Emunator   Judges ⚖️

I'm gonna be the naysayer here - I think this is actually pretty on-point for the style. I can definitely see why J's that aren't familiar with vaporwave might struggle with this, but I actually felt like this was better executed than a lot of "mainstream" vaporwave pieces. It definitely scans as a stylistic decision to me rather than an oversight - one of the hallmarks of this genre is really bright, over-the-top reverb washes that blanket pretty much everything, so it sounds like you're listening to it out of a loudspeaker in an old shopping mall. I really dig this a lot, I think this is one of Lucas' best electronic pieces to date. The vocal chops are really tasteful and well-processed, and Sly Man's live performed contributions really make it feel like this track was resampled from an old yacht rock banger from the 70's. I'd encourage anyone on the fence about this to listen through this mix which contains clips of 50 of the most notable vaporwave songs - you'll hear this reverb technique on almost everything: Where I think this song does better than many of the genre mainstays is the presence on the drums/bass - it helps provide a solid foundation in the mix so that it still holds up well compared to more conventionally-produced music, and keeps the washy reverb contained better so that it's still listenable even for those who aren't familiar with this niche genre that's fundamentally supposed to have a lo-fi, low-quality production aesthetic. Not sure if this vote will sway anyone, but I will say this - in my opinion, I think doing anything to change the reverb would fundamentally alter the character of this song and I don't think it would be nearly as memorable if it were produced "traditionally." YMMV, but for me, it's a YES

I see I was batsignaled here! I think the other two judges assessment of the track as it stands is right on the money - I see what you were trying to do with the EQ here, but actual lofi production is a lot more nuanced than that. I'm not going to harp too much on that issue, and try to focus my vote on suggestions for tools, resources, and techniques that will help you get closer to your vision. I do want to say that, when comparing this to the source, I like the sounds that you chose and feel like you've got a good ear for sound selection, especially given the high-energy nature of the original track - this approach totally brings something new to the table that, when executed to its full potential, could be really cool! I particularly love the bass sound that seems to have some resonance sweeps going on, it's really unique! So, to recap - conceptually, this is a strong idea and you've got some good building blocks to work off of, but compositionally, it's still structurally too similar to the original track and needs more of your own flair to the arrangement in order to clear OCR's bar. However, the production quality is the main hangup, as there's a few major things that need addressing. I'll bullet point a few primary ones and then share some resources below: Remove the master EQ cuts that you have on your track - I sometimes do apply a very gentle EQ reduction to my lofi tracks to help with tone shaping, but they're usually a high shelf, not a high cut, and I'll apply them much closer to 10kHz and reduce by maybe 3dB - definitely not a full blown cut of almost all of the high frequencies! Instead, I would put EQ/filters on each of your instruments or instrument groups and shape them individually. Play around with using filters that have a resonance built into them too, rather than just a plain EQ cut, which will help character and personality to the track. It will sound much more natural and full if you apply these filters at different frequencies depending on which instrument you're working with. Other ways to achieve that lofi sound is with tape effects like pitch wobble and saturation - lofi production isn't just about cutting out frequencies, but also about doing more to warp/degrade the frequencies that you DO have. You want to make sure that your bass frequencies are still present - right now, there's not much in the way of bass, and the kick drum is much too subdued to fill that role either. This is where comparing with reference tracks will help. The drums and bass feel weak overall, as if you also applied a low cut to the track that removed a lot of the sub frequencies, or just mixed those elements far too quietly. Add textural layers - things like foley sounds, vinyl crackle, or even room noise, when mixed *very* subtly, can give your mix a sense of space. You don't want to overdo it, especially with vinyl crackle samples, but a tasteful dash of it will go a long way. Use reference tracks with a spectrogram plugin. I can't stress this one enough - download some of your favorite lofi tracks and load them up in your project file, then, using a plugin like SPAN, look at how the frequency spectrum is filled up by those tracks and then compare it to your own. You can learn a lot just by comparing your track to a finished track that already sounds good to you. There's a lot of resources you can use to help execute this - there's a few plugins I'll suggest, but I would avoid trying to throw more plugins at your track to fix the problem. The issues I'm hearing stem more from experience and methods rather than not having good enough plugins. Izotope Vinyl - this is an "all-in-one" lofi plugin that you can apply to your master track (again, I STRONGLY recommend not going overboard with this) that can do EQ shaping, tape wobble, and even introduce mechanical noise/hiss/scratches to emulate playing your song off of a record player. It's very easy to overdo it with these sounds, but this is a good starting point to show you how these different techniques will impact your sounds. SPAN - this is a free monitoring plugin that shows a visual representation of how the frequencies in your song are distributed. You can't solely mix with visual cues - eventually, you've got to use your ears - but when you're troubleshooting, this can be a great way to diagnose problems with your mix, and compare them to reference tracks. Lo-fi Reference Tracks - there are a number of songs published on OCReMix that are free to download and use as reference tracks. These have all passed the Judges Panel, so it should give you a good idea of where your track needs to be in order to pass that same bar. OCR Workshop - when in doubt, we have an active Workshop discord that you can use to get additional community feedback or participate in Office Hours events where you can submit your track for realtime critiques from the panel of Sages. I hope this is helpful and you continue to grow your skills and take advantage of the community resources we have available to help you get there :) NO

