Harmony
-
Posts
1,081 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Articles
Profiles
Forums
Events
Posts posted by Harmony
-
-
This is gonna be a NO based on lack of arrangement. Although you can get all kinds of help in the ReMixing and WIP forums I’ll mention here that the levels are not well managed in many sections. In general, the lead synths are too far back in the mix. Because of the overwhelming bass, 2:57-3:10 sounded like I was listening to the mix on a radio station with lots of static. 4:05-5:26 the bass completely drowns out the other much more interesting elements. There are similar problems with 5:26-5:47 except there, the drums do a good portion of the drowning-out. Get a handle on the levels and practice creative arrangement and you’ll turn out much better work.
NO
-
Not much to add to what the other judges have said. The sample quality, production and level of arrangement aren't strong enough to support this repetitive of a mix. Summarily: needs lots of spice. Stop by the WIP and ReMixing forums for some helpful arrangement and sample processing advice and keep working at it.
NO
-
Since it’s been brought up, this mix sounds like it has the makings of a fugue, having distinct thematic introduction and development, but there are plenty of deviations from the classical norms. That says nothing of my feelings on this mix however as I enjoyed it for the most part. I’m not so opposed to the pedal drone at 2:18. I think it’s the dry and uninteresting way that the drone section concludes that leaves it feeling disjointed from the rest of the mix and in the end, unnecessary.
Arrangement was marginal at best. Some of the original sections were wonderful (1:20-1:29, 2:53-end) but the thematic sections did not achieve any great level of creative rearrangement.
At any rate I agree with Gray that the audio glitches on the organ sample need to be cleaned up before this one passes. Hopefully that's not too big of a problem. Consider what’s been suggested, clean it up and send it back.
NO (Please Resubmit)
-
Interesting intro. IMO, the key changes from 0:12-0:28 were simplistic (marching up the A-minor scale) and served as a pretty poor indicator of the beautiful chord progressions and key changes that followed with the rest of the mix. When the same progression returns later it works because there are more elements to create plenty of interesting harmonies. However like Larry, I’m inclined to appreciate the intro for its rearrangement of the chord progression rather than the main melody. After 1:37 I enjoy how the main melodies of the source gradually make their way into the mix.
The guitar and the piano work well together at 3:30-4:07 and the subtle percussion that enters at 4:07 is a nice touch that helps the gradual build that occurs throughout the song. The delayed piano notes at 4:03, 5:37 don’t work as well in this mix as they do in the source. It’s something of a distraction for me but the dissonance is resolved soon enough.
From 5:05 through the end things start coming unglued. The “guitar player” sounds tired and the harmonies in places are marginal and this is the major contributor to the borderline status of my vote.
This was a pleasant listen and for the most part I feel that the length was justified by the arrangement of the source through the first 1:37 followed by a good build to a pleasant resolution. I wish the encoding were a little better as well.
Borderline YES
-
The arrangement ideas and many of the sounds are pretty nice for midi quality stuff. I especially like the flute sequencing from 2:30-end. However, the problems that have already been mentioned are keeping this mix from shining.
After the key change at 1:30 the chromatic percussion repeatedly hits bad notes in addition to clashing with the music box sample which hits all of its notes. As Gray mentioned, the choir attacks should be more gradual. If you can’t physically change them (as if you’re only using basic midi editing capabilities) then you might try building attacks by having each choir note be a series of notes of the same pitch that gradually increase in velocity from zero to the final note velocity. This might not work on the faster choir sections but it would certainly eliminate the mechanical choir sounds at 1:23 for example. Hit the ReMixing and WIP forums for more help
Slightly repetitive but it’s not detrimental to this short mix.
Good midi grade mix but put in some work to take it beyond the limitations of the medium.
NO
-
Not bad but it’s not very engaging. As things are, the intro synths don’t have much life at all and are in dire need of some spicier processing. The beat that comes in at 0:54 is ok, but again it’s flat and it also varies very little throughout the rest of the track. The pitch bends on the lead synth starting at 1:28 bring some much needed captivating energy to the mix. Unfortunately, after their introduction they simply repeat along with many of other elements of this mix.
