OCR04169 - *YES* Final Fantasy 4 "Chariot of the Moon" *PROJECT*

[Rexy]

RebeccaETripp
Rebecca Tripp

http://www.crystalechosound.com/
ID: 48262
Game(s): FF4
Song Title: Chariot of the Moon

Songs Remixed: Big Whale

 

This is my submission for the “Badass” album, but I’m hoping the album will be out by the time this gets to the judges.
 

[prophetik music]

the opening is so quiet so as to be nearly unable to be heard. yet another RET track that needs compression. admittedly it is very frustrating to continue to get tracks without even basic mastering applied.

the track takes a bit to get moving, with the first real presentation of the theme at around 0:49. there's some intonation issues in the samples that are expected based on the combination of instruments - the flute and horn at 0:59, and the unison (chorused?) trumpets immediately following. combining instruments that use vibrato in the orchestral setting with instruments that don't is in general not a great idea, especially in unisons/octaves where intonation issues stick out. trumpets again sound poor at 1:20 - the sample quality for that lead instrument just isn't great and it shows when surrounded by some really well-handled background/harmonic components.

with what i said above in mind, the arrangement overall is fleshed out well and lush, albeit with a very straightforward replication of the melody. the backing parts have great movement and push the melody forward. the track overall is only maybe 2:20, with some outro noodles, but goes through the melody a bit and gives some nice setting to it.

overall this has some obvious sample and mastering issues and is fairly conservative melodically, but from a harmonic standpoint adds enough to get it over my bar.

 

 

YES

Edited August 27, 2020 by prophetik music

[Liontamer]

I like the arrangement, and it gets it done with no problem as far as the interpretation. Oof, hated the brass from :31-:36 & 1:04-1:26 (not as bad elsewhere); very exposed attacks and no depth/richness to the sound, especially when it's placed so prominently. Beautiful ending section at 2:15. It's a solid arrangement, but the brass samples need a step up. It seems like small potatoes, but it's a sub-3-minute arrangement and I'd argue there was a needlessly big quality disparity in those brass sections. Let's get one more pass at this one to better realize the potential of the writing there.

NO (resubmit)

[Jivemaster]

Agree the brass is a bit basic. It only really pulled me out of the immersion during points where it takes over as a lead, which wasn’t that often. Otherwise I thought the instrumentation was well done, with parts complementing each other well, and different parts taking over one another. The slower pace over the original fit the execution. Twinkly outro was nice indeed. I’m actually ok with this, the brass portion being the main stick out factor. It would be good if this could be updated, but as I don’t have any other problems, I don’t think I’ll hold it back for that.

YES

[Emunator]

I remember being borderline on this when I evaluated this as part of the BadAss project, so let's see how I'm feeling with a more critical ear.

The mixdown sounds good here, the volume level is much more appropriate for the genre, though I agree that it needs a bit more compression overall.

Weirdly enough, I'm not feeling as much of an issue with the brass as Larry, even though sample quality and sequencing is usually my sticking point with Rebecca's arrangements. There seems to be some deliberate articulation going on with the breath of the instrument, and it elevates the level of realism even if the tone of the sample sticks out somewhat poorly. 1:04 was probably the biggest offender but I honestly didn't feel like it was that big of a deal. The flute sample was also not exceptional, but there's enough tradeoff between the different instruments that it never lingers on a weak link for long enough to be concerning. All the auxiliary instrumentation is good in my book, so that's not a concern.

I wish there was a bit more to grasp onto here, but upon re-evaluation, I think it's solid enough to pass muster, even for a short arrangement. 

YES (borderline) 

[Rexy]

You put together a lovely orchestration, as always.  At surface level, it's the usual affair of two different textural variations on the source.  But the first 40 seconds consists of using the melody to develop a build into that first proper riff, while the ending goes back to it on the music box to close it out carefully.  For a 30-second loop, this is more developed arrangement-wise than what I would generally expect from you.

The mixdown is appropriate for the genre and leaves enough room for dynamic shaping.  Though, I can't help but think the timpani's usage also left behind more sub-bass emphasis.  It does feel funky listening on headphones due to this, but I couldn't think of any other way to give that instrument power in this setting.  I agree with Larry and Joel on the brass's bland sounding tone within the first half, sticking out glaringly against the other instruments.  But its articulations have been well utilized, letting the virtual players have room to breathe and shape their expression as the track goes on.  Usually, it's the other way round with you, having a pretty sample and minimal articulations going, so consider me surprised with you pushing to make it work.

Nevertheless, it's a short and sweet interpretation with some lovely part writing and playing around in the tail ends, with enough attention to detail on the production side (minus the brass) to carry it through.  I wouldn't mind an updated render with a more polished tone on the brass, honestly, but it's still good to go as is in my book.

YES (borderline)