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Final Fantasy 7 => Audio => Releases => Topic started by: SymphoniC on 2011-07-29 12:17:01
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UPDATE : All links to my remixes will be posted in this very post from now on. That way you don't have to go digging through a long list of posts just to find that link you're looking for.
I'm not just a hacker, I'm also a composer. Soooo...
I saw what everyone was doing in Team Avalanche to utilize their talents with 3d graphics design and was amazed. So I decided that I would really like to do the same thing on more of a musical level. I've heard some of the musical efforts to enhance FFVII's amazing soundtrack, and well I would like to do something a bit different... something to completely and totally blow the minds of FFVII fans all over. For years, as a musician, I've been heavily inspired by Nobuo Uematsu and his works throughout the FF series. Plus I've heard official FFVII remixes, and I've been disappointed. Anyways, several weeks ago I completely redid Jenova's theme... thinking I was going to post it as a remix on OCremix. But instead, this may very well be the birth of an exciting and awesome project for all of us. Anyways. I redid this song from scratch in a sequencer, and by memory of how the actual song went. I plugged in my guitar and just went for it. If this project has enough support, I will definitely redo the entire OST for everyone. I think it would compliment Team Avalanche's hard work (I totally support what they're doing).
Here's my remix of Jenova's battle theme (J-E-N-O-V-A)
http://www.mediafire.com/?l44tvrhcgqavwcq (http://www.mediafire.com/?l44tvrhcgqavwcq)
Here's my remix of Opening, in the opening FMV of FFVII itself (Separate from Bombing Mission).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6jTg80r8kE (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6jTg80r8kE)
The second half of the J-E-N-O-V-A remix is original and will most likely be removed as it most likely won't fit with the actual battle. Let me know what you guys think!
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Sounds kinda like FinalFanTim's Project- he remastered the whole FF7 soundtrack.
I listened to your Jenova Remix- and you are actually re-mixing it, and very, very well done.
May I ask you to be the one who's uploading your work to YouTube?
(FFTim's work was uploaded by me, including encoding and sh*t, and TheFaves did those great visual things like the pictures you will see in the videos:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE56D90E0483CD44D&feature=mh_lolz)
Anyway, great idea, great project- for myself, I can tell you that listening to FF7 tracks since 1997 is just not getting old and/or boring. All-time-music ^-^
Would be glad to hear more from you =D
- Deniz
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Thank you kindly. The music never gets old. I'm going to have to think about it, and if I decide to let you do that, then it's going to have to wait until the tracks are truly finished. This one is more of a rough draft that's needing just a little bit more polishing. I'll let you know.
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I'm fine with that =)
For a draft it's truly well done. Mind blown @00:40. I f* love that guitar. Can't wait for it =D
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Wow that Jenova remix is really great! Love it!
Look forward to hearing more, just remember to make them as looping OGGs so we can use them in-game.
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I'm fine with that =)
For a draft it's truly well done. Mind blown @00:40. I f* love that guitar. Can't wait for it =D
Thanks again. I had a lot of fun putting this together. :)
Wow that Jenova remix is really great! Love it!
Look forward to hearing more, just remember to make them as looping OGGs so we can use them in-game.
I promise you'll hear more from me. Also, getting my music to .OGG format is simple. At this rate, I'll be on my way to remixing the soundtrack alright, it's motivating to get comments like these.
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Sounds great so far, very interested in how they all come out.
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If you do eventually do the entire soundtrack, I would like to include it with FF7Music in the future, provided it's okay with you.
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Thanks everyone. Alright, well I've decided that this project begins now! Also, the only song that I most likely won't remix is "One Winged Angel", I'm thinking that the Advent Children remix of that song would suit fine, but then again, we'll see... I may very well end up remixing that one too. (Does anyone have the lb2.sf2 with the Sephiroth choir in it? I haven't been able to find that soundfont for years.)
Oh anyways... Covarr yeah when it's finished, then we can include it with FF7music.
If Square was to remake FF7, I seriously wish they would have me as the one to redo all of the music. I would make sure it came out right... but alas, pipe dreams. I've got great music ideas for the Opening/Bombing Mission. I'm going to get started on that song soon.
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Doesn't the intro video for the PC version play the Opening song within the video file itself, rather than through Midi? If so then I need to do Opening/Bombing Mission separate from each other. So we would be able to inject my remix of Opening into the video itself.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6jTg80r8kE
I redid the opening song right before the Bombing Mission begins, I also posted a vid of it on Youtube to give you a taste of what this would be like in the game. ENJOY
Also, I'm only going to upload songs in sections from now on, instead of uploading them one at a time, I will finish maybe 4-5, and then post a link with a .zip or .rar that contains those 4-5 songs. This will help, keep our forums cleaner.
