Palpable

My girlfriend and I performed a song for the OCR Panel at AnimeUSA last year and I have almost no memory of playing the song, even right after I finished it. I think I was super-focused while playing to the point of not being aware of anything else, and so I wasn't concentrating on remembering it. Even if it's not the same thing, it seems like a similar result. I know when I was first creating music I used to associate keys with colors; a major key song I wrote would be yellow, another one would be light blue, while minor keys would be darker blues and purples. I don't really see things that way anymore. I still get visuals when I listen to music but they're much more concrete, like imaginary music videos or movie footage that fit the style.

Huge improvement over the last version. I'm definitely feeling the clarity here and I think the production is very close to the quality of the arrangement now. I agree with Larry that the bubble synth lead doesn't fit into the soundscape quite as well as it should, but for the most part it works. It can be a difficult decision when you know the remixer can't do a resubmit, but this time it wasn't. This version definitely passes the bar for me on both ends. It's mixed a little sizzly, sure, but not to the point where my ears are bothering me for it. I think it's super-hot (in the non-sizzly sense) and I'd be proud to have it on the front page. YES

I liked the sound of the opening organ, but sad it say, it fell apart as soon as the drums came in. Your actual arrangement ideas aren't bad at all, but the song needs a lot of work in execution. The parts sound pretty stiff and unrealistic, and I thought the solos sounded really mechanical. Maybe it's just the instrument you chose - some of the samples are awful, frankly, especially the drum sounds. They're extremely thin and low-quality. You just can't do that drum solo at the end with sounds like you have. There's also a couple sections where the notes clash, like in the main riff, at 0:04-0:07. The first time I thought it was alright, but after the fourth time of hearing that same discord, it really got to me. But the production is the big problem here. Don't get discouraged, William, but I think you have a long way to go. The WIP forums at OCRemix are a great way to get feedback as you go along and I'd suggest making use of them. NO

I think sometimes the lead goes a bit too haywire, but this has a fantastic atmosphere. And damn I love your Rhodes/EP. Seriously, use that in every song you ever do.

Awesome arrangement, Justin. Much as I love CT's soundtrack, I was always thought the battle theme was kind of dorky. This was a really crunchy, high-energy take on the theme that really did it justice. The cameos were worked in well and they provided good contrast to the main theme. The ending was abrupt (actually, the beginning too) but that's very minor. If you do end up going back to work on this, even a concluding cymbal crash would probably be enough. Soundscape was a little cluttered but for the most part, things were easy to hear. I sort of agree with Mattias' comment that it sounds mono, but decided it was good enough as is. Volume should come up before this passes though. Good work, dude! Me likey. YES (conditional on volume)

Very cool intro. I'm sort of sucker for delay on guitar, and your intro created a great initial mood. It was disappointing to see the arrangement stick so closely to the original song after that. Some flourishes on the lead or backing guitars like the stuff you had at 0:51, or new chords or harmonies, would put this over our bar. The drums had some cool variation and I think those are alright as they are. The mixing could have used some work. The overall picture was skewed towards the low-end, and I felt like that lead really needed to cut through the soundscape. Try boosting the highs on it to get a stronger sound. Right now, the elements that are cutting through the most are the hi-hats! It's also muddy and the elements are indistinct. Particularly when you lay on the kick like at 2:44, it's very muddy. Try rolling off some of the low-end from the guitars to get more clarity in the lower regions as a start, then see if other bands need to be cut. I'd love to see you rework this one because it has potential. The performances are very good and I like the sound. If not, I do hope you contribute more in the future! NO(resubmit)

John sent me a remastered version. String intro sounds a little less stiff, though I don't think the instruments have changed any. I think it's just the way it's EQed. You may want to take a listen, Mattias: http://media.putfile.com/Prometheus-PiratesOfOblivion-FinishedV1 Also, Larry, John changed his remixer name to his real name, John Revoredo.

