RedFusion

Definately Winamp. Because of one major thing that is the best feature out of any media player out there. (That I know of.) Cross-fade. It makes listening to music, changing tracks, pausing tracks, and stopping tracks, and scanning tracks SO MUCH MORE PLEASING TO THE EAR. I can't stress that enough. I hate nothing more than every single other player out there, when pressing the 'pause' button in the middle of a roaring guitar riff or a soaring crescendo, greets you with an ABRUPT SILENCE. I can't believe why any other media player doesn't realise that it's things like these that are important (at least to audiophiles like me), not "omg I can see the album art of the song I'm listening to" as WMP or iTunes seems to think. Also, Winamp has plenty of other features such as customizable skins, a good media library now that rivals iTunes', easy-to-queue songs, auto-tag (which is really quite useful -- it managed to name and tag some of my Japenese Video Game ARRANGEMENT albums correctly), and supports a million audio file types. I was forced to use iTunes for a while because I had an iPod and I liked the 'play-count' feature, now that the new Winamp has iPod integration, as well as playcounts, I love Winamp even more now that I'm back to using it. And I hate iTunes even more. The only extroadinarily minor thing I think that iTunes has over Winamp is that it has a better shuffling system. (I.e. putting the whole playlist on shuffle won't double-up on playing a song that's already been played recently -- Winamp does that sometimes. However, this can be fixed very easily, just by turning off 'Repeat' on Winamp, and leaving on only 'Shuffle'. ) Not to mention that skins like this: http://www.winamp.com/skins/details/142201 Just make using Winamp so much cooler. Aesthetics ftw. Alongside the cross-fade playback, of course. So this is my Winamp is superior to iTunes (and probably alot of other audio players) rant that I've wanted to get off my chest. YESSSSSSSSS.

Lol, excuse me for not seeing your post then. Mind you, I DID read the first page, but, you must have your forum view settings to shows more posts on the front page. Seeing as I don't really have an interest in HL2 or Portal itself, I didn't read further - I just thought you guys would be interested in the flash game.

Just searched this thread, doesn't seem to have a mention about newgrounds -- http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/404612 >> Portal Flash version There's a flash 2D game which is very much based off Valve's Portal. Though I don't know too much about the HL2 version of Portal, this 2D one's a puzzler, but it's fun and challenging. It's a pretty good flash game, might wanna check it out if you've got Portal cravings, or not, otherwise.

Pretty sure he meant heavy. Oni of A isn't a very comfortable stream, the feet are forced to reach the next step - it doesn't flow well IIRC.

I think something's wrong with me. I actually feel sorry for this guy... Maybe looking at that picture of him makes me feel that way. Blah.

Wow, nice work guys, that was fast. But for those curious, I managed to use google language tools to translate the blog post that included the music. So, for those curious, and if you don't mind the very broken english, courtesy of google. The track 4 in question is, I'm assuming, Fading Entity. Heh, he relabeled all the song's ID3 tags. Not surprised, but, he knew what he was doing. The part in italics made me sick... But, I must admit, he's retracted his post quite fast. Lol, nice find from the man himself. He also had a post several days before saying he would promise a remix album of FF7. For the preview, he chose Mustin's Serenity. Lol.. Ok, I didn't want to turn this post into a witch hunt.. Forgive and forget? Still, thought people stumbling across this thread might want to know what it actually was.

I'm downloading the song at the moment; but, just some advice, it's probably using a better filehosting site such as zshare, because you can just stream the file off it without having to download it. It makes it much easier to listen to. I really enjoyed the song, and I appreciate all the additional parts you wrote for instruments to support the main melody, but, knowing the site's extroadinarily high standards nowadays, I think the arrangement component for the first two or so minutes isn't substantial enough. It sounds like you're replaying the same main melody except using different instruments. Of course, I appreciate what you did to support the main melody, so, maybe you can say that the 'fleshing out' of the whole orchestra's parts are enough to warrant an arrangement. Who knows, I'm not judge material. However, the part at 2'25" was a nice change and was also refreshing. ALTOUGH, the strings repeatedly playing that note in the background sounded EXTREMELY fake. And, the note was held impossibly long at such a volume. I REALLY enjoyed the part at 0'57", where the two woodwinds appeared to dance around the melody together. Well, I hope I helped, not sure how I did, but, a reply is better than nothing. =) Still, anything miles above what I could imagine writing.

