Emunator

Reminds me of the kind of happy vibe one would encounter in Mario Kart or Animal Crossing. The slow-building arrangement really lets me get lost in this track, it's easy to just chill and zone out with all of the pleasant melodies bouncing around my headphones Quaint and very enjoyable.

Just chiming in to say that I can totally feel the BoC influence and think you chose a wonderful set of sources to apply the style to. The workshop mods nailed the issues but I think you need some more dynamic, interesting noise samples. You can definitely get away with using a lot of distortion and noise in your mix throughout but right now it just sounds like a poor-quality recording. Experiment with sampling some record scratching or ambient noise samples and EQing/fx'ing the hell out of them to see what you can come up with so that your use of noise sounds more deliberate. Great track though, hope to see this on the panel soon

This track clearly has a great deal of merit, there's no denying the creativity and level of talent involved here. I've listened a lot though, and I'm siding with Deia despite Larry's invocation of the "clear YES" card The positives: the vocal performances are very strong across the board, you've got a very unique voice that works great for this mellower rock style. The lyrics are pretty neat too, though there's a few lines that just feel slightly clunky ("I'm wanting all my fans to know" is one that comes up multiple times and doesn't sound like the timing is quite right.) It's a very minor issue, for the most part I think the performances here are spot-on. The problematic stuff: the mixing, as the other judges have mentioned, is probably the most prominent issue here, and I don't feel like it's necessarily a quick enough fix to be a YES (conditional) vote like Larry decided, and I think that, despite the killer arrangement and performances, it's too much of an issue to warrant a YES either. I think this is a strong track that would really shine and become an OCR favorite if the production quality matched the arrangement. Throwing some reverb on the vocals and rebalancing some of your instruments would be a great start. If this does end up getting NO (resub) vote, here's a few other things to consider. The transitions work in theory, but sometimes I think the stop transitions last a little bit too long. Might not be an issue but it's definitely something worth checking out. I also think you could benefit from a stronger lead synth. Even though it doesn't show up very frequently, the current sample lacks any expression or energy. A more defined, sharp lead that cuts through better, perhaps with portamento or any other effect, would really make those sections a lot more memorable. The current one isn't a dealbreaker but it feels like a very noticeably weak aspect of the remix in its current state. The ending is also mildly awkward, perhaps just throwing an open cymbal crash after the last word of the final verse would give the song more closure. Larry is also right on the money about how to make your delay effect work better as a transition and an ending. Lots of stuff to consider, I really think that with a mixing overhaul this would be a pass in my book but there's lots of other small things that could have a sizeable effect on the mix overall if they were tweaked as well. Loving what you've got but I think this needs another round of edits. NO (resubmit!)

Deia hit most of the points solidly, my biggest issue here is with the sequencing. I feel like the production is fine, but your sitar sounds really awkward when it starts to play fast notes, like you need a sample capable of more articulations than just the one that you're using here. The strings have a similar problem that I've noticed with some of your other submissions, and I think Deia was absolutely right when she pinned it on your attack being too slow to keep up with some of the melodies you're throwing at it. Koto, piano, and drums all sound really good to me. This is mostly a really solid track but I too am having issues hearing the source usage on top of the production. I get the feeling that there's a lot of it in there but not used in the most obvious way, so it's hard to pick up on. If you choose to resubmit I'd really appreciate if you could accompany your own personal breakdown to help us figure out what you've done here On the production/sequencing side of things this is real close, but there's a few critical issues I feel like still need to be addressed (and I remember mentioning them as the track was being created for the project) before this can be a pass, and the source usage is still sort of up in the air. Since it seems like this is going to be a resub decision anyway, hopefully it'll come back to us with a source breakdown attached so we can be more thorough! Good luck man, hope to see this one again. NO (resubmit!)

*lighters up* Yeah, I'm not hearing much source usage here either This is one of my favorite rap submissions I've heard but the source is just not making itself apparent. There's some parts that sound kinda like Ride ze Shoopuf but they're not very plentiful. Pains me to put a mix like this down when it's such an enjoyable listen, but yeah. Resubmit this. NO (resubmit!)

