Inv1ctus

The standards are extremely subjective, and so is the criticism of thread-goers sometimes, but its the price you pay around here if you want it submitted. I guess its the dirty taboo that isnt too often discussed. The bottom line is they are looking for high quality mixes, and at its most basic necessity, the concept of judgment is going to be subjective. I agree with you though. When people start telling me what should go where and how i should arrange the music, its a bit silly, unless you are looking for that kind of feedback. The conundrum of music is that anything can be considered music (and in some cultures, literally anything that makes noise is used for music), so notions of subjectivity, however pragmatic, only go as far as the individual experience. Basically what im saying is, here they are looking for the Renoirs and Jan VanEycks of the music world, not so much the Jackson Pollocks. But hey, its their Louvre! They get to decide which pictures to hang on the wall.

wow... a 52 minute endeavor! all i can say is its non-stop insanity, and i love every second. Im envious of the mastering quality.

nothing to critique, but i like it! The only thing i would change if it were me would be to replace that clean lead guitar sounding synth with a live recorded guitar, but obviously not everyone can do that.

can you post it on media fire or soundclick for those of us who dont have access to you tube *cough* at work *cough*cough*

first of all, what?? Second, it sounds to me like your shooting yourself in the foot with self esteem issues. A more self-positive perspective is how you have the confidence to learn how to get better at anything. Otherwise you will suck at everything with the wrong mentality. And third, you end with a should we care about your music question. *scratches head*. That in and of itself is self-defeating. Why would you care if other people care about your music? First of all you would have to post your music for anyone to know. Again, i think the question is based in a lack of self confidence. Why not just post a project and ask for feedback? Nobody needs prepositions of your gear struggles and why it was hard for you to make music. Just do it. Im not trying to be mean, just realistic, and i hope you understand the difference.

lmao from my oc experience i think choice #1 is your most common offender

very relaxing mix... makes me feel like lounging by a pool. lol

Devildriver - The Mountain Celldweller - Switchback Evol Intent - Barrier Break

Ive been gone from the site a few years and would like to start fresh if i can. If its available, I would like to go by: "Inv1ctus" If its taken, then "InvictusOne" and if nothing else, "Loricatus" Thank you Liontamer!

So.. apparently the intentions of this thread were misunderstood: http://ocremix.org/forums/showthread.php?t=27178 I probably should have just posted here, so here goes, *slaps "hi my name is David" sticker to his shirt.* Im looking forward to contributing to these forums again, getting into remixes, and seeing how much has changed. I downloaded a few of the new albums and they sound really good! I also enjoy the interviews and the new interface. Really cool stuff. To those that made comments in the last thread i posted, I really don't get how it was blown out of proportion; don't really care. Anyway, HI! I think its time for a new sig and avatar...

Wow... ok so its been probably half a year since ive been on Oc remix... maybe more... I stopped making remixes for a long time. I dunno i think its just easier and more natural to make my own stuff. I think it might be a nerves thing or something. Anyhow ive been working hard on my own stuff and wanted to post my newest song here. Im not trying to exploit OC Remix, I just wanted to get back in the door here and possibly start working on mixes again. I guess im interested in public thoughts on whether I meet the calibur of oc. Not that I entirely care a ton, but Im just curious. It might sway me to start again. This song is very Nightwish meets Within temptation meets Devil May Cry. TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK! Breathe Again EDIT: Hmm.... not sure where the download problem is coming from. I just tested it and it works. I would upload it to zshare but it was down when I tried. Anyone know any other hosting sites? I looked it up on google, but didnt see anything that caught my eye

one thing i would definitely suggest is starting the piano in the center of the audio scape. Having it panned to the left seems to take away from the soundscape. If you you like that effect, just put less isolated to the right. Since it is the introductory melody, its important that it take center stange IMO. I really like that high-pitched finger cymbal. I Might think about countering it 4 measures in with a real bassy natural percussion drum to help build it in, possibly a timpani or taiko drum (i have no clue what libraries are available for FL studio). Nice remixing of the drums tho! very much provocative and involving.

