It sounds like a piano to me. O_O
I'll make sure to "harden" the piano in ECZ2 up though.
I can identify it as a piano too, it just doesn't sound like a real one.
Well, he's the only one that said it directly, but there were other comments to the same effect.
daiches99 said something about "touching it up instrument-wise", and I have no clue what he meant. Your tracks are certainly not too lo-fi. Apart from that, I don't think anybody else even said anything. I just fear that the music will be too hi-tech and realistic for the levels they're made for.
#1: The melody that the piano plays in the beginning of 2 is a doctored up version of the melody that the square lead plays in the beginning of 1.
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.
#2: A big one The drum track is almost identical, minus a few additions in Act 2, like the High Q.
Except that the cymbals are either missing or too quiet for me to notice.
#3: This is a BIG one. The song pattern between them is exactly the same.
First, it starts off relatively small.
Then, a little more comes in.
It all drops out for a moment of suspense.
Next, it comes back in at it's fullest for a while,
before dropping into a quieter phase.
Slowly, it comes back to life, starting with the bass and drums coming back.
It repeats this last section, adding some higher pitched saw lead stuff.
Finally, it almost all drops out at the very end, for the loop.
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).
#4: The most obvious, which surprisingly, you didn't mention. What the saw lead plays is almost exactly the same in 1 and 2.
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.
#5: The bass line is very similar between the two, except obviously a little bit changed to be in key with the rest of the song.
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.)
Not good composition wise, or not good in the fact that they don't sound Sonic-styled?
Mostly the second. Except SNZ2, which I don't like at all, but we'll come to that later.
I'm not saying it doesn't either, but what I mean is that everything you say I'll take with a grain of salt.
Oh, you should by all means do that. I'm not expecting you to just do anything I say.
What does it sound like then? It sure doesn't sound like any EP I've ever heard. Not a harpsichord either.
It sounds like nothing real, so I can't really tell you. It's a piano, but it sounds nothing like an actual piano.
Why do you think it only starts sounding like a beach when they come in?
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.
More generally, I think the melody (or melodies rather) are too peaceful and lush for SAZ. Compare with the tune that is used now, which is pretty active. I don't know what Fawfulfan likes better, but I'd vote for something more powerful. Oh, and to answer your question, it gets better when the steel drums come in, simply because they're steel drums. They automatically give everyone a beach association. You rarely use instruments that evoke some kind of cliché, and that's why I'm sometimes left guessing what the theme could be.
Piano, ok, I'll put that on my to do list. Strings? Now this one I honestly have to say that you don't really know what you're talking about. That was the cheapest Midi strings you could get, paired with a free string ensemble soundfont that really wasn't very good. Unless you want me to start making chiptunes, it's hard to get much simpler than this. If it's the fact that it fades in and out like the ocean surf that makes it sound realistic, I'm sorry, but I'm not getting rid of that.
Okay, I probably didn't know what I was talking about here. I think what's more problematic is that there's one section where the strings take the forefront. That shouldn't happen.
What is this? Are you an anti-piano-ist or something?
Hehe, probably. Actually no, I'm not. I like the piano in DDZ1 and in the Cutscene theme just fine.
Not to compare my music in any way with it, but have you ever listened to the Super Mario Galaxy soundtrack? (Shame on anyone who hasn't played this game and liked it)
Space Junk Galaxy has always been my favorite song from the game. It's a melancholy piano song for sort of a melancholy level, and when I first played Spacewalk Zone, this is what it reminded me of. It was kind of my aim to make a song like this, but obviously I didn't pull it off as good as Koji Kondo.
No, never heard that before (kill me if you want to). Well, leave the piano in then, I clearly seem to be in the minority here. And actually, it's grown on me somewhat.
Meh... I'm really skeptical of this one... What exactly is wrong with the acoustic guitar?
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.
You know, Charybdizs, I'm sure you're going to be astonished to hear this, but I've been listening to the beta of LGZ1 a few more times, and it's actually become one of my favorite tracks. Yes, even the brass instruments. If you have better brass sounds, you can try putting them in, but at the moment I quite like the effect they produce.
I also think SpiritCrusher might appreciate this tune for its heavy reliance on digital-sounding effects. Though he might also have his standard complaint that there is too weak of a main theme.
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.
