Nutritious

It's Diddy's Kong Quest!!!! Ahhhh! Now that we've established that... Love the D'n'B treatment here. Seems so natural for the source to be used this way. Production is really well handled. Nice balance of bass, beats, lead, & pads. Arrangement-wise, this does stick pretty close to the melodic writing of the original. However, beyond the genre conversion to drum in bass, the bassline/chord structure has been altered, nuances have been added in the lead writing, the flow & builds are altered, and additional parts (like the arp) are also added. While I do agree there's room for originality and expansion, I think this level of arrangement takes it over the bar in that respect. Either that or DNB bias. YES

Really like the use of soloing around the core elements of the original. Good use of the solo writing/performance strengths of both mixers. Good points by J's above. I do agree the central drum pattern could definitely use some variation to break up the repetitiveness. I also did notice the clutter as mentioned before, but in this case, it could be how many chip & percussion instruments are taking up space in the high EQ ranges and clashing with each other. Speaking of which, the backing synth at :58 brought in some really high piercing frequencies that could be rolled off. It actually gets a bit worse with the porta synth at 1:20. Not a big deal, but something to watch for in the future. Overall, solid package here and a fun listen. YES

Sent mine off as well.

1. Hylian Lemon 2. Gario 3. Cosmic Sounds I do want to stress that this was a very close vote for me for both 1st and 3rd place and don't want to discount the solid work supercoolmike put out as well . Great work guys.

Most of the way done, but have to run out for a bit. Will definitely be done before the deadline

Yup, just hearing the established backing track really sold me on the style you were going for. Nice work there. However, I've gotta agree on the lead criticisms - specifically on the sequenced guitar lead. Even for the 80's synth style you've got going here, the overlapping and awkward note transitions, along with a really flat tone, aren't carrying the melody well. The second synth lead, however, actually sounded quite a bit better and more to the style you're trying for. I think it could cut a bit better through the soundfield though, perhaps with a bit more emphasis on high end eq. Arrangement connections were solid with the melodies and it was a nice touch to use the OST intro pattern as part of the background foundation throughout. I do agree that there could be a bit more variation in the backing patterns, however, given the genre this really isn't a big deal to me. I think it's really close TBH, and I'd personally be able to yes a resub with just the lead guitar synth being fixed up and/or replaced and a bit of polish on the other lead. NO resubmit, please

At the very start of the track, I was initially worried on the production side with how things were mixed. The drums (kick specifically) sounded distant and a little too reverbed. The strings are really dry in comparison and sequenced pretty rigidly (I suppose this isn't too uncommon for the genre), but they only served as part of the intro, so no big deal. However, things gelled much better when the rhythm guitars came in. I hear what Andrew's saying on the lead feeling pasted on top of everything else, though I'm not sure it's because the backing rhythm guitars are too low. Maybe it's just the rhythm guitars need a bit more high end eq and the leads need to come down a touch on volume. Hard to say without being hands on with the mix myself. Overall, the production isn't really the dealbreaker for me TBH. Definitely agreeing with the arrangement criticisms, however. This is pretty darn close to straight up cover/genre adaptation and we're really looking for more personalization than this. NO resubmit, please

Thanks, Hylian. I think it would help casuals to vote who aren't participating in the competition if all the info and resources is on the voting thread itself. Speaking of which, I think it would also be helpful to have the voting rules in the first post of that thread as well.

Since part of the voting criteria is based on source usage, it would be really handy to have links to the specifically remixed tracks on the voting thread. Just a suggestion

Great votes above by my fellow J's, so I won't beat a dead horse (too much!). There's quite a bit of crowding in both the density of the part writing and eq levels. The wide-panned backing phased synth is too loud compared to the other elements. Honestly, by the time the melody comes in, there is so much noise already from the busy backing parts that it's almost completely lost. The arrangement is essentially an additive build up (base idea started, elements gradually added), which eventually subtracts and element or two and then brings it back in. As mentioned before, this is basically one idea stretched out the length of the track. Good idea for a dance-y version of the track, but there's quite a bit of work left to be done on both arrangement and production. I'd recommend hitting up the workshop forums for a while to get some (closer to) realtime feedback while revising this one. Good luck to you. EDIT: FYI, doesn't really impact the decision, but the ending cuts out instead of letting the last notes resolved. Something to keep an eye on for the future. NO

Yeah, he basically said he had to shutdown as of 1/1/2015 to avoid the VAT/MOSS mess and wasn't sure at this point whether or not he'll be able to offer his products for sale in the future.

