Rozovian

Yes, there's source. Same as in sd3, so I know it well, plus it's one of those often remixed and easily recognized themes. It's there, and it's interpreted. I don't think the Js would have any problem with it. I agree about the quiet sections. A really slow compression coul keep it balanced without much work Then there's a bunch of instruments that don't sound good, simply because of their adsr settings, like the 0:30 trumpet and the 1:20, 2:00, and 3:20 brass. Humanizing them might help, but you might need another set of samples. A lot of it sounds way too dry, too. Needs reverb. Good arrangement, tho. I like it.

Big ass link, and nothing else. No wonder there's no replies to this. Explaining what it is and what kind of feedback you want would probably get you some replies. I'm not familiar with source, but generally speaking, this is pretty cool. It's a little too long, but it was an interesting watch/listen. ppl, I recommend watching this, it's pretty cool. Takes a while to get cool, but it's worth it.

Black Mages. D'oh! I knew I had heard it,other than in the game. And yeah, it's certainly there. Source use is fine, imo. The transition to the new key feels a little too soft for me. Maybe that's just having heard too many church musicians do too many jazz transitions via weird chords in songs that already use more than one key sig. Meh, it works, and it's pretty. I'm wondering what kind of changes you're planning to make to the overall structure and progression, since I can hear a somewhat cohesive progression in this. Either it took me a while to get into it, or I wasn't listening the right way before. Still, since you're gonna clean up some tempo snags and stuff, you might as well put some more work in the overall dynamic progression. I like the basic curve of it, tho. Starts off normal, goes into the staccato section, breaks, goes into the next section, to another hard section, breaks, goes into the soft theme section, turns into the new key and ends pleasantly. Personally, I'd like a really strong section smack in the middle of this so it's building up to that, then winding down for the rest of the track, but that's me. Do whatever you've got planned, it's your remix. This is gonna be great. It's already good, imo.

It's ARGHLOUD! Drop the master compression or volume level a bit, it'll make it easier to hear all the elements in it. I like the new ca 2:00 melody. Nice work. The repetitive overall sound and chord progression is hurting the track a bit, tho fans of the series and soundtrack might have less of a problem with that. The piano rhythm in the bg also contribute to the monotony. One way to break the monotony is to put a lead an octave higher for one of the sections, tho it's of course up to you to decide if it's a good idea. Another would be to break the rhythm. The Moonsong source from Cave Story is pretty repetitive and simplistic, and has a kind'a persistant mood, but DrumUltimA crated a very dynamic track out of that, part of the dynamics come from the breaks at 1:34, 3:21, and 3:43. Naturally, it's not the same style as your piece, but I think there are some things yuou could learn from it. Breaks, yes, but also some things about the drum writing, and altho what Doug used might be a little out of your league for now there's still stuff you can learn about it, like using different rhythms, fills, taking breaks, stuff like that. Other than that, I don't have much to say about the arrangement. The mixing needs some serious work, but you're still working on the arrangement so let's talk about mixing later.

No source problem, no source rant. Hihats feel a bit to strong, could be an EQ thing, could be their panning, idunno. While on the subject of panning, the panning here isn't very balanced. Some sections feel more balanced than others, but when you've got a lot of isntruments at once (0:52), it gets messy, and it's like the track is leaning left. You need to put the lead in the center or balance it up, same with the hardpanned rhtyhm elements - balance them up with something ont he opposite side. The track also feels too soft. A compressor on the master would be nice, a multiband compressor even better. Some of the tracks, percussion and the 0:06 instrument, sound very dry, they could use some reverb and other processing, tho your overall sound is a little more dry than a lot of ocr tracks. Well, that's that. I like it. It's certainly not what I expected, but I don't mind. Good luck with it.

I meant "we" as in "the project", buddy. I had a listen to some of the wips and completed versions we've got for disc 1... It sounds pretty good. Lots of great tracks.

