Palpable

I've had a problem on 8.1 with some other programs not handling resolution correctly, which I solved like this: This doesn't quite sound like your problem but easy to try.

Sorry Alex, but this doesn't have near the realism needed to carry an orchestral piece like this. Right from the beginning, the repeated notes just don't sound right on those low strings. The mixing doesn't seem quite right on some instruments, and the synth bass is a really unusual choice that sticks out plainly when the orchestra isn't playing as much. There are times when it's obvious patterns are being repeated too. The violin solo near the end is perhaps the most egregious offender - it sounds totally fake and is also strangely written. Even if the arrangement were fantastic (I thought yours was unexciting but solid), the production would sink this. You need to spend a lot more time getting it right. NO

Hello everyone, hope you're all doing well! Contact Information Chernabogue Alexandre Mourey fflproduction.fr / soundcloud.com/chernabogue 20943 Submission Information Sonic the Hedgehog 2 & Sonic Heroes High Adventure Wing Fortress Zone (StH2) & Bingo Highway (SH) This mix was done in a few hours for the 2014 SZRC, held by Superior X. My theme was "Wing Fortress Zone" from Sonic 2, an under-appreciated tune. My first (and only) opponent was Arcaece, with "Bingo Highway", a track composed by a man under the influence of some drugs, or maybe a nuclear holocaust victim who survived through cockroach DNA. Back to the track, I decided to go for epic action orchestra, after being really proud of my first orchestra original, "The Dragon Returns". Finding a good way to arrange "Bingo Highway" as a nightmare, but in the end, the heavy electro stuff mixed well with orchestra. "Wing Fortress" as meant to be covered by an orchestra, so it was easier to take care of that track, and to add original material. Big thanks to Timaeus for his feedback, and to everyone who supported me. Cheers! Wing Fortress Bingo Highway

Man, you really hit that synthwave sound. I'm a huge fan of that era and you did it justice. I also liked the additions you made to the song to make it more melodic. The only critique I really have is that the arrangement uses some of the same patterns too much. There were some good change-ups and subtle automation like melodies getting louder and softer, even some drum fills, but I think the song could have used more. A big thing that would have really sold this song to me was if the lead instruments had more character and performed feel to them, rather than each note sounding the same. Backing instruments can get away with this, but lead instruments need more attention. This is close and I hope you can give us another version. NO (resubmit)

TFA Music Jon Siejka tfamusic.com 50898 Zelda II: The Adventure of Link A Real Adventure Title Theme download link - I was always mesmerized by the intro to this game...the rising melody, the twinkling stars and the sheer epic-ness of it. But I always wished the theme was a bit more melodic! I decided to take the song in an 80s "synthwave" (ex: the Drive soundtrack, Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon, Hotline Miami, etc) direction and really play to that kind of sound. In the course of this I ended up changing the melodies and arrangement a bit to better suit that style. ------------------------------

This song is close to the borderline on multiple fronts. Let's take a look at source usage first. The voice which Brandon claims in used in the original was modified too much to be counted. It's only a three-note phrase and now the intervals are different. Definitely stretched too far IMO. The main melody can be heard from 0:39-1:05, 1:14-1:58, 2:41-2:55, and 3:11-4:07 for a total of 140/273 seconds, so that barely puts it above 50%. Next, the production. This kind of moody, cinematic style is a little outside of Brandon's wheelhouse but I think he did a pretty good job here with the exception of the violin lead used at 2:41. That instrument was a little too cheap sounding compared to the rest but it thankfully only gets used for a few measures. There's also some uneven sequencing here and there (staccato strings at 0:40, some of the percussion in the outro) but nothing terrible. Lastly, we have the writing itself. The harmonic changes don't always work, but for the most part it maintains a good, unsettling dissonance rather than a cover your ears kind of dissonance. It's close vote overall but I'm putting it in Brandon's favor. YES