From everything I've read, that's simply not the case. Reference: http://rsmi.com/publications/border-crossing/490-europe-how-european-vat-impacts-us-companies.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/internet/11295953/How-the-EU-is-throttling-online-business-with-idiotic-VAT-reform.html https://econsultancy.com/blog/65810-new-eu-vat-regulations-threaten-small-businesses-vatmoss/ This one seemed particularly applicable: Apparently, the whole point of this was to enforce sales tax upon large US internet-based vendors (like apple itunes and amazon) that were able to previously avoid it. Unfortunately, there's no lower threshold to exlude small companies from being burdened with these requirements, which is what is causing the current uproar. Many people are saying this will actually have the effect of driving businesses towards big resellers or payment processors who have the manpower and scale to comply with the regulations. Now, enforcement is obviously a completely different story. Like you mentioned, the EU lacks jurisdiction against US companies (at least those without a presence in the EU I believe). I've read speculation that a treaty would have to be signed by both countries for that to change.

Thanks for the link, Dave. Gonna pick up Short Noise today. Actually, since this is a German company, I'm assuming it's shutting down midnight local time. So that means a little under 7 hours from now. Looking at the VAT discussion in KVR audio and it looks like a real mess. I wonder how it impacts businesses like Impact Soundworks or OC Records selling to European customers?

Just to clarify (I didn't see it mentioned), but I assume you cannot vote for your own mix?

I can sign off on Palp's source breakdown. The three note pattern is too much of a stretch to call it a connection to the source vocals. Actually, I feel like I can sign off on pretty much his entire vote. Overall, the orchestral elements are well sequenced and produced. I'll add that I felt like the piano at 2:32 sounded a little out of place - both in how it sits in the mix and how it's rigidly sequenced. It sounds like it should be pushed back with some reverb to sit better with the other "wetter" elements. Paired with the violin lead, this is probably the weakest part of the mix. Still, as a whole package, far more production elements worked than didn't work. The arrangement does pass muster for source usage (if barely). I think it's good to go. YES man I'd love to have access to samples like this

Some cool electro elements here I'm really digging. Liking that dark filtered bass synth stab that comes in every once in a while or the sequenced off beat synth stabs. Sounds in general are a mixed bag, though. Keeping in mind that this is an old-school type electro track, I can understand the general simplistic synth choices and drum-machine type beat. However, some of these sound too basic or don't really support the track well. For example, the guitar lead synth (I think I recognize a Sytrus preset here) is doing a ton of work in this track - especially in the latter half, but I found buzzy tone to get grating after a while. The drum kit also comes off as weak sounding, especially in the kick and to a lesser extent the snare. The kick has a lot of presence in the sub bass region and not a lot in eq regions above that. It's just causing a lot of mud in the low end instead of establishing the beat. I'd roll the <50HZ-ish region off and perhaps layer in another kick sample with better presence in the 200-500 range. As for the snare, it's a bit heavy in the mid-high frequencies, without much body in the mid/mid-low range, so it sounds a bit hollow. Also, the hats are a bit hot in the 2KHZ range, so later when things speed up and there are a lot of hat hits, they start to get a bit piercing. Things get really crowded when the guitar synth comes in at :39. There's way too much going on the same mid/low-mid frequency ranges. I think this is one symptom of a general mixing & balance problem with the track. Some elements like the high pitched arpeggio synth (1:10) and the aforementioned guitar synth lead are pretty loud compared to other elements. Speedup at 2:40 felt a bit awkward TBH. I get that the idea is taken from the original, but I'm not sure it really adds much to your mix as a whole. Once it speeds up, despite the increase in volume, things actually end up sounding empty without enough supporting instrumentation to keep the energy of the track. This basically applies to everything after the speedup and a some sections before like 1:01. Arrangement breakdown: :00 - :10 Computer beepy synth alludes to the intro on the OST, though pretty loosely :11 - :18 Similar pattern on the bass staying on root note, and same chord progression in the pad as OST :19 - :39 Melody from :47 of the OST :40 - :59 Simplified/modified synth solo from 1:07 of OST 1:00 - 1:08 Backing follows bass synth at 1:29 of OST 1:09 - 1:18 Original 1:19 - 1:28 Backing follows bass synth at 1:29 of OST 1:29 - 1:38 Original 1:39 - 2:08 Melody from 1:38 in OST 2:09 - 2:35 Melody from 2:09 of the original 2:41 - 4:14 Sped up section from OST 2:41 Overall, there are plenty of clear source connections to link to the original track. However, in general the mix stays pretty close to the same progression and writing from the original. I'd recommend exploring more ways to personalize the flow of the track beyond changing a few melody notes and backing instruments/patterns because right now, some of these sections (2:09 for example) sound more like sound upgrades than actual rearrangements. Minor note: I'm hearing some rendering artifacts in the mix. A few examples are :46, 1:02, 1:05, 1:31, & 2:01 (more later throughout) . You may want to try and identify if there's a specific plugin that's causing these and see if you can mitigate it. Sorry for the lengthy vote here, but I feel like there is quite a bit of work to be done on this one before it'll reach the bar in both arrangement and production. That said, there's no reason to give up. The workshop forums would be a really good resource for getting feedback and improving your craft. Good luck to you. NO

