DragonAvenger

I do like that you fleshed out the arrangement to fit a full orchestra. It's a pretty natural and smart choice for remixing. Overall I'm feeling like this borders a bit close to a cover in terms of arrangement, but I do think there's a good deal done with the instrumentation to add some personal flair. The samples themselves aren't amazing, but I haven't heard anything that overly fakey. Overall I do think this is a lighthearted take on the original, and I can see this going either way, but I think I'm good to let it pass. YES (borderline)

I'm in agreement with the previous votes here. The production issues are definitely something that needs to be addressed here. The kick is definitely the biggest issue, though I agree that the compression is pretty high and is causing the dynamic range to be affected. I'll also agree that having some more variation overall would help keep this a little more interesting, though I understand that some of that comes with the genre itself. Good start here, and any of the production work you put in will be good for not only this mix but helping you improve in general. Keep at it! NO (resubmit)

Yeah, really modern take on the source here. I can see where everyone's qualms are coming from, and it definitely takes an open mind to appreciate this. I'm on board (taking that silence down is needed though), though I don't particularly see this becoming a fan favorite. I found it to be a pretty fun and even a bit spooky outside-the-box track! Yes (conditional)

Mr. Nuts has a lot of good points here. I definitely agree that if I didn't have the lyrics in front of me I would never be able to make out what is being said. The vocoding sounds like a good fit for the disco style, but it definitely needs to be more recognizable when it is your lead. I feel like the balance between the parts isn't quite right. The bass feels a little weak, and the soundstage sounds a little empty as a result. Some of the synths feel a bit blocky and thin as well, like at 1:09 and 1:38. Some layering might help out there. I do also agree that the song does get a bit stretched out, though I didn't see that being as much of an issue. Mostly the groove is holding its own, though a little trim here and there might help keep things moving a little better. I think it's on the right track, and the concept is good, but reworking the vocals will take some effort. I'd definitely like to hear this again, and more collars from you guys in the future! No (resubmit)

Holy crap the specifics on your time stamps! You really want Larry to like you . Your guides were all helpful, though, and I was able to pick out pretty much all that you mentioned. The mix is a ton of fun to listen to, I really enjoyed the style and there's a ton of personality here! I do feel like the bass could come up just a bit as it feels a little low at times, but this is mostly a nitpick. I really love that you had a specific influence here and you definitely made it work. This would be pretty killer to hear live too. Great work! Yes

I like how you slowed this down to give this a different, more majestic, feel from the original. Overall the arrangement is fun, but I have a few complaints that I think need to be addressed. First is the end of every vocal that ends in y. They all have an added "e" sound that is really distracting. Not sure if that is a fault of the program, but it's really not working as-is. The other issue is the mechanical-ness of all of the backing synths. Everything feels very blocky and super stiff. This is really noticeable due to the melody being slowed down and having a lot of held out notes, so there is a drawback to adding the majesty. I'd consider working with some vibrato along with humanizing the parts overall. Adding some backing rhythm changes and variations will help in that regard as well. Good start here, but this needs some work yet. Good luck, I'd like to hear this again! No (resubmit)

Glockenspiel, sleighbells, and violin are all great ways to invoke the winter feeling. I think you do a pretty great job nailing the style. Jeff sounds great as usual, and I like some of the Melissa's he added. They really help nail the baroque style. I do wish that some of the backing parts were a little more humanized to compliment Jeff a bit more, but it wasn't anything deal breaker. Heard a weird note at 1:54 or so that wasn't matching up between Jeff and the rest. Not sure if it was intentional or not but it is noticeable. Overall I think this is a fun take on the original. There aren't huge changes taken compared to the source, but it's refined and has a nature style change from the original. Yes

