DragonAvenger

So for the FF6 Kickstarter a number of people were able to get a remix request. One person requested an Crazy Motorcycle and Crazy Bus in an acapella style. Mr. Zieja was game enough to take on such a challenge, and the result is amazing. I was laughing out loud at the end when I first heard this. CRAZY YES

Remixer: Avaris Shaun Wallace Chrono Cross Leaving the Body Title: Traversing the Aether Been awhile since I subbed something. Had this Chrono Cross mix sitting around about 80% done for a month or two. I wanted to make something similar to my Bahamut Lagoon and Chrono Trigger remixes but outside of Reason. Chrono Cross has the perfect OST for these types of tracks. Recently my grandfather passed away towards the end of October. After I got back from the funeral I had a bolt of emotional inspiration to finish the track. The title traversing the aether is an ode to someone's soul leaving their body and floating through the upper sky to something greater. Hopefully the track garners a somber yet hopeful feeling for the listener. For me this track changed from a fun and interesting track to something more personal. Happy holidays! ~Shaun -- P.S. I can bump the volume 1-2db if it is too quiet overall. Just let me know. ----------------------------

Pretty cool jam, love the funk bass throughout. The issue I'm having with this track is that it is super repetitive. The lack of a solid melody isn't helping, though I do like what you did on guitar to the melody that does exist. Beyond that it is the same riff pretty much throughout the entire track, which starts to wear the listener down. I'd love to hear some more variation in the riff as well as the percussion. Some noodling over the top near the end might actually be warranted here, as well. The drums sound fairly fakey, especially the hi hats, and the kick could be a little stronger overall. Guitar is overall pretty good, though a bit more humanization wouldn't hurt. I think this is actually fairly close in regards to the stylistic and instrumental change, but I think a little more expansion on the bass riff and maybe a breakdown or something to get away from the same thing repetitively would make a big difference. Curious what the other judges will think! NO (resubmit)

My Remixer Name: UncleBibby my website: www.petermobeter.com my user ID: 28302 name of game remixed: Hybris name of my arrangement: Actually Hubris name of song arranged: In-Game Music (i can't find a more specific name than that) System of game origin: Amiga i actually made this a while ago but i realized it might be one of if not the best remix i've ever done.... or at least i think i did great on this one. so i thought i'd submit it. I originally made it for my boss when i worked at EBGames a few years ago. here's the original: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKKNBjFz9XE sincerely, Peter "UncleBibby" Locke

This one is pretty close. I am not a super fan of the medley aspect where it's just one theme after another, but I do agree with Larry that overall the flow between the tracks is pretty natural and it is pretty cohesive as a whole. The highlight I'd definitely the melding of the sources later in the track. In the end it's coming down to the need for more humanization, especially in the earlier sections, but overall there's a bit of pervading blockiness. I do feel that one more pass there would really make a difference in the feel and really bring the track up that much more. Send this one back! NO (resubmit)

I'm agreeing with most of what Mike has to say here. The piano sound overall is a bit fakey, and I wish there was a better sample given that it is the lead for pretty much the entire song. Along with that if could be a bit more up front in the mix overall. The arrangement has done pretty great details thrown in that I was really enjoying. I think the personalization is well taken care of. I wasnt feeling the tempo change into the Prime source as much, but that might be a matter of opinion. I do agree also that the full stop isn't really working for a transition as is. The first transition from the two Super Metroid sources was pretty solid though, nice work there. I think this is pretty close. Some massaging of the production and work on the transitions in general would put this on track in my book. NO (resubmit)

Going into this blind from the other versions. Right away I'm noticing the kick and snare are very up front, but that fades when other elements come in. There's a lot of use of the 'fairy' sounds, for a lack of a better term, and I feel like it's a bit too heavy on them at times. The track gets into a groove after that, and while a little repetitive, it is overall pretty fun. 2:17 has some strange chord choices that I don't think are working. The dissonance is a bit too pronounced there. After that we're back to the groove, which sounds very similar to 1:30. The added elements to help there, but I do wish it was still a bit more different from the earlier section. I think this one isn't there for me yet, but it is pretty close. The soundscape is minimalist, but I do feel like there's some good development going on. I'd like a little more variation later on and some adjustments to those chords at 2:17. NO (resubmit, please)

