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I'm happy to announce a couple of staffing changes here at OCR. First up, I wanna welcome @Hemophiliac to our Judges Panel! Hemo's been putting in the work for the last few years as one of our Workshop Evaluators, and has also stepped up in the past few months to handle a lot of the visualizers for the remixes you see on our YouTube channel. He's an active presence in our community and has a lot of helpful advice in the Workshop. We're glad to add him to the panel. Look forward to getting some fresh new NO votes on your tracks! Speaking of Workshop Evaluators, a few months ago we retired our Ready for Review process in the Workshop because we felt that it was a cumbersome extra layer of evaluation prior to submitting to the Judge's Panel. Our Evaluators did a lot of great work over the years but we're retiring that role. In it's place, we're introducing our new team called Sages! Sages are active artists in our community who'll be in the Workshop giving feedback on remixes, posting tutorials, and coming up with their own ways to revitalize and energize the Workshop. Our three new Sages are @Xaleph, @pixelseph, and @paradiddlesjosh! We're glad to have some fresh faces on staff, and I'm personally looking forward to seeing what these folks have in store for us. -- DarkeSword

It's a huge pleasure to be fulfilling this role! Over the coming weeks, you'll be seeing my mug replying to your posts in the workshop and (if I'm doing things right) I'll be providing you with means to make improvements to your writing, arranging, and/or mixing. Can't wait to hear more of what y'all have cooking out there!

Starting today, the sharing of music generated by feeding a prompt into AI-software is prohibited on OC ReMix, both here on the forums and on our Discord. LLMs, AI, and other machine-learning technologies are both interesting and impressive, but the implementation of these technologies in popular usage rely largely on unethical training practices. Copyrighted works are used without artist consent to train commercial AI-models. Moreover, OverClocked ReMix has, over the course of over 20 years, established itself as a place for artists to learn about the composition and production of music and hone their craft. We ask artists to pay tribute to VGM through the art of interpretation; we're looking for the personal spin, the human touch. I, personally, don't believe audio generated by a machine-learning algorithm is doing that. There are ethical implementations of AI-technology in the music sphere, such as sample libraries, physical modeling software, and audio production suites that use machine-learning to perform complicated tasks that an artist can use in the production process. Sharing music that uses this kind of tech is absolutely fine. But tracks generated wholly or in-part by services like Suno and Udio (among others) do not belong here. And just to clarify, the discussion of machine-learning, LLMs, and AI here at OC ReMix is not prohibited, but should be tempered by an understanding of the goals of our community, which include artistic development and education and the appreciation of VGM through thoughtful exploration and interpretation. Thanks. -- DarkeSword

I'm really excited - we have some cool stuff planned ahead!

Awesome to see this Sage business! This is important stuff. Just yesterday I was talking about OC ReMix's rare feedback culture to a musician friend of mine. Can't wait to see what you come up with.

Thank you for feedback. I restarted the remix from scratch so it fits to the submission rules, I added an early version here. This time its a little more on the funky than the deep side esto gaza oc remix.mp3

Hello, I'm sharing a wip for a remix of Tomorrow and Tomorrow after receiving live feedback on the OCremix discord. The goal was to mimic the style of Imagine Dragons (ie Warriors) Source from 0:00 - 1:05 of and below is a earlier wip to compare changes I've made (for better or worse)

Hey Vylent! As was mentioned in the live feedback, having space between vocal phrases is helpful for the listener to digest what the vocal passage is doing and saying. The guitar lead in the older version is a great example of creating that space between the vocal phrases! The intro in the older version has a stronger build than the current, though it goes without saying that your vocalist, Sirenstar, is absolutely wiping the floor with the AI vocal. Returning the levels to the drums on the out (as in the older mix) would better realize the vision of getting this mix close to Imagine Dragons. There’s some rough cutting on the vocals around 2:44, and the breath coming in around 2:48, 2:52 is a bit hot. I think that’s most of the feedback from last night! I am really looking forward to hearing this get polished and see it get submitted!!

