Persona Q2 ~ Paradise and Survival (YM2612 + SN76489 Arrangement)

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A Genesis-styled cover of Paradise and Survival, a level theme from Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth.

A few notes about the arrangement:

It's no secret that the mainline Persona games have excellent music, but what may not be as well known is that the spinoff titles have some hidden gems of their own. I played this particular entry on my 3DS but have yet to complete it, as the gameplay is a bit too reliant on grinding for my taste. Though I haven't picked up the game in a while I still regularly listen to its music, with this tune's groovy bass line making it my most listened track.

This marks my first use of the Genesis' extended channel 3 mode, in which the channel can play four sine waves direct to mixer by using instruments set to algorithm 7. Here the setting was used for simple organ chord that really helps to fill out the sound in the solo sections. From demos by other artists I can see ext. ch3 is a versatile tool even capable of playing the role of kick, hihat, and two leads simultaneously! As I tackle more instrument dense tunes I'm sure it will become a staple.

Speaking of instrument dense, this song probably beats Let the Battles Begin! / Those Who Fight for most instruments that I've tried to cram into a limited set of channels. Strings, bass, guitar, flute, bongo/conga, flangey slap sound, timpani, marimba, horn, organ, and cymbal is quite a lot for 6-7 channels. Hopefully I was able to play the role channel shuffler well enough that each one gets the focus for at least a bit.

As I was working on this cover I began to understand how notes spaced one fifth/five semitones apart really gel well in most contexts (I have minimal understanding of music theory so I may be misusing some terms here). In my early arrangements I would usually just opt to set harmonies an octave apart since it was easy, but I really like how the fifths sound, particularly at 2:18 - 2:53. Another tool in my toolbox going forward!

If you are a fan of covers like this, feel free to check out my previous works! I like a variety of games, so there is a decent selection.

If you have any suggestions or tips about the composition please let me know, I'm looking to improve!

Gameplay footage by JohneAwesome:    • Persona Q 2: New Cinema Labyrinth - P...  

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