Flexstyle

This week's track is likely going to be one I submit to the site. Super happy with where it's at right now. Just gonna let Jordan master it and then I'll be shooting it over to Shariq.

Getting serious early-stages BT vibes from this one. Production is great, soundset is great, and I'd use this in a DJ set in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, I'm not seeing that it makes any substantial arrangement changes from the original. It's practically the same structure, there's no variation on the melody, and even the sounds chosen are all very similar. I'd love to see this get a little more interesting with how you interpret the original song, rather than just giving it a facelift for 2014/2015. Do some riffing on the melodic themes that happen throughout, and I'm on board. I'm probably one of the very biggest EDM advocates here on the site, so please don't take this as a knock against anything you've done--I just think that for it to fit with the site's arrangement requirements, you'll need to do some more work. NO (please resub!)

This has basically got the sound of OCR circa 2006, but I think it works well enough here as well. The boxes are checked: production is passable, source is definitely used effectively throughout, can't really nitpick too much. I think it's a bit odd-sounding if taken as a traditional EDM song, but that's not really the point here. Not getting any opposition from me! YES

I think I get this concept, maybe a little more than Chimpa did, and I suspect that coming into this with fresh ears (I haven't heard the original submission) means I'm a little less critical. The flute doesn't bug me as badly, and that would be a quick fix in a pitch editor anyways--most DAWs include one these days. I do agree that the mixing and production needs to be much better, though. Guitars would be much better served by being double- or quad-tracked, in order to get a much bigger sound. Drums need to be much punchier and "bigger" sounding in general--you'll want to stop by the workshop in order to get some input there, I think. Synths need to be executed more in line with the energy level you're trying to get. That intro definitely needs to be given some TLC in order to lose the stiffness. I am, however, digging a lot of your orchestral sequencing. You've got a good feel for dynamics on that side of things, and I think if you were to collaborate with someone who could execute the production and metal sides of things, you might have something super cool. Essentially, this has some seriously cool arrangement ideas, but the execution just falls down. I'd love to hear this arrangement given new life at some point, but it sounds like you've got a lot of production work to learn before you're able to nail it yourself. Don't get discouraged--that's what the workshop is around for, and it's not like you have to get it absolutely perfect in order to pass the panel. Just gotta kill those big issues off is all. NO

Oh my.

I like this source and am quite happy with where my track is going.

Flexstyle - Desert Catz Laser Power (Shield Sheldon in X-Hunter Stage 1 [X2]) Caffeine Shoveling Hunter Turtloids (Rainy Turtloid in X-Hunter Stage 1 [X2]) X's Demise (Spark Mandrill in X-Hunter Stage 1 [X2])

I'm picking up the mantle for the Desert Catz this week. Expect strange things.

Hey, not bad! Sounds like it would fit pretty well in the existing Smash Bros, and worked really nicely in the video, too. Great work!

Flexstyle - Desert Catz MMMDop (Slash Beast in Doppler Stage 1 [X3]) Tropical Relaxation Method (Cyber Peacock in Doppler Stage 1 [X3]) Beetle Dopplerganger (Ground Scaravich in Doppler Stage 1 [X3])