I LOVE this. I was totally feeling your concept, and I thought it really captured the mood you were going for. The textures were unique and incredible, especially the section incorporating vocals (?) at 1:08. This had an amazing sound and it used the source well. The synth at 1:45 does sound a little cheap and behind the beat, but I didn't see it as a very big thing. It's a background instrument so it isn't too prominent, and I thought the late timing actually added to the song! We had a recent submission that sounded wobbly and off, and I couldn't tell if it was intentional or not. With your song, I can tell the off bits are intentional - the weird timing, the slightly out-of-tune instruments. Or if they're not intentional, at least they enhance the piece rather than detracting. The only other criticism Larry and Mattias brought up that I'd agree with is that it's repetitive at times. But I felt it had a lot of subtle detail to make up for it, and the song stayed interesting the entire duration. I think this will probably get NOed, but I'm going with YES because I thought it was great. There really isn't much I think you should change! YES

C'mon, really? Really? NO I did enjoy listening to the source though, so thanks for picking it.

Get well, dude. What you've given this community is amazing and I know you have more to give.

I wasn't feeling this quite as much as Larry, I'm afraid. While I think the treatment of the source was cool, the arrangement felt lacking in a few places. The first 1:37 didn't have enough variation to sustain interest. I understand trance is... trance, but it felt like a lot of the instruments were static, just stuck in loops rather than rising and falling? I think some filter sweeping stuff might have added more variation along the lines I'm looking for, maybe some slight change-ups in the drums too. Also, in the breakdown, the instruments coming in at 1:51 really clashed with the melody and I thought it only started to gel again at 2:05. From there till the end of the song, it worked pretty well though, and the return of the chorus was especially strong, particularly the use of the countermelody to back it up. The production also had one problem area, which was the clarity of your parts. Up until 1:51, it sounds alright, but at that point, there's too much going on and it's hard to hear things. 2:46 had even more going on, and the backing instruments start to get lost underneath the GIANT TRANCE LEAD TM. The lead sounds like it's on the verge of clipping much of the time, and I think you need to make use of EQ to carve out space for all your parts. It's definitely close for me, but I feel like putting all the problems together makes this a NO. Maybe I'm being too hard on this, and the rest of the vote will swing your way. If not, I encourage you to revisit it, James. NO (resubmit) EDIT (8/2): With the clipping and clarity problems gone, this is stronger. I still feel like there are some arrangement problems, but I'm ok calling this a pass. YES

Cool arrangement, John. I think it plays well off the original melodies and has a lot of variety for a less than 3-minute orchestral song. The transitions were a little abrupt but I think were still handled decently. I especially love the writing in the section beginning at 1:40. Production was a little iffier. I think the majority of the sounds are good, but as noted, the strings in the intro were definitely off. It's only for about 20 seconds though, so I feel it's not a huge part of the song and doesn't need to be fixed given the quality of the rest of the song. I also think the levels are off at times too, but again, not majorly. The glockenspiel seemed loud and boomy, especially around 1:25, and at times the percussion too. In all, I think this was solid work and it can go up as is. Good luck getting those last YESes! YES

Wow, I love this arrangement, and this is pretty much as far out of my element as you get. The switch between the quiet, reverbed parts and the loud parts is awesome. Excellent use of non-musical effects in the background of the quiet parts to set an incredibly creepy tone. The first chorus (er, loud section) is a little abrupt but that's the only thing I would change. Drum writing works fine for me. But the mixing... you're killing me! Those drums sound so tiny next to the guitar. I'm not sure you'd have to do anything more than up the volume (especially on the snare) and fiddle with EQ a little to make everything sit ok. It really hurts the song, unfortunately, because that's the climax. Please please please fix it and resubmit this, Jesse! NO (resubmit)

I think BGC's referring to his anniversary... but we can still congratulate him Have fun, Brad! I just got back from a week-long trip to Virginia Beach with friends, we had a blast. If you're not just gonna be relaxing there, I'd totally recommend kayaking in the area where the dolphins swim by.

