I can identify it as a piano too, it just doesn't sound like a real one.
I'll remember to use fake pianos from now on. XD
Good point, I'll take that into consideration. Except it's too late to do that in LGZ1. :}Which means you took the rhythm and changed the melody to something different. Most importantly, the chord changes are different, which kinda kills off the resemblance. For a second act tune, you don't take the rhythm and change the melody and harmony. If anything, you do it the other way around.
That was intentional. I plan on removing the cymbals from Act 1 anyways, because, as someone pointed out to me on a different forum, they don't go very well with the flow of it. That makes sense too, they were kind of just something I threw in there just because they're... Well... Cymbals!Except that the cymbals are either missing or too quiet for me to notice.
This whole problem is actually coming from the fact that when I think "remix" I think something drastically different, which isn't necessarily what I should be doing here.That's true. But the individual parts differ too much from act 1. The uninitiated listener will not notice similarities in structure as much as he will notice similarities in melody. And you transformed those to a point where they are just barely related (see above).
Very minor, but yeah, thanks for pointing that out, I'll fix that.The saw lead, by the way, plays some pretty awful and out of key. Especially in the part around 0:30 in act 1, everything starts to sound pretty dissonant. Don't put something chromatic on top of chord changes. The result clashes in most cases.
Changing the key is no deal whatsoever, because a simple key change doesn't really affect that at all, even to an uninformed listener. Chord changes, I didn't really mess with that at all either, seeing as most of the song is actually, the same chord. I did change a few around in the buildup section near the end, though, in fact, that whole section right there was pretty much completely new anyways.Your problem in a nutshell. The key is different and the chord changes are different. Any resemblance is thrown away for the uninformed listener. (Of which I was one, because I must admit I didn't listen to the two very extensively to find similarities.)
Yeah, I definitely have to do something about that piano, that's probably the part I hate most about that song. That and the weird half Caribbean, half modern drum beat I did.The percussion at the beginning is pretty fitting with all those shakers and everything. The piano is a somewhat ambiguous instrument though and I don't get an impression of "this is for a beach" immediately. You can use it, but it shouldn't be playing the lead right from the first note. Then, this ride cymbal on the offbeat doesn't really feel fitting. I think the real problem with the drums is that the rhythm is so contemporary. What I mean is that for a beach tune (with steel drums no less), I'd expect any kind of Caribbean rhythm on the drums or some pronounced Carribean percussion (there is some, but it's buried in the mix). I guess that the main reason why it doesn't sound like a believable beach tune. The there is this instrument around 0:37 which could be straight out of GFZ, but doesn't fit here.
I also want to add, Jade Coast uses steel drums a LOT, but it doesn't have a tropical drum beat.
I'm gonna say right here that I think Sunshine Atoll Zone is my worst song out of the whole soundtrack, I mean, I really can't stand my own song. I'm probably gonna change the whole thing around anyways.
That instrument at 0:37? IIRC, it's a piccolo. There's nothing wrong with it being there IMO, although I could have utilized it more.
I have to say I disagree. Pretty much all my instrument choices came from listening to other songs and seeing what they use.You rarely use instruments that evoke some kind of cliché, and that's why I'm sometimes left guessing what the theme could be.
An acoustic guitar gives a warm sound, and that doesn't give me the association of frozen mountain tops at all. I'd rather like to hear something more abrasive and not as peaceful. The level you're making this for is certainly not peaceful and happy.
I'm almost sure I know what the problem here is. I'm willing to bet that our impressions of Snowcap Nimbus were completely different. When I played it, I locked on to the feeling of the pristine, heavenly mountain environment, (nevermind the oil completely) and being in awe of the beauty of it all, while it sounds like you think of it as more of a frigid, hostile environment that became a victim of Eggman's evil plans. That right there would explain why I thought the music was super fitting to the level, while you thought it wasn't fitting at all. Do you follow my drift?
It was private because I didn't want to post something so *censored* up for everyone to see. I've got some new resources now, though, so I think I can do it better.Have I missed something out or was this beta private? By the way, I really like the second act tune for that one, so chances are I'll like this one too.
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