Tensei

productionwise, this is slowly getting there. However, in terms of arrangement, I think the intro is drawn out wayyyyyyy tooooo long, I would end it at 0:28. I can't say I like the fourth chord you're using in the intro either (0:07, 0:21), it's unexpected, and it doesn't work for me at all. When you get to the main melody I think you could make things pick up a bit more, add percussion, or at least SOMETHING that isn't playing long, drawn-out chords. The long slow passages work for half a minute at most, after that it really sounds like you're just noodling around. I know you're probably purposefully going for a dissonant approach, but the high violin is so dissonant it makes me cringe. The explosion at the end is totally out of place, it made me chuckle though =P What you've got now is a half minute intro that's drawn out to two and a half minute, so I suggest you cut out about two minutes and start making a section where things really pick up.

Sure, let's hear it. =P

Well actually the panel had to come up with a whole analysis of the arrangement to determine whether or not the mix was close enough to the original, and they came to the conclusion that while it had harmonic, melodic and stylistical similarities to the original, direct quotations were very brief at best, and by far not obvious enough to qualify as a true remix. That's what I was referring to with 'drama' =P My point was actually that Vilainelle had given up on this remix (or that's what I read in the judging thread), and wouldn't be working on it anymore, which I think is really too bad, because you just don't get much more borderline than this mix; it was so close to being accepted, for all I think, it just needs an obvious lead instrument playing a recognizable melody throughout the mix, and presto. I just can't stand if this mix gets discontinued, because you can really tell there's been an amazing amount of work put into it, and it would mean that that all has gone to waste.

If you have the money, go with both Reason AND Fruity Loops. Both complement each other perfectly, and both have a relatively fast learning curve. Reason basically has pretty good samplers, synths and effects (The included sample library is extensive, and you can get by with it, though you'll probably want to move on to something better later), and is amazingly fun to work with right out of the box. Fruity Loops comes over as a bit less user-friendly (in my opinion =P), but it can handle stuff like live recording, tempo changes and VST effects and instruments, so if you combine the two through Rewire, you get a relatively cheap and user-friendly DAW with enough onboard stuff to keep you busy for at least a year. About the hardware stuff, IMO a keyboard isn't necessary. I guess it can speed up your workflow a lot, but I get by just fine with using only my mouse, because I don't even have the space for a keyboard. There's nothing extra you can do with a midi controller that you can't do with a mouse ( If you know how to work with stuff like automation and velocity editing), it's just that a keyboard can speed it up a lot, so I consider it more of a handy addition than a real necessity. If I were you I'd first get your DAW (that's really the only thing you need to start mixing actually =P), then a good soundcard/recording interface/headphones/monitors (because you want to be able to hear what you're doing, and maybe you'll want to record live instruments), and if you still have enough money, consider getting a keyboard/midi controller.

I'm actually thinking of picking up Star of Tears, and redoing it in 80s rock style ( (I already have enough arrangement ideas, don't worry), but I'd need to find a female vocalist who's up to it =P

Damn it, I just read through all the drama this went through during the judging process, and it just bugs the hell out of me, because this mix is pure win, and I would hate to see it fall into oblivion. I think a thread-bump is in order; I'm asking you to please consider reworking it and resubmitting, maybe even strike up a collaboration in case you're having technical difficulties at the moment, but I really want this mix to get through =P

Even in Resident Evil 4, none of the music really stood out for me. It works perfectly as background-music, and the helicopter-ganado battle music was cool, but none of them have the necessary catchy leitmotif that's required from a good source song. It's more of a cinematic soundtrack than a game soundtrack, and the emphasis is more on the instrumentation and atmosphere than on the melody.

http://naturalstudio.co.uk/bb/viewtopic.php?t=548 NSkit is probably the best free drum soundfont you can find. Personally I like the kick drums, the hi-hats and the snares, but for my toms and cymbals I generally turn to other soundfonts. It does require a lot of processing, but the results are amazing for a free kit.

