All Activity

I'm going to throw out the other option that I went with: Windows 10 LTSC IoT. You have to deal with purchasing a grey market key, as this is not technically meant for home users. Then you have to find a full ISO as the trial ISO from MS can't be upgraded to the full version without a lot of headache. Finding it is not hard but that may or may not be a deal breaker for you. But it's Win10 (with some of the unnecessary fluff stripped out) that will keep receiving updates until 2032. (!!) I recently migrated from 10 Pro to 10 LTSC IoT and all of my music software works fine. The only downside is since it's a version of Windows 10 that's basically be frozen in time in the past, other than security updates, new software could theoretically not work on it. But all of my stuff (including Kontakt 8) installed no problem, and I have a ton of VSTs.

I really like the general arrangement and ideas you had for this track! This is right up my alley as far as genre goes. Theres a lot to learn and discover in dubstep, let alone the entirety of EDM, andI look forward to seeing more from you and what steps you take in your production journey. What DAW do you use?

Enter the Weaver’s Den and join the party (needlion not included) https://on.soundcloud.com/4pU5rn3ePBv8xkvSo1

Yes, there are some really extensively sampled VST instruments that you can't tell apart from their original instrument models. And some of them, such as the 8Dio Steel Drums or the Misfit Harmonica, are also incredibly cheap, although the developers may be able to offer the VSTis at lower prices because they obviously develop their VSTis exclusively for the full version of Kontakt (which is probably why the VSTis in the free Kontakt Player “only” run in demo mode) and therefore don't have to pay any additional fees to Native Instruments. I guess that you already have a full version of Kontakt that isn't too old. ... I, on the other hand, really have to figure out how to achieve my desired goal. Because I'm actually reluctant to upgrade my still reliable and fast system with a really powerful computer running the still excellent Windows 7 Pro 64-bit operating system (especially since I dread having to reinstall all the DAW-related stuff, third-party VSTis, and other programs - because there was always a lot to keep in mind, which I probably should have made a note of at the time). And I didn't want to upgrade to Windows 11 Pro yet, because I would probably have to upgrade a few rather expensive hardware components and then probably have to get one of those giant PC cases that wouldn't even fit in the PC niche of my desk, and I would have to buy a new desk and build a new desk attachment for the monitor, studio monitor speakers, audio interface, and headphone amplifier - it would be a never-ending chain of events if I went down that route. I really racked my brains over this, but in the end I came up with a reasonably satisfactory solution to gain access to more up-to-date VSTis by taking the following steps: 1) Purchase of a 4 TB SSD (currently 2 TB HDD) or a 4 TB (or larger) HDD ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Does anyone have extensive experience with how reliably SSDs work on newer Windows systems? I once read that Windows 11 or certain Windows updates have occasionally caused SSDs from certain manufacturers to crash or the SSDs were even destroyed. 2) Purchase of Windows 10 Pro 64-bit ------------------------------------------------------------------- The system will then be considered “insecure” for the next few years. But hey, I'm just coming out of the Windows 7 era and, apart from reliable external security programs, I would at least have the option of purchasing the latest VSTis if I like one (including the full version of Kontakt 8). No more annoying Windows updates (as I was already used to with the late Windows 7) and, in theory, Windows 10 Pro 64-bit should be able to utilize hardware resources such as my 32 GB DDR4 RAM even more efficiently than my good ol' Windows 7 Pro 64-bit. 3) Purchase of Kontakt 8 ------------------------------------------- ... so that I can finally make full use of excellent VSTis such as those from 8Dio. Maybe I should take advantage of any Black Friday special deals in November before the next version of Kontakt is released, which may only support Windows 11. ... But overall, the investment will definitely cost another 700 to 800 euros if I consider the 4 TB SSD version. Music production can be a really expensive hobby if you want to keep up with the times (I hope I won't have to worry about annoying hardware upgrades for the next 10 years). But that's still cheaper and much more enjoyable than having a maintenance-intensive piece of car in the city. If you have any other good tips, please let me know. ))