Love the stereo presence and recording quality on this straight off the rip! The faster arpeggios at :12 feel like they're struggling, and the intensity on the backing strums just doesn't really line up. There's a general lack of dynamic management as you go between the more mellow strummed parts to the faster arpeggiated sections. I would love to hear a little more intensity in the backing strums to signal when you're going for a higher energy performance. Oof, yeah, I hear what Brad is saying around 1:27 - the timing is not locked in here :( That unfortunately sounds rough when everything is this exposed, and I do think it's in "dealbreaker" territory. Re-tracking or doing some melodyne to correct timing feels necessary here. The arrangement, while really novel, well-conceived and overall enjoyable, falls short in its execution, and because everything is so exposed, it's even more important that the performance element is completely locked in. With some re-recording or timing corrections in a few key sections you've got a winner! NO (resubmit)

I remember feeling like this track was criminally underrated when it debuted in Dwelling of Duels - could be my own personal punk affinity coloring my first impression, but after many repeat listens, although the production critiques came into focus as the rose colored tinting faded slightly, the arrangement and adaptation of the source material is just stellar. I'll stand by that no matter how this vote swings - the lyrics, guitar performance, and overall arrangement quality shine. Listening back with a critical ear, I feel like this track is very transient. There are a few elements here that feel extremely clicky - the pluck on the bass and the ticking clock all feel sharper than than they should. I think some general transient shaping or gentle compression would stop those from peeking out in the mix as much and help you keep everything more balanced. At certain frequencies, you can REALLY hear the pluck on the bass in an unpleasant way - it feels uneven in the mix, and the ticking clock could probably just come down in volume. I didn't notice the mixing on the vocals as much at first, but when I tried to actually pick out the lyrics, it made me realize that I really couldn't tell what the lyrics are simply because they're not cutting through the mix. It's hard to say whether this is caused by improper EQ/compression on the vocals, or if the rest of the instruments are too loud and masking the fundamental frequency of the vocal, or a mix of both. Those are my two main mix gripes. Aside from that, I loved this to death, and I feel pretty strongly that this is enough to pass as-is. I do want to share this mixing critique with you even if the song does pass unconditionally, since I think a few improvements would make it much stronger, but I can't make the argument that this doesn't clear the bar as it stands. Good luck either way! YES