I like the idea of where you're going for this, but right now it's got some production issues that need to be addressed. Right away the synths sound very mechanical, and that arpeggiated synth is a bit grating at times. When the guitars come in things get a little better in the mix, but I'm noticing that the low end feels really lacking. Similarly, the percussion has some variation, but feels repetitive for a lot of the mix. The kick and snare both are very weak, as well. The arrangement has some good moments, though I do feel like there could be a bit more arrangement in the structure and melodies. Some of the harmonies you added felt really good though! You're on the right track here, but this definitely needs some work. This is a good option for our WIP forums, I encourage you to check them out and get some more feedback! NO (resubmit)

Kris's feedback here is just right. That kick definitely needs some more oomph, and overall that lead is overall a bit too plain. I really don't have much to add here, but I'd love for some variation to the melody, even some little runs, or some harmonies to give the track a little extra something. Hope to hear this again! NO (resubmit)

Nice source! I like that you broke up some of the elements of the track and introduced them over time, gave the track a bit of a different feel. Overall I feel like this track suffers from a lot of repetition; the backing piano part, the bass line, the drums all feel like they're on autopilot. Similarly, the production overall is pretty mechanical, I'd love to hear this humanized and varied throughout. Dynamically things could be adjusted as well, the track feels like it's at the same volume throughout, and maybe a breakdown or something similar will help. Overall I can't say I'm feeling this one as-is, Alex. I think it's a good start, but overall could use some expansion and variation. NO (resubmit)

Agreed with all of the above! Love the intro, and the accoustic setting really makes this feel a lot more...personal Amy's voice is wonderful, and there's a kind of attitude behind the vocals that really give this a confident spirit. Love it! YES

Pretty neat take on this source. I like the funk that you added to it with the bass. I feel like the bass might be a bit too loud and overpowers some of the parts at time, so a little adjustment there would be great. The rhythmic and melodic changes you made to the source melody really fit well into the style you are going for, I particularly liked the 1:51 section, even if it is a bit noodly. I think the kick could probably be a little stronger at times, and there are a few sections where the soundscape sounds a little cluttered due to the backing strings and reverb settings. The transition at 2:42 is a little strange and abrupt, I'd like there to be a smoother entry back into the main theme. Similarly for the transition at 3:03. The boomy drums are a little strange as well, especially since they only appear in this one section. The mix has a pretty fun groove at the beginning up through your breakdown, then the percussion never comes back. I know you said in your writeup that you went for a more majestic section, but I feel like the energy gets lost without the beat coming back, and the track feels aimless because of it. The interjection of the melody at 3:48 is also a bit out of place. I really like what you're going for here, but I think that not returning back to the opening feel loses too much of the direction you had going. There's some production issues that need some adjustment as well that I'd like you to tighten up. Good luck and I hope to hear this again! NO (resubmit)

I like the premise you have for this mix, but I don't think it's quite executed at the level it needs to be. I am getting the gist that you want the track to be a bit messy and then have it come together into bigger things, but I feel like a lot of it feels too muddled and doesn't resolve by the end. A lot of the parts feel like they're out of time, or the attacks are slow on some of the synths and have the same effect as being out of time. The claps are almost distracting for a lot of the mix as well. The pops and clicks are also fine in theory, but overall they are pretty loud in headphones and should be brought down a little. The arrangement itself is a bit repetitive, but I feel like that is intentional and it doesn't bother me as much, especially considering there is some amount of evolution to the track. The original is quite repetitive in its own right, so I think you're on the right track there. Overall I think parts need to be cleaned up and, as odd as it sounds, the messiness needs to be planned out very specifically so that the resolution (might I even say reconstruction?) really shines. NO (resubmit)

Man, what a great soundscape! The sources used are pretty epic in their own right, but the combination here really works well, and I wouldn't have guessed it was a mix of sources without being told. Really enjoyable! I do wish it were a little longer, but the mix doesn't feel like it's lacking due to the length. YES