I really like the soundscape on this track, even if it pulls very heavily from a past remix. Comparing this to Eye of the Storm though, I don't feel like your mixing/sound pallet is quite as strong. Some issues that I notice right off the bat: your bass is super-loud! It sounds good for the initial bass drop, but past that point it's too dominant in the mix. Your piano sound is also problematic, in my opinion. I can see how this might be somewhat of a personal preference issue, but the sample you've got right now seems annoyingly bright, mid-heavy, and a lot more harsh than this genre calls for (perhaps it's overcompressed? Not sure about that.) It's most noticeable when the sample is exposed, such as during the last minute of the song. Your writing is pretty solid across the board. Despite a few sections where things get crowded (2:10 comes to mind, for instance,) most of the melodies play well together. The arrangement has the same meandering quality as Eye of the Storm but I never had a problem with that approach to begin with, so all's good here. Source usage definitely checks out. Ultimately I feel like this is a close call due to a strong arrangement, but there's a few mixing issues that are really detracting from my enjoyment of the mix. I'll keep this even if you choose not to resubmit, but I think you've got a very solid foundation that just needs another coat of polish before it'll be an easy pass for me. NO (resubmit!)

This honestly feels polished and unique enough to be a standalone submission to OCR, I'd highly suggest submitting this dude

Wow, cool. I'm pretty impressed with the concept here, the soundscape is dirty and beefy despite the general lack of instrumentation. Sick bassline. It's a pretty cool listen, but I'm not feeling it as far as OCR's standards go. The arrangement runs pretty long and doesn't really offer very many changeups in tone, texture, or instrumentation. The writing itself on both the melodies and the drums is also pretty static. The synth arpeggios add some really awesome feel to the leads, but when you take them away the only other melodic writing in the song is pretty much a straight cover of the original without any production/instrumentation upgrades. It's enjoyable by all accounts but I don't think there's enough expansion or variation from the original source to be a pass here. Go and post this publicly and get some exposure for it though! NO

