Zelda OOT - Tree Beater (Deku Tree Mix)

[jigwolf]

Well in comparison to what you guys are submitting, this isn't great, but hey I enjoyed making it, and in doing so it got the original song out of my head.

Original: http://www.indecks.org/?id=1191941559244729

My Mix: http://www.zshare.net/audio/50356879382b73/

I'm new to software arranging really, but I play instruments and just invested in a lot of nice equipment, so hopefully you will hear better arrangements from me in the future.

I don't know if this is a WIP or no, i'll just wait to see what you guys think.

Ok - *sigh* - lay it on me

[Rozovian]

Nice intro, a little heavy on reverb, but otherwise okay. Felt a little fast, but it's all right.

That nice intro is followed by a cheap and "out-of place-y" synth. Use the intro to set the tone of the remix. it's not a bad synth, but it's very unlike the intro samples. It's also got a little too much attack and not enough release, making it a little too sharp when the next note is played. I recommend fixing that.

The synth playing the main theme is okay, but the square wave or whatever follows before the beat comes in is really cheesy. The beat is nice, and it's got a way better sound than the lonely kick before, which only served to make the whole thing feel very n00by.

It gets repetitive really quickly, tho, when you use the same little section of melody over and over again. Do some research, this melody was, if I remember correctly, made for Zelda for SNES, as the prologue bg music. Grab a few more ideas from there.

I like your original melody played on the lame square synth. At 3:14 there's a really weird sound coming in, something scratchy about it. It feels out of place there. Introduce it earlier, more subtly, or save it for 4:19 or whenever it returns.

Nice ending. Not too abrupt, but not too drawn out. Overall, this sounds better than I thought when I hear the transition from orchestral to electronica, and when I heard the lame lone kick. Still, you need to fit things together a little more. Nice work!

[Radiowar]

This seems about 2 minutes longer than it needs to be...Way too much repetition. It wouldn't be so bad, only the supporting parts aren't terribly engaging. The drums are a pretty cliched loop and you don't have any bass, so the whole song lacks energy. I like what you did with the Link voice sample though. I don't think this is terrible or anything, and the ideas here aren't too bad, but you could be doing way more with this.

[The Derrit]

I agree w/ Radiowar for the most part. This is the type of song that could get completely TAKEN OVER by a good bass, it could completely drive the song. Also, the drums are quite repetitive. Even small changes in that make a difference, just improvise with them throughout the piece and make them do different things. The drum set you're using is fine, just change what they do more often than once every 20 measures or so.

Edit: Still listening and enjoying; I feel like something needs to add in at 2:14 every time I hear it though. Maybe this is the place to stick in the new bass part? It could make it less repetitive (i.e. not going back to an already used pattern) and give the piece a better dynamic.

[jigwolf]

Thanks very much for the detailed replies guys, very much appreciated.

I've given it another shot, also included some very mellow vocals. I struggled to make a bass that sounded correct , I've included some bass, it's not great, but like I said it was a struggle .

Original: http://www.indecks.org/?id=1191941559244729

Tree Beating Round #2: http://www.zshare.net/audio/523894086ddf22/

Keep the feedback coming

[The Derrit]

Hey, back again for the second listen. Let's break it down part by part:

Beginning: Pretty much the same, didn't have a problem with this to begin with so its not bad. The little fuzz hit starting at :42 could sound good with a quick reverb and a little more volume, or at least for the very beginning part. Not the rest of the song, though.

Middle: I honestly don't really like the wobbly bass. I think what would fit better is a solid, more powerful bassline that's gated. It doesn't have to do anything extra sweet with the notes going up and down, just a solid progression with a substantial prescence will add depth to the piece. I like your lil ping pong thing with the drums at 2:15 btw. I got a smile out of that the first time I heard it.

End: Kinda blends from the middle. There isn't really an ending as much as a fadeout, I don't have much comment on that myself but others might.

Two more things. One, the vocals you mentioned I didn't even notice the first time through. I had to look for them the next few times, so consider boosting that volume if you want it to be a significant part of the song. Also, I still think the drums have to be more varied. I don't know how you're running your drumloop but try rearranging the cuts and see what sounds you can get out of it. Be creative with it! I still like it a lot, still hope you keep putting in work. It is getting better for sure, keep up the work!

[Rozovian]

The changes you've made are spot on in some cases, and in others feel more like cheap shortcuts. I think you should listen to stuff in the same genre that you're working in, such as this. Just to learn.

Do some research, this melody was, if I remember correctly, made for Zelda for SNES, as the prologue bg music.

Ehrm, sorry man. I now did some research, and found myself having been fooled by Zas' amazing take on a number of OoT themes. Check it out, in case you haven't.

With a theme this short, you should consider tossing in another theme from the same game, or from another game in the Zelda series that fit.

It gets repetitive really quickly, tho, when you use the same little section of melody over and over again.

Still true. From 1:12 to 2:12, quickly skipping through, I couldn't hear much difference. This is where you should be working with dynamics, rearranging the beat, tossing in a new take on the original melody or another section of it (which in this case is impossible).

Jeremy Robson did a really amazing thing with a theme from Seiken Densetsu 3, Not So Ordinary People. Style-wise, it's very different from what you're doing, but you could learn something of how to vary a theme, and how to mix it with another.

I realize there's not much I'm commenting on the new piece you linked to, but there's little I can say that hasn't been said. Learn from others that have done similar stuff. The links I've included should help you, and even if you've heard 'em all before, listen through again.

[Audity]

I only listened to the first version so far. I like how long it is already, and cohesive it is.

The part leading up to the breakbeat section was really weak, however. It's a pretty standard concept in songs like these, so if you're going to continue to have that section there, I would make it more fitting with the rest of the song. [Listening to the 2nd version, what I just mentioned in this paragraph has been fixed. Cool.]

I definitely think it's an improvement over the original, as a stand-alone song. I was a little pessimistic at the very start, it being a Deku Tree remix, but the feeling of the repeated melodic progression reminds me a lot of this song: Magic_Lamp_-_(Ellywu2).mp3. This computer doesn't have it, so I can't upload it, and I don't know what game it's from, but that's what it's called, and that's who it's by. Harmonic minor breakbeat music is great. I could upload once I set up my other computer.

Most of the song's structural progression relies on the percussion, and I think that's swell, but near the end I got this feeling that some new, melodic sample, or variation of melodic samples, could make the melody more powerful, without being too cheesy.

[Now that I've listened to the 2nd version, there was a decent amount of change. This is mostly a good thing, but like someone mentioned, the wobbly stuff after the ping pong percussion fadeout could be more fitting to the rest of the song if it was handled differently.]

Keep working on this. It could turn out really great. I think the duration could go on at least another minute. An extended version could go on for 5 minutes, even.