Rexy Posted October 19, 2020 Share Posted October 19, 2020 (edited) RebeccaETripp Rebecca Tripp http://www.crystalechosound.com/ ID: 48262 Game(s): Seiken Densetsu aka Final Fantasy Adventure Song Title: Sacred Horizons Songs Remixed: Overworld 2/Search for the Sacred Sword Edited January 9, 2021 by Emunator Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jivemaster Posted October 27, 2020 Share Posted October 27, 2020 The sped up feel in the intro worked surprisingly well, with the harpsichord playing a regularly backing role throughout the mix. The quality of the brass at 0:32 sounded a bit basic in comparison to the rest of the ensemble. Production wise, the balance feels a bit off across the left and right channels, with the right being more bass heavy. This is occasionally counted by other instruments in the left channel, but not as often as I’d like to maintain a rough overall balance. The arrangement features regular changes with different instruments taking over lead duties, and although it doesn’t deviate much from the source, there’s certainly enough original backing additions to cover this. For me the balance is something I’d love to see fixed, otherwise I think the track is ok. I’ll borderline for now. YES (borderline) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rexy Posted November 9, 2020 Author Share Posted November 9, 2020 In proper Rebecca fashion, the track went through three different source variations that all sound texturally different from each other - no surprises there. The slow tempo buildup is neat to take in, as well as a little padded segway at 1:53 in the middle of your third loop. Many of the changeups are from mere instrument swaps, though you added some textural variation with the percussion variation and strings along with a new tuba harmony at 1:07. This kind of subtractive interpretation isn't as elaborate as what I heard from your Golvellius mixpost last year, as I wanted to see more of those pads and side melodies present. But what you did here is barely enough to get it over the bar. On the presentation side, I can identify your parts thanks to some thorough EQ work, but my right speaker had earned one heck of a workout, as Joel hinted. Why are the strings and other bass instruments not only loud in the mix but also pushing through on that side in particular? There's at least a 3dB difference between both speakers for much of the way; hence re-balancing would help things considerably. The sequencing for your non-percussion instruments feels stiffer than what I usually hear with not a lot of attention to articulations this time around, plus the usual legato note shaping problems persist on top of that. Yet, with the segway at 1:53, you improved on that with some volume automation, so that's a start. Unfortunately, I don't think this track is ready for the front page just yet. I like your usual textural ideas, but I feel the balance and robotic orchestration had let things down. I hope you have your project file because I'd like to hear another version that revises the panning so that it doesn't push too hard on either speaker, plus a closer look at the articulations on your instruments. Additional countermelodies would work well on the arrangement but are just nice to have in comparison. Good luck with the rest of the vote. NO (resubmit) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prophetik music Posted November 13, 2020 Share Posted November 13, 2020 the opening reminded me of vampire hunter dan's CC remix. the winds atop the harpischord and flourishes were really nice. there's some real bad samples in here, or at least used in clumsy ways. the strings in the right ear at 0:14 (heavily in the right ear, almost uncomfortably so) are very clumsy, and the subsequent trumpet at 0:33 sounds real poor. the harpischord sound is really nice, though, and the writing is very idiomatic. when it drops out at 0:59 is notable, but the writing is nice still outside of that incessant right ear string octaves that just never stop. aside from that, there's some good variance of the melodic instrument, and the feel continues to be moving forward without feeling hurried or blase. the ending arrives quickly but isn't uncomfortable. i felt overall this was a quiet mix, which is unfortunate since there was some fun nuances going on that are hard to hear at normal volume. other than that, though, the main issue i found was that the right side is very heavy, and the constant octaves in the cello (?) don't help at all. ultimately this is a nice track that is ruined by balance. i think this is pretty close but i can't pass it like this - fixing the balance issues so that the right side isn't so loud and spreading the love on that octave cello line that's through most of the song would dramatically improve the overall product. NO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonAvenger Posted November 16, 2020 Share Posted November 16, 2020 The balance issue is definitely the biggest factor here, but I'm going to note that the samples aren't doing the mix many favors as well. The brass and low strings feel like the run just behind the beat on some transitions, and makes some of the parts feel sloppy, and many of the other instruments feel very blocky/mechanical. Some of that is a bit by design, but I think adding some more humanization overall would add a lot to liven the performance. Arrangement does stay pretty close to the source as has been mentioned. I think for the number of repetitions through the source that some more adventurous interpretation would be pretty welcome. Not a deal breaker as-is, but the mix loses my interest as it goes on over time. Not quite there yet, definitely fix the balance between the speakers, and look at the samples for sure. NO (resubmit) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emunator Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 Immediately finding myself in agreement with the nays here - the tonal balance between left and right is very lopsided and distracting, and ultimately disqualifying on its own. Also, the lack of any song bass presence until nearly the end of the track, when a bass drum briefly enters, ends up leaving this imbalanced not just in a panning sense, but also in terms of the overall mixdown. The brief bassdrum presence at the very end really drives home the lack of punch that the rest of the track had been missing thus far. The percussion elements that are present for most of the duration are so quiet... ultimately, there's no punctuation to the arrangement, which leaves things feeling flat. I also want to highlight the robotic orchestration throughout, which isn't helping the lack of dynamics. I appreciate how you evolved the instrumentation from the source and introduced some unconventional choices like the harpsichord, which works really well with the original writing. I'm sorry to say, however, that I'm just not sold on the execution here. NO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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