Emunator Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 1st RESUB Original Decision Mel Decision: arrangement, production Zack Parrish: alto saxophone, guitar, bass, piano, mixing, mastering GameroftheWinds: bass clarinet Emunator: percussion Lucas Guimaraes: effects, foley This track was a labor of love! What started out as a last-minute bonus track for Final Fantasy VIII: SeeDs of Pandora has evolved quite a bit with the addition of live guitar and bass, rerecorded saxophone, an entirely rewritten percussion section, and brand new effects to bolster the lo-fi vibe. I love writing lo-fi music, and when I was exploring songs from the FFVIII OST to rearrange, Fisherman's Horizon immediately stood out to me as a track that would fit the genre with it's softer, comforting feel. I felt like I could make it work in the short amount of time I had to create a track for the bonus disc on the album. With the help of Lucas Guimaraes and GameroftheWinds, I was able to include some live winds on the track. Since the release of the album, this rearrangement has gone through several iterations. Most recently, I've had the pleasure of collaborating with Zack Parrish and Emunator, who hopped in to expand on the existing parts. Zack especially jumped in head-first: he re(-re)-recorded the saxophone section, and played live guitar and bass for the track, replacing my previous virtual instruments. He also added some piano in the background to counter the winds. Emunator rethought the entire percussion section, bringing in a more dynamic beat to help move the song along while still keeping you in the groove. Finally, Lucas topped it off with some additional sound effects that brought in the right amount of ear candy. Zack hopped in on this latest version to completely redo the mix and master the track. I can't thank these guys enough for all the work they put into the track, along with multiple rounds of feedback to get the mix balanced just right. Their expertise and advice really helped me hear where this track needed to go in order to succeed, and Zack's efforts almost single-handedly pushed this to the finish line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liontamer Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 Noticeably smoothed out the sax (thanks, Zack!) NOW we're playing with power! YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prophetik music Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 i heard a pre-version of this that had far louder bass, and this is much more balanced now. the saxophone sounds notably better too - tone is far less overblown, it's more in tune, and there's some nice vibrato in several places. there's been some touchups to the bass clarinet too - notably the really rough unisons are cleaned up entirely. great to hear this one cross the finish line. nice patience and great work everyone. YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MindWanderer Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 I'll be honest, I didn't really think getting improved performances was in the cards. But you managed to pull it off. It sounds really good now. No complaints. YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rexy Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 Oh wow, I remember the original album version and the flaws that held it back as a direct post - but I'm glad you and the rest of the gang kept refining it, Mel. I'm pleased about that. So, this started as a melodically conservative lo-fi take on the source, and then by 1:45, we've ended up with some improv that primarily leans into the A section melodically, all before going back into the A section and further playing around with that theme until the unusual SFX ending with the tape sounds and footsteps. There are several tweaks here compared to the album version. The beat is more engaging and meanders way less, Zach's saxophone sounds way more expressive and compliments Greg's clarinet much better, and the additional live instrumentation adds a greater sense of intimacy. The only thing I would've liked to have heard is for the bass to remain rooted and let the melodic parts do what they need to do rather than trying to step around like a countermelody at times, but it's more of a stylistic decision rather than something to send back. It's also phenomenal to compare all three versions and see how far the performance side has gone. I was initially okay with Greg's clarinet, but Zack pushed through with the overall quality behind the other instruments and heeded critique from the first attempt to redo the sax. Everything's well positioned, and the presentation emphasizes warmer tones and less on your higher frequencies. It would've been a challenge to balance, and I would've preferred the bass to be a touch quieter because of it, but this shaping is essential when it comes to lo-fi. I can co-sign with the fellow Js and say that you've finally hooked yourself a winner. Great going with all the feedback, Mel - let's get this on the front page! YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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