Sounds like FL defaults for the most part (Sytrus perhaps?), which isn't necessarily bad but I agree with Israfel; a little practice and you should be good Chrispy. This is a nice first effort though. You shouldn't forget the WIP forum for helpful mixing advice and you also shouldn't forget to keep working at it.
NO
-
Individual elements, like the pads and the synth with the theme at 1:04 are really nice and have plenty of potential but the mixing, processing and arrangement is sloppy in general. The bass and the drums are absolutely dry (and quiet) which doesn’t mesh well with the reverbed and delayed synths. The lead synth at 1:19 is either off-tempo or pulls an awkward transition, pads at 2:00 and 2:33 play some odd notes, and there’s a classic midi note cutoff at 2:14. That last one really bothers me because I know that had you listened to this song as much as you should before submitting it you would have caught that and other slip ups. Interpretation isn’t really there either as most of what I hear is the original with something of a beat behind it.
This needs plenty of remixing care and a lot of spice. The WIP and ReMixing forums are certainly great places to start so don’t be discouraged and keep working at it.
NO
-
Enjoyable listen and an interesting atmospheric take on the source but as has already been said, the sparse elements really don’t gel like they should and as a result, the arrangement suffers. A few sound quality issues also work against this mix. The shrill violin (0:47, 2:42,…) wouldn’t seem as harsh if it meshed well with the other darker instruments like the piano. Here it is totally out of place. Also, although I can’t identify the problem sample, the abrupt cutoff of the sample’s static is distracting at points like 0:08, 1:48-2:36.
Good work but needs polishing to get it to shine.
NO
-
The Main Zelda theme in the intro was pretty cool and so was the haunted-mansion vibe piano work.
The jazzy section starting at 1:01 has the potential to be really nice. The drum pattern was intricate and set a great mood. That chill e. piano, the sharp rimshots, the bass and the organ definitely hit the spot as well. Unfortunately, the loud hi-hat is swallowing a lot of the other instruments, including the very timid snare. Not a bad section however and I liked the FX transition at 1:43.
I’m struggling to hear the right panned synth string with the theme from 1:43-2:07. Similarly, the lead synth is way too loud from 2:12 – 3:06. All of the pad and background work is washed out and from what I hear it’s really beautiful. Also, sounds like that conga strike at 3:06 is early.
The modulation on the flute at 3:49 sounds strangely cool. I likes. In general though, the velocities on the flute notes starting at 3:07 are pretty shifty. They go from a reasonable level to very quiet at seemingly random intervals which is killing me because again this laid back section has such potential, especially with the interesting bg FX and instrumentation.
I’ve got similar level issues with 4:22-5:06. The lead organ and the drums dominate the other elements a little more than they should and that harp is too nice to be that far in the background.
I’ve got no beef with the arrangement. Nice ambient/jazzy take on the source with a nice weird factor from the well placed FX. I’m digging the other Zelda material thrown here and there as well. My major issue is the disparate levels that I think seriously take away from what should be a very cool mix. I don’t think much work needs to be done to bring this up to par so please work on the minor issues mentioned Bev and resubmit.
NO (Please Resubmit)
-
Good creative spin on an incredibly repetitive source. The basic melody is accounted for with plenty of original material mixed in to keep things fresh.
As a matter of preference, I think the key change back to F at 2:37 is odd and not really necessary. Loved the switch up at 2:10 though. Along with transitions like 1:34, 1:54, 2:28 I think a good amount of dynamic contrast was created. Unfortunately a lot of it is masked by some of the more repetitive elements in the mix, i.e. the drums and the strings playing the theme. I’m glad that this mix is kept short and sweet but with the lack of variation in the basic drum pattern, plodding is the only word to describe the feel.
Sample quality wasn’t hot but it worked to a degree. The percussion and the synth strings have that SoundBlaster default vibe to it that’s not really distracting but it could be improved upon. The piano is really shrill and could also be substituted. The bass…whoa there’s no bass! As a result I think much of the mix feels a little hollow and not as powerful as it should. Even something subtle would help.