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great work!! i like it ;)
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If possible (presuming FF7Music supports this..) Could you make a lossless version of your soundtrack as well? I am a big audiophile :D
Loving your remixes so far by the way. now that i think of it.. I'd like them in lossless anyway. Just to listen to em :D
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Thanks kela51, and Hellbringer. Even if FF7Music doesn't support lossless, I'm sure it can be made to support it. Also yes, I'd be willing to export all of my projects to lossless audio, I especially understand the need for perfect sound quality as I'm very much the same way (if you can't tell already). Also, from now on, any links I post to my remixes, I'll be posting on the very first post in this thread, that way nobody gets lost trying to find all of the links, nice and organized.
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I believe ff7music will work with the winamp flac plugin. It worked with the 5.1 DTS audio one.
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FF7Music can work with almost any winamp plugin (though it fails on a few of them). I can include a flac plugin in the installer if people want it.
Also of note, the vgmstream plugin that is already included supports a number of bizarre lossless formats that can be looped fairly easily. If you want lossless looping music, it's easy enough to convert just about anything to brstm (the format used in Smash Bros Brawl), there are tutorials for that floating around the internets, and ff7music will play them just fine. I don't think there's any other formats that support both lossless AND looping, though.
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I hate to be the first one to post a somewhat "negative" comment, but here it is anyways.
I really like your remixes - really, I do. But I think those kinds of remixes, with a big emphasis on guitars, do not mix with the game very well. I'm a huge guitar-lover, but I think your remixes wouldn't work as remastered tracks in-game. They sound too different from the originals. Also, maybe the different instruments do not blend together very well - I don't know. I felt it lacked harmony somehow.
My favorite J-E-N-O-V-A remix still is Shazard Haniff Ali's. I would post a link to a youtube video or his webpage, to give you an idea, but even after searching the web, I can't find it anywhere anymore. Still, here is the MP3 I edited so it loops with FF7Music (I deleted the intro part) (http://www.mediafire.com/?a1lhgfmm1ndrr7j). I'll remove the link if it bothers anyone.
Anyways, as I said, I still like your work a lot. You can't have too many FF7 remixes in my book, and yours are great. It's just that they're the kinds of remixes I'd listen to on my ipod or when browsing youtube. Not the kind I'd want in-game, so far. Can't wait to hear more, though :)
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On a related note, here's a seamlessly looping OGG of SymphoniC's version (http://www.mediafire.com/?d4awr2yr3dr2ps2).
I'm going to be making these as you release the MP3 versions of the song, so that an entire looping soundtrack for FF7Music will be ready as soon as possible. That should be much faster than waiting for you to finish the entire soundtrack before even beginning to loop them.
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I hate to be the first one to post a somewhat "negative" comment, but here it is anyways.
I really like your remixes - really, I do. But I think those kinds of remixes, with a big emphasis on guitars, do not mix with the game very well. I'm a huge guitar-lover, but I think your remixes wouldn't work as remastered tracks in-game. They sound too different from the originals. Also, maybe the different instruments do not blend together very well - I don't know. I felt it lacked harmony somehow.
My favorite J-E-N-O-V-A remix still is Shazard Haniff Ali's. I would post a link to a youtube video or his webpage, to give you an idea, but even after searching the web, I can't find it anywhere anymore. Still, here is the MP3 I edited so it loops with FF7Music (I deleted the intro part) (http://www.mediafire.com/?a1lhgfmm1ndrr7j). I'll remove the link if it bothers anyone.
Anyways, as I said, I still like your work a lot. You can't have too many FF7 remixes in my book, and yours are great. It's just that they're the kinds of remixes I'd listen to on my ipod or when browsing youtube. Not the kind I'd want in-game, so far. Can't wait to hear more, though :?:
Yeah, I already knew some people would disagree with what I'm doing. I felt that the guitars have a more dramatic effect depending on when they're used and if they're used properly. I certainly wouldn't use them in every song in the game! Also, what I'm doing is highly experimental stuff, even though other bands have tried it, I'm trying to modernize classical and jazz music by properly implementing a more rock environment (It's a true challenge to mix such genres together and make it sound good, trust me.) Last but not least, this is the kind of atmosphere I envision hearing in an FFVII remake should Square ever get to it. With your advise, I can keep some guitars... like with the Jenova remix, cut out and remove the second half of the song which has nothing to do with the original song, and maybe on the second half of the Jenova part of the song... replace lead guitar with a lead synthesizer. Really I enjoy criticism, because I'm a realist I tend to translate it to something more constructive. In the end, that means solutions!
Also, I don't understand what you mean about the harmony part. Maintaining harmony was an important part that I took into consideration when I recorded my guitar playing, I even added harmony in certain parts. Blending electric guitars with Classical style instruments is extremely difficult to do. It's also not as common even still, so maybe you're just not used to hearing it?