so the only question left is, so when are you submitting it?

hey barium, I wanted to give you some advice, and i hope you dont take this the wrong way. First let me say, i am by no means a professional remixer, so I wont give too much advice on the actual mechanics of that. I am still learning myself in that regard. At the earlier part of this thread, i recall you mentioning that you were fairly new to remixing. That being said, it seems to me that this may be too ambitious a project to take on at this point in time. Often, it is hard enough to remix 1 song let alone multiple ones. With one song, you have the capability to concentrate on a set of melodies and rhythms that you can work with, which makes for a much easier project. With this song, it seems that the different themes kind of run into each other. Honestly, that is going to be natural since more thought is going into how to make the different songs mesh than how the entire song as a musical thesis sounds as a whole. To begin with, trying to collaborate themes is a tricky business, since they have to naturally flow as they exist, or you could have a big mess on your hands. I have a hard enough time trying to make 1 theme work let alone 2 or more. Im not saying youre not capable, i am just suggesting that it may be too ambitious a task at this point in time. Basically, if it were me, i would shelve the whole project until i felt i had the capability to do it. Im sure you feel capable, especially after working your ass off on 13 different versions ( believe me, thats exactly how many versions i have into my latest mix), but maybe try working on another project for a while that is simpler, and less challenging, so that maybe once you have successfully mastered 1 (granted i dont know if you have or not), maybe you will have a better time trying to remix many. About the piece itself, i think dynamics need to be considered. The piece will come alive if you really take into consideration crescendo and decrescendo. Also, attack would be another thing to think about. With the orchestral instruments, (especially brass), nothing is worse than having mushy attacks trying to re-enforce rhythm. If you can pick from samples with more attack, i would definitely do so. Also, there are many musical textures that make a short appearance and are gone for the rest of the piece. This will detract from the unification of the song as a final product. Using the same instrument textures throughout the piece on different themes would help create a more seamless segue. I would also reconsider some of the textures you are using. That synth-ish trumpet that appears about halfway through the piece doesnt fit the mood or style of the piece IMO. Consider the melody structure as well. MAbe dont completely give the entire melody out right away. Reserve it, and give it out in hints here and there. Do so throughout the entire piece. Dont just say, ok this part is gonna be chrono trigger and this will be mario... Make them apart of each other in a way that is recognizable. Hope that helps

Well i would say the only part of the song i really carved out a lot of sound was from 0:54 to 1:08. I think the really big difference is the fact that i lowered the volume a little. Basically since i have a master compressor, the volume never goes over the peak. When it was at max volume though, sound were competing a lot more and you could feel them pushing for center stage a lot more. Now i feel it is in a spot where it isn't so competitive while still being at full volume. This seems to be a trade off i guess. Although it seems mastered better, it doesn't have that gritty compounded in your face massive sound that came from overcompression if you will. Another issue i realized was that in reason i like to use the "scream" instrument effect a little too much. Basically it distorts sound, which can make it sound really cool. I need to lay off it a bit, which i did with the sound samples, especially the percussion ones. Its a matter of taste, and i guess i am swimming upstream with a background in heavy metal music. I'm trying to make a techno-ish breakbeatish thing and morphing it into this weird metalastrophe ;p All in all i like where it stands right now. The trade offs seem to balance the piece out and it seems more rounded. The main synth (which was on a scream in 2.4) is a lot smoother and actually hearkens back to the "killer cuts" guitar solo sound that was on that track. I'm not saying they are alike, but after listening and giving more thought to the original, i am glad that i chose to make it seem more smooth. The bass is less intense because it is really not going back and forth on those octave notes so much as it was before. However, im sorry i don't think i could possibly let this piece go back to that other sound. In retrospect, this new bass track is a lot more involving i would say. Lets face it. The other bass part was boring. Furthermore, i am interested in whether or not people see any major flaws in this piece. Tell me where you think it is. Calling all snapplemen! if you wanna rip me a new one and tell me its lame, cuss me out, or otherwise slather the forum with your utter hatred at the audio frankenstein i have created, please feel free to do so, so that i may build it better. That way when he eats you, it will be more efficient. I have updated 2.5 with some things, but i figure i will wait to release it when i receive more criticism, since they are noticeable but small things. BTW a big thank you to everyone that has commented on this forum.