Audio glitch at 2:57 needs a-fixin’
First, work on the drum pattern variations or possibly other ideas to kill the plodding feel. Then, put a little time into improving the quality of your sounds and you should be good.
NO (Please Resubmit)
-
Hey, I respect the effort Glen but the problems here boil down to production, arrangement and sample quality, in that order of relative importance.
From 0:21-0:25 there is significant clipping. If for some reason it was intentional, there are better, cleaner ways to achieve that distorted sound. In general the song lacks punch. The bass does little except contribute to other minor areas of clipping throughout the song and there are few dynamics to speak of. A few ideas that can create more excitement and tension in your mixes are the use of volume swells, changes in pace or the addition or more interesting, powerful instruments. The drums for example are way too quiet to be effective.
The arrangement was very close to the original and I don’t think that we hear much of your creativity shining through in this area Glen. It may have been forgiven if the production and sample selection/usage were a lot better.
Samples were pretty basic. The choir in the intro is really odd, but not in a spooky kinda way, in a general midi kinda way. The guitar wasn’t too bad and I enjoyed the sequencing of the short strings with the pitch bends from 0:57-1:22. Be sure to check out the Sample and Soundfont Request thread in the ReMixing forum while you’re over there.
Keep working at it.
NO
-
Great first show Aurora and Rayza. Good luck with it in the future
You might want to mention when the Russian ReMix Roulette mixes that you play were originally posted. For history's sake and whatnot
-
Oh man this is sweet! Breakin’ time ya’ll. I'll give you a review in a minute but first I've gotta go find a cardboard box, my multicolored horizontal striped sweatsuit and some Adidas classics...
-
Yeah I liked the intro as well but there’s a click at the beginning of each piano note that should be eliminated. A really short attack would do the trick. Similar problem with the decay of the toms at 2:02. We can hear the static from each note abruptly cut off.
Arrangement is very conservative to say the least. Also, there are way too many sections here where pretty uninteresting elements are left alone and exposed (1:23,2:02, 3:07,…) and the sparse vibe isn’t working here at all. In this case I think the original is better than the mix. Next time Procrustes, work on the sample processing, add more creative arrangement ideas, throw in some more instruments in the empty sections, add a pinch of spice and mix well. Keep working at it.
NO
-
Well wingless, don’t worry about remembering the source because Andrew here has recreated it here for us quite nicely. Please check the submission guidelines before submitting next time Andrew. If this was a midi I’d say midi rip, if I was being nice I’d say great cover, if I wasn’t a noob judge I’d say no override…but I’ll leave that to the veterans.
NO
-
Hopefully the source sounds a lot better in the game because what we have here is pretty weak. That being said, this remix represents a significant improvement over the original as Larry says. So significant that I’m going to yes this.
The groove is not only very cool but it changes constantly which is something that many groove based tracks fail to achieve. I love the transition out of the intro swing beat at 0:10 and the dynamic drum processing which helps them remain integrated with the great background ambient synths and effects. The Rhodes that chimes in with both the background chords and the subtle improve riffs (0:46, 0:54, 2:15,…) is a great addition to the source as well. Sections like 1:30-1:51 and 2:34-2:55 break up potential monotony without sounding like that was their only purpose, and before you know it, the track is over. This mix is not so full of it’s own groove-love that it thinks it can keep us engaged for 6 mins or something.
Repetitive, yes, but much less so than the source. I can see the NO vote on this but what I’m hearing is creative enough, interpretative enough, and well executed. Good stuff. Groove bias.
YES
-
I so sucked at that game because I was too busy starring at Kitty-N instead of what buttons to press. OMG undercover furry! But enough about me…
This song has been stuck in my head since it’s WIP forum debut. Hot stuff then and hot stuff now. The lead vocals are really amazing (performance and processing) and although the male background vocals don’t sit well with me in select spots (3:09, 2:02) the overall performance is way above the vocal bar.