Tracklist Disc 1 Legend of Hyrule - Claimed By: **interest expressed Title Theme - Claimed By: Zircon/Jillian Aversa House - Claimed By: Calum Kokiri Forest (Source) - Claimed By: ProtoDome/Level 99 Deku Tree/Inside the Deku Tree (Source 1), - Claimed By: rBrn Battle - Claimed By: Theophany Saria's Song (+Fairy Ocarina Get) (Source) - Claimed By: Theophany Kaepora Gaebora - Claimed By: Jean of mArc Hyrule Field (+Sun's Song) - Claimed By: Ergosonic/Zylance Market - Claimed By: Archangel Shop (Source) - Claimed By: chimpazilla Hyrule Courtyard - Claimed By: Peach Zelda's Lullaby - Claimed By: Jillian Aversa/Theophany Intermission ~ Medley - Claimed By: Jeremy Robson/Derek Oren Disc 2 Lon Lon Ranch - Claimed By: McVaffe Kakariko Village - Claimed By: Scaredsim/Harjawaldar Goron City - Claimed By: Wiesty/Abadoss/DrumUltimA Fairy Fountain - Claimed By: avaris Zora's Domain - Claimed By: Doc Nano Inside Jabu-Jabu's Belly - Claimed By: halc Middle Boss - Claimed By: rBrn Enter Ganondorf - Claimed By: Temple of Time - Claimed By: Wiesty/Theophany Open Door of Time/Master Sword - Claimed By: Theophany Intermission ~ ??? - Claimed By: Disc 3 Sheik's Theme - Claimed By: Geoffrey Taucer Prelude of Light - Claimed By: Sir Jordanius Potion Shop - Claimed By: rBrn Lost Woods - Claimed By: Rellik Minuet of Forest - Claimed By: Doc Nano Forest Temple - Claimed By: Jillian Aversa Boss Battle - Claimed By: Bolero of Fire - Claimed By: Theophany Fire Temple - Claimed By: Radiowar Dinosaur Battle - Claimed By: Doc Nano Ice Cavern - Claimed By: Theophany Water Temple - Claimed By: Theophany Serenade of Water - Claimed By: Abadoss Lake Hylia (TP) (Source)- Claimed By: Matt E. Waldman Intermission ~ ??? - Claimed By: Disc 4 Song of Storms - Claimed By: djpretzel Nocturne of Shadow - Claimed By: Shadow Temple - Claimed By: Theophany Gerudo Valley - Claimed By: Sixto/Level 99/Jeff Ball/bustatunez Gerudo Desert (TP) (Source)- Claimed By: Jakesnke17 Spirit Temple - Claimed By: prophetik Twinrova - Claimed By: Zircon Requiem of Spirit - Claimed By: Ganon's Castle - Claimed By: WaltzforLuma Ganondorf Battle - Claimed By: Ganon's Castle Bridge - Claimed By: Last Battle - Claimed By: Seal of the Six Sages - Claimed By: Credits - Claimed By: Ending ~ Title Theme - Claimed By: BogusRed Unplaced Tracks (ones we want remixed but don't have a place in the tracklist for yet, or smaller themes that we can live without but will still take remixes for if you're inspired!) Fairy Flying (Source)- Claimed By: Mini-Game - Claimed By: Shooting Gallery - Claimed By: Horse Race - Claimed By: Key Black = Unclaimed Track Green - Track Claimed with no WIP Red - Track Claimed with a short WIP/concept Blue - Track Claimed with Significant Progress Purple - Track Claimed with Almost-Finished WIP Orange - Track Finished **interest expressed** - Someone is working on a WIP for this song but hasn't submitted it yet. You're free to try and audition anyway, but at least talk to me or Theophany first about it. Performers Available for Collaboration Theophany - production, arranging, sample libraries. Terra Mater - vocals (female), folk harp, guitar (acoustic), piano, recorder, djembe, glockenspiel, rainstick, tambourine, Irish bouzouki Calum - Piano, Mandolin, Guitar (acoustic, electric) violin, viola DrumUltimA - marimba, vibraphone Moot - Bassoon Moot's Friend - Clarinet Eponymized - Guitar (acoustic, electric) C7 - Trumpet CN - Vocals (Male)

Holy crap, some awesome feedback from all you guys I wasn't expecting this much, but it's actually motivated me to keep working on this instead of just leaving it in WIP form forever. I've put a lot of your suggestions into effect and it's already improving the quality of the mix and left some room for another lead/supporting instrument (I was planning on writing parts for a cello and the classic Metroid Prime portamento sinewave, actually!) so thanks for the crits there. The drums I'm going to entirely replace, I want to achieve a sound kind of like this (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR01586/) but I'm totally clueless about how to get there. Do I need special sample libraries to get that scratchy snare sound or is it just a matter of processing? Thank you all <3 Oh yeah, and that mystery instrument that nobody's guessed right is actually a glass marimba!

^ Yeah, all my top played songs are either DKC3 project mixes or old stuff from The Wingless, Protricity, and Vigilante <3 I've got a soft spot for chill tunes. I don't have any songs that I've listened to as much as Cody has though, his counts are insane.

WIP 1 - http://tindeck.com/listen/ripz WIP 2 - https://soundcloud.com/emunator/phendrana-drifts-wip WIP 3 - https://soundcloud.com/emunator/metroid-prime-phendrana-drifts WIP 4 - https://soundcloud.com/emunator/sub-zero-phendrana-drifts I'm kind of at a loss with this mix but I thought the soundscape was turning out pretty solid and I'm really proud of the improv piano take I did so far. Any thoughts on this?

OK, listening back I definitely see where the YES's are coming from and I think I was being too nitpicky initially on an issue that, overall, doesn't impede my enjoyment of the track. I'm comfortable passing this even though I think the critiques are still valid. YES

Hey dudes this is super-duper cool, I like how seamlessly you guys blend chiptune and chiptune-esque sounds to the point where I can't tell what parts of this could actually be produced out of an old NES soundchip and which ones couldn't. It's pretty neat Love the original writing you guys threw in here too, it fits perfectly.

