DragonAvenger
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Posts posted by DragonAvenger
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ReMixer Name: Blue Eyed Fennekin
Name of Game: Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time/Darkness/Sky
Name of Arrangement: With Barely Enough Time
Name of Original Track: Dialga's Fight to the Finish!
Song Length: 2:53
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Really great fixes here. Lovely performance, and the melancholy mood is a really neat interpretation here. Nice work, thanks for getting back to us so fast!
YES
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Greg has some really good crits here. The issue that stuck out for me right away is that a lot of the instruments are sharing the same ranges, and as a result it can feel really crowded at times. Something that will help the balance is being really meticulous on the dynamic levels to let certain parts come through a little stronger and take the lead. I wasn't as bothered with the string articulations, but combined with the cluttered feeling of the track I think this is just below the bar. I can see this going either way, I'm curious what the others think here. Good luck, the arrangement is lovely!
NO (resubmit, please)
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Larry has some really solid points here, and honestly there isn't too much to add beyond bringing up a couple other sections that could be improved in the transitions or filling out. 1:25 is one of those, it's essentially melody, drums, and bass that's really hard to hear, and the section feels empty. The chip section at 3:00 are good, though I think they are just a little overpowering to the melody. The 4:00 transition is awkward, it feels like the track stumbled into a new area.
There is some really fun writing here, and the energy of the track is pretty solid. That being said, there is still a lot of work to be done, partly due to how ambitious the track is overall. If it feels like it's a bit too much to chew, consider breaking out a few tracks and expanding them into their own separate mixes. Good luck!
NO (resubmit)
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Really very little to add here. I thought I heard a little bit of clipping in a couple sections, so be on the lookout for that (or it's my headphones). Aside from that, definitely some expansion here and toning down the lead just a bit so it isn't piercing is where you need to go with this. The soundscape and mood are really great, it's a lovely setup. Hope to hear more of this!
NO (resubmit)
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Had to listen to this one a few times to wrap my head around it. I like the concept here, and overall I think it's performed pretty well. Aside from sections getting a little cluttered I think the production is pretty on point. I'm not a huge fan of the large number of vocal clips, but I think the 'story' presented works pretty well overall, and mostly it's personal preference. Overall I think this is good to go, though I'm curious what the others will think.
YES
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I think I can quote Gario here, because he hit all the points right on. A great example of what he was saying about the foreground/background is at 0:39 . Right there the synth playing the lead sounds more like a background texture, vs the background at 0:54 that sounds like a lead since it pierces through so much better. Maybe even consider swapping those two :). I will also add that some sections feel just a little on the mechanical side, like the opening with the block chords and the sax section later on. A little touch of humanization there might make a nice difference.
The concept here is great; take a good look at Greg's vote here, I'd love to hear this again after some fixes!
NO (resubmit)
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Going to agree with the latter gentlemen here. I think this is really close, and a pretty great genre adaption, but it's got a bit too much mud going on. A little more clarity will help out a lot. Hope you fix this up and get it back to us!
NO (resubmit)
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This is pretty nice, enjoying the soundscape overall. I only have a couple nitpicks at myself. Some of the instrumentation feels a bit mechanical, I would have liked a little more humanization. I do agree that the solo piano does feel a little weird, the melody is just a little too jumpy. Nitpicks aside, the arrangement is clearly there, and Injury's vocals fit in great. The breathy feel really makes a difference! The instrument lead changes are pretty frequent as well, which prevents things from wearing out. Nice work overall!
YES
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Just also want to add that the percussion sounds way up front VS. the vocals and other elements that feel like they are put further back. It makes for a bit of a weird room sound to me. Might be a bit of a nitpick but the other judges have some great critiques so I don't have much to add here. Really enjoyed the overall soundscape and I think that there's a lot of potential here! Hope to see this again!
NO (resubmit)
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For Dave to quote. "This is pretty sweet. And hot. Like a desert."
YES
- djpretzel and timaeus222
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2
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Not much to add on here. Great concept, and I do think it's relatively close to where it needs to be, but the guys are right that when this gets crowded it's really pretty distracting, and definitely needs to be fixed up. The volume variations are also a little bit on the extreme side, but I don't see that as being a super big issue. Would be nice if it was tamed down a touch though!
Hope you send this one back to us fixed up!
NO (resubmit)
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This is pretty fun! The staccato approach to the theme makes this really bouncy, and at the same time the rest of the soundscape is super chill. Overall this felt very much like a Sonic track; maybe if they had done a crossover game back in the day this is what it would sound like. I wonder how a sonic track would be adapted to the Mario universe, now.
I agree that the ending does sound a little weak overall, though it doesn't end up being a dealbreaker. Parts are clear and the arrangement is short but sweet.
This is fun!
YES
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I'm with Larry on this. I think the track is really close, but the small details right now of the dry strings and the transitions between the parts are the biggest issues that need to be addressed. I also do think the intro is incredibly long for an intro which makes the transition into the electronic section that much more jarring. Also a small note that when the piano starts the melody in the electronic section it is pretty overpowered until the synth takes over.
I'd say this is pretty close, but some polish definitely needs to happen.