Hey Xaleph, I think you've pulled some of my VSTs from the Discord server anyway, but here's a list of some stuff I use commonly: VST Instruments u-he's Zebra2, Hive, Diva. All the u-he synths are notable for having free versions with very limited paywall restrictions; the free versions don't limit settings at all, they just play static or randomize notes intermittently after 20 minutes of rendering/use. This can be worked around by reloading the instance, and it's obviously an easy workaround for final mixdown. FM8 by Native Instruments - goes on sale a lot FMDrive - very cheap Genesis/Mega Drive synth that can read the original instrument files Roland Sound Canvas - not free but essential for a lot of GBA/SNES type sounds. A lot of them make up GBA soundfonts unaltered; Golden Sun, Pokemon, etc. Sforzando and Samplelord are both worth bringing up as soundfont interfaces; the former is free and the latter can notably read some proprietary instrument files used in E-mu kits like the Proteus. Performance Samples has paid VSTs but also a lot of freebies; I use the strings and percussion a lot. They just require a certain version of Kontakt. VST FX Guitar Rig - I use Guitar Rig 5 specifically. Its amps/cabinets are really diverse and convincing and I use the reverb effects on pretty much everything. Convology XT has a free version with a lot of convolution reverb presets. I use them in conjunction with these Impulse Responses a lot to emulate how reverb effects were achieved on the PS1. EliteReducer 2 and CMT Bitcrusher are both free bitcrushers. MeldaProduction has a lot of versatile free FX; I use MCompressor for sidechaining and MVibrato for gated/tremolo effects. ToneBoosters has a lot of free legacy FX i.e. Barricade. Tokyo Dawn Records has some good free/paid FX like Kotelnikov; I use the paid version on my master bus pretty much all the time.

Oh man, you gotta add Famisynth to the list! Not only is it 8-bit heaven, it's 100% free. http://mu-station.chillout.jp/plugins/FAMISYNTH-II/index.html

I only now realized I got another wooden spoon to my proud collection in the final round

Not bad at all, you'll be hearing an update in here before the end of the month.

yeah, i got lucky a few days back, in the morning. this old fav tune sprang into my mind, green hills (actually, stage 5 in the 8 bit sonic 2!) it's pretty WIP-y after 2 minute mark. i'm a bit stuck for now, but idea is a buildup of course, to something.

you already helped a bit i think...i started something a few days ago after writing&reading on here. it's not super duper but was enough to make me quite happy. was so starved for getting a groove going before!!

ha, that's cool redshadow. i haven't been using soundcloud for a while. i'll get back to you when i have anything new and noteworthy, because i love the idea of my music being blasted to some random ppl in the states. but it's gotta be something new. my music from 2018ish was really just about coping with the strange new reality. i can do much better...but it's gotta happen!! i gotta get out of this strange anti-creative loop. for reals.

definitely. over-analytical and just plain traumatized by all the crap that happened in those years. i have tried some pure cbd early on in 2019, when the voices situation was still pretty new. it's not really for me. i tried some weed a few weeks ago, and it was good for letting the fingers, like, just fall on the keyboard and see what they do. but it's a thing i better only do once a month or so. my history with cannabis is iffy. anything meditative is the way to go. biggest change for me has been doing regular cold showers. whenever i feel like not quite myself, cold water shock is good for gaining some presence. big fan of wim hof, and what he's saying about the vagus nerve and stuff. if i'm not wrong, that nerve can be connected to hearing voices, and becoming acquainted with the sensation of the cold can help you gain back some control.

what are you using? i wanna do Blackened now :) i have GennyFL, still pretty lazy with it. eventually i would like to learn how to do a solid hard rock sound like Comix Zone, but automate the parameters in a way that makes it sound like real guitar intonation. that would be like holy grail. you know, like wails, feedback, string muting, pinch harmonics etcetc....i reckon really advanced stuff is possible with loads of effort.