Get rid of the link. This isn't a thread for wips, we've got a dysfunctional forum for that. I do like what you've done with this, but I gotta check with Usa before I can safely say it's in. I think it is, tho. It needs a bit of work cleaning up the sound, there's a lot of piercing frequencies during the first minute, and there's a bunch of clicks and other issues we gotta deal with, but hey, I'm impressed. The arrangement is more than I expected from this track. So get rid of the link. I think you're in.

Some argue that lack of music is also a form of music, and Strike911's example is a good one. Anyway, like so many have said before, music sets the tone of a game, be it to convey character when the technlogy couldn't incorporate voices and faces, or to set the scene. I mean, what would Monkey Island be without the music? Here's an idea, kriss, picka a game where you can shut off the music. Shut it off, and play some other music, from a different game instead. See what effect that has on the mood of the game.

Probably over a thousand, tho I'm not sure they all qualify, some just being sound experiments and stuff like that.

Post #1 updated. And for ppl too lazy to read it, here's the short version: Get your tracks done before christmas! We're planning to release it this winter. Details on post #1.

I've found that it makes things easier sometimes, and have started doing that. I remake the source, or something close to it, then start picking out lil pieces of it, rework those, and they then turn into the remix.

Mixing is terribly muddy, guitars are expectedly awesome, arrangement has some cool changes from source, but is aside from some new chords it's a little too similar to source. Pwnsome, but sounds rushed and, of course, unfinished. Grrr...! Posting in the middle of my wip run...

No actual download? Something from with boo mp3? Kick sounds weird. Like it's only a tap or something. Doesn't match the snare at all. I think you should replace it with something a little stronger. That's it. Some subtle glides and additional chord notes and other things would be nice to spice it up without changing the arrangement, but there's not much else that I can say. This is currently at a point where I remember it too well to be objective and can't really think of much to say without altering the sound significantly. The rest of you readers and listeners should take over, or at least judge whether or not it sounds complete or not. (knowing me, I'll probably listen to next update and spot something new, but.. maybe I'll forget, or be busy, or something)

Okay, here's the feedback. I'm only vaguely familiar with source. I've certainly heard it, but can't remember or recognize it. Could also be that it's pretty late here. You should provide a link to source, if it's on youtube, it's easy to access. I'm just lazy. But no source link, no source comment. If you make some changes in key, it shouldn't feel as repetitive. I don't find it repetitive, tho I can see why some would find it so. The intensity curve is kind'a crazy. Personally, I don't mind listening to something like this, something that just takes me through some bizarre dynamic landscape, but others want a more clear progression. Still, after just two listens, I'm loving it. Most of it, the ending is a little dull, but the rest is just great. I have a lot of respect for people that perform the music. I'm not a piano person so I can't necessarily spot all the flawed intricate details of it, I just attribute them to a realistic performance. Still, this is impressive, so you have the skill to get a remix on the site. I think this arrangement is varied enough, tho some more work on the dynamic progression would be nice. Keep in mind that nobody on the wip board is a Judge™, so don't take anyone's opinions as a sure-fire way to get a remix on the site. Great track. I suppose you mostly have to worry about that perfect performance than anything else. Good luck.

Guitar sounds a little too treble-heavy right now, and it's drowning out everything else. Drop it a notch or two, boost the master compression instead (and it better be a multiband compression, or you're in for all kinds of problems). I could imagine some more interpretation in this. It's mostly the same melodies over and over. Hm... why didn't that bother me last post? Drums could use some more width, especially the kick, imo. Maybe dropping the guiatrs a bit will balance them out more. Bass could use some slight overdrive. That's what I can think of. 'Til next update!