Can you guys judge "Temporal Duality" from the Sonic CD album please? The title track, I guess. Source: 0:04 - 0:39 in the remix with the voice is supposed to be the voice from the source at 0:00, but not in the weird hard-to-figure-out pitchiness. You also hear that melody on the piano. 0:39 - 1:05 is based on 0:16 in the source. Part of the "melody" is turned into the staccato strings panned leftish, the other part of the melody is still on the piano, listen for the high notes at 0:42 and you will hear it. 1:14 - 1:58 is the same melody from 0:16 with a different treatment.. first on ePiano thing, then on piano. 1:58 - 2:32 is basically the same as the first section, with the voice, but vibes now instead of piano playing the source behind the voice 2:41 - 2:55 the same melody played on lead violin, over original piano, followed by an original solo after 2:55 3:11 - 4:07 or so... the melody from 0:16 in the source, played on various leads, plus you've got the voice in there from the first part again There was also the part in the source at 1:11 that is similar to a lot of the strings (disharmonic) and the undampened kick drum (not timpani) used in the remix. "For the Sonic CD album, instead of making the symphonic metal that was expected, I chose to follow a road less traveled artistically (at least in my repertoire), which was more ambient and disharmonic. I made a lot of mistakes, and structurally went less avant-garde than I had in mind, but still consider this one of my most creative arrangements. With live drums (including an undampened kick drum for the massive BWOMPS) and some tambourine and other stuff, I think the song has great subtlety but also a massive strength to it for some of the crescendos."

Agree with a lot of criticisms mentioned here. The string and guitar samples are incredibly fake, and though the song is not striving for realism, they aren't used well as fake instruments anyway. I think real-sounding instruments would have worked better in this instance. The dubstep sections were actually quite good, with some imaginative automation and sounds, but the trance sections really didn't do much for me. They seemed too heavy on bass, without an instrument taking focus and capturing attention. I didn't feel like the same care was given to the trance sections, so I'd like to see a revision. Wouldn't be the end of the world if this passed - it's close - but not quite there for me. NO (resubmit)

My vote doesn't change. I think the production needs to be a little better for the first 1:23.

Alex did a great job stringing the separate sources into one cohesive piece, and I thought the production was more than solid. With orchestral pieces that aren't as melody-focused, I have a hard time picking out the source. Can someone confirm that the source usage is ok? Dark Knight Artorias was easy to hear, and I caught parts of the other songs, but wanted to double-check that we're above 50% overall (or close to it).

ReMixer - RoeTaKa Name - Alex Roe UserID - 9374 Games Arranged - Dark Souls Arrangement Name - The Fall of Artorias Songs Arranged - Moonlight Butterfly, Knight Artorias, Sif the Great Gret Wolf, Nameless Song (on the OST, Moonlight Butterfly is titled 'Seath the Scaleless' and Sif is titled 'Gwynevere, Princess of Sunlight' for some reason. Knight Artorias is not on the official OST as it was part of the DLC 'Artorias of the Abyss'. Just thought I'd note that, youtubing the songs won't be confusing) Game info - Dark Souls Composers - Motoi Sakuraba Systems - Playstation 3, Xbox 360, PC Comments: Sources: 0:00 - 0:50 = Moonlight Butterfly 0:50 - 1:36 = Knight Artorias 1:43 - 2:30 = Sif, the Great Grey Wolf 2:40 - 3:20 = Knight Artorias 3:27 - 3:48 = Sif, the Great Grey Wolf 4:30 - 5:12 = Nameless Song This arrangement is about the great Artorias and his companion Sif who journey to the Abyss, and inevitably Artorias is consumed by it. I had some ideas about a story but I wanted it to be a bit vague like the game itself, something for you to imagine. Moonlight Butterfly Dark Knight Artorias Great Grey Wolf Sif Nameless Song

The kick/bass seemed a little too fat compared to the thinner mid/high frequency instruments, but that was about the only production issue I noticed and it wasn't much of one. It was a really solid listen and I side with the judges that thought there was enough detail in the writing to keep it engaging. On a surface level, the song uses a few ideas over and over, but at any given moment, the bass will play a funky one-time lick or there'll be some subtle glitching. There's tons of moments like that if you start to look for them. I really enjoyed this. YES Edit (2/26): Vote changed to NO.