glad to be of assistance! i use reason 4.0 so these samples are from "refills" which are libraries available to reason users. (you basically have to get them separately since the libraries that come with reason are slim). 3 japanese taiko drum samples give it that bassy feel, which are from the dorumalia superdrums 8000 refill 2 deep bass drums from the drumomania refill and the same bell sample at different pitches from the drumm demo refill (demo1) so i dont know if that helps but basically to make the sound effects i layered all of those sounds. The bell gives the taiko drums the sharp impact that makes it sound like an anvil. Granted its not perfect, but it works. Hope that helps! You could also search online free libraries out there, i know there are a few forums here even that have links to them.

MMMM MMM progress is fucking tasty. 2.5

It is evident to me that certain aspects of this comment need to be addressed. First and foremost, be assured that despite the intentions of ones input, namely yours, although fiercely abrasive and personal in nature, your remarks still have valid input that I find useful, but more on that later. 1. I believe that my first remix of this song was indeed primitive. Comparing the new version and the original, there is much more variation and diversion, dynamic value, instrument automation, instrument texture, sample usage, and thought given to structure and build. 2. This song has 4 pages of replies because people have at least given thought enough to say that for reason "x", this is a good or bad piece. There are 4 pages because it simply hasn't reached a point where it is evident that it is "complete". This is a work in progress forum. I work, I progress. Commentary is the catalyst for this process. 3. Be more specific when you say it has no sense of anything musical. I find variation, dynamics, structure, texture, melody organization, and timbre all evident in this piece, no matter how poorly executed they may be. 4. Im curious. Define interesting rhythm. If you listened to techno would your head explode? Sure i could forge some crazy drum-n-bass rhythm and paste it in the song, but it has no place here. Emphasis is not given to the percussion simply because that is not the focal point of the song. 5. Compression is a new frontier for me. It is something that was not emphasized in reason 2.5. When i switched to 4.0, I began to learn how compression is used to enhance certain aspects of an instrument. I am still learning what works and what doesn't. Not all of us pop out of our mommas womb and know how to compress and master 15+ instruments. 6. If you recall the original track on SNES, it is fairly simplistic. Although I feel the song has diverged from the original in many ways, i will give more thought to refining melodic structure. 7. If you think it lacks style and originality, i have nothing to argue. That is simply relative opinion, and nothing that helps me or hinders me. 8. If it is too bland and simple, i will give more thought to how it can provoke and interest the mind. 9. Actually, i have failed 13 times, as that is how many different instances i have saved the piece in a different level of progress. Each is 1 step closer to a final product. 10. I am well aware that the "original" soundtrack of this song is not actually the one from snes. I have an snes emulator with the KI ROM, and know exactly what it sounds like. Simply put, i could not find the exact one on the internet to post for comparison. If it really bugs you that much, i dont really care. So why do i find your input valid? Not because your an "overclocked remixer", and surely not because you really kick ass at guitar (which you do), but because despite all your elitist reasons why I should quit and kill myself, I now have a list of things for what i know i need to work on. And im sure you would say im hopeless and theres no reason to try, but hey. Fuck you. I like the progress im making, and it has come a long way. Im going to get it to the point where i think it stands by itself an enjoyable piece of music, whether or not you or anyone else takes interest in it. And finally, you would do well to pull that snapple bottle out of your ass because all thats coming out of your mouth is shit. Do what you do best and stick to making music. Oh and while im at it, heres the fix to the broken link. Im gonna call this one Thanks snappleman! Looking forward to your next post. -David p.s. I just emailed this to 5 of my buddies because i know they are gonna laugh their asses off when they read this.