NO (resubmit)
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Hmm, this is indeed a tough one. I agree that the arrangement itself is fine, and the transition between the sources is nice. I'll also agree that the brass at 2:14 is pretty wonky, and while I do think it's intentional, I don't think it's a great choice for the track. That combined with the other articulations (I thought the brass at the beginning was fine, btw, and made to fit the quirky source articulations) of the strings and solo female vocals brings this pretty close. In the end I think that this does make it above the bar, though it might be worth reaching out to Rebecca and seeing if she'd be willing to alter the 2:14 section before we get to posting.
YES (borderline)
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I'm not as bothered by the mixing as Gario is here, though I do agree that the balance would definitely improve the track. I do think that for me this is overall above the bar, though I'd say it's a bit close. The style change is pretty great, and I agree with Greg that it's surprising this hasn't happened before given how easily this fits in. I would have liked the solos and little extra bits to appear a bit sooner in the track as well, but I understand wanting to really establish the song. Once those parts come in though the track really takes off, and I think the arrangement at that point carries it.
Curious what the other judges will think. My vote is a bit close, and I might be swayed the other way, but for now this is a
YES (borderline)
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This is neat because I just finally got to playing through SOTN after years of it sitting in my backlog. I will say that this is pretty close for me. Gario's crits area really solid here, and I'm finding that the balance is the biggest thing I have issue with. The opening has the guitar buried, and at :35 the synth feels like it's being buried a bit behind the rest of the arrangement. Overall the arrangement itself is pretty fun, and I enjoyed the second half the best with the slight rhythmic change on the original. The ending is also super abrupt, like it was cut off too early.
I think I'm just behind the fence here, but I'm curious what the rest of the judges think. For now it's a
NO (resubmit) from me. Good luck!
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The change to the fun and uplifting section is really fun, I am enjoying that you have the two sections separated. Not much to add here that hasn't already been said, but it's great to see you working a little outside of the box and your comfort zone to get some sweet marimba/percussion only out there for us
YES
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Nothing to really add here, I agree with Larry especially that the arrangement is really pretty neat, but the production on the instruments isn't holding it's end of the deal here. I'd love to hear this again with the opening especially filled out a little more and some more humanization added in. Good luck!
NO (resubmit)
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Easy last vote here, very enjoyable listen. Keep working on broadening that piano sound a little more in the future, but this is good to go
YES
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This is definitely a tough one. To me I think it comes down to what Larry said about the rattle/rainstick in that it's being used too much both as a sample from the original and as a crutch to make source connection at times. I really enjoyed the groove overall, and I'd love to pass this if there was a little more in regards to the source being used. Good luck on the rest of the vote!
NO (resubmit)
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For me this does come down to the fact that the track does run a little long overall, and some ideas just feel like they wear themselves out. The backing didn't bother me as much throughout, but I certainly wouldn't have minded a couple breaks here and there. I think having some ideas get trimmed down a little could make a difference here. Hope to hear this again!
NO (resubmit)
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Not much to add here. The track is nice to listen to, and the mastering and production is on point. I agree though that in the end it's just too static. I'm not sure what to say aside from trying to rearrange a few parts, maybe some countermelodies might help? Good luck!
NO (resubmit)
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Gonna agree with Larry here that the track, while interpretive, still ends up feeling undeveloped and static overall. I think some more texture changes throughout would make a good difference here, and maybe an original section to break things up a little. It's definitely interesting overall, and there are some neat things going on. Definitely a fun, creepy, vibe. Hope you continue to work on this!
NO (resubmit)
*NO* Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time 'With Barely Enough Time'
in Judges Decisions
Posted
Great soundtrack, always enjoy me some PMD love. Your track has a lot of energy here, and the fast pace helps keep things moving. The synth choices are overall a bit generic, but I think they don't feel worn out or overused. I would have liked some changes later in the track, especially to the lead synth.
The track starts out ok here, the lower key was a good call, because the synths would have been pretty shrill in the original key, and still are a touch grating at the beginning. I do think that everything sounds fairly mechanical and could be humanized more, especially the leads. When 0:38 comes in the call and response is good, but each time uses the same rhythm and the response is very similar each time. Even though it's only about 20 seconds of time, that section feels longer than it is because of the minimal changes.
The arpeggio at 0:51 is a really nice touch and works really well here. The 1:14 counter-melody also starts out pretty well, but around 1:24 or so some of the sections start to clash, and at 1:36 or so the notes are definitely not working together. Similarly, the trill after that does not sound like the correct notes and does not fit.
Glad that the next section at 1:43 is different from the source structure, was going to ding you for sticking close to the original on that but the return of the 'main' melody helps break away from the original. After that we have the call and response section again, which suffers from the same as before, and in fact may be the same as it was the first time.
The ending feels like you ran out of ideas. The track vamps for a bit, then just kinda ends. Feels very anti-climatic and overall is a letdown compared to the rest of the track.
I think you've got a good start here, but there's definitely some work to be done here. A lot of it for me is based around altering the arrangement to get more interest out of what is going on and to fix up the countermelody section mentioned above. Good luck!
NO (resubmit)