This is actually very decent, but there's still a lot you could do to improve it. The piano is very mechanically sequenced right off the bat. First impressions are everything, and this doesn't come off too good. Especially the starting arpeggio is in desperate need of velocity editing. Can you name a pianist that hits every note with exactly the same strength? Cause I sure can't =P If you really wanna be a perfectionist, you can move the individual notes forward or back a few milliseconds. I think during the electronica-section, you could do with adding back a bit more of the orchestral sounds from the intro. Especially the piano-arpeggio screams to be put in there somewhere near the end, so you can have some sort of development there. While none of the synth sounds are annoying at all, I think you could play around a bit more with different instrumentation, for example add some contra-melody with a different synth later on. This would really help in giving this mix a sense of development, and give the impression that it's really going somewhere. About your specific issues: This is not a death metal mix, right? So there's no reason to have volume pumped up to near-clipping. I didn't have to adjust my speakers to listen to it, so I'd say volume level is fine. About the choir; are you using the Nando Florestan Ahh Choir?. It's pretty much the best free choir soundfont you'll find, and it really can get the job done.

Meh, looks like I will be missing out on this one after all, I totally forgot that I'm going on a week-long holiday. I wish you all the best of luck writing a good arrangement, and I look forward to see what source tune Hylian Lemon has cooked up for PRC 101. Bye bye for now then, everyone =P

While the vocals are generally pleasant, It might be a good idea to add some (more) reverb to have them blend with the mix a bit better, and maybe play around a bit more with the panorama settings, especially at the doubled parts. Also, I think this needs an instrumental solo at some point, because apart from the vocals there isn't really any development throughout the mix, the instrumentation tends to become quite cut+paste, and I think some kind of rad electric guitar solo would totally put this mix over the top (though a piano, synth, or even a violin solo would work great as well).

You should be able to decrease the latency (the delay you're talking about) from the sound settings window in both of the programs. How much you can decrease it really depends on the kind of soundcard you're using and whether it's ASIO-capable or not. I have no idea how to solve the second problem you have, it might have something to do with the soundcard settings, maybe you should post what kind of soundcard/ recording interface you're using.

Actually couldn't you just automate the EQ on it to kick in once the kick drum starts?

Okay, let's see, I quite like the arrangement, but there's some production issues. The piano sounds quite tinny, as if some frequencies have been rolled off, or maybe it's just the sample quality. The vocals sound unintelligible in some parts, though not in the Death Metal-unintelligible way, it's more that they're not up-front enough and get buried beneath the percussion and the guitars. The kick drum rolls, while well sequenced, need some harsher velocity editing to prevent the machine-gun effect, and there's something that just doesn't feel quite right about the kick to my ears, but I can't quite put my finger on it, maybe it's in the way it has been processed. Also, I couldn't hear any bass at all, have you included it in this newest version? I do think you're almost done with this, but you need to clear up a few of the production issues. The biggest issue IMO is that the vocals need to be much more up-front, and need to find their way 'around' the guitars by the use of EQ, rather than be buried beneath them.

Well I did most of my comments in my previous post, I like that you took up my idea of changing keys, but it feels a bit awkward nonetheless. I was actually thinking more around the lines of having the key change somewhere near the end as a sort of climax. Furthermore, I think the distinction between the different moons can still be done a bit better, I'm thinking shamisens and stuff for the blue crystal, and a jungle flute (as mentioned above) for the green crystal. Maybe some sampled electric guitars for the yellow crystal? I do think it's almost done though, there's not much left you can do to improve it IMO.

