Emunator Posted November 11, 2021 Share Posted November 11, 2021 (edited) Remixer name: KAPIKYO Real name: Soleil Xavier Summers Contact Email: Game of origin: Sonic Advance Name of original arrangement: That's No Egg Source BGM title: Egg Rocket Zone The purpose of this arrangement was to realize the interpretation my younger self heard and how I now remember the song much later. It uses much nicer samples than the GBA original, makes use of thicker background harmonization than the GBA was ever capable of, and utilizes some nostalgic voice samples from the game to better punctuate certain phrases. The melodies, chord progressions, and arpeggios were transcribed by ear rather than ripping and copying from the original MIDI. While that would have been easier, I thought my method more appropriate as the intent was to realize an interpretation, not make a perfect recreation. Source: Edited May 11, 2022 by Liontamer closed decision Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MindWanderer Posted January 17, 2022 Share Posted January 17, 2022 This is a fun arrangement of a track I wasn't familiar with (yeah, I know, I'm just not a Sonic fan). I like the general approach, including the voice samples, and you did a great job with the transcription. But it has a few issues. Right off the bat, this is mixed much too quietly (I had to raise my computer volume to 100% to hear it well), and the instrument selection consists mostly of bland, stock sounds. The former is an easy fix, but the latter, while admittedly on par for very old OC ReMixes, isn't where our standards are now. The transition at 2:08 (with the "skid" sound) is abrupt, and basically divides the track into two halves. It does need the change up, so that's a plus, because otherwise there also isn't a whole lot of variety in the track. There's little if any copy-pasta, which is to your credit, but the entire two minutes before the transition uses a similar groove and tone, as does the entire two minutes after. I wouldn't say there's a lack of ideas here, but those ideas aren't fleshed out enough. When you switch things up, switch things up more. This is a good start, it just needs what are ultimately minor changes to the instrumentation, and a mastering tweak. NO (resubmit) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prophetik music Posted January 21, 2022 Share Posted January 21, 2022 very low overall volume. several db headroom and even that's generous thanks to a few specific spikes. MW's right, this has a very old-school OCR sound to it. it's certainly a lot of stock sounds that aren't really being EQ'd or personalized. the track sounds very dull as a result, and the samples are all pretty disjointed. some techniques that'd help would be to share verb among the instruments via a send, EQ your individual instruments so they don't sound so bland and missing in highs, and focus on getting a soundscape that feels more cohesive. specifically, your snare and hats feel like they're in a totally different soundscape than the synths and vox stuff. the second half has more verve, but it does also still feel pretty stock in terms of synth choice. in terms of arrangement - you've got some fun ideas! the brassy synth in the second half has some fun stuff going on particularly, i really liked that. what MW said about the whole track needing more uniqueness throughout is true though - it feels like two minutes of looped concept stuff and then two minutes of a different concept looped. i know it isn't really looped, there's some differences in there, but it doesn't feel different, and so it gets stale very fast. this needs some workshopping. interested in hearing what comes out on the other side. NO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkSim Posted May 11, 2022 Share Posted May 11, 2022 Hey, I like the energy and method used to create this. I usually transcribe things myself too; you often find some happy accidents when doing it that way that help with composition. It's a good homage to the source, although there are flaws in the production and arrangement which are holding it back. The most obvious thing I'd want an improvement on is the sound design. Those synths sound very 16-bit, and although have higher fidelity than the GBA, they don't have much more character to them. They do sound cohesive within the track itself, so that's a plus, however the whole thing just needs an upgrade to fulfil its potential. Prophetik mentioned the snare and hats - the snare sounds like it's in the back room, while the hats are being played in the hallway and the rest of the kit is in the living room. Having the percussion sound like it's in the same space is important, and helps the individual samples sit in the mix, rather than being exposed. The sound clips were cool, adding a retro touch, and I liked the chopping of the samples to add some texture. MW and proph both noted that it feels like a 'remix of two halves', and I'd agree the skid transition at 2:09 needs a little more finesse to it. It's very abrupt, probably intentionally, but could use some foreshadowing in the arrangement. A break section beforehand leading to a build, then the transition, for example. It's a cool way to change up the track, like a boss fight, but with some more attention to the arrangement, this part too could really pop. There's a lot of good stuff in here, and it's a really catchy tune with a great old school vibe. Take another pass at it and hopefully you can elevate it to the next level! NO (resubmit) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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