Justin has a ton of really great advice here, and honestly I feel like there's little to add to what he's said. I will point out the solo with the OWA theme starting at 2:17 has some notes that aren't really working with the backing chords. I'd look over that section again to make sure everything is working well together. This has a lot of potential, and I think it would be a great candidate for our WIP forums. I hope to hear this again after its fixed up! NO (resubmit, please)

Me three! I'd say you're there in terms of the production and the interpretation has a good start and gets you above the bar, but I agree with the gents that you could take this further. Overall a fun mix to listen to! As a small bit too pick I found the lead synth to be a little harsh when wearing headphones, but no big deal. YES (borderline)

Pretty fun take on the source, I could tell how much you enjoyed rocking this one out. The odd time signatures add some flavor to a source that already does some weird rhythmic stuff to begin with. I can see what Larry is talking about for the lead guitar, but I didn't feel it was really a issue. The dirty feel of the song definitely adds that garage band feel. There's a ton of character in this somewhat short mix. I'm digging it! YES

Not feeling this one as much. I think the arrangement overall is fine, and overall is a cute take on the sources. I do think the track starts to feel a bit repetitive after a while for to the main theme being reprised so often, and also due to the percussion. The rhythms are overall very repetitive and really start to drag the track down. I'd love to hear more variation there. The ending also makes the track feel unrealistic due to the feeling of a repeat like a game track. The instruments as a whole aren't really wowing be here. Working on more humanization will help but the brass and percussion don't sound realistic. I don't know if there's a good solution working with what you have, but maybe another judge has done tips to help out. NO (resubmit)

The Sir has given a lot of great critiques that I think you should really take to heart. I found the arrangement to be a pretty fun take on the original source, but overall the elements don't seem to be working well together. They're not really matters together well and sound like they're in top of one another instead of paying together. Some humanization, rebalancing, and variation will be a good start to get this in the right direction. NO (resubmit)

Pretty much in full agreement with Larry here, the piano sound is not blowing me away with realism, but the arrangement more than makes up for it. The performance is wonderfully emotive, and it was easy to just close my eyes and get lost in the arrangement. Very enjoyable! YES

Love the bass work here. Really drives the mix a lot.The arrangement overall I'd pretty straightforward between the two themes, with the mix being pretty much cut in half between the two. I don't know if I really felt the lead up from X6 to the X2 theme. The two sources don't feel related as a result. More integration between the two or a better lead up into the faster paced Sigma theme would make this feel more like one track instead of two stitched together. Production was mostly clean though it overall felt mechanical. I did enjoy the soundscape overall, but more variation in the backing parts will help keep things more interesting. The bass does a great job of this, but the drums feel like they are on autopilot as well as the rhythm guitars. The kick drum could use a little more oomph, too. I think this one needs some work on the arrangement to make the two sources fit better together. I'd also liketo hear done work on the production to make things sound a little more humanized and varied. Good luck! NO (resubmit)

This mix is interesting. There's a combination of a lot of elements from different genres here, and I'm not sure if they are combining well here. I think my biggest issue is the jazzy vocals combining with the other elements of the track that are all pretty stiff. I'd love to hear a lot of the elements loosened up so that they feel smoother and so that the vocals feel better. I'm assuming that the track I'm listening to is the original submission and not the masters version by Ivan. There are some balance issues that I think could be addressed. The synth at 0:15 is really loud compared to the backing. Similarly when the synth is combined with the vocals it is a bit too loud. It isn't sporting the vocals as much as competing with it. I'd also like the kick and snare to be looked, they feel pretty flat. Not a real fault of the mix but the source has some really awkward transitions, and some of the areas in between the verses feel like they lose steam. I think for the most part you guys worked them well, they just feel kinda vamp-y to me. Hopefully that makes sense. Really enjoyed the final chorus with the harmonies,I felt like that part really worked well. The strings could be a little less stiff, otherwise I think the ending worked well. I think this is close but not quite there yet. NO (resubmit)