What did you think? Post your opinion of this ReMix.

it's been 20+ years since I heard these and they're still, imo, the best Mega Man 2 remixes that exist, globally, despite all the time and the competitors—and this is MM2: a game with a princely soundtrack rarely if ever matched in the 8-bit era. I only had tiny shards of memory when I went on the quest to dig up "those badass MM2 remixes". I had some mp3s back in college, now long lost. It took maybe 2 weeks to track ARival / Luke down, and fuck was it worth it! Much love~ decades later I salute your approach to the remix—restraint, funk, and respect—that made every single one of these tracks so durable. And joyous. Because they still are. <3

While listening to this I was dreading an eventual Megalovania quote all the time. Somehow I was a bit disappointed there was none by the end. Anyway, this begins with some SFX while we build into a synthwave-ish sound that seems to be quoting Tallon Overworld. A synth lead enters around 0:23, it seems to sound a tad distorted and the melody is rather odd. At 0:56 we move to a different melody which I believe comes from Castlevania... wait, was the first melody also from CV? There's a very interesting contrast between the backing and the melodies, which several "spicy" notes. I do feel most of them sound very cool tho. We then move directly to Tallon melody on a plucky synth around 1:20 and then there's a repeat with a voice over and a cool chord progression. The synth lead returns and does a big melody over the backing. From 2:30 the remix takes a very atmospheric feel, the sources taking a bit of a backseat although still present. The 0:23 melody returns, there's some high frequency overlap between the synth and the plucky lead that sounds a bit harsh at times. Seriously how did you not add Megalovania at 3:25... and after that the track ends. I'm gonna start on production, since I'm quite torn on it. I really liked it during the first half, you went for a synthwave sound and mostly nailed it. I think the kick could have more oomph and the synth lead sounds a tad distorted but other than that the mix was great here. However, things start changing for me when you introduce the plucky lead and especially when it plays together with the synth lead. The mix starts slowly becoming very harsh and it tires my ears. You also start layering more stuff on the low mids and it also gets cluttered there. One of the things I'd look at is either decreasing the volume of the reverb or taming it with some EQ, since I feel it's one of the main culprits of how muddy the mix ends up sounding. On arrangement, this is an interesting track. As I mentioned earlier I like the vibe you went for and the arrangement supports that well. The combo of the bass and drums are a good background for the variations you create on top. I'll agree with both Proph and Hemo that some of the lead writing is rather odd, especially on the very first melody (0:23), where there's a lot of interruptions and some of the notes seem to play at random times. I wasn't really bothered by the spicier/dissonant notes but I can see why someone could be. Finally, I don't really mind the arrangement being kind of "meandering", it feels like that's what you guys wanted to create and it's an enjoyable ride (as the title and SFX imply!). Overall, I think this needs a bit more time in the oven. While I generally enjoy the arrangement I think there's some extra polish needed on the mix to make it sound less harsh and cluttered on the second half of the track. NO

What did you think? Post your opinion of this ReMix.

Oh shit I'll have to check these out

I think we're on schedule!! Only a couple left. ♡ Most people have sent me their tracks! :D

Today's the day. I sent mine in. Did everyone else send in theirs?