Simon must have sent me like ten versions of this song, and I have to say, my favorite one was when he tried the guitar as the lead for most of the song. But I think it's good he stuck to his guns with the keyboard lead, instead of retreating to the sound he's more comfortable with. This has a really pleasant sound to it and I think it's a nice arrangement. And hey, there's still a section where the guitar takes lead. \m/ I still think the drums sit a little strange in the mix, like they're too exposed or something, but overall the levels are good and things are very clear. The lead is a lot stronger, which was my biggest criticism for the last version. Keep doing what you do, Simon! YES

I had to do that with Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, with those stupid seals you have to draw. I must have looked so dumb to anyone watching me.

Ah, I never knew Prince tried to do some VGM work.

This is a delicate piece, and the long stretches of empty space make it nice background music. I really liked the ways the themes intertwined, and I think the writing in places is very inspired. Definitely not the most attention-grabbing arrangement but good for what it is. The volume could definitely come up on this, and a touch more reverb might give it more space to fill the empty parts. I don't think the production is really a problem though, and the tone sounded ok. I enjoyed it as is. YES

Pretty cool arrangement concept. I like the idea of the distorted drums with the piano, and your counter-melodies are good. The song is a little repetitive though and relying on the piano melody until 0:57 and again later took its toll. Try to vary that part a little more. I also thought the drums could have been a little fuller to really provide a beat, and a sub-bass might have rounded out the soundfield. The mixing is definitely off. The drums become hard to hear once more things are added, and the right-hand piano conflicts badly with the strings and later with the synth. You either need to use EQ to separate these instruments better or use different instruments that don't conflict as much. Moving instruments to different octaves can often solve these problems too. At 1:11, it sounded like you had everything right, so maybe refer to that section when trying to slot things together. The piano is also very stiff and that really hurts because of how much the same figure is used. You have to play with volumes and timing, maybe some grace notes, in order to make it sound more human. Decent ideas, but it'll take work to make it sound the way it should. Don't get discouraged, Nick. NO

The Great Dalmuti!

The Bubble Bobble music is awful, and on top of that it loops really quickly, and on top of THAT it's the only song in the game! It reminds me of listening to the radio.

Sometimes Larry says it all. Literally the only thing I would add is that the volume could be increased a little. NO

Definitely not a bad first sub. The performance is pretty good, and I even thought most of the transitions were not as awkward as Larry made out. It kind of reminded me of the Hooked On Classics series, medleys which speed through songs really quickly. I do think there's a few sizable problems. One is that the treatment of each song is on the conservative side and it adds up. Too often it feels like it's going through the motions, only adding a trill and slide here and there. I'd like to see more messing with the melody or the left-hand. You don't have to do too much with it, but these are classic themes - they need some changes to really get set apart. The performance was good, but I thought it was stiff at times, and it made me wonder whether it was played or sequenced. The trills especially came off as awkward because of how stiff they were. The overall sound was muted but it sounded ok. Since you'll probably have to go back to this one, try brightening the sound a little. I think it will take some work to pass this, but the concept is good. Expand on it and send it back to us. NO (resubmit)

So true. The month where I voted in the finals I was voting for Jill, Andy, and SGX because, hell, they had the best music on there. There was a lot of crap, even in the finals, and a few other good songs, but there's a reason I judge for this site. In general, I love the music made by the people that submit here.

Love the opening, but I think at 0:18 the glitches and bass don't quite hit as hard as they should. At 0:29, this problem continues and the instruments you use don't fill out the soundscape enough. That's the biggest problem here. I think some boosts in the upper ranges on some of the percussive elements would make this sound less muted, but you may need some fatter sounds in the lower ranges too. I too felt the percussive mallet added at 0:41 was stiff, a little unsuited for the song, and unrealistic in how fast it played. The organ brought in later had similar problems. However, the lead brought in at 0:53 and 1:47 fit well. I'd say if you're going with fast, rhythmic playing, stick with synths because otherwise it sounds unrealistic and breaks the flow. The quiet piano section was a cool addition that was executed well, but I might suggest filtering the snare lower for a really heavy backbeat sound. All in all, good work, but it needs some fine-tuning. I'd love to hear another version if you guys are willing to rework it. NO (resubmit)