Popping in for a quick final yes. Pretty straight forward but there's a lot of personality in the mix, plus the laid back feel just makes this a pleasure to listen to. Very nice, very grape. Grape

Had to listen to this one a few times to really hear the source connections. I'm a bit on the fence here, because the connections ARE there, but they are not the most recognizable without some careful listening. That being said, I found this to be pretty creative in regards to really changing up the style and soundscape of both the original tracks. Production-wise everything sounded clear, and the soundscape was fun, but I felt some sections seemed a bit mechanical, especially the string stabs. Not a deal-breaker, just a note. YES

Contact Information Username: timaeus222 Name: Truong-Son Nguyen http://soundcloud.com/timaeus222 http://tproductions.comeze.com/ ID: 39971 Submission Information Game: Mega Man X, Mega Man X4 ReMix Title: Flight of the Peacock Consoles/Platforms: SNES (X), [PlayStation, PSN, Saturn, Windows, Mobile] (X4) OST Composers: Toshihiko Horiyama (X4), [Setsuo Yamamoto, Makoto Tomozawa, Yuki Iwai, Yuko Takehara, Toshihiko Horiyama] (X) Sources: Cyber Peacock (X4), {Sigma Fortress 2, or Observatory Hall} (X) [attached] ReMix: (VBR1) (WAV) Comments: "As it turns out, in the beginning of the SFRG 2015 compo, I wasn't that happy with using Cyber Peacock's theme. Over the course of the compo though, the track really grew on me. Like a good fungus! By the time Round 7 began, I wanted to do something that people probably wouldn't expect me to do (mostly because stuff I've done that is even remotely cinematic or orchestral has not been released at the time of this writing :P). I tend to lean towards doing something energetic, sometimes with elaborate sound design. This time, I set out for an orchestral arrangement with a rhythmic core, using a lot of harp, percussive work, and careful partwriting that keeps the melody at the forefront using instruments that you normally don't hear at the front. The prominent percussion is mostly Rhapsody Orchestral Percussion (definitely would recommend), which I especially loved using for the drum breakdown in the middle; the breakdown was inspired by Brad Jerkins, one of the guys whom I think writes some really good audio demos for Impact Soundworks libraries. I finished the core arrangement in roughly three days, and spent the rest of the week adding variation and polishing it up!" Extra Info: Rough Source Breakdown: 0:11 - 0:33 = Cyber Peacock (0:16 - 0:27) 0:34 - 0:55 = Sigma Fortress 2 (0:15 - 0:29) 0:58 - 1:01, 1:04 - 1:07 = Sigma Fortress 2 (0:46 - 0:48) 1:08 - 1:20 = Cyber Peacock (0:16 - 0:27) layered with Sigma Fortress 2 (0:46 - 0:48) [darker mood] 1:27 - 1:34 = Cyber Peacock (0:16 - 0:27) [darker mood] 1:45 - 2:08 = Cyber Peacock (0:16 - 0:27) 2:08 - 2:31 = Sigma Fortress 2 (0:15 - 0:29) 2:31 - 2:50 = Cyber Peacock (0:16 - 0:27) [darker mood] 11 + 21 + 3 + 3 + 12 + 7 + 23 + 23 + 19 = 122/172 secs = ~71% 22 + 12 + 7 + 23 + 19 = 83/172 secs = ~48% Cyber Peacock 21 + 3 + 3 + 4 + 4 + 23 = 58/172 = ~34% Sigma Fortress 2

Right away I'm noticing a lot of reverb on the track. This tends to muddy things up, especially later in the track when there is more going on. It would definitely be good to tone that down. The string attacks are also fairly slow which also isn't helping with the muddiness. I like the idea of the breakdown at 1:47, but I don't think it is working as is. The accented notes sound very strong in the mix and it feels a bit awkward. I also think moving away from the theme there would provide a nice break from hearing the theme repetitively in the background. 2:29 is a nice solo, and I think it works well, but again the piano sounds like someone is mashing the keys as hard as they can. Perhaps another lead there would work? I definitely think you're on the right track here, but there's a ways to go. The reverb definitely needs to be addressed, and I'm sure some more production-knowledgeable judges will have some further advice. Good luck! NO (resubmit)

