Liontamer

Actually, that's a good catch. Maybe we can get Chris to take another pass at this, because there are minor clicks, pops, and distortions all over that percussion. There's not even a need to timestamp it, it's so pervasive. That's definitely a very legit issue. I'll go conditional on it as well. I could live it as a listener, but Emu's ultimately right that it's too messed up to let slide.

There's definitely a muddiness that needlessly obscures some of the details of the instrumentation. For example, the electric guitar strums or whatever that lead is at :17 ends up crowding out the drums and mallet percussion brought in at :33. The end result is really muddy. It may be the drums at :33 that are the culprit as well, like Emu's guessing at, but yeah, there's some production issues here. It may be purposeful to some extent, giving Chris the benefit of the doubt. It was nothing that was a dealbreaker to me, but the lack of clarity during the densest parts still drags the piece down a notch. Some EQ love would be welcome. Good catch by Deia on the baseline from the opening section of the source being used here as a melodic part of the arrangement; that was surprisingly easy to miss. Over 2 minutes of the arrangement explicitly used the source just watching the clock, so I didn't feel the need to stopwatch it, but I can do one if it's really necessary. Love the arrangement; well up to Chris's high standards and a pontentially risky combination of instruments to boot with the Morricone-inspired instrumentation. Aside from the production issues, this was an easy call. YES

You winning?

Hahaha, these stupid voiceovers definitely added to it. Once things kicked in at :56, the guitar performance should have been a little tighter and more expressive, but what's here was noticeably strong enough on both of those levels. I was cool overall with the production of the drums, though the machine gun drums from 1:37-1:51 sounded muddy and overcompressed. The production sounded a bit too lo-fi (not a huge deal), and was heavy on the compression, which was noticeable in how bleh the cymbals sounded during the beefiest sections. The beeping at 1:51-2:16 during the stage introduction theme just makes you think of a garbage truck backing up, not anything spacey. With the stage 1 theme at 2:37, the background sounded empty, and the skimpy drumwork didn't adequately fill things out. Luckily that only lasted until 2:49 when some good guitar chugsfilled that role nicely, followed by some doubled guitars. 3:29-3:41 had the same issue. I love the arranagement, but I'd honestly say one more production pass at this to reduce the overcompression would be a blessing for this. I could live with this being posted as is, and not make the perfect the enemy of the good, but if Brandon can take another final production stab at this, I think he'd find it holds up a lot better down the line. YES (borderline)

The arrangement felt somewhat repetitive, but was otherwise creative and solid. Nothing much else to say there other than cool approach and good work. The mix title though...uh... The brass writing was really cheesy and probably should have been pulled back. As is, the acoustic guitar felt like it was getting trampled on. It could only be appreciated after the dropoffs of the brass from 1:23-1:43 & 2:14-2:35. That needs to be tweaked before I could be comfortable seeing this posted, the balance isn't right. The timing of the strums during the choruses was a bit loose, but nothing dramatically negative. I agree that the fadeout ending was too sudden and abrupt, but it wasn't a dealbreaker. The sound effects were gratuitous, but oh well. Lots of "buts," as there were a lots of creative choices this could have done without. However, what's here does get the job done. YES (conditional on brass levels)

Deus Ex: Human Revolution ReMixing contest We're working on something that MAY be co-promoted with Eidos & Square Enix as a freely distributed tribute album, so I'm seeing who has the next couple of weeks to make something awesome. Just FYI, there's also a chance it is NOT official and co-promoted by Eidos/Squenix, so it's possible it's just released through OCR only. We're just trying to be transparent. The rules: Arrange any track(s) you want from the Deus Ex: Human Revolution soundtrack Listen: More source tunes here: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=F8723BAE6F2F1B10 Entries should able to pass the OCR judges panel Arrangement must have instrumentation or moods inspired by Deus Ex series music (DX 1, 2 or 3 is fine) There are up to 5 spots available, depending on how many quality submissions are received We'll send you a physical copy of The Sound of Speed if you make it on the album (speedy hedgehog!) Deadline is 11:59 PM EST of Sunday, Nov. 27 "Icarus" is the main theme, so I imagine at least a couple people will tackle that, but anything is open to mix. Keep your Works-in-Progress private, please. PM me with your entry here on the forums, not this thread. If you have any questions, holler.