Hello everyone! As you are probably aware, on December 11, 2024, OCR will be turning 25 years old. And what better way to celebrate this than to do what the community is all about: collaboration. So, after running the idea past folks on the Discord, I've decided that we ought to get the ball rolling with a project while we are still over 11 months out. Namely, I want to put together an album that both looks forward and looks backward, that celebrates the 25 years that OCR has been around, acknowledges this time period in VGM and also promotes the ongoing growth of the community's musicians, new and old, younger and older. Therefore, I present the idea of TimeShift (working title). The premise of the album is simple: 1. Any ReMixer BORN BEFORE December 11, 1999 may contribute from sources that were RELEASED AFTER this date. 2. Any ReMixer BORN AFTER December 11, 1999 may contribute from sources that were RELEASED BEFORE this date. By doing this, I hope that the album challenges all ReMixers to look at sources that they might not necessarily be familiar with. In so doing, we can all stand to gain some fresh perspectives on sources (I had actually considered calling the album "ReFreshed Pixels" for this reason!). Further Rules 3. All new ReMixes. In other words, don't grab a ReMix you did that's already published on the site and add it to the album. This is as much about the challenge as it is the celebration of the time period. Have an unreleased WIP, even one you've shown off in the forums/Discord? Cool, it's valid. And yes, you can ReMix a source that's already been done. 4. One game, one claim. I don't want the album to filled with veterans' takes on Megalovania or City of Tears, and likewise we already have enough Corridors of Time and Terra's Theme for the younger crowd... Of course, don't let me stop you from being the one and only ReMixer who chooses Undertale or Hollow Knight, or Chrono Trigger or FF6! 5. Multiple sources are fine, but please ensure your main source comes from your valid time period. Adjudications may apply. 6. Release dates means original release. Cross-territory must use the first release date. For example, if a game was released in Japan in early 1999 but in North America in mid-2000, it goes to the younger ReMixer group since it's early 1999. No, just because a classic got a remaster 20+ years later does not qualify it for the veterans unless there's brand new musical material exclusive to that remaster. Adjudications may apply. Expansions (because they were a thing at the time of OCR's founding; remember those?) are valid if they contain brand new musical material exclusive to that expansion that wasn't in the original base game. This also applies if the original was released before OCR's founding but the expansion came out afterwards (making the expansion open to veterans). Adjudications may apply. 7. Typical quality standards apply. 8. The current final submission date (which is open to change) is September 11, 2024. Release date is the 25th anniversary: December 11, 2024. Suggestions We have a thread on the Discord where folks can post soundtracks that they can suggest for the album, especially from sources younger than OCR. It's not a requests thread, though: it's designed to get gears turning and ideas flowing. Roles Ah, now here's the tricky thing. I've been around the ridges on OCR for a very long time but it's only just recently that I've started to take a more active role in the community. I would certainly love the help of some experienced director(s), artists...heck, let's make this a full celebration and evoke the days of yore with a website too! Please let me know how you may be able to help me out here! And, of course, this wouldn't be an album without someone to make music to go onto it. I encourage every ReMixer who wants to take part to let me know! And if we can get some sleeping giants from the old days involved somehow, that would be absolutely fantastic. So that the album can get off the ground, I need expressions of interest from: Co-director Mastering Engineer Artist(s) (unless you want my poor art...) Website Designer (not as necessary, but preferred) Apart from expressions of interest, I am definitely open to comments, suggestions and feedback. How to Join Hit me up on the OCR Discord! Simple as that. Claims Tentative Sketches Cohesive WIP These games currently have WIP's and are closed for selection: Blue Reflection (2017) Vylent Chrono Trigger (1995) JSABlixer Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn (2013) & Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers (2019) Pixels & Paradiddles Final Fantasy XVI (2023) Xaleph Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light (1990) & Fire Emblem Gaiden (1992) JSABlixer Horizon Zero Dawn (2017) Mel Decision & Treyt LISA: The Painful (2014) 100%ROEMER SimCity 4 (2003) Dyluck Stardew Valley (2016) Moebius feat. Lucas Guimaraes ValiDate (2022) adrian gravitygauntlet All of the following claims are currently regarded as tentative until a WIP is received: Dark Souls III (2016) / Elden Ring (2022) / Bloodborne (2015) / Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (2019) / Demon's Souls (2009) - The Vodoú Queen Deep Rock Galactic (2020) OR One Step from Eden (2020) - colorado weeks (& Ridley Snipes?) Halo: Combat Evolved (2001) - adrian gravitygauntlet The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (2006) - Geoffrey Taucer Neon White (2022) - Michael Hudak Sands of Destruction (2008) - TSori The Witcher (series) (2007—) -sake_hime Let's not let this significant milestone in our community's history go past without acknowledgement or celebration. Let's do this!