These VST instruments might be some of the most extensively sampled instruments I've ever experienced: https://8dio.com/ 8Dio - with its free instrument technology called "Soundpaint" - also provides some completely free VSTis as full version, such as a 1928 Vintage Grand Steinway (around 8 GB and over 4800 samples) or an old music box (nearly 2 GB and over 260 samples): https://soundpaint.com/collections/free-instruments I would describe the the VSTis from 8Dio with the following words: - extremely high sample quality (also many GB of content with lots of articulations and samples per instrument) - some highly affordable VSTis (check out the 2 VSTis below) - lots of VSTis that still work with earlier Kontakt versions (like Kontakt 5) supported by Windows 7 (damn, I just saw that it seems to support only the full version of Kontakt - guess that was the reason why I didn't go for it earlier) ... I recently came across 8Dio again because I've been really keen on a steel drum VSTi for quite some time now, and I'd like to briefly introduce it here along with another VSTi. 1) 8Dio - Studio Steel Drums -------------------------------------------------- These are really high-quality sounding steel drums (probably the most elaborately sampled ones I've ever found in VSTis) for more exotic music: https://8dio.com/products/steel-drum-for-kontakt-vst-au-aax-samples?variant=41309986717896 It's a whopping 12 GB of content, but it's extremely high-quality with over 55,000 samples (lots of different velocities and playing techniques possible) for particularly realistic playing. The VSTi sounds something like this: Really might sound, huh? And all that for just $17, which would be extremely cheap even without the price reduction from $28. It's perfect for exotic Caribbean sounds, which would not only be great for future Star Tropics remixes, but which I had always wanted to use for my own composition “Paradise,” which I had already started working on. As a reminder, this is what the first short version of the composition sounded like a good seven years ago: And I really wanted to turn it into a truly dreamlike, feel-good holiday and relaxation composition, not only to make a name for myself as a remixer, but also as a composer in my own right in the near future, and to be able to present at least one major composition of my own. 2) 8Dio - Misfits Harmonica ------------------------------------------------ This is a similarly high-quality sampled harmonica, a VST instrument that I don't yet have in my VSTi collection and which apparently enables all conceivable playing techniques of a real harmonica: https://8dio.com/products/misfit-harmonica-vst-au-aax?variant=41309893918920 The VSTi has just under 2 GB, over 8000 samples with all possible playing techniques and a pretty convincing, realistic sound: When it comes to music genres, a harmonica may be somewhat limited (it's usually only suitable for certain soundtracks, such as Western music or perhaps ambient music), but for a reduced price of $11 (originally $18), you really can't go wrong. Unfortunately, it's a shame that the VSTis are apparently only fully compatible with the full version of Kontakt, and you can't buy Kontakt 5 anymore to use it with Windows 7. I guess I'll have to get a new operating system in the future (and with it, new computer hardware for Windows 11 and the like), which really annoys me and, especially with Windows, is always a bit of a journey into the unknown. Or I could just use the VSTis in demo mode with a time limit of 15 minutes (Is that the maximum project length for any number of music projects, or will the VSTi stop producing sound in new music projects once the 15 minutes of total usage time have elapsed - and can the VSTi be used to its full extent in Kontakt Player?). ... What do you think of 8Dio's VSTis? And what is your experience with VSTis that only run in demo mode in the free Kontakt Player? Is it worth it if you want to compose properly?

What did you think? Post your opinion of this ReMix.

This work really stands on its own... My friend, having already got me into the gateway drug of FF Tactics a few years prior, got me onto the hard stuff in 2018, FF14 MMO. I distinctly remember the base game being "ok" but not great, heavensward was truly a breath of fresh air as I reached the first "expansion" of the game. The music was great, but I am poignantly reminded that it has been probably 5 years since I wandered the halls of heavensward. It's definitely been 2-3 years since I played FF14 at all, and the music was always so phenomenal. Anyway...really love this mix, I'll have to log back in just to chill in heavensward and listen to the tune after this. 😎

I really appreciate the look and your perspective on all the Dissidia music. I didn't ever get a chance to play Dissidia, so I definitely didn't hear a lot of those gems and remixes. Also hadn't thought about that movie the rock in years. Gotta rewatch it. It's cool to know that one of the most iconic FF8 sons (imo) was very much inspired by it.

LOL, I saw what you did there with the link on Trump's name. But I think you meant to link to this or this page instead...

What did you think? Post your opinion of this ReMix.

What did you think? Post your opinion of this ReMix.

Wow this login still works