Level 99
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Posts posted by Level 99
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Plaid Muffins are hard at work tweaking our arrangement. Then it's recording time for the brass.
*puts on cool shades*
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...just for that, no episode released tonight for you!
(it'll be done this week)
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I'd say someone room with me but I'm staying a very stunted length of time in Vegas, it's ending up. Reservation's from the 8th through 10th, I'll probably be leaving on the 11th in the early evening. I'll be at bLiNds from the night of the 6th through whenever I get to the hotel on the 8th.
Woo.
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Alright, so yesterday came and went with a lot less activity that I had anticipated. A number of extensions were handed out, but this is exactly why I designed the protracted milestone schedule the way I did. For those that are up-to-date on their tracks, thank you. For those who have extensions, get at it! If it passed and you did NOT get a specific extension from me, talk to me ASAP. Seriously.
Final stretch this Summer and Fall.
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Alright, here we go:
1 - Nice subtle intro until the drums smack me in the face. Then that very Primus-y bass and drums stuff. Not as deliberately complex or weird as their music, but I like it. Some of the vocal levels are too low and, even when I can hear them, it's hard to discern half of whats being screamed/sung. Still, it fits the style you're going for. Nice synth choices, and I like the aggressiveness of the harder parts. Pretty good way to start the album.
2 - Oh, here's a faster punky song! Maybe it's just my headphones, but those drums sound a little weirdly mixed. Man, this style really takes me back to my punk days...it's that brand of punk that's not quite pop, reminiscent of NOFX and Antiflag. And it's short. A little too short but I'll take it.
3 - Back to the more bizarre style like the first song. I'm noticing that your instruments are handled a lot better than the vocals are. That's something you should definitely focus on improving. It's definitely possible to keep the "sound" you're going for while increasing the comprehensibility and quality of the vocals. Again, also might be the headphones I have on right now. The drums, bass, and guitars are all mixed pretty well though and the riffs are cool, though I'm not liking this one as much as others.
4 - slooooooow doooooooooownnnnn. Liking this a lot, as it keeps the album from burning full-steam the whole way through. This is the kind of song played in between songs at a live set, and I'm liking what you did with the guitars in the back. Simple and almost dour song. Let's keep on rolling.
5 - Despite the title making it obvious that noise was an intended thing here, it feels like there's still just a little much for the first part after the bass comes in. Same issues present with the vocals here as previously, but the instruments here are all pretty awesome. I like the clean delayed guitars and the bass, and the drums do a very good job holding things together.
6 - ...interesting start. I can hear the vocals a little better here, probably because it isn't layered as much. Not a bad song, it's got character, but not really blowing me away...at least until a little more than half way through. When the guitar start to take over more I'm getting into it. This song shows a lot of potential for where you can go and grow.
7 - aggressive from the start, I'm not really digging the glitch noises you have on the top layer before the vocals roll in. Cool song besides that and that Primus influence is clear here again. I can hear the vocals better in this song, which is a plus. Good bridge section that reminds me a lot of the Z.O.E. first game theme song. This is my favorite song on your whole release.
8 - Harder rock vibe here. I'm finding it hard to word critiques for this one, but it's quite good! Maybe it's that I'm not really digging the vocal dissonance but that's a personal preference, I think.
9 - and an interesting way to end the album, with a long song that just goes on eventually into silence. I'm oddly reminded of Husker Du with this one. Strong final track.
So, in all, it's something that feels pretty fresh to me, with hints of many different influences scattered throughout the 9 tracks. You show a versatility of songwriting in a good few aggressive styles, so this is a great start. Most importantly, it shows that you're bursting with ideas and that you need to now buckle down and refine them, and their execution.
Definitely a good and interesting listen and you've got my attention for whatever you release next. Keep at it!
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Happy birthday. Now get BACK TO WORK, SLAVE. No, there's no cake for you. No ice cream. No belly dancers. No piñata. No candles.
Okay, I lied, you can have all those. Cause you're awesome.