I have similar feeling towards this post. I really looked up'd to SIr's tracks along with a lot posters, OneUp especially (whenever you guys posted, we had a real compo on our hands.) I was really encouraged by everyone's remix and especially their crisp production. Doing these competitions was never about winning The ultimate reward for entering the compo was just the feedback from everyone. You could be the last loser, and your feedback to me was just as important, that's how we grew. I miss that. I hold a little pride knowing that I was the only guitarist to hold his weight with some of the giants from the compo forum; back then recording guitars we're sooo difficult to. Production and creativity were so hand-in-hand. I'm from America, but I actually moved to Beijing, China 10 years ago for work. I still live here. That's ultimately why I dropped off making music. The thought lingers heavily. But due to this forum, someone from this forum bought some nice recording gear to help me make some music for a game--the game never succeeded (he is somewhere on the OCR--thank you). I would ultimately like to see a revival. I'm somewhat active on Instagram under the same username. Bundeslang: Biggest thanks you. You helped everyone. You kept this thing going. May I ask, Who was your favorite artist?? Spicy question

Hi VQ! I’ll be giving this one a listen in full a few times, along with re-reading the judges’ feedback, before giving you some recommendations. It may take a bit, but don’t fret! - the goal is to improve and that’s what we’re gonna do! Will likely need to edit this space several times, so I’ll make another comment once all the thoughts are put together! - Opening SFX set the scene. Bar 9 (around :15) is when the mallet percussion and cello enter. The cello seems to be giving a low pad/bed for the percs to lay on; the reverb here is good, though the stomp sfx bury the instruments by about 1-2dB when they occur. I would recommend dropping the volume on the stomps at this point by about 3dB and see if that doesn't open the space up more for the melodic content to come. - Around Bar 21 (:40), we've reached the transition to the A section of Blizzard Buffalo. The cello swells up to a peak around :44, and the sustain on the peak here softens the impact of Bar 25 (:48) where the A section kicks into gear. The sustain seems to be a combination of the reverb tail and compression on the low-end; automation on the reverb (decay first, and then the reverb bus as a whole) would be my first area to tackle. - Bar 25 (:48) has harp (or pizz strings) running an arpeggio against the chords created by the perc, cello, and added violin(s), as well as the thunder sfx in the back. The reverb here is really strong, making the articulations on the strings harder to distinguish. The instruments feel stacked on the center channel as well; I would consider spreading the percs suuuuper wide to free up some space for the arpeggio. The cello will maintain its center channel position throughout to give a solid foundation, and a slight widening of the violins will also help give some room for the arpeggio. - Bar 41 (1:21) has a wonderful solo violin swell! This is good dynamics here! The reverb level is appropriate given the space it's filling out, however, it's worth automating the level of it down for the next section at Bar 45 (1:28) since the soundscape is about to be more dense with instruments. I would also keep the violin center here, even if you panned the violins earlier. - Bar 45 (1:28) trades the mallet percussion for a piccolo and adds a muted piano(?), with bells at Bar 59 (1:56). The first bell strike comes in late (about 50-60ms after the rest of the orchestra) and makes its addition feel awkward until the tempo change around Bar 60 (1:58). This combined with the reverb still being too high in this section makes distinguishing the individual parts harder, just as before. Before we look at addressing the EQ of the reverb, let's see if we can't fix it by adjusting (and automating) the verb's output volume first.

Not sure if the source tune is ineligible for OC ReMix due to being a licensed track not written for the game; would be a shame if so. Super classy source tune, so let's see what's up with this treatment. Breakbeats! Interesting giving the brass a more muted sound and leaning more on the breakbeats and piano, but everything's balanced well, IMO, so none of that observation's a complaint. Interesting to build around just one or two melodic segments, but there's enough textural dynamics to retain my interest. I can see some saying 5 minutes is too long and that it should change up more or explore other areas of the theme. To me, this could use some further variations, however, the interpretation of the theme's already substantive enough. Cool approach, and always love to hear the Rukunetsu spices in play!

Hi Rukunetsu! Gonna drop the source of the track here for reference later. This is some slick D&B on this track! The vibe is on lock right from the get-go and every shift just maintains it. The pitch bends on the source melody are a great touch.

