Emunator

Wow, that's a wall of sound. I'm sensing a lot of strong compression on this one, but fortunately since you kept your master volume relatively low, this isn't particularly painful to listen to, and fortunately all of the individual instruments are readily discernible. I don't really have any problems with the mixing here, it's pushed hard but it definitely gives the drums the necessary raw strength they need to survive in a harsh D&B climate. It's brutal, and I love how it sounds. Overall, the performances are pretty spot on. The only issue I had was the fast-picked guitar riff right before the drums came in, which I don't feel was up to par with the rest of the live-performed elements. Minor quibble but it does kind of break the illusion in a song full of otherwise-perfectly-timed elements. Arrangement wise, I like what was done a lot. You merged the themes very tastefully so that each source is given its time in the limelight, but there's occasional moments of crossover that makes you second guess exactly what you're listening to. Another very small issue is how cut-and-paste some of the material feels (in the outro, it's obvious that you guys were strapped for time and had to slap something in) but at the same time, in the body of the song you cover plenty of melodic ground and you've got plenty of solos and original writing to fill in the gaps between source usage. Honestly I like this quite a bit. Much more than when I first heard it in the compo, to be honest. Glad to hear this one come through again though, it's a pass for me. YES

Just to clarify though, OA, this isn't a project mix.

This is undoubtedly a very conservative mix when you take away the vocals. While the beat didn't necessarily take very many risks, I appreciate the synergy it has with the vocals, which are performed wonderfully. There's a lot more nuance to the lyrical flow than I usually hear from rap submissions, so props to 2p for really bringing his A-game on this track, both on the performance and the lyrics! Good stuff, I think people will enjoy this a lot despite the conservativeness. YES

I think I see what you were going for with the intro, but it honestly feels rather detached from the rest of the arrangement because there's no sound design or any processing done to those synths to help them mix with the rest of the track better. Watch your humanization on the harpsichord at the end too, it's sequenced very rigidly with no dynamics in the velocities/timing. The production is not bad, but your guitar tones could still use some work and the mastering is also very quiet. More importantly, this is pretty much a straight cover and would need a lot more personalization on the arrangement to stand up to OCR's standards. However, there's some strong parts in this mix that definitely have merit. Your performances are pretty strong, and I really like how you integrated non-rock instrumentation elsewhere in the song (the piano breakdown was well-executed particularly.) Your drumming was really neat, too. Keep sending stuff our way, I think you've got a ton of potential but this track's not doing it for me. NO

This is the kind of song that definitely takes a few listens to really wrap your head around. This is one of the most unconventional sound pallets I've encountered as a judge... On paper, you wouldn't think that hip-hop beats, heavily-modified vibraphones, live violin and a very liberal helping of dBlue Glitch would really click. In practice, though, the combination actually works spectacularly, and you couldn't have picked a better source to use it on. If I had to critique anything I'd say that the glitching effects felt phoned and random at times, like there wasn't a ton of thought put into making it sync up well with the rest of the song. It doesn't really affect my enjoyment of the song, but a little more delicacy in applying glitch effects would have improved this, I think. Still, well above the bar, thanks for throwing something truly unique and creative our way. I really appreciate listening to this sort of thing! YES

Umm, so... stuff. Enchanted is now a collab between The Concrete Men (Jason Covenant, Flexstyle, and AkumajoBelmont) and I've heard an updated WIP for it. It's like the 6th different iteration this track has gone through but with any luck, this latest concept will stick! Water World (ambient) is getting there, Theophany gave me an update today and it utilizes some really cool sampling techniques... specifically, sampling instruments from other project remixes! I'll leave the details a surprise but it's sounding killer. Stilt Village GBA is about 90% done, and veteran-badass Fishy is gonna be laying down some sex to round the track off. It's officially the longest song on the project now, so be prepared! That's it. Once that's done, we're pretty much ready to prep for release. Project eval is already underway and it's looking fine... so this is really truly wrapping up now. I swear.