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Ditto; spent too much time improving the sounds, and I'd like to program more notes now. I did get the brush kit, and it's just right.
Done deal, stoked to hear it.
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Level 99 - Fire in the Tires (FINAL)
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Source tune: Rad Racer 2 (NES) - Gum Ball Crash
My remix, which is already at WIP2 - Fire in the Tires:
http://www.mediafire.com/?ncy1ehkjjzz
Where I'm taking it from here:
Going to drastically change the second verse+chorus to remove much of the guitars and put in either a piano or organ and some synths.
Better noodling during the solo
Pads and synths during the bridge section
More refined ending climax
50's rock style claps during the second chorus, the bridge, and the final chorus.
More drum variation
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This one is more of a revamp of the original track plus some of my own material in there to switch it up. It's not nearly as drastically different from the source as some of my other stuff. It's still a tad too coverish at the moment, but the planned changes for the second verse+chorus and the ending, along with the current bridge section, will end up being enough to keep it from being a cover.
Let me know what you think, folks!
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Gonna be a bit late for this. Should have something...Wednesday or Thursday.
Get it to me by compo time on Thursday.
Also, I'm looking at all that gorgeous ORANGE on the First Post and I'm liking it. Liking it a lot. These songs are shaping up to show the vast diversity poured into each song of the original soundtrack, and just like the OST, there's quite a few cool surprises.
I'll be checking our private forums all day today. Like a hawk.
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First, I want to thank everyone for the comments and feedback. It really means a lot, both praise and criticism. I'll take it all and do my best to learn and improve for the future. Also, a very big thank you to the folks from the WIP forums for giving me feedback on revision after revision.
Dafydd: For the final version of this song, I was using a MXL991 with a pop filter on-axis to my Hohner Acoustic HW300-TBK. Recorded through a Lexicon Lambda in Sonar 8 or 8.5 (I can't remember exactly which one). I had to EQ out some of the bottom end because of how it was aimed directly at the hole, but the pop filter helped a lot in reduction of that from the get-go. The result was a very warm sound. This is my usual method of recording acoustic guitar, though I'm now using a Focusrite Saffire 6 USB instead of the Lambda.
Stevo get LEVEL-UP.
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This was such a pleasant surprise to see on the site! A pleasure to listen to, and shows incredible character ingrained into the piano and vocals.
The piano playing is smooth, but that's not really what this mix is about. It's about the lyrics and singing. This song has clever lyrics with great execution.
Needless to say, this song was awesome. <3 it.
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I haven't watched the video so I'm doing this from an audio-only perspective.
An interesting take on the source. First thing I noticed is that it sounds very centered, almost mono. Yes, it says in the writeup that the stereo is very compressed, but I feel the need to say that again. It really takes some of the life out of the song.
Besides that, it was alright except for the guitar, which sounded oddly processed. It was a bit too quiet and almost frail.
Overall, I wasn't quite taken with this one.
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At first I was all :-/ but then I was all
This is a great concept, and well-executed, but I have to echo that the production could have been a good bit better. The production is, frankly, what holds this back from being "OMFGJHJSHFnj NJhu Awesome!!1", instead it just being "dude, this friggin' rocks".
Guitar playing is great almost throughout, and the synths are what put it up there as being kickass. Arrangement is clever in how it moves, and never really stops for directions to the next place to shred.
The overall mixing, especially the drums, have room for improvement.
I'm still giving it two-to-three thumbs up. Looking forward to where you go from here. It may have me needing to "acquire" a fourth thumb just to give it four thumbs up.
>_>
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It's bLiNd. What more can one ask for?
Personally, at this moment, I still prefer Golbez simply because of how I did NOT expect it to turn out the way you did it, making it that much more awesome. BUT. B-U-T. This one is still awesome.
Listening to it in the car really gives my speakers a workout from the low end sexiness you put in there. Listening on headphones, however, shows how much you worked that stereo with the delays and pans. There's a lot of layering but it never becomes overwhelming or incomprehensible. Stellar production and intelligent instrument choices. Really, I can't say much more than exactly what Liontamer said.
