Rexy Posted August 29, 2020 Share Posted August 29, 2020 (edited) Remixer name - Terra Genesis Real name - Billy Barnes User ID - 36712 Game - Super Mario World Arrangement Title - Koopaling’s Castle Name of original arrangement - Castle Theme I’ve always loved this piece of music but wanted to put some extra dark vibes on it by tapping into dark synth/dark techno vibes. This mix was made with serum and the Korg M1 for some of the more organic sounding instruments and some layers from my Korg Minilogue. Edited September 1, 2020 by Rexy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liontamer Posted August 31, 2020 Share Posted August 31, 2020 Good intensity to open things up; a bit muddy, but seems OK to start. Good build at :34 with the little tick beats. OK, at :45, you have the big rise in volume and things are so flooded until :54; need to double-check the mixing there. I could see others voting NO on a lack of melodic interpretation, but that isn't the end-all-be-all of interpretation. This was structurally conservative but focusing on instrumentation, additive writing, and sound design to provide the personalization, which is a route others have exploited well. The big booming at 2:38 was a bit much. It didn't make sense to go back to the old rhythms back at 2:48 after you briefly had some new ideas; if anything, it seemed like the intensity was ramping up for the finish, but then you decided against it. I didn't think the trade-offs with the beat patterns worked that well, even though they weren't a big negative. Overall, the arrangement's over the line, IMO, but the mixing needs to be tweaked so that the densest sections aren't so muddy and indistinct. Once that's addressed, this would be good to go. I could see others thinking I'm too harsh, and I'm also interested in other POVs on the level of interpretation of arrangement. This one's close, maybe 95% of the way for me, it just needs one more pass at the mixing, and hopefully a musician J can better articulate the lack of clarity I was hearing in the thickest sections. Very nice so far, Billy, I'm really glad I got to hear this. NO (resubmit) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jivemaster Posted September 1, 2020 Share Posted September 1, 2020 Solid moody beginning to start things off. Agree with Larry that things are a bit muddy, starting at 0:45. As more elements are added, the less overall clarity the mix has. This is a shame as you have a good mixture of sounds working cohesively together. The break at the midway point was a nice surprise. I also agree that structurally this is a quite conservative mix, you’ve added a number of layers and breaks to put your mark on things, but it would’ve been nice to hear you go further with your original ideas. In the end, I think this really just needs a production pass to remove some of the unneeded low end from parts to clear the mud and allow the low end to breathe more. NO (please resub) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rexy Posted September 1, 2020 Author Share Posted September 1, 2020 I'm one of those who felt torn on the arrangement values. Yes, I heard some neat new additions with the bass writing and changing up of percussion/textures/SFX - but underneath all of that, it felt like a borderline MIDI-rip. Thankfully, what I heard of the added bass - particularly during the first minute - complimented the otherwise minimal source notation. The gate effects during the second minute kept the energy moving, too. Though, I don't think the double-time drums at 2:38 were enough to keep the B section's repeats there any different from at 1:19. I'm in favor of seeing if there can be any subtle changes to one or two of the more melodic instruments so that section could stand out more. You don't need to change the chords or anything - just altering the notation/patterns would be more than enough. I also concur regarding the mixdown. It starts nice and clear for the first minute, but from 0:48 onwards, the master becomes a classic "waveform sausage," except for a few breaks. The textures on the lead harmonies feel pushed against the limiter, and as they return at 1:19, they completely drown out the established background arpeggio and the countermelody at 1:51. That's two problems pointed out in one go - an over-compressed master, and too much mud going along the mid-range. Consider slackening your limiter slightly, as well as refining the EQ among your leads and rhythm parts to give them a more defined space. It's an enjoyable mix as it stands, Billy, but two problems hold it back for me - the lost steam regarding arrangement, and an unclear mixdown. It'll be nice to hear another version with both a mixdown pass and some further melodic development in the final third. Please keep at it! NO (resubmit) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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