Good points by Wes above. I'd add that all of the instruments sound quite dry, which doesn't help the realism here. Given the genre, I wouldn't add much, but I think this could benefit from a touch of room reverb on pretty much everything. This will help it sound less stiff on the sequencing and help instruments gel better together as a whole. Gonna second the distortion comments about the piano effect at the end. As far as arrangement, I'm not really hearing anything from Wind Scene in the middle third of the track either. It does sort of remind me of some of the music from the 65M BC section of the game (this comes to mind: ), but I haven't found anything that could be called a direct connection.Overall, cool approach and very creative writing ideas. I'd say that either some clarification or additional writing in the middle section to connect this to the OST as well as some production fixes and this should be in good shape. NO resubmit, please

Honestly, for me it depends on the intention & patches utilized. If I'm going for sustained notes/chords/builds for brass and strings, then I always use CC automation. It makes swells and dynamics much easier and more natural sounding (I'm not sure how you'd do things like big french horn swells otherwise). I've found that woodwinds don't sound great with the dynamic crossfade patches in EWQLSO (Silver at least), so I use note velocity even for sustained patches. It likely is a greater time investment for this approach if you're wanting note-by-note dynamic control as you'd need to zoom in and micro manage the automation to coincide with the notes. Still, I feel like it gives more versatility than note velocities.

Sounds interesting. I'll join in.

Very beautiful arrangement and performance here. Sebastien tackles a really delicate source here by keeping things relatively restrained initially, then gradually building as it progresses. :00 - :29 Original :30 - :42 Loose interpretation of the intro to OST :43 - 1:11 A section of OST 1:12 - 1:25 Back to loose intro interpretation 1:26 - 1:50 B section of OST ... 2:15 - 2:51 A section again Gonna go ahead and stop here. Lots of source usage clearly and creatively used throughout. Super nitpicky crit is when it gets louder, it gets a bit crowded in the mid-high range (maybe 2kish?), which could easily be dealt with using a light eq cut. Levels really didn't bother me personally. Great ending too. YES

Pretty catchy source here. I got a weird Xenogears vibe from the part at :08 and later on. Bonds of Sea and Fire or something like that? ANYWAY Really liking the sound of the opening guitars. Nice job blending a very diverse set of instruments here. Everything really works well together here and gets space to not feel cluttered. Lead woodwind is really well executed here. That's super tough to do well. I'm pretty sure I couldn't pull that off unless I (tried to) perform(ed) it. One issue I'll point out is the kick drum sound really boomy (lots of low end), with out much mid/high presence. I have good bass response on these headphones, so I can hear it quite clearly, however I could imagine it sounding pretty weak or just missing on consumer-grade gear. Arrangment-wise, there is a ton of smart uses of both the lead melody and backing parts. This mix overall is quite cohesive for so many arrangers here. Love it. YES

Great vote by Larry above. Flute leads - as a matter of fact, throw in the synth lead as well - sound too stiff and small. Things are definitely crowded in the mid ranges as soon as the guitars and drums join the party. The booming hits towards the end just exacerbate the problem, though only a couple times. Another issue I'm hearing - though not as big of one - is that some of the elements don't quite sound like they're in the same space. You've got some reverbed elements, like strings, choir pad, etc contrasted with pretty dry acoustic drums. Don't go overboard, but see if you can get a touch of verb on the drums to get them to sit better. Sections like the transition at 1:05 sound a bit empty and plodding with the rigid backing parts and drums playing. It's not a big deal, but working a bit to make sections like this more interesting could help things out here. Arrangement has some good ideas here and you've sold the overall song narrative really well. Props here. I'd recommend trying to get better separation between each of the parts with mixing, some eq cuts, and perhaps a bit of tasteful panning. Also, work on your sequencing to get the natural instruments to sound, well, more natural. Working with individual note velocities goes a long way here. NO resubmit, please

Man, Ground Man's theme is so catchy. Cool arrangement ideas on display here for sure. I find myself agreeing with all of the aforementioned points above. Mechanical sequencing (especially on the drums) is holding this back quite a bit. Definite overcompression for a good portion of the track. On a more minor point, the mid ranges sound a bit cluttered as well, though this could very well be cause by the compression as well. It's a great start, but needs tightening up on the production side. NO resubmit, please

Simply stunning track here. Vocals sound fantastic. Solidly produced track. Arrangement is really well thought out an executed as well. Minor nitpick: sounded like a little distortion during the transition at :59 with the levels being pushed a bit too hard. It happens a few times later in the track as well. Gotta watch that... assuming you plan on writing music in the future with a new machine (hope so!). Vocals are a bit loud, but wasn't a big deal to me. Not much more to say. Fantastic. YES

Pretty solid production work with all of the parts coming through clearly. Interesting idea combining these two sources: I'm familiar with both, but never considered the similarities before now. Gonna agree with Larry on the chorus line. The backing instrumentation felt a little off with some of the note choices not quite sounding correct... or seamless.. or something. Hard to put a finger on it, but it's a minor gripe. Growly music obviously isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea (not mine, personally), but that doesn't take away from the fact that this is well performed and produced. YES