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I definitely agree with armorvil on this one about the guitar being too much in a gameplay sense, but I still like your remixes. One thing I'd suggest for them though, is something that in my opinion, would enhance many remixes greatly but people seem to avoid doing it or forget altogether usually.
I feel like you should add more variance in the volume. The heavier parts should be a bit louder, as should some instruments, as even though the Jenova was good, adding more volume variance helps to make it sound less like a typical remix and more like a performed song. That, and maybe reduce the amount of notes that use vibrato so it has more of a noticeable effect. Just IMO though.
Also, the beginning of the solo part of your Jenova sounds like something from Doom 1/2 :)
I personally find this to be the most faithful and best remix of Jenova :P http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJGLO7ltULA&feature=related
Still, here is the MP3 I edited so it loops with FF7Music (I deleted the intro part) (http://www.mediafire.com/?a1lhgfmm1ndrr7j). I'll remove the link if it bothers anyone.
Do you have the full MP3 of that?
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Bloodshot, I completely agree with what you said about the variance of volume. The Jenova remix I did was originally intended for OC ReMix, and one of their submission standards is for the volume of the song to be as loud as the average song... unfortunately, that means I had to squash the dynamics with a compressor, which in my opinion destroyed the overall sound. But I have the version before it's squashed with a compressor... it's just not as loud, because increasing the volume would easily cause digital distortion. I'll upload it later, if you like.
I can see why there's some disagreement with the guitars. It's unusual! It's different. Not very many people are used to hearing guitars within this kind of music, and it wasn't featured in the original game. So it's kind of an abrupt change that I think a lot of people aren't used to hearing. All I can say, is... if you have an open mind and let go of what you think FFVII should sound like, you might enjoy it more... like I said before, I'm doing something different, most people will simply replace the samples used in the MIDIs from the pc version (I was one of them), and I just think more can be done instead of sample replacement. I want something refreshing and brand new, some of you might also want something like that too. I've had people tell me that my remixes are very suitable for the game itself... so personal taste is also at hand (this music would probably be more suitable in a remade version of FFVII too). My dream as a musician is to get this kind of music featured in future video game soundtracks and ultimately music scores. For some reason, I believe that it fits well atmospherically for Final Fantasy VII. Anyways, I'm trying to introduce to the world the true potential of the electric guitar, there's so much more that can be done with it than mindless shredding, and it is such a beautiful and emotionally powerful instrument when played properly.
I'm fearless in throwing myself out there, and doing something controversial. Famous inventors were criticized highly before they became famous, guess who ended up looking like the fool in the end? Not the inventors, who were considered completely genious by the world. I'm not saying that those who criticize me are fools. I for one appreciate any feedback I can get. Feedback is like a compass that lets me know how well I'm doing and if I should improve what I'm doing. So if anyone happens to hate what I'm doing, please say so. If you like it, say so! Either way, once I set my mind something and I want to do it, consider me unstoppable. Anyways. Thanks for the feedback :) Remember, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder... or should I say ears?
And just a reminder, not all of these remixes will feature guitar playing. I like variety.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJGLO7ltULA&feature=related
Do you have the full MP3 of that?
Yes. I just found it in a remote location of my hard drive. Download it here (http://www.mediafire.com/?fj4hftkno2a58rj). Still, the "full MP3" isn't much bigger ; there's the intro part, sure, but the track still comes to an abrupt stop around the same point.
Also, I don't understand what you mean about the harmony part. Maintaining harmony was an important part that I took into consideration when I recorded my guitar playing, I even added harmony in certain parts. Blending electric guitars with Classical style instruments is extremely difficult to do. It's also not as common even still, so maybe you're just not used to hearing it?
Ha, I wasn't talking about the harmony instrument. I tried to say that I think that some sound samples could have been better suited for the piece, and that some don't seem to work too well with others. "Harmonious" would have been a better word, I guess. But I'm no music expert, mind you, so you can take what I say with a grain of salt. It's possible that this only happens in my ear.
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Armorvil, thank you for your reply. I assume you're talking about the Jenova remix. What samples/ instruments are you talking about specifically? I really think I can make the guitars work so that everything sounds more natural together, and acceptable to more FFVII fans' ears. I want this project to be enjoyable for as many people as possible, as a soundtrack alternative for FFVII. I'm willing to compromise a bit. I'm also aware that not everyone can be pleased, but a reasonable balance can be achieved.
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You're welcome SymphoniC, and I appreciate your stance on the matter, but... ...err... ...this is kinda hard to explain with words... ...I'll say this, though : from 3' 03'' to the end, something feels off to me with the percussions. I think it's the percussion and guitar sounds that do not mix very well. Yes, I think the percussions (the battery) must be my main gripe throughout, actually. Thinking about this more, I guess the percussions do not match the "strength" and "power" level of the guitar / entire track. It might sound too weak (and even slow, especially at the start) and thus, doesn't give the piece its full potential. It holds it back, somehow.
