Super Mario RPG Battle Remix

[LagunaCloud]

I have no problem with critisism, my problem is I show this to all my friends and they all just say that it's awesome, that it's one of the better things they've heard, and that I'm an awesome arranger, I NEED to hear the other end so I can make myself better, or how else can I make an OC remix?

[Tensei]

I have no problem with critisism, my problem is I show this to all my friends and they all just say that it's awesome, that it's one of the better things they've heard, and that I'm an awesome arranger, I NEED to hear the other end so I can make myself better, or how else can I make an OC remix?

Think. Would your friends say to your face that your music sucks? I'm not saying they're thinking that way, but I'm pretty sure a lot of their compliments come from the fact that they're your friends, and not because they think your music is that awesome (subconciously perhaps). If I would have my friends listen to my music, they're not going to say that my snare's overcompressed, they're going to say something along the lines of " Wow, you wrote this?", and say how awesome it is.

My point is, if you have someone you know listen to it, they will more likely than not be biased to a certain degree. That's why you need some guy you don't even know on some internet forum to have an objective look at it, and make clear to you that your music in fact might not be as awesome as you thought. Besides, who do you think has better knowledge of production and mastering, your friends or Skrypnyk?

[Knives]

I think we need more people like Skrypnyk. There's nothing quite like brutal honesty, and I think a lot of his points were quite valid. The current arrangement is not up to OCR standards and neither is the production. The samples aren't necessarily poor, but are very under-processed in that regard. The arrangement is too repetitive and using that same theme for the entire song without any variations makes it boring to listen to. None of the instruments are humanized, there are no velocity changes or slight offnotes which makes everything mechanical and rigid sounding. The subtle strings intro into the piano melody is completely unnecessary, just forget it and start off with the piano. I don't know if my quicktime is retarded but that minute of silence at the end is also unnecessary. And it doesn't have the major elements that make orchestral music what it is, where are the volume dynamics? The grand brass and woodwind ensembles? The solo trombone and flute make it sound like it's being played by a few guys in a small living room, except that the pianist is across the room in an open ballroom, the violinist is playing through the wall, and the timpani player is stuck just trying to get out of the closet. You should set up your soundscape more logically and ask yourself after listening to it, "is my orchestra in one place?" Those are about all the production mishaps I think need fixing, I can't comment much on the arrangement since I've never heard the original tune but as it is now you need to variate it a lot more, and introduce other themes if possible, that'll make it a lot more interesting to than what it is currently. That's about it, there are some good points to the song, but I'm not here to praise you or anything, there's a lot to still be improved that you should work on. So good luck with that.

[LagunaCloud]

oh I wasn't being defensive to my friends, I think the brutal honesty is a good thing. I'm sorry if I passed off being defensive.

[Theory of N]

*lots of truth*

I listened to this song, then read the thread. Everything Skryp just said was pretty much how I felt about it and then some.

[Arek the Absolute]

Take the criticism from those that have formed names for themselves and absorb it. If it is harsh, it is harsh for a reason.

The best thing for an artist is criticism. It is what points out just what they need to work on in order to have something phenomenal. People would always rain on Skrps parade, but he took it and kept working at his stuff, and now he is a posted remixer.

Being brutally honest is what takes people out of their "happy bubbles" and brings them down to what is going on, making them realize just how much something needs work on. I hate to make it this sound "elitist", but I would listen to those that have formed more of a presence here at ocremix, like skrypnyk, and take in what they say when it comes to criticism more than anyone else here, because they know what it takes to have their mix posted.

And dude, Skryp was NOT being rude to HoboKa in the least. Lurking here for years, I know when someone is being rude to someone else, and he wasn't doing that at all. Skryp was just letting him know that inflating your ego about this mix was only going to bring you down lin the long run. Also, noone was vulgar at HoboKa dude. What people said to him are compliments and blessings compared to what others do here to people when they are not liked.

I am happy that you are being open minded about what is being said about your song from others besides HoboKa. I have been noticing that people, not just on ocremix, haven't been taking criticism pretty well, and flip out at the slightest mention of their art *be it artwork, literature, or music* being bad.

Anyhow, just keep at it, take what people like Skryp and others who formed names for themselves around here say and learn from it and all will be good.

