality while not the greatest its sufficient to me given the way its being used, nothing really feels vanilla here and there are a lot of intricacies in the arrangement and instrument usage.  I do have to take issue with the mix which feels overly busy and (oddly) compressed.  The big hits and lower drum hits have a ducking effect on the mix that is very umpleasant and unnatural.   I also feel like there's too much reverb and the mix isn't as clear as it should be.

Regarding the arrangement some of the transitions are rough but they don't take away much from the arrangement.  The 1:40 section was particulary out of place in this arrangement and sounded far too serious to fit.  Other than that I think you did a good job marrying the sources and the adaptation worked well for me.  

If the production issues are fixed, I'll be happy to let this one through.

NO (resubmit)

[DaMonz]

I agree that the arrangement is great, there's no question there. Nice work on that!

I think sample quality wasn't much of an issue, but the mix drowned in low-end breaks the deal for me. As mentioned by Mike, I also think the reverb doesn't help on the mix issues. I'd recommend slightly reducing the reverb's decay, and heavily dropping the lows of your reverb patch, because it's most probably only adding unwanted rumble. Maybe reducing a bit of the Amp Env decay on some of the booming low percussion instruments would help reducing the constant low-end rumbling, and some careful EQ'ing might also help.

The lack of humanization also bothered me, but wasn't part of the deal-breaking problems for me. If you send a revised version, though, some more work there would definitely be appreciated.

Best of luck!

NO (resubmit)