The Last of Us - Unofficial Soundtrack - Overture (WIP)

[CadenMusic]

Greetings all! As my debut music post, I'd like to give everyone a taste of something I'm working on at the moment. It's a piece inspired by and created as if I was the actual composer for the upcoming PS3 game The Last of Us.

The overture is in the middle of production so I encourage those who are experienced in digital composing to feel free to give tips, advice, and critiques. Constructive criticism is welcome! To everyone else, enjoy the music and let me know what you think as well.

Notes on the track/Currently working on: Version B1. The soft part two minutes in still needs some sfx treatment and I'm working on a better transition into it. I'm also going to make the french horns a bit louder in the first half.

Created in Reaper 4 with EWQLCCC, Camel Audio's Alchemy, and various free vsts/samples. Recent inspirations include Deus Ex 3.

Enjoy the music.

http://k005.kiwi6.com/hotlink/b116n460b ... saltb1.mp3

[Meffy]

There y'go. Here's the link, clickable.

http://k005.kiwi6.com/hotlink/b116n460b ... saltb1.mp3

[CadenMusic]

There y'go. Here's the link, clickable.

http://k005.kiwi6.com/hotlink/b116n460b ... saltb1.mp3

Thank you very much. Your assistance in mine posting was invaluable.

[pzhuravel]

There y'go. Here's the link, clickable.

http://k005.kiwi6.com/hotlink/b116n460b ... saltb1.mp3

Thank you very much. Your assistance in mine posting was invaluable.

Beutiful track.. There's an acctual feeling involved here.. Needs work with a mix a little but overall

[CadenMusic]

Beutiful track.. There's an acctual feeling involved here.. Needs work with a mix a little but overall

I'm glad you like it! Would you mind clarifying what exactly about the mix you didn't like?

The mindset going into the mix of the first half was to separate the strings from the brass, have the suspended strings (mostly higher EQ) on the center left, and have the shorter rhythmic strings (mid-high EQ) on the right with the brass remaining in the middle.
If you're talking about levels, there's a bit of room to compress things a bit to bring the brass (mostly the french horn) up more clearly during the crescendo and seeing if I can more clearly separate the strings from one another without sacrificing dynamics or instrument placement. I might try experimenting with the EQ of the stringed instruments a bit, see if that clears things up.

Anyway, thanks for your comment. To everyone else, if you like it, tell me! If you hate it, criticize me! I'd love to know either way.

[pzhuravel]

Beutiful track.. There's an acctual feeling involved here.. Needs work with a mix a little but overall

I'm glad you like it! Would you mind clarifying what exactly about the mix you didn't like?

The mindset going into the mix of the first half was to separate the strings from the brass, have the suspended strings (mostly higher EQ) on the center left, and have the shorter rhythmic strings (mid-high EQ) on the right with the brass remaining in the middle.
If you're talking about levels, there's a bit of room to compress things a bit to bring the brass (mostly the french horn) up more clearly during the crescendo and seeing if I can more clearly separate the strings from one another without sacrificing dynamics or instrument placement. I might try experimenting with the EQ of the stringed instruments a bit, see if that clears things up.

Anyway, thanks for your comment. To everyone else, if you like it, tell me! If you hate it, criticize me! I'd love to know either way.

OK I will try to explain what I would Like to hear or would done myself... Now Most of these things are more of a taste or preference but when I mix the same track for a while I loose those things myself, and I have a very trusted engeneer to point things out but I digress.

Beginning sounds very nice, clean and Petite.. I would, I am not a big fan of the main pad, it had a funny frequency arround 200 Hz and after few secunds it tends to get more annoying than supportive. I would look at that, maybe pick a pad that is of the same family but has less of low mids and more of the higher mids or eq it better.. almost sounds like it pulsates in and out the low mid Nasal tone. THis is to my ears at least

The Low kick that you use before 1m23s needs to have more attack and more slap. It's a bit to soft, at that point of a track my ears were asking for a bit more support and that Kick is a bit too mooshy.. Again play with the kick and that pad a little, because right around where the kick starts things start to get a bit muddy in 80-400 hz or so.. I know this is a problem area where every instrument tends to sit but you got figure out how to clean it up.
1:23 and on the drums sound pretty killer, there seems to be a metalic percussion almost like an open hihat.. Bring it up 3-5 db.. It's there and I complement you on putting it there but its hidden slitely.

Hope i'm not being a downer. I'm very particular with how I like to hear music and youre the first guy i actually bothered to post for.. You truly know what youre doing.

Piece of advice. Find a score track that's of the similar coloration but proffesionaly mixed and mastered, and have it inside of your project muted as a reference.. and time to time solo it and listen to a balance just to flush your ears out.. as soon as you go back to your track you will hear much more than you think..

Hope this helps

Great work