Ah great! More rockin' Follin tunes! =P I'm pretty sure I'll be joining the mixing, while I don't have any cool ideas yet, I'll definitely come up with something. I'm happy that I got that wah-wah pedal for my guitar recently, so maybe I'll come up with something with that (since Follin uses it here too). I'll just say this source tune is going to be a bitch to remix, let alone improve on it, so it's definitely a challenge to win here =P. Edit: Happy birthday by the way, I forgot to say that! =D

Okay, arrangementwise, this is now officially 100% completed, and I will not change it despite my constant urges to start tinkering on it again, I'll just say the final version has a wicked kickass key changing hell yeah-ending that can't be heard in the latest WIP, so you'll have to wait until this is accepted or rejected for that. The mix is now in the hands of Avaris, whose samples and mastering skills will eradicate any production issues that were present in my versions. It should be done in about a week, at which point it will most likely be submitted if I'm not on holiday yet, and if I am, it will be a week later, because obviously I have to hear the definite version and write a description So uh, anyway, thanks for all the feedback ( the feedback in the previous threads too!). This mix really was a 2-month learning experience, especially in terms of production ( my arrangement skills are quite a bit better than my production), and while it came down to a lot of trial and error, it also helped that a lot of people could point out the things that needed fixing. Well, here's to hoping the next feedback on this mix will be in it's own review thread, once it has been accepted as my first OCRemix! =P (hope I'm not being too optimistic there)

The interaction between the kick, the bass guitar, and the rhythm guitars in the lower frequency spectrum can be a real bitch to get right. Typically, anything below 80 Hz, or maybe even below 100 Hz should be reserved for the bass, with the kick sitting mostly in the mid-range, so rather than boom boom boom, it goes click click click (at least, that's how most commercial rock mixes sound). The interaction between bass and guitar is also very hard to get right on it's own if you don't want to sacrifice the power of the rhythm guitars, but still want to have a clear bass. I do this by having the focal point of the bass being at 100 Hz, while the guitars get a paragraphic cut here. Also, the guitars are rolled off below 80 Hz, which reserves all the sub-bass space for the bass guitar, while still giving the Rhythm Guitars some decent low-end (sitting between 80 and 100 Hz). Of course, you'll still need to figure out what you're going to do in the lower and upper mid-range, and where you want to accent the harmonics. I'm not claiming what I just described is the right method for anything, nor that I'm an EQing pro (far from it), but it somehow works for me, and it might work for you too.

I'll try to have an MP3 of One Winged Angel then, I've just finished the one major Remix I've been working on for two months, so I have some more time on my hands now.

Hah, that cracked me up actually. But I guess you're right, they do sound like steel drums. They're supposed to be Marcato Strings, and yeah, they'll be replaced with better samples. The editing of the drum velocities was something I was already planning to do, so no worries there. And about the organ, while I won't be posting a new WIP since I'm almost ready to submit, I'll just say you won't be disappointed about the extended ending if you liked the organ. Meh, and about the very beginning, I actually wrote that from my head, and I thought it was part of the original too. But, ah well, I don't think I'll be shot down for two bars that are similar to another arrangement, right?

Sounds definitely ok, I'd tone down the guitars and up the drums and bass, it should sound much more powerful that way. Also, the guitar actually sounds surprisingly decent for a synth, props for that. And yeah, work on that transition from the piano to the heavy part. Keep on rocking! =P

Okay, I'm definitely liking this arrangement, I can tell you have a good ear for jazz-comping (I'm jealous =P). I do think the soundscape is a bit empty, and something like a jazz-guitar would offer a good counterpoint for the saxophone. Then again, if you're putting Drumultima's vibes in, this problem might already be solved. Furthermore, I demand you whip out those sequencing skills, and put in a nice bass solo, because jazz, after all, is all about the soloing, right? =P

Damn, voting was everything but easy, but I somehow managed. Great to see we had some awesome interpretations this time. I'll be joining in the mixing again for PRC 100.

Thanks for responding so quickly to my PM and taking the time to listen to it. I was already planning on adressing most of the issues you pointed out, so it's good to know I'm so close to being done. About the drum track, it's comprised fully of free samples, of course with the needed layering and processing, and as for the sequencing, well let's just say I like to look up drum solo's on youtube

It's an original and well-written interpretation of the source, and it manages to retain a lot of the energy of the original heavy metallish source. I really wish the brass didn't sound so General Midi-ish though..but apart from the sample quality, even the production is very decent. It's really a smashing example of how you can make the best of what you have, without needing expensive sample libraries, good job.