*NO* Castlevania 2 & 3 'Roar! O, Mighty Vampire Killer!' *RESUB*

[Liontamer]

Original Decision: http://www.ocremix.org/forums/showthread.php?t=11351

Your ReMixer name: Joren de Bruin
Your real name: Joren de Bruin
Your email address: ayato_kamina1@hotmail.com
Your website: -
Your userid: Can't find this, forumname= Tensei-San
Name of game(s) arranged: Castlevania II and a bit of III
Name of individual song(s) arranged: Bloody Tears and Beginning
Remix Name: Roar! O, Mighty Vampire Killer!
Link to Remix: http://www.tindeck.com/audio/my/kmsz/Roar--O--Mighty-Vampire-Killer-

Well I've said pretty much everything you need to know about this in the initial submission, so I'll just point out the differences with that one: I did all the mixing and mastering myself this time, and IMO it worked out decently. One big complaint was the general lo-fi feeling caused by a narrow stereo FX, but I'm pretty sure that's more than fixed now. Apart from that I upgraded several of the cheaper sounding components (Most notably the drums and strings), and tried to make the weaker aspects of the mix (bass, kick drum) more audible. Anyway, I hope you like it :)

Joren

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.zophar.net/nsf/castle~1.zip - Track 2
http://www.zophar.net/nsf/castlev3.zip - Track 1

Some side comments first. The timing of the piano intro was awkward; mechanically sequenced yet off-time. The piano chords from :37-:43 still sound wrong. I was a big fan of the drum programming here; nice and varied as well to drive the track forward, evolving alongside the general dynamic of the track. Most people who submit apparently think this is the least important thing in the world. The only thing I wasn't feeling there were the machine guns drums from 3:13-3:39; they sounded like they were distorting.

The ending also cut off abruptly. Now it could be my download, or it could be the Tindeck upload; but no matter what, I hate cut-off endings. If this was from your side, you should have tested your track to make sure it uploaded properly.

I'm feeling you on these instrument improvements, they're definitely noticeable. The overall mixing is still pretty bad on this one though, which is something I'm confident you'll pick up properly in time with advice and trial & error. But right now, this isn't getting the job done.

Lots of the highs are blistering, and there's poor separation of parts during the fullest sections. I'll leave specific recommendations to the music Js. So in short, the arrangement to me was on pretty solid ground. Don't be discouraged, I remember when SnappleMan was at this same point in his early material on OCR with "Killer Dokko", i.e. solid arrangement ideas, weak production. This isn't terrible, but hopefully some other Js can dig deeper on why the soundscape sounds so off. I don't think this is on a nitpick level though.

NO (refine/resubmit)

[zircon]

Mixing is somewhat better this time around. However, it's crowded at :17 right off the bat. Rhythm guitars have a lot of 'thin' high end still for some reason, which is crowding thing. The strings overall are crowding things. Agreed with Larry on the chord clashes. Cymbals are probably a little too loud, they practically override the kick/snare in terms of volume. Synth at 1:20 doesn't really fit in, mixing-wise. The reverb on the strings is probably excessive considering most other parts don't seem to have it. Cut back on the volume of everything and any compression/limiting, give yourself some headroom, and keep tweaking. The bass tone is.. weird. Sounds like it's being played through a paper cup in front of a speaker on the attacks. Try something else.

Arrangement is pretty nice. Some of the ideas aren't executed as well as they could be, like the 2:13 section. Chords don't quite fit, and the bass notes don't sound great either. Switching sources at 2:39, I don't agree with the chords used under there either all the time, some things didn't sound great. The solos towards the end were nice but some of the arpeggios didn't fit with the bass & chords, though that may have been more of an issue in the bass than anything else. This seems to be a consistent problem. Try to pay more attention to the harmonies you've got going on.

Improved overall, but not there yet. Keep at it.

NO, resub

[big giant circles]

I still think this track is awesome. I can hear production improvements pretty easily after placing it side by side against your prior submission. Some nice instrument changes as well.

Wrapping things up, this one is notably better, yet it's still as cluttered as it can be. I know it's a pain, and I hope you don't get too frustrated with our (constructive) criticisms. This one could be gold. It just needs to be engineered a little more cleanly. Your arrangement and ideas are spot-on. I couldn't ask for more on that front. It just still needs some work on the mastering. I really don't have any further advice other than what Larry and Andy have already said.

Don't get discouraged. If it helps, take a step back and revisit this one after a bit of a break to try to give you a fresh ear for what could be fixed.

This one will definitely make it to the front page. We want it to be killer when it does. It's almost there. Just tweak some knobs and levels. (But don't rush the job).

RESUBMIT Go for the gold!