Rexy Posted December 5, 2019 Share Posted December 5, 2019 (edited) Contact Information: ReMixer name: soundyg Websites: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnHzXLbVzwdiOyVr0nE9aSg Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-67701778 Submission Information: Name of game arranged: F-Zero Name of arrangement: Brass City Name of individual song arranged: Mute City An arrangement of the theme originally composed by Yumiko Kanki Link to the OcRemix page for Mute City: https://ocremix.org/song/2/mute-city Produced in Cubase, please enjoy! Edited January 28, 2020 by prophetik music Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MindWanderer Posted January 1, 2020 Share Posted January 1, 2020 The orchestration is pretty good, and the arrangement is clever, but the production and realism aren't up to the same level. The lead brass sounds... not awful, but clearly synthetic, and as the lead it needs to not lie in the uncanny valley. The other instruments could use some work, too, notably the staccato strings. Production-wise, space is an issue. The instruments have drastically different amounts of reverb and clarity, so some sound like they're very far off and others closer, some sound like they're in large spaces and others in small ones. The solo bass guitar has a nice tone but doesn't belong in the ensemble--it would take some very clever amping for a solo instrument to sound that clear next to an orchestra. The voice clips sound completely out of place with how clear and crisp they sound, plus I question the decision to use them in this genre. There's a lot of creativity here, and clearly you know your way around an orchestration. Bring up the quality of the instrumentation and this will be a great addition to the site. NO (resubmit) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rexy Posted January 21, 2020 Author Share Posted January 21, 2020 (edited) I like the idea of a big brass Mute City arrangement. There's not too much playing around with the theme, but the framework does have a gallant feel to it - a great combination of theme use, development, and original builds on top. Your Captain Falcon vocals were cheesy as all hell - something I'd technically associate more with ska - but with the context of the arrangement, they're confident and not ashamed in filling their role. It's a fun ride, no doubt. However, the production values aren't as polished. As MindWanderer pointed out, this orchestration has uneven levels of balance and reverb, making some instruments sound like they're performing in a different-sized concert space. Consider synergizing the tracks' separate reverb settings, as well as another mixdown that has a touch less prominence on your brass. Talking of which, you demonstrated that you know your way around key switches, but have you thought about hitting them in the middle of an instrument's phase? For example, it feels awkward to hear your lead brass doing this constant staccato when a real-life brass player would struggle to get the air for that constant sharp push. With the number of orchestral instruments you have, consider going back through all of them and seeing how you can incorporate a healthier mixture of notation styles. Nevertheless, it's a fun ride based on its arrangement, but the production isn't quite there yet. I see promise, so I hope to hear a revised version in the future, with a more balanced mixdown and further attention to detail on your instruments' realism. Keep at it. NO (resubmit) Edited January 21, 2020 by Rexy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prophetik music Posted January 28, 2020 Share Posted January 28, 2020 hey, this is a fun take! i like the idea for sure. i need to agree with the other judges however that the track just simply doesn't sound realistic at all. spacing and balance aside, the brass is velocitized strangely and written in a very unrealistic manner. there's no room for breathing, and the lead trumpet often goes too high and stays there for too long. essentially the entire section from 1:21 through 1:26 and 1:33 through 1:44 is just not possible by most lead trumpet players. maybe one of those riffs total, but that extended section is too much. the bass also sounds really, really fake since it's so repetitive and there's no variance there in the rhythm or articulation. overall, though, the track's got a ton of energy, which is fun. something that'd turn it up another notch, besides what i've mentioned so far, would be to give the drums some more love to mix it up a bit. beyond that, cleaning up the mastering would help a lot. the "Falcon Punch" line also clips to hell and back and needs to be scaled back quite a bit before it'd fit. you've got a great idea here! i think some additional attention to the realism of the entire package would do wonders to what comes out on the other side. NO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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