*NO* Pokémon Red Version "Purple Screen"

[Gario]

RebeccaETripp
Rebecca Tripp

http://www.crystalechosound.com/
ID: 48262
Game(s): Pokemon Red/Blue
Song Title: Purple Screen

Songs Remixed: Title Screen

 

[Liontamer]

There was clipping/distortion from :49-:50 that would need to be fixed before this was posted.

Aside from the drums, the opening orchestration sounded very flimsy, particularly the brass. The sample quality seemed serviceable but there was a stiff quality to nearly all of the instrumentation and this didn't sound as expressive as it could have.

Perhaps my production bar's too high here, so I'd like to hear from other Js on whether they felt the way the samples were used here was solid enough. Since I'm not able to better articulate my reservations, I'll reserve a vote until some other opinions come in.

EDIT (10/15): Yeah, just taking some time away from this and revisiting it, this is solid enough orchestral writing, but, boy, if that intro doesn't prove the instrumentation has no body. Very stilted timing. The samples themselves are serviceable, but it neither sounds polished to Rebecca's usual standard nor OCR's.

NO

Edited October 15, 2019 by Liontamer
updated vote from ? to NO

[MindWanderer]

Yeah, "flimsy" is a good word for that brass.  It's excessively bright and unrealistic.  The strings also have mechanically consistent attacks and decays, and the reeds have an inhuman vibrato.

The orchestration is fine, a little vanilla but more than adequate; pretty typical for a Tripp mix.  But I agree that these samples need more work before they can do the job.

NO (resubmit)

[Rexy]

The arrangement mostly turned out fine.  Like a lot of your other works, there's an emphasis on keeping the source structure as it is while adding other parts into the background.  I like how the intro has some subtle playing around with the theme on the strings and reeds.  The first variation of the main melody also has good use of a marching bass, padded brass backing and woodwind countermelodies.  The second variant is more reliant on softer bass writing and more countermelodies, with even the brass stepping up to provide it at 1:52.  The only irk I have with the bass writing is the questionable decision to have a string of C notes in the bass from 0:41-0:43 when the chord at that point is D major.  That's only a nitpick here, so it doesn't matter.

However, this is another case where the articulation feels flat.  The balance is satisfying, and I can make out what all the instruments all are, but the attacks for the brass and strings feel constant and stiff.  It makes the intro not feel as dynamic as it should, the marching first variation sound unnatural, and the gentler second variation feeling watered down.  If you want them as the main emphasis, articulation is vital - and whether you work with envelopes or key switches, they can add some much-needed humanization.

Larry also pointed out the clipping at 0:49, which is minor in comparison but still needs checking out.  Think about either reducing the master volume or putting a limiter into your master chain to nullify it.

As it is, I can't see it getting posted on the site in its current form.  The arrangement is okay if not a little by-the-numbers, but it needs another pass regarding instrument articulation, as well as another mixdown to take care of the clipping.  You've handled this before, Rebecca, and I know you can do it again.

NO (resubmit)

[prophetik music]

this is a notably mechanically inconsistent track from you, rebecca. your strength has always been creating a really nice, lush, rich soundscape, and you do none of that here. the strings are robotic from the get-go, the brass are poorly balanced and awkwardly implemented, and the entire arrangement goes essentially nowhere. there's some clever turns of phrase and repetition to make it not straight in time with the original, but there's nowhere near enough to carry the low sample quality.

this isn't good enough in this state, unfortunately.

 

 

NO