O M G! Checking up on it now!! More original zircon goodness, what more could I wish for? Thanks; they're sounding great.

Man I'm loving your stuff PrototypeRaptor. Your Red Alert 2, Hell's March arrangement impressed the hell out of me, and it's nice to see you create some very interesting and varied trance, to boot. I really do hope you join the ranks of OC ReMixers soon! You have it in you, I honestly believe. Anyway, onto the arrangement: well, I thought the voices at the beginning of the track were perfect. It's always fitting at the beginning of trance tracks for vocals to kind of 'intro' the song, at least, that's how I feel. Placement at the beginning of the song IMO would be the best. At 6'15", the track is interesting enough throughout. One very minor note I'll point out though, is that, it sounded like the primary synth carrying the melody (e.g. the one heard at 4:18 onwards until around 5:40), appeared a tiny little repetitive. But then again, it's a matter of taste, and I could very easily listen to the song for a longer length. But I just noticed it. Otherwise, I'm loving your work! Hope you can make it sound even greater, lookin' forward to the finished product.

That's sweet news. I've been around to the website, and heard numerous advertisements about it, but never really knew the whole movement could have had such a positive response. Great news indeed. Don't know where I would be if di.fm and other radio stations shut down. Of course, there's always OCR...

Mmm'kay. I'll have to think about that if ever I make a website. Loss of my possibly dynasty, versus great music in my website, hrmm. A pity Dhsu, it is. =(

Lawl @ Contricity's post. Took me the third zoom up to notice the typo, haha.

I know this may be a bit off tangent, but, seeing as lots of knowledgeable Starcraft fans are here; I'm just wondering, does anyone know / remember the NAME of the Starcraft-Warcraft Total conversion using the Warcraft III engine, where both SC and WC3 was required? I remember it was impossibly to find on Google because it has a tricky name, and searching any sort of Starcraft 2 conversion comes up with that other abandoned Generals conversion. Hearing about all this new Starcraft stuff makes me interested.. thanks if anyone knows. And you might be curious about it too, I guess. Edit: OMFG how could I have missed this: I love you. Been trying that Korean site for too long, and it was too slow for my tastes. Thank. You.

At LAST it's official! It just made too much sense that Starcraft 2 had to be released, with all their job-openings for "3D map makers" etc., and also the fact that the annoucement was made in Korea. But, oh hell, this is great, great news. Can't wait until all the jaw-dropping salivating official websites and trailers are all completely released. I guess it was a bit anticlimactic with just a press-release to satiate our hunger for news, but then again, considering it was announced approximately 13 minutes ago, I guess I should be a little bit more patient. Eagerly awaits developments on the sequel to one of the most loved games from the last decade.

Haha. Our cinema had a healthy round of applause, and even one of my friends did too, which was entirely unexpected. (I'm never one who applauds in movies, and neither do they.. usually). I enjoyed the movie on the whole. Action was great, and the storyline was fruitful and meandering enough that I actually had to pay attention (it didn't feel tacked on - everything resolved quite nicely in the end, I thought). The biggest thing I'm pleased about Spiderman, is how surprised I am by the fact that (in my opinion), the series actually GOT better. Hell, it's weird enough for sequels to be better than the first. Or maybe just because I didn't like the first at all.. Oh yeah, wait, the movie was great _EXCEPT_ for the emo-spiderman. Aw heck, I cringed in every single moment of emo-spiderman-ness.

