Gario Posted March 20, 2019 Share Posted March 20, 2019 "By the Flame" So, sd3 is finally out. I don't need to remix a Mana source ever again. But I probably will. But for this year's AOCC, I decided to do something different, so I remixed something from a JRPG with multiple protagonists. Everything sprung from those stupid hardpanned percussion elements and the bass rhythm. My good old fake shaker from Beyond Velocity, and a snare from DrumSpillage, bass from Logic's ES2. Also other stuff from Logic's ES2 and Alchemy, vibraphone from Pianoteq, guess what from Superior Drummer, strings from Omnisphere and a supporting shaker from SampleTank. Because you can never have too many shakers. Now you know. And panning is fun. But yeah, bass and hardpanned stuff was the start. Everything else is just my messing with the source on top, then spending an inordinate amount of time trying to make sense of the arrangement, and usually coming up with even more ideas in the process. No wonder I can't keep my tracks short. But yeah, Octopath. Good game. Single source, for once: "Flamesgrace, Guiding Light" Merry, uh, midsummer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gario Posted March 20, 2019 Author Share Posted March 20, 2019 Mmm, I really like the instrument choice on this one - they're so darn warm, almost sounding like they're analog. Sounds crunchy, peasant, and overall wonderful. The soundscape is light, but overall rather wonderful, and the arrangement presents the source in a playful manner. This really is top notch stuff. The only thing I could think of that didn't line up perfectly would be the synth string pad used throughout, but they're not bad - I just felt they were relatively 'nilla compared to the other excellent sound design. They're not objectively bad - they're just bad by comparison. So yeah, do get this one up on the front page, please. YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MindWanderer Posted May 6, 2019 Share Posted May 6, 2019 For the most part, I agree with Gario. There are a few sections that I don't think work so well, though. The lead in 2:11-2:48 and 5:37-6:07 sounds much thinner and more bland, especially in the higher registers, and not only does it not really mesh with the rich retro synth soundscape, it's a bit too quiet. It has some timbre to it, but it's largely drowned out and hard to appreciate; when it gets louder in 6:07-6:37 it sounds much better. It's not a bad little synth, but the nice parts of it just aren't audible. I'm also not the biggest fan of the LFO e-piano chords in 3:19-4:18--the oscillation is a bit strong and distracting--but I can live with them. I was actually mulling over this one for a long time and couldn't put my figure on why it didn't sound right, until I realized it was that one synth that sounded so amateurish that it was bringing the rest down. I think it just needs to be a bit louder so that the texture of it becomes audible. It seems like a small thing but it's really affecting my ability to appreciate the piece. Otherwise I'm on board. YES/CONDITIONAL (on making that one synth clearer) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir_NutS Posted May 7, 2019 Share Posted May 7, 2019 I'm listening to this one at 8:00 AM in a rainy morning, coffee cup in hand, and it's one of those perfect moments. This song is super warm and cozy. The textures are wonderful and fit very well the overall arrangement and soundscape, and the mix is clear but also has a little bit of dirt and saturation that holds things together fairly nice. This is a very long one, but I found the arrangement kept things interesting and the length didn't bother me, so kudos there. Some interesting switches on tempo happening around 3:30, with the drum sequencing afterward being very detailed. Then we get an excellent break that takes its proper time to build things up again. This is pretty awesome and unique IMO. I'm onboard. YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rexy Posted July 10, 2019 Share Posted July 10, 2019 This retro chill soundscape is pleasing to the ear. Drum writing is on point throughout, the wintery feel got achieved well with this legato-free synth selection, instruments are mixed coherently well despite the lengthy duration, and changing up the source to this waltz rhythm not only is fitting for the season but is a fantastic base to play around with those melodies. Indeed, the melodies not only got adapted to fit the new time signature, but Rozovian's been that sneaky with interpretations that I struggled to find where the source is present. Here is the breakdown I got when trying to figure that out: 0:02-0:07 - chime refers to a part of melody A 0:07-0:52 - backing chime repeating the first four notes of the source for the intro 0:52-1:22 - melody A straight 1:22-1:33 - chime references intro again, along with chord progression that starts sounding like melody A initially 1:37-2:11 - melody B straight - and just saying, I love that half-time feel on the string melody! 2:48-3:18 - melody C straight 5:22-5:33, 5:37-5:48 - melody A's chords 6:07-7:07 - melody A straight That's 237 seconds that I detected, but it's still barely 50% source use. I know Ad has a knack for writing long tracks, but if it took me multiple listens to cement my source detection, then a breakdown in future subs can be more useful for us to assess them. All in all, it's a playful track that treats the source in a bouncy way, is balanced to match an appropriate mood for colder days, and got me thinking about how the pieces worked all together. It was a difficult one for me to figure out source use, but I can see it on the front page as close to Christmas morning as possible. YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prophetik music Posted July 28, 2019 Share Posted July 28, 2019 i realize that we essentially have enough YESes for this one already, but i wanted to chime in. i found this track to be such a refreshing departure from the original. there's a ton of great and creative instrument choices used - specifically in the percussion - and i love the overall lo-fi feel of the piece. i know gario called out using that dark string pad from Omnisphere, but i thought it gave the track a cozy vibe that a more realistic patch would have not achieved. i also appreciate the remixer's willingness to really go after the middle section. it provides a nice cream filling to the cookies on each side, and i appreciate that there's just as much attention paid to that section's unique feel as to the other areas where the melody is presented. the short part starting at 4:33 is delightful, and going back to the string pad after that is a nice way to get back towards a recap. YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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