Rexy Posted May 25, 2020 Share Posted May 25, 2020 (edited) Contact Information ReMixer name: Reuben Spiers Real Name: Reuben Spiers E-Mail: Submission Information Game: Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Name of Arrangement: Downtown Hyrule Name of Original Song: Hyrule Market Hulusi is an instrument not enough people use. Edited June 22, 2020 by prophetik music Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emunator Posted June 12, 2020 Share Posted June 12, 2020 Very cool instrumentation choices here, it works perfectly for the source material. It wouldn't feel out of place in a medieval renaissance festival. The instrument performances were pretty solid across the board, so I don't have any issues there. My main qualms with this arrangement boil down to repetitiveness, both from an arrangement perspective and a rhythmic one. This arrangement frequently finds its way back to the same core patterns and rhythms on the stringed instruments, and despite some subtle variations, this grew stale for me around the 2 minute mark. It's rare that I suggest taking such a short arrangement and making it even shorter, but I felt that this arrangement either needs to be more concise, or (preferably) introduce some new original content to provide a reprieve from the same rhythms that loop almost every 4 bars. The original soloing is a step in the right direction, but I would also like to hear the backing instrumentation go in some more unique directions, as well. I found some great potential here, but the arrangement still needs some time in the oven to keep it fresh throughout its whole duration. NO (resubmit!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rexy Posted June 16, 2020 Author Share Posted June 16, 2020 Typically, I see autopilot as an issue that should get remedied in your current development - though, the source itself went through the A section four times before moving to another idea. Hence, it's a tricky territory to work with from the beginning. Those A section repeats got tamed from putting two loops on *either side* of B, so that's a helpful start. However, when the central motif at 0:25-1:15 sounds utterly identical to that for 1:56-2:46, autopilot remains an issue. The accompaniment for the comping section at 1:23 is also unchanged from the motifs surrounding it - and I can tell because of those matching audio pops (0:45, 1:43, 2:17). It is possible to keep the structure as it is, but have entirely different rhythms on all three segments, as well as performing another take on the central motif to use in the theme's return at 1:56. I do not deny the choice of instruments here - I'm assuming they were all recorded live based on previous discussions, and even then, they're both tight and organic at the same time. The balance is adequate, though the mixdown feels like it lacks in crunch. When a fair chunk of your mid-range instruments occupy the low-range (mainly the guitar and accordion), it's difficult to tell them apart. If you can emphasize another part in that range, then great; if not, see if you can find an instrument with fundamentals in the 2-5k mark to fill this void. The production values are a minor irk compared to the arrangement, which needs more development at this point. It'll be neat if you can find ways to vary the accompaniment and do multiple takes for live recording authenticity. The lack of crunch isn't as essential to fix, but should also be worth checking out. Keep going, Reuben - you've been posted multiple times before, and I'm confident you'll make it again. NO (resubmit) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prophetik music Posted June 22, 2020 Share Posted June 22, 2020 hey, if this is live, the instruments each sound great! the performances are consistent and well-recorded. i'll note that i thought the hulusi was a clarinet - usually hulusi have more of a throaty tone than a clarinet does. the writing wasn't very idiomatic so it was hard to tell the difference. i expected more of the heavy scoops, trills, and hand vibrato that you see with the instrument. from an arrangement perspective, i'll agree that it's way too repetitive for a sub-3 minute piece. there's little variation in the background, and that's more egregious because you've got two plectral instruments, which can have their strum/picking patterns varied very easily. there's also essentially no ending. i like the concept, but it doesn't sound like more than that yet. additionally, a track that's this open in arrangement just can't support descending seconds like you have at 1:34 for a few seconds. that stuck out like a sore thumb. with everything else so tonal, that kind of significant dissonance is going to be a black mark. from a mastering perspective, i agree that it's tough to differentiate the banjo and guitar sometimes. i'd also point out that the accordion could be turned down several dB and still speak just as well while allowing the background to speak a bit more. this feels unfinished. like i said before, i like the concept, but it doesn't sound like there's enough here to call it finished. flesh out your background part a bit more, make the melodic line a little more yours, and fix the descending seconds, and i think this is going to be over the bar. NO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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