Bah. ok i think part of the problem is i just built a brand new pc with different sound card and headphones. Monitoring is gonna be a lot different which i wasnt thinking about. After using 2 different sound cards in it (integrated headphone usb soundcard) and soundblaster extreme xfi, the results seem pretty good. So we will call this version Deuce.3

Ok so given that its 3:15am and my ass has to wake up early tomorrow i will spare myself the pain and suffering of describing the long list of changes that have been made. I did a lot and im not sure all the changes are in the right direction. but hey, thats what you guys are for right? I hope its the right way, and i took some more creative liberty. OH if the volume is too soft just let me know, i forgot to up ot before exporting, but i think its still pretty high IMO. I cant listen to it on full volume in winamp without my ears bleeding. CHEERS! Fuckin' version 2.3

HI GUYS!!!! wow... i have been gone for a long long time and havent been able to work on any of my music. I have to say im kind of flattered by the reactions im getting from you guys. I did not expect people to like it that much Anyhow, i have to say im pumped by the input and am gonna get this shit rollin, and might i say its about damn time. I tend to get really involved in projects right until they are completed and then abandon them for no good reason. I must have head problems. OK! Well expect an update really soon, im definitely going to focus all of your input in the next version. Ive decided that i wont work on anything else musically until i get this list done: Killer instinct - Gut instinct (pretty close IMO) FF10 - The wisdom of gagazet (Rejected by judges but supposed to resub) God of War - The wrath of Kratos (Needs a lot of TLC) ok well i think right there is enough to think about for now. Thanks again everyone!

ok list of improvements: new lead synth less clicky bass stereo imaging enhanced bass compression mute automation for fx quality (let me know it this works well or not) less synth instruments overlapping embarassing wrong note changed lead synth is more interesting in melody i dunno, probably a lot more shit i cant remember. also, im sorry guys. i like that snare and thats the way it is. lofl! i TRIED for you... but nay. i like that snare, and therefore it must stay. im saving progress as i go, so if i did something drastically wrong, just let me know and it should be fairly easy to revert. im almost positive this is ready for submission. if anyone thinks im wrong please let me know and tell me why. THANKS! Gut Instinct (The Instinct Remix v2.1).mp3

first of all i want you to know i put a lot of thought into this, and even deliberated over this piece with my girlfriend who holds a bachelors in music education. Her and I have some technical pointers for you. I dont want you to get discouraged, because we have a lot of input regarding this piece. We hope this helps you achieve your goal with this piece. the intro to the piece does not transition into primary melody smoothly. All of the transitions and endings are abrupt. It needs to be smoother and match stylistically. Basically, the intro has a completely different feel from the main melody. The drums are obvious in the introduction, however, probably due to mastering techniques, they fade into the background and become almost nonexistant, which completely takes away from the percussive aspect of the piece. The drums need to come way up, especially the bass drum and snare. If you are not familiar with compression and side chaining techniques, i would suggest reading on the forums on how to do so. If it is a hip hop song, the drum and bass samples are going to be the most important instruments. Also, the solo line is in too high of a register, resulting in a massive treble output that is unbalanced in the frequency spectrum. Its too much of a contrast between that and the bass solo. Contrast is a very good thing to have in a piece, but it is so dramatic that it is detracting to listen to. Try using and experimenting with different types of instrumentation. Moreover, you might want to consider bringing the melody line down an octave. Also, i would suggest spicing up the lead synth solo with some type of phaser or flanger to make it more interesting. It will smooth the feel of the song. As im sure you already know, the piece needs some type of ending. But more than anything else, the piece needs variation in melody to give the listener more to be interested in. I know it is a lot of input, but if you work on these things, you will be much closer to having a song you can post here at ocr. We both wish you luck!

boy you just keep pumping out mixes dont you? i think the problem with the guitar and piano clash is the rhythm. You have two simultaneously. The notation is fine, but none of this instruments is commanding a solid rhythm for another instrument to alternate off of. Essentially, its just like having a bunch of solo instruments. Pick a rthythm to build off of and then use that as the foundation for the song. Nice and pretty tho