3:52-4:23 seems to use the same chords as 33:-1:00 of source with a modification at the end. The bassline is not the same but uses similar notes. I would probably count that section given the chord progression is used earlier in the song and is pretty distinct. That still doesn't put it at 50% but worth noting in case you would count that. My vote is closest to DragonAvenger's. The level of source usage is borderline for me - certainly could use more but I might be ok with passing it with everything else clicking. But it's not. Like DA, I wasn't feeling this song up until 1:23. The opening e-piano and strings are too stiff and there's some dissonance when the beepy synth enters. The fake brass works in some songs, but was way too dry and exposed here. I'd like to see a revision with the bumpier parts smoothed out and some extra source. NO (resubmit)

I like Larry's point that nothing repeats here for the short 2 minutes it lasts. That's salient given that this has the risk of being underdeveloped. I also thought that quite a bit was changed structurally; it was interesting how the countermelody became the main melody of this, and the main melody was only brought in towards the end as a coda. It was well produced and performed too, which always help. Gets the green light from me. YES

By a strange twist of fate, I will be at Magfest this year!

Drawn And Quartered (ReMixer) Colin Draun 32430 (Forum User ID) Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest Voyage of Promise Jib Jig/In A Snow-Bound Land Originally Composed By David Wise The instruments used are primarily the outstanding sound library of IK Multimedia's Miroslav Philharmonik. I used a sound chart to properly mix the orchestra to ensure the full scope. The original arrangement of the rigging level music always seemed to lend itself to a waltz time. There's something distinctly epic about the imagery of a ship sailing on wild open seas, alive with a crew of miscreants with dreams of treasure and discovery. The arrangement just sort of took me to the ice cave music; it just seemed fitting to merge the two into a single piece, and complete the voyage. I invite you aboard. - "Jib Jig" - "In a Snow-Bound Land"

Well, I'll go ahead and put the nail in this one, since I was leaning that way anyway. I really want to hear a live version of this, voice, piano, and drums all, though it sounds like we ain't gonna get it. NO

1. Yes, totally agree. 2. Yes, fake-sounding and not trying to hide it. 3. Yes, groovy. 4. Yes, short. Having a hard time putting a vote on this so I'd like the panel to put their thoughts down on it. My first thought was that the fake lead voice was a little too much (didn't have as big a problem with the bg voices) and that the piano was a little thin and stiff. Everything else sounded pretty much on point - liked the arrangement, liked the treatment of the sources, it was an inspired song. So, leaning no, but would like to hear some other opinions before making a decision.

Remixer: Chimpazilla - 45254 Kristina Scheps chimpazilla@outlook.com http://soundcloud.com/chimpazilla Game arranged: Final Fantasy IV Name of arrangement: "Edward Zorn Gets A Haircut" Name of songs arranged: Edward's theme FF4 vs. Zorn & Thorn's theme from FF9 Edward's theme: Zorn & Thorn's theme: Comments: Hey guyzzz! Here is my round 4 entry from the recent Final Fantasy Crystal Clash compo. It is a blend of "Edward's theme" from FF4 and "Zorn & Thorn" theme from FF9. My mix is titled "Edward Zorn Gets a Haircut." Listen to it with the following warnings in mind: 1. This mix is seriously catchy. Be prepared to have it stuck in your head for quite awhile after you hear it. Hopefully this is a good thing, but consider yourself warned. 2. Yes, the voices are fake. The mix came into being because I started messing around with Omnisphere's "jazz voices" samples. (what better time than a compo to try things you've never done, right?) I'm sure they were never intended to be used as leads, but wow, that harmony! So yes, I am aware that the vocal samples are fake-sounding. Anyone who feels the need to point out to me that they are fake-sounding will receive a tomato to the face. 3. Anyone who says this mix is not seriously groovy despite the fakeness of the samples will likewise receive a tomato directly to the face. Don't say you weren't warned. 4. It's short, I know, I know. Shortest thing I've ever written. But do you really need more of it? There is ONE real vocal sample in this mix. The final "yeah" was recorded by our own XPRTNovice. Thanks Joe! tl;dr - so fake, many harmony, much yeah Source usage: Intro (0:00 to 0:07) is Zorn & Thorn Main verse (0:20 to 0:47) is Edward Chorus (0:47 to 1:14) is Edward. The trumpets in this section are playing the Zorn & Thorn theme, but in reverse order from the source. Transition verse (1:14 to 1:26) is Zorn & Thorn Final verse (1:28 to end) is Edward