I remember liking this one a lot as a causal listener when I checked it out in the workshop forums, so now let's listen with a more critical ear. The vibe is still incredibly strong, capturing the free-spirited feeling of the original but ramping up the playfulness with more chromatic percussion and a more involved backing ensemble. The piano playing and mallets are a highlight here, as well as what you did with the bassline. It adds a lot of interest, and clearly shows that you had some inspiration in the tank when you made this. I am becoming more aware of the shortcomings in the execution here on a repeat listen. The drums, while well-written at the core, are both repetitive and in-your-face. They are mixed pretty loud overall, but also, I'm finding that some of the drum sounds just aren't that well suited for this type of acoustic-driven track. The snare, for example, is quite electronic and snappy, and hits the exact same every time, so it immediately takes me out of the immersion, and the hi-hats feel like they have a similar problem to a degree. I'd explore some other possible sample libraries that are more acoustically-oriented, or at least find some different snare samples that you could alternate between to simulate a round-robin effect, where each hit plays slightly differently. Brad brought up some good points about the room tone and general ambiance of the piece, and the flatness of the piano in the mix. The piano feels dull, even though it's playing a really interesting, colorful part. Compare that to the marimba, which is bright, expressive, and cuts through the mix perfectly as a lead. I would either mix the piano with a brighter tone if you want to go for a more hi-fi sound, or swap the piano sample entirely. Or, alternatively, if you want to go for a different direction or don't have access to better quality samples, you could go the opposite route and intentionally run it through a lo-fi processing chain (Izotope Vinyl is a good free option for this, though RC-20 is the gold standard for lo-fi FX processing if you've got some $$$ to shell out). This is just a stylistic suggestion, but right now, the piano lives in this weird gray area between a high fidelity live recording and a murky, tape-saturated vintage recording style, and it doesn't currently hit either mark well enough to leave an impression. 1:57 is an excellent deviation from the original melody over some lovely chord progressions, and I have to highlight this section because I think it's REALLY well done. That leads me to my last point - the big break at 2:38 had potential, but going right back into the same ground you've already walked, without adding any extra musical ideas or introducing any supporting instruments to give the final chorus a richer presentation, feels like you're demanding the listener's attention and then not capitalizing on it. There's so much room for something new to come up in this final chorus and I think the arrangement needs it in order to justify the structure of the song being presented the way it is. Lastly, you've got way too much of a tail on your fadeout - that should cut off to silence way faster :) I love this track to death but now that I'm holding it under a microscope, I see where it has room to improve. I sincerely hope you take the opportunity to do it! NO (resubmit!)

Proph is right - there's a lot of great blocks laid out here - the synth selection, melodies and countermelodies, and overall arrangement are all pretty tightly executed! There is absolutely a passable remix in here, but the production is holding it back. First and foremost, the drums are lacking presence and punch, and thus leave the soundscape feeling underwhelming and lacking dynamics. I would go back to the drawing board on the drum mix to make sure that you've left enough room for your percussion and set the proper volume levels so that everything is audible. My second suggestion is to look at the different instruments in your mix and make sure you don't have any wild frequencies creating spiky resonances, or low-end buildup muddying the soundscape. For example, at 1:40, there's a strong resonance that comes in until about 1:59, and returns throughout the track. I think this might be from the guitar, but something is very obviously peaking above the rest of the instruments and needs to be tamed with some EQ. The other lead synths occasionally have similar issues - this can eat up your space in the mix and generally make it unpleasant to listen to. If you're not already, utilize a free analyzer plugin like SPAN or a paramedtric EQ which can show you where frequencies are peaking. Also check to make sure that your instruments don't have unnecessary frequency buildup in the bass frequencies (below 200hz) since these are going to severely conflict with your kick and bass and make them less distinct. These are the points I would start with to polish the mix, but this is by no means exhaustive. This would be a great candidate to hash out with the community in our Workshop forum or the Discord - we host weekly live WIP reviews on Discord as well that offer an opportunity to get into the weeds on mixing/mastering/production issues like the ones I'm hearing in your song. The good news is that the fundamentals are strong - so keep at it, we'd love to hear this one back! NO (resubmit)