Your intro serves as a really cool buildup but I feel like the soundscape is just too empty for it to really be effective. Analyzing your arrangement overall, I really don't feel like I can tell what your intention is with each section. I can never really tell when the track is supposed to be at full intensity and when you're in intro/breakdown mode, and I think a lot of it has to do with how quiet your master volume is. At a normal listening volume, the entire song sounds like it's still supposed to be building up to something. Your drums are also problematic - while they're well-written, the lack of any sort of audible kick drum contributes to the same problem I mentioned above. Some of your synth leads are really quiet too Basically, this boils down to a balance/production issue and, to a much lesser extent, conservativeness problems. I think this track is definitely salvageable and thanks to some awesome soloing/synth writing (the guitar performance was absolutely killer,) it would be very well worth it to do so. However, you'd need a revamp on the production to really make it work, I think. NO (resub)

I'm pretty much in agreement here with the other judges, this is a strong arrangement with a lot of merit that would sound right at home in a console version of Pokemon G/S, but your production/sequencing is hindering the track just a bit too much, as well as a rather directionless progression. Basically, with some work on some of your backing instrumentation, like the strings, to make them sound a bit less rigid when they're exposed (i.e. during the intro) and a revamp on your drums so they're more defined and a little bit less distorted/indistinct, this would be okay on the production side. Arrangement-wise, I don't feel like your original writing is detached from the source usage. My concern is that the arrangement just doesn't seem to go anywhere, there's no dynamic curve. It feels like you should be working towards a more dramatic climax instead of staying at the same energy level for pretty much the whole song. I think that altering your supporting instrumentation to rise and fall with the rest of the song would also help solve the cut-and-paste issue that DragonAvenger pointed out during the second half of the remix. This is really neat though, I love hearing old Pokemon chiptunes updated to be more reflective of the area they represent. This does a great job expanding on the source, but the production/arrangement just need some more TLC. We hope to see you again soon! NO (resubmit!)

This feels significantly more full-bodied than a lot of the mixes I'm used to hearing from you, and the results are spectacular The much-needed low end presence helps balance your overall mix so that the chiptune sounds don't come off so grating on the ears. Instead, you were able to utilize those sharp chiptune sounds in a much more relaxed, mellow context and I'm extremely happy with the results Glad you took some feedback to heart, this really does sound like some of your best work to date. The arrangement here is pretty basic but I feel like the expansive soundscape, coupled with a lot of original countermelodies is enough to sell me on this mix. Keep it up Greg! YES

Really neat track, I love the warm atmosphere set up by the pads/acoustic instruments and how they contrast with the more aggressive/raw sounding synths. It's a cool experimental mix that shows off your knack for coming up with unique hybrid soundscapes that have probably never been done before, and I think people will appreciate the creativity that went into this. I'm also impressed with how quickly you picked up the saxophone and were able to learn it well enough to include in a mix. Not much to say here, it's quirky, fun, and reasonably well-executed. Dig it! YES

Honestly, I have no idea when it's coming out We were initially looking at March, but there's a lot of other albums that we're really just not sure where they'll fit in the release schedule. All I can say is that I'm really trying to put the pressure on the remaining artists to get this finished up, but the eval process is already underway. I was being a bit facetious in the conversation with Strader (as I always am when talking to him) so I don't think March is out of the question but it's far, far from set in stone. Hopefully that clears up any confusion about what the status is here. Sorry to unintentionally get your hopes up and/or crush them prematurely. When I know, you guys will know. EDIT: Also, Brandon, you a stupid ho! you a, you a stupid ho!

By far the best happy-hardcore offering on the site, I mentioned in my vote (and I believe this might have been my first vote cast as a judge, as an aside!) that this toes the line nicely between being a serious attempt in the genre and being a self-parody, of sorts, and I think you know exactly how to meld the best of both worlds. I'm not gonna lie, I laughed when that obnoxiously loud happy-hardcore kick/bass combo dropped in, rocked out for a few bars, then it moved right back into the kind of clear, punchy Flexstyle production I know and love. Very slick mix dude, I think you achieved everything you wanted to with this track!

Great debut, Greg The mix runs pretty long but I think the length is warranted, you've got a very dynamic arrangement that stays pretty safe for the most part, but covers a LOT of melodic ground. The arrangement almost feels like a one born from a stream-of-consciousness train of thought, which I think is the best way to handle this particular source. Nice to actually be able to hear some bass in one of your mixes too, dude

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!