[HoboKa]

haha i used to flip out when ppl critiqued my work. But now I usually take the critique and try to work upon it. I guess I was being a bit biased since it Lagunacloud is my friend lol. But you gotta admit his compositional skills are a lot better them some of us noobs out there - like me in particular. I agree that it needs some variation, maybe some countermelodies and stuff. I'll try not to mislead Vic again T_T

[Dr. Rod]

This sounds like a good base for something interesting as you develop it more. I think a steady snare line would give this a more regal feel and add to the soundscape while supporting the rhythm.

The EQing is a real big issue here...the soundscape had this continual shrillness to it (I'm thinking from the strings). Your arrangement is very interpretative, but you need a good overall chord progression to keep things interesting.

Also I think its important to realize that usually the most harsh comments on the most helpful. Skyp made some very raw but very real comments: You have a ways to go before this is OCR-worthy. Trust me, you're not alone though. You clearly have a foundation with musical skill (something I've only recently started to develop), so just keep at it.

[Radiowar]

I think part of the reason this song sounds like there is no direction is that it sounds like one huge drawn out ending, due to the fact that it is pretty much all perfect cadences. Granted the original is pretty much the same, only it has a lot more variation in the supporting parts, whereas in this mix it is pretty much just strings changing inversions.

[LagunaCloud]

all I have to say to all this is you guys rock, you're posts are VERY helpful, and I hope that with my next update it will knock the pants off of you guys.

Thank you

[Inv1ctus]

ok laguna, since everyone else seems to have covered the rest, im gonna throw in some technical advice.

in the beginning, either turn up the violins or turn down the piano, the volumes are too different to create a feasible soundscape. If you are attempting to have soft strings, at least build them with some kind of velocity to match the piano by the time it comes in.

Also, the samples being used across the board are kind of dry. Heres a list of things i would do:

Piano: definitely reverb of some kind, definitely moderate the velocity of the key strokes i.e. not constant stabbing. More developed Melody (though its a good start)

Brass: Ok, unless the program your using is EWQL gold, id either say dont bother using brass or find another sample. Even if you were to tweak that sample to the best of your abilities, its still not going to be authentic sounding. Having played trumpet for 5 or more years, theres nothing worse sounding than fake brass. Believe me, i wish software could replicate them better, but thats just the way it is (Anybody using reason knows what i mean). I would use them a lot more if that werent so.

What to do about this? I suggest either picking a different instrument or finding a better sample.

Strings: Too much high end going on, treble is overpowering the feel. Also they arent doing much. Mostly just background noise that should be emphasizing the piano and other parts. Near the middle of the song you start to do it more, but it still feels like there is something more they should be doing. Also they are too light, not enough presence. One last thing, make sure you dont have a pitch moderation wheel or something similar tuning the strings ( they seem out of tune)

Flute: The flute sample actually sounds pretty good for the most part, just needs some more reverb, and DEFINITELY make it softer, as it has way too much presence. Again, let me emphasize how important velocity is of all the notes for all instruments.

Percussion: More reverb, and needs more boing on. The build is good, but develop some kind of drum track that will support the bulk of the song. As a suggestion i could really see some sort of tengo or salsa beat (might work, might not), but overall there needs to be something. Play mario kart 64 and listen to some of those beats or something. The biggest point though is that you have barely any cymbals or other treble cymbals going on. It needs some kind of treble percussion going on. In the words of Christopher Walken, more cowbell !

melody: good composition and key changes, but the song seems to really just repeat the same melody with different instruments. I like the piano variation 1/4 the way through though. Even though the different instruments picking up the same rhythm can be useful, dont over use the technique. Im not familiar with the source tune, but make sure its different enough from the source material to constitute an OCR "remix".

As final note, you will difinitely take some fire for having that pause 2/3 the way through your song. Also make sure you cut out that empty audio space at the end of the song.

I know its a lot, but the more you keep at it, the better your chances are of becoming a posted remixer. Overall i enjoyed the piece, so i hope you dont think i thought it sucked. It doesnt. EVERY mix starts out crude. Refining sound is an artform. Its almost like additive sculpture, except your sculpting sound.

anyway good job!