This is a tough one - I feel like I have a hard time justifying rejecting a really well-arranged, well-produced track such as this one just because the arrangement style doesn't align with the expectations of OCR's catalog. The vote boils down to a philosophical one, not something quantifiable. It should go without saying that I really enjoy this in a bubble, and can easily see why it performed as well as it did in Aliens month! You accomplished the goal of taking a bunch of songs from the Super R Type soundtrack and running through them with a cohesive style and some really competent production chops. That said, I don't think this style of medley is best suited for OCR - again, I want to stress that this is in no way a qualitative judgment on the piece itself, but just a mismatch with the submission standards. The arrangement is extremely linear and the transitions leave this feeling more like a collection of mini-covers that are linked together but don't coalesce into a more fluid, singular arrangement in line with OCR's standards. I also want to cosign Hemo's production feedback - there's a level of muddiness during certain sections that complicates this decision as well. 4:41 brought some drums that sat very strangely in the mix, and might be the only part of the production that I'd say sounded really off to me. The rest (synth leads that didn't quite cut through, slightly muddy low end) were not dealbreakers but things that could be improved marginally in future submissions. I have no doubt you've got stuff in your catalog that would be well suited for OCR, and I do hope that you keep sending stuff our way and this doesn't dissuade you or suggest that we aren't digging your stuff! But I'm not sure that this one is the piece that will get you to the front page. NO

Lovely arrangement and performance, it _feels_ very jnWake to me <3 This source feels like it moves in a way that reflects how you navigate chord changes and flowing melody lines in your other arrangements, so this is an obvious fit! Pretty much co-signing Joe's vote here - there's way too much spikyness in the low end of the piano that's eating up headroom and honestly sounds like it's being distorted when it hits the compressor. Is there some analog emulation going on or some saturation involved here? I don't think I love the effect it's having. If you want, I can take a stab at cleaning this up if you can send me MIDI! I have the same piano library you used, but I think some Soothe 2 could go a long way to reduce some of the sharp spikes on the low end of the piano. But if not, I do think that a gentle shelf on the low end of the piano to reduce that low end dominance, or maybe changing the microphone position in the library so that it's slightly further away, would be a good starting point. It sounds miniscule, but for a solo piano piece, especially one played this way, you're doing a disservice to your performance to have the left hand part taking up so much of the spotlight. I think this will sound a lot better with some cleanup! NO (resubmit!)

So glad that the submission process yielded some helpful feedback for you! That's what we aim for :) This starts off with some really grimy sounds that tells me we're in for something gritty and interesting. And you definitely delivered on that conceptually - the crunchy guitar, frenetic drums, and nasty synths really work together well on a sonic level. The mixing is still holding this back, though. There's a few technical things I notice right off the bat. Prophetik correctly called out the low end rumble as being a problem - you're going to want to look at each of your mixer tracks under an EQ and see where that rumble is coming from, I suspect it might be the kick drum but it's hard to tell. His screenshot says it all though - the human ear can't perceive anything below 20hz so all that frequency is doing is cutting into your headroom and muddying up the low end impact of things like your kick drum. It also sounds like you might have some low-end frequencies that are panned off to the sides, which is generally not something you want in the mix. I would use a stereo imager to ensure that you don't have any errant frequencies making things even weirder down in the bass frequency range. Speaking of headroom, this song doesn't sound like it's properly mastered. There's a lot of headroom in the waveform overall, but even when this is normalized, you have a couple of big spikes at 1:36 and 3:07 where the song gets noticeably louder than everything else. It doesn't sound natural, I'd evaluate what's causing the track to peak at those points and bring those elements down, or tame them with a gentle compressor - this will then give you room to bring the whole track volume up to normalized levels. These two issues are the biggest ones I'm hearing - I'm not as in-tune with guitar intonation/tuning so I can't speak to that, but for me, if the mixing and mastering were dialed in to remove the low end rumble and give it a proper master, this would be good to go for me! NO (resubmit)

Artist Name: absent&undone "Listen to the Cries of the Planet" has always been a beautiful yet haunting melody. It's been a bucket list item for me to submit a work to ocremix and after finally getting off my butt and diving headfirst into working on music, I knew this would the one to work on. Everything was done in Ableton Live, with the guitars and bass recorded live and everything else programmed. I didn't want to stray too far off from the original version of the song as I love it so much, but definitely wanted to add in my own flavor.