I listened to this remix as part of a workshop event and I kinda like it. It's got a great groove to it and is pretty creative. However I feel the violin section is both thin and misplaced (it'd work better as an intro than in it's current placement). Also agree with Liontamer/Larry on not having enough of the melody of "Hidden Palace Zone". Still it's a good start and I'd love to hear a completed version of this on the site some day.

I like that the beats have a kind of swung rhythm, but they do plod after a while. New section at 1:04 dragged a lot and the texture felt too empty; the overly fake-sounding string sustains, piano, and kicks all hurt this on a sound quality level. I like the string writing at 1:42 in principle, it's just an ultra fakey sound, and the placement is so loud compared to everything else. Cool rhythmic change at 2:01. I wish the textures were more sophisticated or better padded, because there's so much empty space due to how thin the instrumentation is. Could use more melodic usage of "Hidden Palace" as well. It's a start!

I am a sucker for great vocal harmony and layering, and this remix has it in spades! This was superbly done, very excellent job for everyone who worked on this.

I really enjoyed some of the harmonizing in this remix. I am a big sucker for good vocal layering and this remix did that in spades! Very excellent remix. :).

JUM jiggity JUM jiggity. You really feel the triplet meter in this one. I enjoyed the bass in this a lot. Great energy and remix overall! Props to you!

Those drums and orch hits were delightfully nostalgic and fun. This almost feels like an opening to a 90's show, ESPECIALLY when the vocals kicked in. This was a lot of fun!

A lovely remix! Great vocals and vibe. I don't have much else to say other than: AWESOME job! :D

Thank you! It's an obscure game with an even more obscure soundtrack but you can find the full OST here: p.s. if you happen to find the original vinyl release of the soundtrack, be sure to buy it. It's worth it's weight in gold (no joke).

This feels VERY fitting for plants vs zombies instrumentation and arrangement wise. Are you sure this isn't ripped straight from the soundtrack? That harpsichord was great, this remix is great! Great stuff.

it's very cheezy tho innit? i reckon it could be very nice cheeze once the arrangement is fiddled out. but the melody (the very sugary one) sounds very different at this bpm and groove. i tried to make it gain bpm for a while, so it goes back to the energy of the original the more the song goes on, but couldn't get it to work. so, gotta optimize on the "good cheeze" part. that's why i have this nagging feeling that i'd rather start a different mix, for now :S but maybe i'll come back to this one. with a fresher mind. heh :) this one needs a lot of cool soloing and stuff if it's gotta pass the "really good cheeze" marks, ......and stuff. i kinda still lack agility for that. or you make it really minimal and full pop, or....whatever. idk what to do with this right nao! haha. it's ok i guess. ty for comments!

Yeah my dude spits the truth. You can beat this game beginning to end in an hour, but I can think of 4 times in that hour that the experience just blew my hair back. I agree it's an experience, almost an art piece. For the love of all that is good and holy though, play this cranked on either your best cans or better yet a full sound system. Just turn it up. And then go buy the soundtrack on Bandcamp because if you're reading this at all you're the type of person who will want it and I felt a need to give the dev money somehow.

I didn't realize how big of a collab effort this was until after I listened to it. It has high quality seeping throughout the song. The placement of the main motif was very well done. This would be a fantastic part of a video game soundtrack!

Thanks, CJ! "Going ham" is indeed what's going on there, haha. I still can't get enough of that particular dissonant chord, for which IIRC I used my nose to hit an extra key... :)

This had a nice slow vibe to it. I found myself swaying along with the rhythm. Nice job! :)

This was a trip! I really enjoyed the percussion, especially from around 2:20 onwards. This was weird but in a cool way.

The sound effect use in this remix was very good, they were delectable bits of ear candy in a sea of Psytrance goodness. :)

What a beast! So many genres, so much remixing, so much awesome! This was a delight for sure. (My favorite section was the Tetris one :] )

This was a lot of fun and I think I like it more than the original. The solos at the end were great, I can't remember the last time I heard a theremin solo! :)

What an experience! I didn't realize how long this as until I finished, it uses the time well! Superb.