J-E-N-O-V-A is one of those tracks that should get your blood boiling - almost send you into a trance - so my problem might come from the fact that parts of your remix are kinda slow-paced. It sounds "gentle" at times. Perhaps with more bass...
Well, I hope this helps.
EDIT:
Oh yeah, from 00'39'' to 00'58'', the battery sound might sound better if it was a little louder. But as I said, take this with a grain of salt ; I can't be sure of what I'm saying without listening to the song with the changes I envision. And since I don't have the tools/programs/instruments, those advices of mine might be completely off. I'd love to be able to create my own remixes too, but there are many obstacles : I have no musical background, and don't know what to buy exactly / which programs to get. I only have what I think is a good ear. Truth be told, I already have many projects anyways, so I'm already happy listening to your great remixes :)
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I don't see what the issue is with changing things up a bit. If people really want something as close as possible to the original, that's what FinalFanTim's remastered soundtrack is for.
My personal opinion is that it's great to have another option being worked on that is close enough to the originals that it can work in-game (unlike Voices of the Lifestream, for example), but at the same time unique enough that it doesn't just feel like a rehash of what's already out there. I agree about the dynamics being a little off, but other than that I really like it.
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A good point has been made. The drum samples I used aren't of the best of quality, plus I may have cut the bass frequencies on the track a bit too low. The part that sounds supposedly gentle, I intentionally left drums out, it should give you a "free flying" sensation, a huge release of tension. I have a strong musical background, but I still need improvement in the mixing department. So the feedback is awesome. I strive to get all of these mixes sounding as professional as possible, not easy. I will point out that I have a surround sound system and very high quality headphones with deeep bass, so I hear a lot of power in that mix, while those with normal computer speakers and average headphones won't hear what I'm hearing dynamically. I listened to the mix on cheap computer speakers and the difference is phenomenal... in a very bad way. The bass drums are almost not even present, same with the bass itself. So, the mix itself is very blamable. I will correct this. Thanks again for the feedback.
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Wow! Guitars abound in this version of J-E-N-O-V-A ...Although it has a feeling of a " Transformers - Anime" soundtrack for the most...but musically its amazing!!!... If this was used in the Advent Children Movie..I might have been "headbanging with a Buster Sword"...If you know what I mean :-D
I wanna see where this project leads to....kudos to you man! :mrgreen:
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I haven't forgotten about this project. I'm working on a lone wolf music project... something unique and I'm busy with other things so I've little time for this project at the moment. But an interesting thing to think about is... how to maintain the "FFVII feel" and make the music more contemporary? I thought a metal Jenova song was perfect, because it's aggressive, like a tense battle song should be. The story is different for the Opening theme... Nobuo used Synth Bass and Repeating Snare sample, along with Strings and Synth Lead to convey that "Futuristic feel" that goes along with the showcase of Midgar for the first time in the Opening video. These songs don't really match with the original game, but I feel strongly that (with a little work) they would do well in a remade, modernized FFVII with today's graphics. Any thoughts on this?
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Hi SymphoniC,
I've run into the same kind of thoughts on my latest project as well. I think FF7's "percussive metal" sound (similar to an anvil being struck) contributes to the steampunk feeling of the game, as well as the various synths you mentioned.
I see a parallel between the techniques Uematsu used in FF7 and those used in 80s musicals like Les Miserables or some of Andrew Lloyd Webber's shows. A lot of times when a new technique or new tool is introduced to the "pop" music world, everybody will overuse that technique at first as they experiment with it. Later, everyone settles down and that technique finds its niche in the recording world.
Go back to the 80s when synths were in style. Les Mis experimented with the blend of early synths and an orchestra, and the original orchestration was quite synth heavy. Now fast forward to the mid 90s, when the PSX sound chip offers enough polyphony and enough sound memory to start mimicking a full orchestral ensemble. Now it's Uematsu's turn to play with the same synth/orchestral scoring.
For Les Mis' 10th anniversary concert, the music was reorchestrated and synths were more conservatively used (not so much as synths, but as simulations of real instruments like harpsichords or mallet instruments). If there's a melodic line that you find odd in your arrangements, maybe ask yourself if the original composers and sound techs included those lines simply because of the novelty of the PSX sound chip, and maybe if so how you can use that material in a way that blends with the rest of the ensemble a bit better.
If it helps, here are some audio examples:
Les Mis - Opening: 1985 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZdjz6lLngU); 1995 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1s9ubYbFvc&feature=related)
Les Mis - Waltz of Treachery: 1985 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tFFqLBPZDw); 1995 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Po8ZcsCPQIM#t=357s)
Anyways, love your stuff. Keep on rockin' in Midgar!