It's the hotness.
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You've definitely spoiled me in the past with some tremendously out-there arrangements always with that chippy, synthy Swedish charm that I've come to expect from both you and AnSo. The drawback is that ones like this, that take a little while to build up speed, feel a little less spectacular in comparison.
So while not your best track, this is still quite a good one. Favorite part is right after minute 2 when you switch the section you're doing.
The panning feels a little disparate between sides, which creates points of strength and weakness depending on what instruments are playing at any given moment. Interesting but I wasn't the biggest fan of that choice this time around. The attention to detail for the glitchy chip noises somewhat compensates but doesn't fully negate the panning issue.
Overall, a cool new take on the source, and while not the best display of your skills, it is still catchy and quirky.
PS. Needs moar cello.
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...and another song that sounds unbelievably Deus-Ex-y. Must have something to do with the source tune.
First thing I noticed, besides how calming it started, was the unique use of drum delay-panning. I have to say I love it. On top of that, you've meshed the synthetic noises with what sounds like sampled live strings (at some points it sounds like you traded them in for a really crisp high-boosted string synth). Fantastic soundscape throughout, with top notch production. The whole song is just smooth and awesome. It just feels a tad too short. It's easily loopable as a song, so I will definitely be putting it on repeat, but I really hoped for another section or two.
Great stuff. Need more.
Now.
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Opening is VERY Deus-Ex-y. Love the added chimes, and the vibe you immediately create is awesome. You always pick your synths and instruments well, and there is no change from that habit here. The subtle pads are unbelievably deep, here and throughout the rest of the song. Only thing is I wasn't a fan of the snare you picked for the build, but chalk that up to personal preference.
Nice first section, and the string pads really hold it as it goes soft again before the next section. That high chime...I can't get enough of it. The whole arrangement is fluid and smooth. The "factory" noise you used for the snare after the second section runs is something I am fond of. There's quite a lot of layering, delay, and variation throughout, but it all holds together as one great song.
Your other songs have been mostly great in their own right for uniqueness, but this one is an absolute showcase to attention to detail and subtlety. Easily one of my favorites of yours so far.
*smacks dat ass*
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I'm not the most familiar with the source tune, but this has guitars. And I like guitars. That's probably a big surprise right there.
First thing I noticed is that you definitely nailed the mixing between the guitars, bass, and drums. Guitar tone is very nice, and only during a part or two of the solo did I notice any tuning issues, and they were extremely minor.
Drums could have a had a bit more flair to them, though they're definitely adequate. Try to use the toms a bit more, especially during some transition fills, and the song won't feel as repetitive.
And that's my only big issue with the song: repetition. It's definitely good, but follows the wash-rinse-repeat without much change, either evident or subtle, until the solo comes in. Seems like it's on cruise control, with the attitude of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". The result is a song that's great on first listen, but isn't very repeatable.
I still enjoyed it, and the guitar performance was very good. Nice first mixpost and I look forward to hearing how and where you improve for the next one.
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I call this move the finish-and-submit. BUMP! Do it, dude. Listened in the car with Val yesterday and we decided you need to wrap this. PM me/IM me and I will hurl medieval insults at you.
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Aggressive, with hints of Primus all over the place, interspliced with alterna-rock and metal, this album is in a style that I honestly haven't heard much done well with lately. As a first release, damn this is a great start. I'll have a song-by-song review up soon!
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Studio is all set up. Corner of the man cavern (basement)
Closer up:
And just for perspective, the rest of the basement:
Edit: also, Snapple, I noticed we use the same MXL mic. Nice!
Edit Edit: TMF128 also has the same guitar I do!
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I loved the Mario movie.
It's good to know that King Koopa from the movie can now face Live-Action Mario from the TV show in that big ol' Star Road in the sky. continuity and canon be damned
Missing ya, Mr. Hopper.