You probably answered them, yeah. I've lost track. it's all saved there, so it's not like I have to remember. The first thing I notice is how the first instrument is both dry and upfront. Some reverb would be nice there, I think the choir could benefit from a little touch of reverb as well. One of the drums is either clipping, or it's otherwise noisy... or it's a synth bass. Doesn't sound that good, tho. The drums don't really feel like the have the punch they could have. Your kick, whatever you're using for a kick, needs more punch, and if that's the noisy one, it needs less of the other low frequencies. (kick punch is usually found in the 80-150Hz range) The "electric guitar" sounds terrible. Takes alot of tweaking and processing weirdness to get a fake guitar to sound like a real one, so you're better off using a more synthetic sound.' Tweaks, fixes, etc. It's only getting better.

Track intro is leaning left. You've got that strum-like synth panned left, and it's screwing with the track balance. 1:14 empty section, and it lasts a bit too long for my tastes. The Js wouldn't like how thin the drums are when exposed there. Change at 2:13 comes a bit too late for my tastes, you could cut some of the repetition between it and 1:14. I'm loving the high bells here, tho, really creepy. 2:48 drumroll into this felt a bit too mechanical, some variation in drum sound in the roll would be nice, even volume, cutoff, anything. By now, the rhythm has gotten a bit tiresome, but this would be the ideal place to change it up. You're back to the main theme now, so you could do something more interesting with the track here. And then it ends. A bit too suddenly. Let it tone down for a few measures, it'll give it a more complete feel. imo, anyway. Doesn't feel as repetitive as last version. I still think you could use a more clear lead, but with the right arrangement tweaks and processing, it could work without one. Good stuff, and good luck with it.

Well, upon relistening, the most annoying thing I hear is how strong the bass is. On good speakers, you'll hear the bass regardless, and on bad ones, it'll just screw up the sound. EQ the bass and the strings (esp. the bass) to not be so heavy on the lows. Another thing is how the drums sound dry, as well as their failure to break through the soundscape. You would have a more clear sound if you'd drop the volume of your strings and your lead. The bass needs some dropping too, but the EQ fix I suggested should take care of that. Reverb on the drums would give them a bit more volume and make them fit in better, but don't add too much or too long reverb. Try some preset room and small hall ones. Compress the kick and snare, and give the kick a bit of an EQ boost of a few dB in the 80-150Hz range, it'll give it more "punch". Also, vary the velocity of the snare, since you use it a lot. You've significantly changed the rhythm of the track, which is good. I can easily hear and recognize the source. Not sure this is a substantial enough arrangement, but soundwise, it's certainly a step away, and there are those intro and outro sections that add to the interpretation quota of the mix. I'll have to re-evaluate it when it's a bit easier to hear the melodies and not get distracted by the loud bass and other issues. The noise loop is this sound within the intro/outro flute sample, most easy to notice in the outro when it's solo. It sounds a bit like running water inside the notes. If you have another sample of that same or a similar instrument, use it. If not, leave it. Not much you can do about short of trying to redraw the waveform by hand (not realistically possible). EQing it would just cut some of its precious high frequencies. The strummed string instrument could use some stereo placement, but since most of what you've got is kind'a upfront, some faint panning might be enough. It could use some EQ cuts, it's a little strong on the lows. Be subtle, don't cut more than a few dB, from around 400Hz and lower. That's my guess, do what sounds best. There's some "minor tweaks" that turned out to be pretty big. Whatever, I think this could be great, so good luck with it.

