[djpretzel]

Ok guys, I've got another one for ya's:

It's a ReMix of the Halo title theme... hope you enjoy...
Go ahead and credit it to Arkimedes. Webpage is students.washington.edu/jwidman. And keep up the good work guys.
-Jaron

[The wingless]

Awww man.... not tha robot again! (Chapelle reference #234)

Man, I am lovin' dis song. It's about time us Xbox fanboys came out of the woodwork and started making some noise. Excellent synth work here mixed with the Halo tabernakkkul choir. I'm sure some would find the "can't stop"-age bothersome, but I like it. Great variation, dynamics, samples, yadda yadda yadda. It's like a pretty girl that knows how to cook and clean...

You, sir, hath won me over.

YES

[Protricity]

Lots of sampled effects, cool sounds. Not too impressed.

However, nothing technically wrong with the song, save that its not too similar to the original. More similar to style than melody.

YES

[Digital Coma]

This is a plateau beat-driven... remix of Halo? I can't even recognize any Halo in here other than the choral samples.

Anyway, why is everything so muffled? It's like this is meant to be heard on the back-burner. This mix plays it safe, too safe, and just ends up repetitive and straight forward.

NO

[GrayLightning]

I recognize this piece. Maybe wingless can tell us which exactly it is. The original played this theme in strings. I think.

Pretty nice, I will come back to this.

[danny B]

The mission of this site, at least to my understanding, is to take preexisting works and rework them into something new. Harmonic alterations, melodic interpretations, rhythmic interludes; all means to an end. Because our goal is to be objective and abide by guidelines, this makes the judgement of additions, subtractions and alterations a difficult job. It's nigh-impossible to avoid subjectivity.

The only reason I bring this up in this writeup is to address the ever-growing criticism of the judge panel. This is my first opportunity in the position of a judge to make such a statement, and this is my perspective. This song is a perfect example of how hard it truly is to decide that fateful yes or no.

I'm very familiar with Halo's opening theme, and a beautiful theme it be. Thankfully, Arkimedes has done well not to butcher it. I'm not very impressed with the sound quality, and i'm less than thrilled with much of the instrumentation. Many synths are awkwardly EQ'd, and the warbly sine-wave portamento thingy sounds like a background instrument trying to break into the frontline.

There is a bit of clipping around 1:42. No biggie, just a blemish. Many points in the song, such as 3:13, i'm waiting for the buildup to lead to something BIG. But each time, i'm a bit dissapointed. There seems to be a lack of low-end throughout, and it really hurts the flow. The "can't stops" bother me a little, but that's no reason to reject a song.

The arrangement is tight and to the point, and does very well to incorporate the original sample in seamlessly and effectively. Referring to my earlier comments, this is why I say YES. This tune demonstrates competent arrangement ability, and while lacking a bit in the sound quality and mastering areas, I find that it is mixed well enough to get the point across. I don't agree with some of the musical decisions; some synth runs and chords aren't wrong, but seem to contradict the ideas being presented. But like I said, in an attempt to remain objective, I can't detract from this song because of sound musical ideas that do not negatively impact the arrangement as a whole.

-D

[GrayLightning]

Thanks for writing your first book daniel. Did jeb help?

Nothing to complain about that hasn't been covered. The voice over gets a little repetitive and old fast. Good stuff though. I'm enjoying this. Technically passable mix.

YES