The drum samples and others certainly are default but as Robbie says he has really used them well here. After the intro the samples mesh very well with each other and are skillfully processed to give them a lot more depth that they should have. I’m still going to suggest that you hit the Remixing forum Robbie and check out some of the samples, soundfonts and other cool stuff to spice up you future remixes.
The slayer doesn’t detract from the song at all IMO. Slayer is a tool that is only as good as the musician and I think a good job has been done of making it work for this piece.
I’m all about that key change. Nice arrangement decision. Great work all around Robbie and Stephanie.
YES
-
Ok, I really like this. There’s some really cool vox in the first half (3:15 is tight), we go to semi-chill mode from 3:47-5:02 with really slick synth and pizz stuff going on and we enter full-on chill mode from 5:02-end where elements are thin but still engaging. Ending wasn’t cool at all but still a good mix as a whole.
There are a few things that would be so simple to correct that I have to go for a resub on this:
At no point did I think that the distorted guitar meshed well with the other elements. 0:56-1:15 it was out of sync. During 2:00-2:30 it was ok but overly distorted and loud. At 2:49 it was pointless. You get the picture. Try to better handle the guitar FX, levels and performance next time around.
Reverb is excessive as Malcos pointed out, especially during the first 3:47.
The chill mode ending section could be fiddled with to get some more interesting, even more engaging, sounds from those synths and certainly work on the ending.
It’s repetitive, but I don’t think it’s too bad; 6:22 is a little long for what’s in this mix though.
Fix these problems and you’re golden. Borderline…
NO Please Resubmit
-
There are some cool parts to this mix (0:43-1:11, 1:55-2:09). Unfortunately it’s entirely too repetitive as has already been mentioned. My nugget of improvement wisdom: Look at more selectively applying reverb. Here, elements seem to swim in their own echoes and in general I think this piece would work much better with a sharper sound. Keep working at it.
NO
-
Hey, “Knightro” is the University of Central Florida mascot. GO Knights!
I’m loving the hand percussion. It’s certainly a glue that holds the sparse elements of this mix together. In addition we have the full bodied and very expressive lead wind instrument carrying things along. It sounds like some of the supporting instruments are lacking real depth however. The clicks at 0:16 are dry and sound pretty flat. Same with the left panned flute(?) at 0:48 and the cymbals at 1:28. Some additional reverb on each of those would help.
From the beginning I’m hearing some background ambient FX/pads that could be made a little more present. Don’t kill the minimalist feel but I think a little more volume on them would make for a more cohesive piece.
2:00-2:20 would have been a lot cooler if it wasn’t straight from the source. This is a good first effort Matt but I think you’re riding on the strength of your samples and the coolness of the original a little too much. Throw in more of your own arrangement ideas and really make this remix yours.
Good stuff though. In the future I’d head to the Remixing and WIP forums for advice instead of going through the whole submission process to get it. You’ve already shown a lot of musical coolness with this piece so tweak your arrangement skills and come on back real soon.
NO (Resubmit)
-
Individually I’m digging a bunch of the samples/synths. The intro oboe, pads piano and bells are nice. Come 1:25 however, the distortion and loads of reverb muds everything together. This combined with most elements sitting dead center creates a pretty cluttered soundscape in sections like 1:25-1:45. Sounds don’t have to step on each other’s toes to mesh well so make sure everyone has their own space in the mix.
Can’t really comment on the arrangement because it’s not there. Although there is some creativity involved in choosing samples and throwing a hi-hat beat on top of a midi, plenty of other remixers put in a lot more time and effort with their submissions and you shouldn’t be afraid to get into the remixing trenches with them. They hang out in the Remixing and WIP forums if you’re interested.
NO
-
Haha, I just started a rap remix of this same track today! The source is definitely cool and brings back some good ole’ Game Boy memories.
Problem with this source is that it’s only a few bars so avoiding the repetition pitfall is really difficult. I actually think that you did a good job of that by throwing in a lot of original stuff as well as the Mario World “Underworld” theme.