Okay, this'll turn into a general drum mixing tutorial. I know how to mix them, but not how to find good drum samples. Or rather, I can't afford good drum samples and can't find 'em for free. Reverb is a tricky thing. Don't think of it as adding an effect, think of it as change the shape of the room the drums are in and the material it's made of. Drums tend to work well with a faint room reverb, which is a short one. If you go for a stadium rock sound or something else, you should obviously use other reverb settings, but use a faint room reverb for now. Additionally, compress and EQ each drum individually. Snare, kick, hats, crahes, toms, cowbell... Or group them into groups of similar instruments, like kick, snare, cymbals, and toms. The kick wants to break through the low range, so give it a boost around 80-150 Hz, the snare somewhere a little higher than the kick. it always depends on the samples. Cut the lows and drop the mids of the cymbals. Give the toms a similar treatment as the snare, but be more mindful of the different frequencies for each drum. Compress the drums, too, and this is where it's really important to have separated them onto different tracks (or never have put them on the same track to start with). Compression drops the volume when it reaches a "threshold". If you have a loud kick on the same track as you've got hihats, those hihats are gonna drop in volume whenever the kick is struck. This makes the whole track really annoying to listen to. You need to mix the drums well and make sure to control their individual volumes, or you'll need a multiband compressor on the master channel to combat this. Using a multiband compressor is a good idea in any case. Can't tell you what values are best to put into the compressor, but zircon's guide might have something on that, and if none of the guides do, check google. The order of the effects play an important role in the sound, but I haven't worked enough with drums to be able to tell you what's best there. Experiment. One thing I can tell you, and that's it's usually not a good idea to put the reverb before the compressor. Try it, and you should hear what I mean.

I'm not sure that's a good idea. I follow the threads a lot even when I'm not on a wip run. That means that after most new posts, +1 view count from me. Anybody else following the wip board contributes to that post count too. Making the wip to play when you enter the thread might, for some, mean exposure, but then you have to turn down the computer volume if you're at work or elsewhere where you can't listen. Also, I tend to open a lot of tabs with different wip threads. I'd hate having to go through them all just to stop them from playing. I don't think it'll increase feedback. If people are gonna download/stream and lsiten, they're more likely to provide feedback. Just hearing it is hardly gonna generate feedback posts. Loads of ppl listen to ocremixes, but very few of them actually post reviews. Sorry man, good intentions, but not a good idea, imo. I suspect it'll dissuade dedicated critics (like me) more than it'll attract new ones. Well, it goes on my list when I update it.

Critical is always helpful, even if it doesn't come with advice and suggestions. How about... Critical Good advice Encouraging None of the above And it should come with the option of picking more than one option, save for including the last one in any combination. Still, implementing something like this is gonna take a bit of coding, and the wip board is, last I heard, not among the coding priorities. Anyway, I'm not sure a "do you agree with this post" option is a good idea. Some listeners have no sense of critical listening (or ignore it), and they might disagree with any and all criticism. Allowing ocremixers would be an easy way to make sure they know what they're talking about, but it would both exclude a lot of the aspiring ones, such as ourselves, and in the current state of things, there wouldn't be many on the wip board with that option. -- If you want to help out with the glossary, just PM or email me some of the terms you have trouble with, and I'll make sure to include them. I suppose since the glossary was my idea, I might as well write it. My previous attempts haven't gotten far, but now I know there's some demand for it.

Well, I listed this as a problem, but had a more demanding solution, some new function that djp would have to implement. I guess thread name changing is a more plausible solution. Dunno if vbuletin allows it, but I recall phpbb allowing all kinds of subforum-specific.. stuff. I'll add it to the list... later. It's probably the least demanding of all all the things, so that could be possible. I'll ask the staff, too.

Only if you download it/open it in some player. Just using quicktime or whatever through the browser doesn't, and there are some streaming players that don't show the time. I know I don't always write the time, I usually just say "when the bass comes back in", "at the end of the second part of the intro", "the third iteration of the piano melody", or "half way through the break". Dunno if that's vague enough to fit what you describe (I know this does), but that's what I usually do. Or wait, do I? On one hand, my lazy approach is relatively fast, I don't have to keep the player visible and instead focus on listening and writing the feedback. On the other hand, stating the exact times can be very useful, especially if you can't communicate well enough to the remixer what part you're talking about. Anyway, good point, Dafydd.

Grow some patience, buddy. Feedback come from people, and pople post when they feel like it. Let's say that I post on feedback. I do so when I like to. I say what I like to. I hope it helps when I do provide feedback. This isn't feedback. Not on the music, I mean. I'll probably be back to critique your wip. Just wanted to say that having to wait a day for feedback isn't a big deal. Or at least, it shouldn't be.

That makes it so much easier to complete.