Hi I am Dylan Calkins, Remixer Name: Acrios90 Email: The Game I am remixing from is Undertale for the PC and Mac Came out September 15, 2015. Original Composition by Toby Fox. Name of Remix: Determination Name of Original: His Theme (Link): Undertale OST: 090 - His Theme Comments: I beat Undertale and the ending was so powerful I was just filled with inspiration and felt the need to remix something from it. and a small comment about the mix, I tried to keep my intro faithful to the original. It changes after the drums kick in. I have attached the remix to this e-mail but just in case here is a link to it

Not really feeling the intro voice clips. They have so much reverb they are pretty much unintelligible. The melody at 1:14 is hard to make out compared to the backing track; a different lead synth that is stronger would be a better choice. The synth at 1:54 is much better, but the part is noodly. I think smoothing out the rhythms and revamping the solo a little. The next section has the difficult to hear melody, but after that things are a bit stronger in the leads and melody. On a similar note, the backing part gets fairly repetitive over the course of the track. I do like that you put some variation into it, which definitely helps, but I think maybe another break or some more changes would help out. Lots of little crits there, but they do add up. I think the soundscape overall has a lot of good sonic choices, and a good depth. The energy is pretty high on the track which is great as well. I think this is pretty close, and you just need some final refinements. Check out our WIP boards and get a little bit more feedback, but I'd love to hear this again! NO (resubmit)

Thank you for your time and your feedback! Contact by Docjekyll real name: Chris Johnson twitter: @jhnsnc forum: Docjekyll no website (well, not for music anyway) Remix a remix of Sakura's Theme from Street Fighter Alpha 2 (cf. OCRemix song page) This remix began as a simple loop I wrote ages ago when I first picked up music as a hobby. At some point I got the bug to go expand on it and turn it into an actual song. The remix is meant to be an exploration of what might be going on in Sakura's head as she thinks about Ryu. It starts with a sort of daydream section, builds to a point of focus and determination, and then follows her internal dialog from there. Hopefully the song conveys the mix of emotions while staying true to the source material. I think I can actually say this was produced with FL Studio versions 6-11 (if you count the simple loop I originally wrote years ago). Please email or tweet at me (@jhnsnc) if there are any issues with this submission. Thanks!

I like that you really worked to make this arrangement move in a way that sounds like a factory at work. The lower strings and brass along with the off-beats for the percussion are what really give that impression, and it's a nice touch. The arrangement overall is pretty straightforward, but I found there to be plenty of personalization, and I have no issue on that end. I did find the ending to feel a bit abrupt, especially since the track doesn't end on the tonic. I think looking at that would be a good idea. The samples overall aren't the best, and I wasn't really fooled by the realism here. The lower instruments have a pretty slow attack which sounds especially awkward on the faster runs. I think some overall humanization and velocity variances would do a lot of good here. Changing some of the samples might also be a good idea, but I think the ones you have can be finessed into shape with some work. Good luck! NO (resubmit)

RebeccaETripp Rebecca Tripp http://www.crystalechosound.com/ ID: 48262 Game: Final Fantasy 6 Song's Remixed: Magitek Factory (with a couple phrases from Terra's Theme and Esper World near the beginning) Song Title: Magitek Research Symphony Link to the track on YouTube: ----------------------

Right away I'm noticing the volume levels are a but much. I had to turn my headphones way up for the opening, and then down for the stronger parts. I think a little more balance there would be good. Overall the entire track has a sort of distant sound. That's probably the reverb levels you were talking about. I think they still need some adjusting, hopefully a more production oriented judge can give you some advice there. The instruments overall sound decent, though I think the brass in particular does not sound good on the faster runs. The trombone and trumpet attacks are not living up and sound messy. The arrangement itself might be running a little low I source at times. There's a few sections that go on for a bit where I'm not really hearing some sort of connection. Without timestamping I'd say this is a bit close, but over the bar for me in regards to source usage. Overall I think you've taken on a big job and you've got done refinement to go. Working with orchestral parts this big is tough. I'd like you to stress the volume and the distant feeling, along with the attacks, especially in the brass. NO (resubmit)