Hometown from Xenoblade Chronicles

[Virtual QSO]

 

 

This is my take on the colony 9 city theme from Xenoblade Chronicles. Any feedback is appreciated!

Original: 

 

[gravitygauntlet]

Hi QSO, we looked at this one in the Office Hours. The first 30ish seconds feel a little empty when the kick isn't hitting, like the reverse of a ducking/sidechain effect. Adding a little more texture or reverb would be beneficial imo.

I'd also say the two stab chord things around 2:55 feel a little loud/sudden - reducing the velocity on them a bit would probably be sufficient.

Overall mood is nice, the EWI/synth flute instrument is fun but it feels like it could use some more automation/articulation at points. There's places (like the bridge, I think around 2 mins in) where it works in an Aquatic Ambience kind of way without it, but some vibrato and pitchbends would help.

[pixelseph]

Hi Virtual!

Great start on this mix so far - it's got a vibe reminiscent of Final Fantasy 8's Balamb Garden. I do have some suggestions to get it to the next level:

• The percussion feels static and locked to the grid, and not just because it's the same loop being played in the A section. I like the it drops for the B sections, but adding more percussive elements (tambourine, shaker, tabla, etc) would help add more interesting movements into the piece. I would also recommend shifting elements away from the grid, like the hats and snare.
• The plucky guitar patch, similarly, runs arpeggios for the entire piece. While it does change between the A and B sections, you could introduce more constrast by switching from arpeggios to strummed chords (whole-note chords for the B sections, for instance). This would allow your B sections to open up and breathe more, which in turn will make your A sections feel more like "home"
• A reverb bus for all your instruments would help glue the entire piece together. I'm not sure if there is reverb in it - perhaps just on the synth parts - but adding a bus and sending some of each instrument to it, along with some EQ to shape it afterward, makes the entire piece feel like it's in the same space.

You're off to a great start with this one! Looking forward to seeing where you take it next. :)

[Virtual QSO]

Thanks for the feedback! I took it into account, and put together version 2.