Formality. /shakes fist YES

Man, what drum samples are those? I hear them all the time, and I can't think of a time where that snare ever sounds anything but too soft and not befitting harder-sounding tracks. In any case that was basically the only problem. I never have a problem with medleys as long they have legit structure and flow, so this was all good. Absolutely excellent, personalized handling of this multitude of themes with some sweet transitions. The guitars could have wailed a bit more and been more expressive, but what was here was still strong enough. Pretty solid performances and just a strong as strong can be collab. VERY cool debut from Fernando and Claudio that should leave the people wanting more. They haven't even reached their potential yet, when you compare this to DoD's top guitarists. Further polish will come in time, but I like what I'm hearing so far, and sincerely hope there's more to come. YES

Yeah, I've heard Megadeth's version a ton, and the backing instrumentation's absolutely nothing like it. The backing writing here was more dynamic and progressive. On the production side, the drums consistently felt hollow as far as filling out the background, and this could sound more cohesive with some tweaks there. It wasn't a big deal given that everything else worked strongly, and the arrangement was creative. The arrangement clearly stuck with the melodies we know and love, but there was a ton of personalization in the supporting writing and, from that, the dynamics. Loved the soloing on top of the foundation of the source tune to keep the original song in play while doing your own thing. Nothing else to say other this rocks. Nice work, Chris! YES (conditional on distortion fixes)

Did you want me to change your forum name to Zylance? zylance, lowercase?

I was prepared to hate this, because the last version was, to put it bluntly, terrible. This version's intro caught my attention in a good way, and there was clearly a lot more thought and creativity put into this new cut. The synths & effect that started at 1:07 (lasting until 1:23) were pretty generic, but were surrounded by better sounds. At 1:40, I wasn't feeling the synthy backing; it was on the generic sounding side, but it was OK. The woodwind lead and syrupy instrumentation worked well in combination. Drums at 2:29 sounded a bit robotic, but were serviceable. This section until 2:57 could have used something extra in the background to provide better contrast with the brief percussion dropoff at 2:59, but it's not a major criticism. All that production nitpicking aside, what else can I say other than this is a great, meaningful improvement over the first version and what should have been sent the first time. You really explored a much larger sound palette with some stock but solid instruments, including a lot of great throwback sounds that evoked chiptune & MOD soundtracks, and you also employed much more substantial development and dynamics in the arrangement. You really showed something promising on this one, nice work! YES

Wow, the shrill lead at 3:13-3:31 & 4:15-4:34 was annoying as hell. The mixing still wasn't great during some of the densest parts, but the parts were cleaner and distinguishable for the most part. The overall balance was a HUGE improvement, and I could actually listen to this nearly all the way without something needlessly attacking my ears or sounding like mud. That said, those shrill synths were annoying. At the end of the day, I can live with them, as much as I think they mess up the piece when they're in play. The arrangement wasn't in question, and the variations of the source were handled very, very well. There's not too, too much to this theme, so to be able to get this much mileage and substance out of it was excellent. The track still felt a little long, but the positives are definitely outweighing the negatives now. 4th time's a charm, Michael. Your persistence and willingness to rethink some of the things that were hampering this really paid off, and you have a much more cohesive and capably produced arrangement. Definitely hope to hear more from you. YES

If the strings are sequenced, how do you have massive "performance flubs" at :24 and :29? It doesn't sound dissonant in a way that works, it's just sloppy. The piano sample sounds OK, but the sequencing was too mechanical and dragged this down. The drums were improved and don't sound as hollow as the first version, but the snare tone still had no bite, and the writing was still plain and metronome-ish. This really started falling apart at 2:41 - the bowed strings sounded needlessly out of tune in spots and the timing wasn't tight enough. The guitar chugs were serviceable but lacked energy, and the drums were anemic & empty. There was 0 synergy with the instrumentation, and it ended up tanking the piece. The arrangement concept was still fine as far as being creative, interpretive, and expansive. But the polish still isn't there. This was an improvement from the last version with the production, with better instrument choices, but it still needs its screws tightened even more, especially for the final section. NO

I had disabled his sig image, actually, but nonetheless it looks like it's all set.

Just throwing a quick note on here to co-sign with the rest of the Js. Definitely conservative, but there's enough personalization, additive writing and dynamic alterations to squeak by, per Nutri's call. Definitely branch out more in the future, like Fishy noted, but still a solid debut, Jeff. I DEFINITELY hope we hear more gold like this! YES It just makes me put a hex on the panel for rejecting AeroZ's super interpretive take.