ReMixer - RoeTaKa Name - Alex Roe Email - UserID - 9374 Games Arranged - Demon's Souls Arrangement Name - Epitaph for Boletaria Songs Arranged - The Beginning, Maiden in Black, Return to Slumber Game info - Demon's Souls Composers - Shunsuke Kida Systems - Playstation 3 Comments: Over Thanksgiving there was Souls-Giving (2013). Many souls came together for jolly cooperation...and I missed it. But I was there in spirit! Anyway, Demon's Souls blew me away. It really was one of those games where I thought "psh what's all the fuss about, can't be that good" and then I didn't leave the house. This is an arrangement of a few different songs. It mainly blends the steady rhythm from 'The Beginning' with 'Maiden in Black' and ends with 'Return to Slumber' as a big finish. I'm very fond of the pauses that were in 'Maiden in Black' because it created such atmosphere...but how do you remix silence? I had to fill up that space and by keeping the rhythm going and playing the strings off one another I thought it paid off well enough. I usually always like to use some percussion but this has none, it's pretty emotive. Even though it's very orchestral and string dominant, I hope it feels unique in its own way. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Beginning Maiden in Black Return to Slumber

I like this. Pretty good production, interesting adaptation of the original melodies from the SSBB theme, and overall a pleasant listen. I'm not surprised you got that many views out of this because it's got a lot going for it. The two problems I saw were a) the repetition that has been mentioned, and too simple drum and synth patterns, which was only a problem because of how much they were used. Both of those problems could be fixed by varying things up in the second half. Would like to see another revision of this, if you're up for it. NO (resubmit)

There's some minor production things that could be cleaned up - exposed strings at 0:48, mechanical drums/piano in the second half - but nothing egregious. It's actually really well put-together. I read Kris and Joel's comments before listening and saw they mentioned an awkward transition, and I assumed it was the one at 2:21, which struck me as a very Dream Theater thing to do. A bit too abrupt for a tempo and instrument change, but not a dealbreaker imo. But of course, they were really talking about the second transition at 3:08, which is a dealbreaker. There's really no connection to the first half of the song. It sounds like the band finished their song and the next guys are rushing onstage. I don't think you need to do much to get this sounding fully cohesive; in fact, I really like Joel's suggestion to have the guitar play against the sax. NO (resubmit)

Whoa, a lot changed in this version. I really like the new intro but I gotta agree with the last two votes that the compression was way too much here. The difference between the quiet and intense sections was too drastic too, I thought. I think you could dial back the compression from the crazier sections to start, and then maybe close the dynamic gap if needed. Clem's comment about the kick was also spot-on. Overall, I really like the changes to the instruments, especially removing that glassy lead from the forefront that was in the last version. The piano is not a perfect fit but it sounds much better. It's a much more cohesive piece and just needs some last few touches on the production. 95% there. NO (resubmit)

From the first decision thread for this song: So happy that Nostal was able to find more source to fit into this. I relistened to the version we passed and the way the instruments are put together really hits those happy synapses in my brain. Science! Awesome follow-up to the incredible Ocarina of Time mix - Nostal is very much on my radar.

Not bad, especially if you're just starting out. Your sense of balancing instrument volumes and using different instruments to cover the sound spectrum is pretty good. The section at 0:53 in the first song was probably the best part, but the sections before it needed more humanizing of the piano and bass (so that every note is not played at the same volume, timing, length of note), and perhaps a different piano sample or just a reduction in volume on it so it fits better into the soundscape. The writing is ok, a little directionless, but since it's only a minute and a half, I guess you could take it a lot of different places. Hope this helps.