Well, from that article: Hate to burst your bubble of faith in the L20 cap though.. Still, I dunno. What he says IS true, and the simple fact that there was a L20 cap alienates players more than it attracts them (even though it probably attracts the more wiser ones who DO believe in the level cap). Other things I have heard about GW2 in their other press releases is that: No more PvP-Only characters. Also, the way their thinking of making the Mists system work, or something along these lines, is that, each character's level is 'maxed', or, brought along to the highest level of a player in the mists. Something like the system used in City of Heroes (can't remember the exact term.). So, I think they'll want to stick to their old adage of "Skill determines victory, not hours invested", but they also want to keep some sort of 'hours-invested' tracker to help promote more GW addicts. You could tell that they wanted to increase the amount of rewards in long-term players with the whole implementation of the 'Titles' system, and for GW2 I think they want to expand it on a LOT more. Personally I'm glad there'll be a GW2, simply because I had absolutely no idea what other 'Quarterly Campaigns' could offer to the game.

http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR01433/ Gotta love the Saxophone in this, courtesy of The Prophet of Mephisto. =)

Hm, the tuning appears to be pretty evident at the beginning of the piece. However, as the piece goes on, I didn't really notice it anymore. Whether or not it's a major deterrent... it's debatable. Your playing is very good, but what about:blank said about the arrangement was kind of true, it sounds very similar to the original, but I think for a piano arrangement, what's there in the piece constitutes enough as an arrangement. Which, essentially means that the piece's transcription to the piano in the first place is what the arrangement IS. Oh and, I also felt that the ending was abrupt, but for reasons of the final note cutting off. There's absolutely no resonance, it just feels like the lingering note is cut off from the recording.

Now, I'm eagerly looking forward to it. Oh, and, Black Mages ftw!

Wow. Wow! Just, wow. It's amazing how much a changing of a sample can do to one's liking of a piece. I guess because here it rectified / removed my gripe about the lead guitar having a really whiny sound, which was really evident at 0:24 onwards. The old guitar sounded like some weirdo electronica synthesizer, but meh, I don't think there's any need for me to critique further on that piece. It's pretty cool to notice such a marked improvement in just a day. ^.^ Hah, the part at 0:14 reminds me of something I'd hear in a Bond soundtrack, with all that brass support. Very cool. =D One minor thing I picked up, is that the brass at 1:38 sounded really artificial/odd in the way they're cut off (in how the note ends) - I think because the notes are held for a millisecond too short, maybe. Although it's not entirely noticeable (but then again I'm not a brass player), and seeing as the same instruments are repeated throughout the piece, it might not be worth fretting about. I'm very pleased to say that I'm liking it a LOT now. =) Although on the other hand, I guess I'll still miss your obsession with all the taiko percussion. =P

Hmm... sorry to say but I think I like "Once Upon a Lifestream" much better. =D The guitar patch (?) that you use sounds annoying to my ear, but then again.. it probably could be just my personal preference. Then again, I'm biased, which in other words, if any of your pieces have Piano in them, I'll automatically fall in love with them. =D Nonetheless, I must admit, the piece is nicely made, even if I'm not a personal fan of it. It's impressive how you're branching off into many different directions, especially considering how versatile you already are. (And by versatility, I mean, from "Play that Melody", to "Ryu on four Pianos", all the way to "I Am Ultimecia".) I'd be interested if you're able to take this genre further too, actually. Have fun with it. ; )

Sweet! I really dig your work! In fact, I love it! Ok, now enough fan adoration, and onto the actual song. It's pretty darn awesome what you've made, I mean, its style contrasts greatly from your recent works like Haven and Peripatetic. The piano at around ~2:00 reminds me of The Wingless' work slightly, and that's a great thing. =) Although, it does have your own flavour to it, and near the end it reminds me more of your other film score work, so it's cool you're trying to integrate that into your works now too. Unfortunately I can't tell anything about the arrangement, since I don't know the original, but nonetheless, I still like listening to great music. =) Good work, I like your direcition here.

Wooohoo! An update! I must say, I'm very well looking forward to it, looking at the Artists who are participating in it =) 'Though I won't ask for more information, I hope the Teaser site will finally be a reward for those waiting, and for those who put in so much for it. Err, looking forward to it!