This arrangement was originally done for Dwelling of Duels special Tornado of Solos competition. It was a required source, to be re-interpreted as desired. My approach was to try and play it as a classical guitar meets shred bits piece. Kinda inspired by Al di Meola style. The title of my arrangement literally means: "The Great Timothy Falling" (which kinda sounds like "Follin" which was the joke). The breakdown of the track is: (original mean part written by myself, source means parts from the game track) 00:00 - 00:13 - original intro part. 00:13 - 00:30 - slightly modified arpeggios from the source. 00:30 - 00:40 - original chord progression inspired by the source. 00:40 - 01:27 - melodies from the source (parts of it where re-interpreted) 01:27 - 01:38 - re-interpretation of the arpeggios from the source 01:39 - 02:02 - original guitar solo 02:02 - 02:25 - re-interpretation of the melody part b. 02:25 - end - arpeggios from the source. The entire mix and arrangement was done in a minimalistic style in order to put all the focus on the lead guitars. Every element (including the percussion) was performed live.

Artist Name: Jonathon Orsi "I have no idea where to put anything", I kept thinking to myself every time I tried to arrange my studio room. In a background tab, I usually have the Twitch streamer Mainstun doing ACE Glitchless runs of Final Fantasy 6, and I overheard him musing about having some interlude music for his stream for breaks. I imagined it might be easier to figure out how to setup a recording space while actually recording a song. It just so happened that at that moment Mainstun had arrived to the Returners Hideout. I quickly found some midi sources for the Returners theme on RPGamer, and started learning each part on the acoustic guitar I had sitting beside me. After learning the main melodies, I began taking out patch cords, headphones, and moving items around on my work desk so I could plug into my audio interface to start recording. The Ableton metronome is absolutely annoying, so I put a kick bass down on every beat, a snare on the 2 and 4, with some hihats that had an accent between each. At that moment I realized that the Returners Hideout was going to be the Returners Nightout -- and it needed to be disco. My instrument decisions always hover around having a live band sound - drums, bass, guitar, synths. The midi drums were crafted from samples the drummer of my cover band had graciously played and recorded for me years prior. The main melodies I chose to record on my two lovely guitars: a 2003 Fender Stratocaster and a 2018 Gibson Les Paul. The bass is a 2019 Fender Jazzmaster. Having all the midi notes for the instrumentation that I wasn't going to record, I started clicking through Ableton instrument presets: the Poly 60 Saw preset for Ableton's Wavetable synth ended up taking over most of the brass parts; and the Wurlii Hollow Piano preset for the Electric synth somehow felt right for the strings. Dance on, Returners!

Artist Name: Noga Project Honestly, it feels a bit heavyhearted sharing something here for the first time :) My handle is lionovsky (IRL I used nick Leva). To keep it short - spent a month crafting this, used basic FL Studio. This isn't my first cover - I previously made 8-bit arrangements though they didn't gain traction. Nowadays, after properly mastering my DAW, I started by reworking some old songs of mine before progressing to full-fledged remixes. I'd be delighted if you enjoy this. PS: I'm actively uploading to my YouTube channel, but specifically saved this cover for OCReMix. https://www.youtube.com/@lionovsky/

Artist Name: Stavrin Please note it takes a while to get to the part of the track where the Into The Zone recognisable riff from the game gets played in full, please give it a chance before thinking it sounds nothing like the game music.I wanted to make a drum & bass track around that theme song and also using sound fx from the game. Thanks for listening, happy to make any changes suggested. Title Screen Into the Zone (Options)

Just chiming in to mention that I've sent a finished mix of Resident Evil 4's Save Room theme to VQ, so that's at least one track down for this project! Excited to hear what everyone else cooks up ☺️