The snare drum sounded flimsy and the background felt too sparse much of the time. The brass was also flat. The guitar performance, as usually for most of Brandon's stuff is solid enough, like the GoW piece from Heroes vs. Villains, but still lacks the expressiveness I've heard from tighter, more polished performers. HOWEVER, the arrangement though was solid, with a lot of energetic writing and solid enough dynamics with the performance. The bowed string articulations were solid and mixed well so that any lack of realism in the sound wasn't greatly exposed. Cool ideas bookending it with the organic/nature sounds opening and the acoustic close, both of which were small details but pulled off nicely. I'm still waiting for that blowaway electric guitar performance, but the improvement should hopefully come with more practice, so I'm looking forward to hearing that potential be realized. That said, keep it up! YES

We definitely have plenty of solo piano pieces, as you've figured out, so fire away!

Just throwing an opinion way after the fact on this. Nothing else to say other than great jorb! [sic] Loving the creativity and dynamics of this one, without a doubt. Agreed with OA completely in feeling that the production and sound should have sounded even more aggressive, but that's not to take away from the excellent ideas and nice execution here. Definitely a side of Rozo's work I'd never heard before, and very cool stuff! YES

Hahahaha! I bow down to http://gunshowcomic.com/463 for, indeed, making the case better than I could.

This is copy-pasta'ed from the page, and is more of a traditional remix contest where you manipulate the original audio. NOTE: Entries have to be video responses to the YouTube video mentioned: http://youtu.be/ls-GPW-6hMs. The YouTube does NOT need actual video to go with it (it can use a still image or several images), but the entry must be made as a YouTube video response. http://www.dogearrecords.com/Earthbound_Papas/arrange_eng.html Remix/Arrange "Metal Hypnotized" from EARTHBOUND PAPAS"Octave Theory" EARTHBOUND PAPAS "Metal Hypnotized" (The original version performed by EARTHBOUND PAPAS) Try any kinds of arrangements! -> You could play an instrument with members (or even replace one or two of them!), make your own lyrics and sing along to it, or use your DTM skill to put your own spin to it! You can participate alone, with your friends, or your band members! Use EARTHBOUDN PAPAS members' separate sound data! -> You could use EARTHBOUND PAPAS member's separate sound data. 　Please download them from the link down below! : http://pub.idisk-just.com/fview/fXTRrRNM-3tKjVz8ft9rKveugWzHrD-tlRgLdHlaeSDFgbW_eg8v2KAlZ1Bc-o_NYZXOTPBz7Pw-h4mBzB7JFw File Name: MetalHypnotized_material_wavefiles.zip * There are wav files of each instruments played by EARTHBOUND PAPAS members. * All the wav files starts at the same time. * Using the wav files outside of this remix/arrange contest or in public and secondary media is prohibited. No movie/picture required! -> Even though You Tube is famous with its movies, it's not necessary to have\ pictures or movies to participate the contest! EARTHBOUND PAPAS will listen to your track! The winner will be on EARTHBOUND PAPAS' next album as a guest performer! * The details on being a guest performer will be announced to the winner after the contest is over. Dog Ear Records will send a message to the winner's YouTube account. Please check your YouTube message box on the day of the announcement. Join the contest [ from Oct. 26th, 2011 - Jan. 31st, 2012 ] The winner will be announced on [ Feb. 14th, 2012 ] We are looking forward to hearing your remix! [[ How to join the contest ]] Please post your remix/arrangement as a Video Response on YouTube. [ What's YouTube Video Response ] A video response is a video created as a reply to another user's video on YouTube. [ How to Post a Video Response on Youtube ] Please check the URL below for the details: http://www.google.com/support/youtube/bin/answer.py?hl=ja&answer=57931 The video you need to response to for joining the contest is below: http://youtu.be/ls-GPW-6hMs Name your remix/arrange title as your Video Response title. Read the notes below before you post the video. After submitting your video, Dog Ear Records will check and confirm your video and it will appear as a Video Response. It means, you have entered the contest! [ NOTES ] * To apply/join the EARTHBOUND PAPAS remix/arrange contest, you need to submit your tracks as a YouTube video response. * To post as a Video Response on YouTube, your YouTube account is required. * You will be responsible for registering and using your YouTube account. * The numbers of works you submit to the contest is not limited. * Please do not use Nobuo Uematsu's melodies/tracks other than "Metal Hypnotized"/ * Using any kind of pictured, movies, or music that are violating copyrights is prohibited. ( The wav files we provide on this page are allowed to use.) * Using EARTHBOUND PAPAS members' wav files outside of this remix/arrange contest or in public and secondary media is prohibited. * Please refrain from applying your work that has been published somewhere previously. ©&(P) 2011 Dog Ear Records Co.,Ltd.

