Chimpazilla Posted April 21, 2023 Share Posted April 21, 2023 (edited) Hello! Attached is my first submission for OCRemix; please let me know if any additional information is needed. Polytonal Nicholas Jackson nicholasjacksonmusic.com 37519 The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages "Oracle Calling" "Opening Movie"; "Title Screen"; "File Select Screen" This is the first part of an upcoming album I am releasing! I will be submitting arrangements of each track from Oracle of Ages as they are completed. I was set on combining moments of chiptune aesthetics with a full orchestra to truly capture the sense of wonder and immersion within this game's soundtrack. especially for this opening piece. My full album will tell a complete story as the game unfolds, combining certain tracks together when the narrative allows. Thank you! Edited April 29, 2023 by Liontamer closed decision Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chimpazilla Posted April 21, 2023 Author Share Posted April 21, 2023 (edited) Initial impressions: This starts out verbatim to the source, midi-rip style, and quickly transitions into a full orchestral soundscape. The arrangement is more of a medley than a remix arrangement. I agree with my fellow Js that the primary issue is the samples used. The attacks of brass and strings are causing the fast runs to mush together because the attacks are too slow. I think the instrumentation is very good here but the samples need to work with what was written, so using a keyswitched sample is probably a good idea. I don't think it is far off from being approved, but at MW said, in a mix that relies this heavily on orchestra sounds, the patches have to be working a bit better than they do here. NO (resubmit) Edited April 28, 2023 by Chimpazilla Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MindWanderer Posted April 25, 2023 Share Posted April 25, 2023 Pretty conservative structurally, but the orchestration adds a lot of depth. I don't see the concern with it being a medley, because it's presented in exactly the same sequence as in the title sequence of the game. I'm happy with the arrangement, although the ending is disappointing. However, in an all-orchestral remix, realism is king, and this is struggling on that front. The timing and articulation are mechanical. Runs have issues where the attacks are running into each other and volume isn't getting all the way up. Balance is inconsistent: it fluctuates between being problematic and hard to make out to unrealistically perfect (where the virtual microphone is suddenly right next to the lead). Reverb is lacking a bit: the instruments are too try to sound like they were recorded in ensemble, The sample quality is fine, but more work is needed to make this close enough to a real orchestra. The lack of realism is the only major issue I have, but that realism carries so much weight in a piece like this that it needs to really nail it in a way that this doesn't quite yet. NO (resubmit) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liontamer Posted April 26, 2023 Share Posted April 26, 2023 Definitely opens as just a chip of a chip but it was a very brief bookend type of opening reference (i.e. no issue here!), and quickly shifted into the full-on orchestration at :19. I also wasn't bothered by the structuring of the seperate pieces; even if this hadn't been the order they were used in the game, things flowed reasonably smoothly like different brief movements of the overall piece. The mixing of the orchestration's definitely muddy, which was unfortunate. The samples were given some body, but stuff like the brass sounded super fake (e.g. :58) and has no real resonance, which needs to be achieved with more realistic-sounding samples or room ambiance effects. Whoa, some piercing stuff going on from 1:30-1:46 in the morass of the chiptune/orchestration layering that definitely doesn't work. Pretty much the whole way, any time the track got dense, it was a cluttered mess. I liked the varied instrumentation of the title theme at 1:48, which was the highlight of the piece, and easily made it a solid pass for me on the arrangement level. Arrangement-wise, I'm on board. Production-wise, it's needs some spring cleaning; you've got piercing highs, and you've got messy textures when things are sounding their fullest. I'd recommend getting Workshop feedback, especially if you haven't yet already, Nicholas, to determine how you can properly mix and balance these parts and get them sounding their best. The written base is here, and aside from some weaker samples in the brass, you've got strong instrumentation as well, so I'd love to see this posted in some form. Now you need some careful fine-tuning and polishing re: the sound quality; eliminate the piercing moments and achieve a sharper, more balanced sound through selective EQing. Loads of potential here, and you're certainly a name to watch out for! NO (resubmit) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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