So, I've been a looooong time lurker to the site. And for a while I've wanted to go through and leave comments on a bunch of songs that have meant something to me throughout the years. But as I've slowly been adding to my playlist, I've started trying to go back and read through the inspiration to songs Like I used to do when I had a lot more free time. And in this song, that inspiration seems to shine through almost perfectly. And maybe it's the mention of music that affected one's childhood, but in many ways, it reminds me of the ocean trader market from the islands of adventure soundtrack. For me, that always felt like the perfect soundtrack for a sort of warm and comforting sense of adventure. And this song gives me that same sense of warmth. And it's almost certainly because, in many ways, this song represents the love of a newborn child and the optimistic hope of a bright and warm future for them. a truly beautiful job well done.

He certainly seems like the kinda person who would be down for a little clowning around on the side. My only regret is not buying the clown van for $2999.99 when it was still up for sale...

Interesting story. To me is sounds like your issue is less about luck and more about being in an overly-analytical mindset. There may always be some degree of luck when it comes to creativity, but I believe an important part of it is creating the headspace for it, and getting yourself into a relaxed and open-minded state. A state where vibes and ideas become present without much friction. I feel like meditation can help that kind of process a lot. Also I think cbd oil (probably without thc given your disposition -- that's the kind I get either way) may be helpful as it can increase neurogenesis and also calm the mind. Listening to inspirational music and doing things that kind of ground you can also help. Just some ideas though. I have a relatively creative background, though I mostly did traditional art and martial art. I've had so many musical ideas throughout the years and I've recorded many and played around with making music a bit, but I have never really gotten the chance to immerse myself in it enough. But yeah, definitely hope some of that might help you find the music within

wow, this one's a hell of a mashup ahahaha. Love it!

As someone who fully fell into the Minecraft hole last year, that piano loop has been the background opening to sighs of relief and letting go of a lot of stress on some more unfortunate days on my end. So hearing this be transformed into a beautiful, calming meditation piece with chimes and such is awesome and brings me some subtle joy.

Great fun and a super enjoyable! That's Elizabeth Fraser, isn't it?

intro has a lot of sfx and random-sound sounds that come together to make a rough beat under the ghost arp. we get some melody at 0:30 or so, very chopped up and strange-sounding intentionally so. layering in some plectral instrumentation as well on top obfuscates the melodic material, and the percussion is pretty loud through here. 1:16 is a big stylistic shift, both in terms of time signature and in terms of instrumentation. the heavily filtered strings here are pretty grating and really loud, and it's hard to differentiate between them, the treble content in the very weird bass synth, the ghost arp, the melodic stutter synth, and the plectral instrument that you've had going. it hits more of a groove later on, and around 2:00 has kind of settled down, but it's still confusing to listen to. 2:07 is another shift, bringing back the industrial percussion under a 7/8 groove with more of the very intentionally overtoney bass doing stuff under the stuttery synth. the hard break at 2:40 was confusing to me, as i didn't get why you'd want to just shut off the track in the middle without there being a clear resolution or build section around it. there's some more ghost castle lead played as the melodic content and then it's just done very suddenly. looking at the freq analysis confirms what i felt was confusing to me from an auditory perspective - the bass instrument (which doesn't really ever venture below about 100hz from what i can hear) is by far the loudest element in the mix, both the fundamental and the first overtone. it's fairly confusing from an auditory perspective to listen to something that features such a high fundamental, especially with the heavy variance in styles throughout the track. the section at 1:16 is a good example - there's nothing to ground the track, and so many elements are in the same aural area that it makes it hard to differentiate and really listen to them. it's very tiring on the ears. i really want to like this track. the creativity in choices of synths and approach is really neat as expected from eino, the sources are a fun combo, and the arrangement is interwoven nicely. ultimately though it just doesn't sound good - the heavy layering of instruments in the same freq range is intensely tiring. i was only able to get through two listens before my ears felt quite pressured, and the middle section is most of where that came from. the track also is meandering and lacking cohesion, which combined with the lack of real dynamics throughout makes it difficult to follow and stay with what's going on at any given time. there certainly is a ton of source used in creative ways, but the track still manages to feel inchoate. i think you need to spend some time breaking up the blocks of instruments in the same freq range, and then re-volumize everything so that the instruments that are the loudest at any given time are what you want the listener to be listening to. right now the melodic content is never the main thing, which isn't a great result. also consider adding more to the bass end of the bass instrument while still keeping the weirdness of the upper overtones so as to ground the mix more. NO

Yooo i love to see aluminum back.

this is the best remix i've ever heard