MadTracker - MT2 Compo

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Distant Secrets

By papfanis

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Yannick

Originality:	8	Technical:	7
Theme:	9	Quality:	8
Arrangement:	8	Global:	8

+ Theme, arrangements - Drums

Sunbuster

Originality:	9	Technical:	8
Theme:	10	Quality:	8
Arrangement:	8	Global:	9

Not many tracks this year have managed to paint images in my head, this one does. We go into something that could work as film music, pretty well actually. What I picture would be an intro to a drama or thriller, where someone is driving down a highway or similar in the morning, a long journey through variating landscapes, camera following the car from above. At the switch from pattern 09 to 0A the car goes over a canyon, at the switch from 0C to 0D we get our first closeup on the driver for a while, then back up to the chasing camera... This tune is a very well composed piece in my opinion in other words.

It's a shame really that the author hasn't used better quality samples in this piece. Especially the low strings and concert harp I believe could have benefitted from a better quality, to give them a bit more crispness. However, all samples are of the same quality, so the differences aren't that obvious.

The snare and toms sounds a bit too artificial compared to the other instruments. I get a bit of an late 80's Van Halen feeling of the snare especially. The crash used sounds a bit, hmm, weak also. Don't know much about drumming, but from what I've heard a drummer would give the kick a kick at the same time he hits the crash, to give the crash more body. Not the case here at all times. I would also have liked a bit more variation in how the toms are hit, in which order and which pattern. Especially in the beginning it's obviously a matter of copy/paste, which perhaps isn't the best when the target seems to be to simulate real drums. To perfect them even more, slight changes in volume would have been great, not so much that it's audible, but just enough so you subconsious pics up on it ;)

Very nice layout on the english horn. The violins work very nicely also, although I'd perhaps have had a slightly longer decay at the end of the passages. The mix overall is also good, very well panned.

Overall, this tune certainly has the best theme so far, creates a great atmoshpere. It's nice to know Madtracker can be used to create such good orchestral arrangements also. Good work!

mindplay

Originality:	5	Technical:	3
Theme:	5	Quality:	4
Arrangement:	4	Global:	4

Starts out with some interesting and emotional chords and melodics, then settles into a somewhat typical tracker/demo type of non-mood. The annoying looping violin sample is a big minus.