Updated piano sample.

I actually wanna step in here and say that we don't really judge songs like this. While it's very true that, as a listener, you wanna hear something unique from a source that's been done a million times already, but as a judge we do have to put that aside and be objective and treat each remix the same as it applies to the standards, whether that source has been done once or a dozen times before.

I'm posting here just so I can see Yellow Yoshi and Green Yoshi right next to each other. <3

I like this guy Fantastic album dude, you know I've been a hardcore fan ever since your first few wips and thankfully the full product is just as solid. Your most cohesive effort yet, I'm gonna be rocking this for a long time to come!

What IS the source on this? I'm only seeing an Elec Man link in the OP but it seems pretty clear that there's more to the remix than just that. Can we please get a clarification on source usage in this mix from the artists themselves? I'll leave a full vote later because there's several production issues I need to cover as well, but something tells me that another source is being used in this mix.

Woah woah, tell us more about this!

... shit. Can't find a bad bit about this. I'm legitimately impressed and I'm surprised I didn't notice how good this was when I first heard it on DoD. I think you've found a genre where your vocal range and style can really excel and the results sound fantastic. Orchestration is awesome, very realistic and well-produced. You keep the source pretty up-front at all times, even when the vocals aren't present. Yeah, this is awesome. Love the personal background behind the mix, too. YES

Despite having such a simple, vanilla soundscape, you're able to conjure a pretty unique vibe from this remix. The arrangement itself is solid, you move through melodies at a smooth, natural pace. The breakdown that Deia pointed out is the only sore spot that I think could be ironed out without killing your momentum so much. Fadeout didn't bother me too much, but it's not a very strong choice either. 12/30 - redacted the point about the few bars missing a melody, listening back it's not really an issue. Main issue here is your drums in general. I don't feel like your samples are really clicking with the rest of the soundscape and the writing doesn't gel with the arrangement. There's not a lot of synergy there and it's hurting the track significantly. Please send this one back to us with some revisions, I like what you did but it's gonna need more polish before it's mixpost-ready. NO (resubmit!)

This is a tough vote, cause there's a lot of merit to your track, particularly in the arrangement, which dances around the Brinstar theme with a lot of tact and creativity while still keeping the source apparent almost all of the time. Despite all the points I'm about to run through, I enjoyed listening to this. However, there's a few issues I'm catching here that I think are worth noting. Across the board it sounds like you're using pretty much stock samples, which isn't necessarily a bad thing but in this case a lot of your percussion sounds just come off as amateurish. The clap in particular is very cheesy and kind of kills the mood for me, since your drum loops are too simple to really disguise any weaknesses in your samples, and at times like 4:26 when your clap is most exposed it's particularly bad. I don't mean to rag on an element of your track that's clearly not the main focus of your track, but between the overly-simple writing and generic samples, it's dragging this down for me. On the topic of samples, your piano is not the best either, though you've processed it reasonably well. Sometimes the delay that you've used on it gets out of hand, and the same goes for your electric piano and other elements throughout the song. I think the liberal use of delay gives this remix a pretty unique character, but at times like 3:56 or 4:36, things just get too busy when you combine the delay from multiple melody lines with the rest of your track. At 3:19/4:44, I'm hearing some noticeable distortion on your piano, that's really distracting Overall, this is a pretty cool track and I definitely think it's worth making a resub. It might require a sizeable amount of work to make these changes, but I think the track would be better off for it so that these production issues aren't detracting from your strong concept/melody writing. NO (resubmit!)

Pardon my brevity but I can't see any reason why this wouldn't pass. This is friggin' sweet, the performances are spot-on and the soundscape is very innovative and clicks a LOT better than I could have ever expected from reading the sub letter. Source usage sounds fine to me, it's always there even if it's just a background arp playing while Sam's doing his own thing on the piano. This is probably the easiest call I've had to make in my time as a judge. YES