[OA]

(I wasn't sure if OC Remix would accept 320kbps so I put the 192kbps version as an attachment)

ReMixer Name - Spoon(e)
Email -
Website - http://Spoonukem.com
UserID - 49018

Name of game(s) arranged - Final Fantasy XI
Name of arrangement - Bard Song
Name of individual song(s) arranged - Bard Song

(As far as I'm aware there isn't an official title for the song, just usually referred to as the "Bard Song" or "Bard Theme"... sorry about that)

This song was requested to me by my brother who plays Final Fantasy XI, so I listened to an arrangement, figured it sounded pretty cool, thought I'd try to work with it, and give it some new life, seeing as the original was only about 15 seconds long. I think I did pretty good.

Hope you accept this!
-Spoon

(Source) As Appears in the Game - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ellss6x1QfA

[DragonAvenger]

This is a cute (and short!) source. I think the way things are approached is a bit straightforward, but overall has a good amount of personalization and changes to make it unique. The transition at 1:43 is pretty awkward, both from the dubstep to the claps section, and also how the tempo change is approached. I'd really like that to be reworked and cleaned up. Aside from that, I do feel the track runs a little long for the short source. If the arrangement length were left as-is, I think it would still be OK, but I wouldn't mind some trimming, either.

Honestly, the production is killing it for me. The synth choices aren't really working together very well; the lead melody synth can't really hold up to the rest of the instruments in particular, and the rest of the instruments sound fairly generic. There's also a lot of reverb, making some already unclear areas muddier. The melodylines are also pretty mechanical, and adding some humanization would add more life to the track. Once the bass drops I feel like there's a huge competition of the focus of the track, which is sending very mixed signals.

What it comes down to for me is that the dubstep isn't executed very well, there is a good deal of other production aspects that need to be refined, and the 1:43 section could stand to be cleaned up. I think there's definite promise here, but also a lot of work yet to go. Hit up the WIP forums to get some more feedback, and I'd like to see this again.

NO (resubmit)

[OA]

loving the intro to this, though some of the lead synths used are really harsh and grating. THe dirty bass is sweet and works very well, but the overall soundscape isn't really doing it for me. I think taking some of Deia's crits to mind and also adding some additional variation on the second half of this to keep it fresh and interesting. A great foundation, but it needs some adjustment.

No, please resubmit

[Emunator]

Word up to Deia and OA, they nailed it. The synth selections all feel like they've been filtered like crazy so everything is very mid-high heavy. It's grating most of the time and doesn't gel right. The hi-hat rhythm is also driving me crazy in the intro. The hardstyle section in the middle is hilarious though, I loved that

The bassline is pretty good, albeit pretty predictable at this point as far as dubstep is concerned. The cut-and-paste bassline about 2/3rds of the way through the song is a disappointment

Production overall is what's killing this for me here. I hate to be blunt but this needs a lot of work to bring it up to our standards. However, your arrangement is a ton of fun and I think you could improve your mixing/sequencing skills to a point where this would be passable, and it would probably be awesome and very well-received. If you feel up for it, send this back our way, I'd like to hear it again.

NO (resubmit)