Liontamer Posted October 12, 2024 Share Posted October 12, 2024 Siolfor the Jackal: Arrangement/Mixing/Guitar/Bass Serrin's Toes: Drums ZackParrish: Mastering This is my track from the Iwata album! I didn't realise I had to submit it myself, and this is actually my first proper submission 😅 This is essentially a medley of the main tracks from the game. At first it was just going to be the Stage themes, but I kept adding other parts because it was fun. TSori convinced me that the racing theme needed a metal treatment, so I did my best to oblige. I kept most of it pretty true to the source, mostly changing bits to make the riffs feel heavier. I did extend out the the course select theme a bunch as a little break before the metal comes back in full force. I really wanted to add a little bass solo in there because we don't get enough of them, and then the rest of that section was crying out for some guitar lead. The two stage themes are mostly the same, but stage 2 has a variation in the second half that I incorporated. It felt like a good place to up the intensity a bit before finishing off with the cheeky little Stage Clear jingle. I think I said as much in my album notes, but my goal was to make something messy and loud for a post-apocalyptic racing game and I think I achieved it! Got to once again thank Hemophiliac and Zack for their support and patience, this was a tough track for me to get finished and they got me over the line. Games & Sources Game: Mach Rider Composer: Hideki Kanazashi Source tracks are in order: Title Screen, Course Selection, Stage Theme 1, Stage Theme 2, and Stage Clear. {Title Screen} - - - - - - - - - - - - - - [ 0:01 to 0:17 ] {Course Decision} - - - - - - - - - - - - - - [ 0:17 to 0:22 } {Stage Theme 1} - - - - - - - - - - - - - - [ 0:22 to 2:37 ] {Course Selection} - - - - - - - - - - - - - - [ 2:37 to 3:25 ] {Stage Theme 2} - - - - - - - - - - - - - - [ 3:25 to 6:44 ] {Name Registration} - - - - - - - - - - - - - - [ 6:44 to 6:57 ] {Stage Clear} - - - - - - - - - - - - - - [ 6:57 to 7:01 ] {Game Over} - - - - - - - - - - - - - - [ 7:01 to 7:04 ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liontamer Posted October 13, 2024 Author Share Posted October 13, 2024 A pretty effectively structured medley. The riffing/vamping on the "Course Selection" theme was a pleasant surprise and it seamlessly transitioned into the stage BGM that's the game's signature theme. Soundscape lacked some highs, but Zack held everything together well with the mastering. Great performances from Siolfor and Serrin's Toes. The ending felt too sudden, and I would have liked a smoother transition into the stage clear jingle, but that's not enough to hold this back. Big riffs, big drums, big energy! YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prophetik music Posted October 16, 2024 Share Posted October 16, 2024 nice wall of sound up front. the blues riff that forms the basis for the bassline of the course themes sounds really neat next to the really heavy background. there's a bass guitar transition right off the bat, and the vibe at 0:32 really felt like the Terran tracks from StarCraft 1 with how angular the drums and guitar are. i agree that going with Course Selection right away helps a lot. we get a big kick at 1:26 into the main part of the track, the Stage 1 and 2 tracks, and these are more straightforward. there's a much bigger section at 2:35 that's pretty intense, and it drops off right away into a half-time section for a bit to mix it up before hitting the short outro. the track ends fast enough that it's surprising and i think i'd have rather had that be a bit more settled. overall this is a fun romp through several themes from a classic game. i was not initially expecting it to be as cohesive of a medley based on the number of tracks and the length, but it does a nice job outlining the music and adding some new flair to it. Â Â YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gario Posted October 18, 2024 Share Posted October 18, 2024 Even at a cursory glance, I've got to hand it to you - not even familiar with the source and I can hear it as clearly as anything. The performances are pretty solid, as well, and the structure makes sense. On their own I don't think the sources used in this stray too far from the material, but making the whole soundtrack as a song that makes sense in it's own right does a good job keeping it interesting and not too rigidly close to the source material. The balance of the instruments are off, in my opinion. This really could use another look at the reverb levels of the different instruments - the guitars (particularly the leads) are really wet, the bass is in a pretty balanced place, and the drums (the snare, especially) are dry as a bone. I don't think the instruments gel together very well, because of this. Instruments should really sound like they're being performed in the same room, which these do not. Adjust those reverb levels so the drums better fit the space, which would likely also lead to those guitars having their reverb levels dried out a bit to give more space to the other instruments to have such reverb. I like it, it has a good spot on the album, but I don't think the production quality is up to our standards since that reverb issue is something that impacts the whole song. I think this could use a little TLC before we post it on the site on that front, because otherwise it's a pretty good track! NO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chimpazilla Posted October 23, 2024 Share Posted October 23, 2024 Very cool arrangement, performances are great, I hear the source very clearly too. This is a really fun listen. Reading Gario's complaints, he's not wrong, the lead guitar is definitely too wet (even a longer predelay would help, as well as making sure there are no lows in the reverb on the lead), lead could be a couple of db louder, rhythm guitars are too loud by comparison. But is that a reason to reject this awesome piece, oh hell no, those are nitpicks in the grand scheme of things. This is a very well put-together arrangement. Let's go! YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emunator Posted November 23, 2024 Share Posted November 23, 2024 This is really nifty - I know this source inside and out through Super Smash Bros, like most listeners likely will, and you latched onto the essence of the original in such a great way. This is incredibly satisfying as a listener. It's funny, the other judges mentioned the guitar being too wet, and although your submission comments referred to this as a metal arrangement, my brain heard it and immediately thought "this is mixed like a surf rock track." It's not necessarily something I dislike either, it's just unconventional and doesn't seem like something you may have done intentionally! There's some very strange hard-panned hi-hats in the middle of the mix but that was the only thing that felt truly out of place - the rest was just a little curious and ultimately didn't impact my listening experience in a negative way. There's some great feedback to take into account for your next one, but you rocked this one just fine! YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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