Dave is right, Miss Wildfire's arrangement is really creative! I love the two vocal lines intertwining later in the mix. I have a couple issues overall. First is that for the most part I can't really make out the words. I know part of that is me (I generally have difficulty making our lyrics), but some of the processing makes it difficult to hear the words. Working on projecting more while singing will help that as well. Layering multiple takes is another thing you can do to strengthen the vocal parts. Another issue I have is with the repetitive and stiff backing. I'd love to hear you work on humanizing and varying the background to keep things more interesting and help support your vocals more. I think there's a great start here, but you need to polish up the parts a bit. This would be a great candidate for the WIP forums. Good luck! No (resubmit)

Yeah, overall the arrangement is great, it's coming down to whether the compression is too much. Honestly I could go either way here, and if it comes to a lot of others wanting it fixed I'll change up my vote, but I'm good to go on this as is. Yes (borderline)

Just noticed you go the new version up! Right away I feel like the melody is being overpowered a bit by the backing, part of this due to the staccato notes. The balance for most of the rest of the track feels good, just that first section. The sounds used over all are pretty unique and a have a bit of funk, which is cool. Really adds a unique flavor! I'm not sure about the arrangement, it feels like there's a lot of build, but I don't feel like it it reaches a climax. I think the issue might like with the second half starting at 1:20. You've got the backing pattern going on (the "+2+" rhythm) that continues pretty much unchanged for the rest of the song. Because of this the build in the arrangement is lost. I really feel like that needs to be addressed before I can give this a pass. I do think the adjustment to that rhythm/part will make most of the difference, too! No (resubmit)

Looks like they got a leak that Pokemon Sun and Moon will be announced tomorrow!

The concept for this is awesome, and the execution is pretty great too. I just am not really feeling how repetitive this is overall. This is a tough decision! With the source being pretty repetitive in itself, as well as only ~15 seconds long, there's only so much that can be done. I think in the end the creativity, fleshed out soundscape, and solo are winning me over, but I am seeing this being a tough vote for everyone. Good luck! YES (borderline)

I found the arrangement overall to be pretty well done. I can kinda see Kris's complaint about lots of builds, but I felt like the track was established by 2 minutes in, and while a bit long, I didn't feel like the 2 minutes were too slow to get there. I do feel like at times the arrangement gets a bit too choppy, like the 2:30-3:15 mark having a few complete pauses in a row. To me the bigger issue is the production here. Right from the opening piano everything feels pretty mechanical. I'd love to hear you go through this and work on humanizing the parts to really bring the performance to life, especially sections that are meant to be more delicate. Along with that, I wasn't personally feeling the piano sample, and the ocarina sample used later on. You're definitely on the right track here, and I think some refinements will really make this shine. Definitely hit up the WIP forums to get some more feedback on how to improve, and I'd love to hear this again! NO (resubmit)

That source is pretty epic, some gorgeous work in there! I like that Brandon keeps a lot of that strong epic and driven feeling and really uses the source to his advantage to fit into his writing style. I hear Andrew's complaint, and I'm agreed with him that it's a little strange at times, but really a small quibble overall. Nice work! YES

Don't have a recording set up JUST yet, but I'd be interested in doing vocals if someone needs them.

Yeah, I'm questioning this as well. It is the original track that we're talking about, which I'm leaning towards a NO.

I do think that overall this is a bit close to the bar due to there not being too much in terms of source change in itself. As Andrew says, the trappings (get it?) around the source are really what make this, but the source itself is pretty straightforward. That being said, I do think this does clear the bar in terms of the interpretation and style change, as well as the personalization that's going on here. I'm down with this one. YES

Emu hits pretty much everything I wanted to say here. I think the lead synth does feel a little weak, especially when compared to the guitar here. I also agree that it takes a bit of time before it comes in and I get a little impatient after a bit, wanting it to come in sooner. Both those issues are overall not in any way dealbreakers, and overall the soundscape is nice and full. The guitar is well done and the solo is fun and tasteful, as per Sixto's usual awesomeness . The upbeat atmosphere is really great as well, this could fit quite well at the end of an anime series or something. I'd also like to nitpick the vocal notes that comes in at 4:22 don't quite match with the bell synth timing wise. Again not a huge issue overall, but it is noticeable. YES