There are some pretty tight beats at 0:30 and 2:11 that should be able to inspire some sweet lyrics from a good MC. In fact this would work a whole lot better if those beats were kept throughout and you found a good rapper to collab with because unfortunately the sections other than the straight hip-hop sections are pretty weak. The intro, though simplistic, isn’t bad but what’s up with 1:00-1:40? That section is full of odd harmonies and uninteresting or awkward original melodies. The transition to the Underworld theme at 2:41 is non-existent and then there’s the weird synth at 2:42 that is way too loud and harsh. 3:12-3:34 is just too simplistic and sparse to provide a good exit.
There are a few cool parts to this mix but it’s not all there yet. A lot can be learned from the WIP and ReMixing forums so be sure to check them out for help with this and your future mixes. Keep working at it.
NO
-
Not only have you remixed a soundtrack whose awesomeness will echo through the ages, you’ve remixed arguably the best track on the OST. Props for the effort. I’d love to see more MW2 mixes.
Ok, I was not feeling the intro. The strings aren’t terrible but those first few notes when they are left exposed are harsh. The slow intro goes on for way too long in my book. I understand the desire to add depth since you’ve slowed down the fast paced source but the whining lead violin is way too repetitive in this section and there isn’t much of a build to the transition at 1:22. Biggest problem with the intro and much of the rest of the mix is the muddiness. The lows from the strings, the timpani, and the heartbeat (which contributes little and should probably be cut from the intro) join forces with the reverb to create a pretty garbled listening experience. The track in general is also lacking in high frequencies.
The ethnic drum sequencing is really cool. Is that an udu I hear? It reminds me of some particular acoustic Alanis Morissette tracks. Unfortunately I think a lot of the percussion work is lost to the aforementioned mud.
There isn’t nearly enough development here to justify this as a 7+ minute track. However cool the percussion is, it doesn’t vary much , and to quote an analoq phrase, the “wall-of-strings” orchestration gets old and overwhelming after some time. Where’s the rest of the orchestra? I enjoy some of the chromatic lines (2:31,…) but they are some of the only elements that add any variety to the overall sound of the mix
I’m optimistic on this one. If you work on the mastering/EQ, cut a lot of the fat and throw in something besides strings and synths that sound like strings you’ll have a much better MechWarrior mix here. Keep working at it.
NO Please resubmit
-
Yeah buddy that’s a pretty crazy lead synth. Nice stuff there but I think the major problems that keep me from passing this have already been mentioned. Top of the list for me is the general default vibe that this mix gives off. From the loud 909 snare fills to the 3x 0sc sounding background synths, things just don’t sound like much care was given to making the sounds your own. Arrangement of the theme was good but there doesn’t seem to be much development after the intro. We kind of move along and wait for the ending and when it finally comes it’s not good or bad…it’s just bland.
A fun song for it’s Chrono Trigger remix value but you can make this piece a lot more interesting, I’m sure of it. Take some of the suggestions from above and keep working at it.
NO
*NO* Mega Man 2 'Quickman and Company Take Five'
in Judges Decisions
Posted
Firstly, that’s a great submission e-mail. From the interesting inspiration section to the arrangement breakdown, the e-mail gets a YES.
Moving to the mix, I agree that 4/4 to 5/4 can be a difficult transition sometimes. Thematically I think the switch has been pulled of relatively well. The major distractions IMO are the sloppy performance and the muddy mixing. Jesse’s comments on the performance weren’t overblown. Certainly don’t 100% quantize everything, but use some discretion as to what needs to be quantized and by how much. The muddiness is really easy to fix with a little equalizer and levels work. The toms in the drum solo at 3:06 are a good example of an element that needs some of it’s low EQ taken out. The bass is the major element that needs to be kept in check, especially during it’s brief solo at 3:44, but it’s not helped by the piano which is lacking mid-high frequencies. I like the piano sample though. It’s very Take-Fiveish.
Cool concept and I hope that after a little more practice and some time in the WIP and ReMixing forums the Mega Man bosses can get together again and really jazz it up.
NO