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CONGLATURATION !!!
YOU HAVE MARRIED A GREAT GIRL.
AND PROOVED THE JUSTICE OF OUR CULTURE.
NOW GO AND REST OUR NEWLYWEDS!
*raises his glass*
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In terms of tagging, I did a quick mockup of standard podcast XML for RSS feeds. Just so you could see the logical placement of things:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" version="2.0">
<channel>
<title>OverClocked ReMix</title>
<description>This is the podcast feed of all remix posts on OverClocked ReMix. Visit the site for music, albums, forums, and more! Founded in 1999, OverClocked ReMix is an organization dedicated to the appreciation, preservation, and interpretation of video game music. Its primary focus is www.ocremix.org, a website featuring thousands of free fan arrangements, information on game music and composers, resources for aspiring artists, and a thriving community of video game music fans.</description>
<link>http://ocremix.org</link>
<itunes:category text="Music">
<itunes:category text="Video Games" />
</itunes:category>
<copyright>See the Terms of Use for copyright information. http://ocremix.org/info/Content_Policy</copyright>
<language>en-us</language>
<lastBuildDate>Fri, 28 May 2010 13:30:10 -0500</lastBuildDate>
<pubDate>Fri, 28 May 2010 13:30:10 -0500</pubDate>
<itunes:subtitle>Free video game ReMixes in a variety of styles and genres, by hundreds of musicians, from hundreds of games!</itunes:subtitle>
<itunes:summary> Founded in 1999, OverClocked ReMix is an organization dedicated to the appreciation, preservation, and interpretation of video game music. Its primary focus is www.ocremix.org, a website featuring thousands of free fan arrangements, information on game music and composers, resources for aspiring artists, and a thriving community of video game music fans. Visit the site for music, albums, forums, and more! http://ocremix.org/ </itunes:summary>
<itunes:keywords>audio, music, video, game, remix, free</itunes:keywords>
<itunes:author>OC ReMixers</itunes:author>
<itunes:owner>
<itunes:email>djp@ocremix.org</itunes:email>
<itunes:name>OC ReMix</itunes:name>
</itunes:owner>
<itunes:image href="http://blog.philstrahl.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/20060212_oc-remix_thumb.png" />
<itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
<!--
<item>
<title>djpretzel - Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest - Sturm und Kong</title>
<link>http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR02001/</link>
<enclosure url="http://iterations.org/files/music/remixes/Donkey_Kong_Country_2_Sturm_und_Kong_OC_ReMix.mp3" type="audio/mpeg" ></enclosure>
<pubDate>Fri, 28 May 2010 13:30:10 -0500</pubDate>
<itunes:subtitle>djpretzel - Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest - Sturm und Kong</itunes:subtitle>
<itunes:summary>djpretzel - Sturm und Kong. OCR02001, ReMix of Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest - K. Rool Returns (Title Theme), by David Wise. Nintendo, 1995, SNES.</itunes:summary>
<itunes:duration>3:30</itunes:duration>
<itunes:keywords>audio, music, video, game, remix, free, album, electronica, instrumental, orchestral, synths</itunes:keywords>
<itunes:author>djpretzel</itunes:author> <itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
</item>Now, what is key is the inclusion of the link to the actual ReMix, because even if the tagging were to pass for the podcast, it will not have the same fields and placement as the traditionally distributed mixes do. However, it still gets the music out, and includes all the important information. Should be searchable, too.
I checked around and there's a bunch of sites that send out free music via podcast feed, though none with as many as OCR'd be doing. I can talk with Brushfire about possibly doing a test with our own RSS feed, posting up an OCR song with tagging, testing it, and then removing, and seeing what happens, if need be.
Izotope Ozone 4 or Voxengo?
in Music Composition & Production
Posted
Trying to move forward with a switch in my plugins choices. Anyone have experience with Ozone 4 or Voxengo or, dare I say it, both?
Leaning towards Ozone 4 because of the price for an "all in one", but I've heard very good things about Voxengo as well.