Wouldn't the plagiarism culprit but "ricknaguitar" from http://www.guitarbackingtrack.com/play/themes/castlevania_-_bloody_tears_%28in_gm%29.htm then? The YouTuber added a link to it in his video description.

It's both, but interpretation would (and should) win for most people. And that's not because nostalgia's unimportant. Almost none of us would be here without it. But if you're willing to try ReMixes from games you don't know AND compare them to the originals, then you're there respecting and acknowledging interpretation. Though it helps, nostalgia's not needed to appreciate interpretation. And sometimes it's neither. (HEY, free MP3s!)

Haven't heard the first version, so I'm coming into this track fresh. Digging the laid back spacey sounds for the opening, with the beats fading in nicely. At 1:18, when the Star Fox source came in, the soundscape was extremely cramped and it felt like there wasn't enough clarity and separation among the parts (e.g. 1:29-1:38, 2:01-2:28 & 3:37-4:20 with two leading synths mudding together; 1:40-2:01 where the bowed strings bled too much). Let me clarify, I'm not bothered by the busyness of the part writing. That stuff was fine and not the problem. Oftentimes, It really felt like the bassline was barreled over by the synths and somehow everything was occupying roughly the same frequency range. Really not sure how this didn't at least get conditional YESs, as an otherwise creative arrangement sounded too cluttered for the most part. Vig or zircon could probably give some straightforward, targeted EQ recommendations. The big dynamic/volume shift at 1:18 was executed poorly; whether or not this was intentional, the way the volume abruptly jumped so high sounded accidental and sloppy when it came to details, which was unfortunate. That alone wasn't a big enough deal in the big picture, but it deserves the criticism. Very swanky dropoff at 2:55 (that also sounded much better production-wise because the parts had room to breathe). I also really liked the transitional shift from lo-fi to hi-fi during the rebuilding at 3:17. On the minus side, the exposed claps first starting at 3:06 were ghettofabulous. Not a huge deal, but they should have been layered and less exposed so they wouldn't sound so cheap and beginner-ish. Luckily they were only around for 10 seconds. Overall though, I thought the arrangement was creative and worked just fine. Production and sample qualms aside, the arrangement had awesome creativity & energy, and I liked the dynamics overall. That said, I'd still never give it a full YES as is with this lack of balance among the parts. Regardless of whatever strides were made from the previous subs, what's here now needs to be further improved a little more for me to get behind it. It doesn't have to be perfect, just ever better. The bitrate should be higher anyway, so we should see if we can get some additional post-production tweaks to it. As is, this is one I could see Emery revisiting in 3-4 years and realizing the mixing was jacked up. Otherwise, a very cool, fun arrangement, so if we get no further tweaks, people will enjoy nonetheless. Welcome! YES (conditional on EQ/balancing)

The opening sounded pretty solid to start, albeit muddy. Melody overtly came in at :49 and everything was pretty damn loud, with the highs ringing in my ears. It practically sounds like the original got sampled, the way most of the source-based instrumentation sounded the same as the original until 1:42. Sounded extremely muddy at 2:02 and it basically didn't let up until 3:03. The source tune isn't particularly developed, though it was somewhat personalized. There was a softness to the tone of the beats that occasionally was crowded out by other louder parts, and didn't properly drive the track forward. What the hell was that finish at 3:37? That focus on the bare percussion didn't fit the mood of the rest of the track and sounded out of place. In addition to the other criticisms, I'd just use selective EQing to tone down the piercing higher frequencies, and I'd reduce the delay/reverb effects that are cluttering up the soundscape. Bumping up the tempo could help, but the production problems and underdeveloped drums were more significant issues. NO

I've mentioned in a few other threads, but the plan is to roll the updated stuff out before the end of the year, or after MAGFest in January, which'll be after the holiday season. I'm waiting for some WAVs from djpretzel to update his mixes, and we should be good with the files themselves. Then comes dealing with how to update everything on the database side.