My first proper interface was an M-Audio Delta 1010LT, which was a PCI interface with mostly RCA inputs and outputs. The drivers have proven to be incredibly stable, and I still use this on my desktop production rig under Windows 8.1, believe it or not. However, it'll be phased out soon whenever I get a new computer, as this definitely won't work with newer computers. I'll second anyone's recommendation for the Focusrite Scarlett series. I personally own a 2i2 and an 18i20 (and yes, I've used this to a great extent in the past, but I am a professional recording engineer, not a hobbyist). The Scarlett series has built a well-deserved reputation on being some of the best bang for the buck you can get--with clean, uncolored mic preamps, very stable drivers, and a nice suite of included plugins, you really can't do any better for the money on any of their interfaces. However, here's some things that I hadn't immediately considered when I purchased the 2i2, for instance: I wish I'd gotten the 2i4. The price difference is not much, and with the 2i4 you get a second set of stereo outputs, as well as MIDI I/O. If you have a piece of gear that doesn't come with a USB port (a lot of older MIDI peripherals, such as synthesizers), or if you're just finding drivers to be a big issue (like I've found with my Akai keyboard on my Yosemite MacBook Pro), then it's nice to be able to just plug into the regular MIDI port and have all the issues disappear. Plus, if you're ever doing some sort of live performance, or just want to have a separate headphones mix from the regular stereo mix, then having the extra set of outputs is nice. My 18i20, of course, is spectacular, and I can do anything I want with the darn thing that I need these days. It's also DEFINITELY OVERKILL for anyone who's not recording 8 inputs at once and trying to do crazy output routing. Some other interfaces I would recommend someone consider if they're looking for a new one in a fairly reasonable price range include the Steinberg UR series, the Native Instruments interfaces (used by my alma mater, the Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences, as part of their new student gear packages these days), and a few others. I can't personally name anything to stay away from, but I do want to caution my fellow PC users that you check and find out if you're able to use a FireWire interface or if you're stuck with USB only. My recommendation for a starter interface would probably be the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 or the 2i4--the 2i4 will probably last you longer and be more versatile in the long run. The drivers are very stable, the installation process is a piece of cake, and it will work well no matter what your DAW is--with the possible exception of Pro Tools, which I've heard has issues with the Scarlett series. I can't confirm or deny that yet, although I should be able to test if anyone wishes me to do so. It's true--I've done good work with just a built-in audio interface and ASIO4ALL. However, that is extra overhead, and I'm simply able to do more no matter what with an external audio interface. With an external interface, I can plug in any microphone I wish, and start recording quickly. With a built-in interface, I am very limited in what kind of sounds I can get. With an external interface, I know that the sound quality is such that I can trust it, and a built-in interface probably won't be nearly as clean. tl;dr Get a good audio interface if you're anything more than a super-green beginner. If you're serious about this at all as even a hobbyist, then an audio interface will be something you find incredibly useful.

Flexstyle - Desert Catz Bounce Too High (Vanishing Gungaroo in Palace Ground [X]) Firefly (Shining Hotarunicus in Palace Ground [X]) Electric Moves & Cephalopod Grooves (Volt Kraken in Palace Ground [X])

shouts to Impact Soundworks for mein piano patch. also you guys, wtf, stop being such creative and awesome people dagnabbit--these songs are, in fact, the bomb. If I end up bored (and have internets) during my 40+ hour travel sesh on Tuesday, I'll see if I can crank out some reviews.

welp, it's as done as it's gonna get...just gotta have my teammate master it and then it's ready to go, I guess.

Nearly done, although if I sub it to OCR (or release it elsewhere) it'll be severely revamped, most likely. It deserves vocals, but doesn't have them.

Nothing new to add from me after the detailed stuff above--it's solid, has a couple issues but definitely above the bar. YES

I always know I should expect something creative from you, Alex, and this is definitely no exception. Nice and cinematic, with a great atmosphere. I second Chimpa's complaint about the drums being a bit loud in comparison to the rest of the project, but it's not so much so that it kills the track. Another issue I have is that a lot of your string runs seem behind the drums a bit--that's usually due to a too-slow attack on the string patch, or just not sequencing it slightly ahead of everything else to compensate. This is obviously not done with an actual orchestra, and if it were sans drums and fun percussive work, I'd probably NO this. As it is, the entire package is cohesive enough to pass muster--to use a cliche, it's definitely greater than the sum of its parts. Mixing is adequate, arrangement is creative and solid, instrumentation is adequate--you're getting a pass from me! YES

This was basically the only possible week during this block of the compo that I could have gone, as I'm out of the country for two weeks starting next week....but I wish I had more time. This week has already been one of the busiest of my year, and I'm really glad I have two teammates for this track, haha.

Since I'm out of the country for a while starting next week, I'll be handling mixing duties for the Desert Catz this week.

Compression does not "destroy" the sound in most use cases. Without compression, we wouldn't have the classic sounds of Pink Floyd, the Beatles, or literally any other major band of the last 70 years. It changes the character of the sound, yes--duh, that's also what EQ, delay, reverb, and literally every other effect out there does. It's incredibly useful as a mix tool--without it, you wouldn't be able to hear half of most vocalists in most music. The instruments would simply drown them out, even if they themselves were uncompressed. To throw away compression completely is asinine. Heck, distortion and overdrive are just extreme compression. Without those, say goodbye to electric guitars, among other things. Enjoy your trip into theoretical la-la land: without compression, modern music sounds terrible (and 99.99% of listeners will agree). I'll be over here getting paid to do the job correctly, like I have been for years.

Awwww yeah, this is one of my favorite VGM sources ever. The arrangement you've done here is simple, but I think it's probably substantive enough to pass muster. I'm not a fan of the ultra muddy sound, though--it's really honestly kinda hard to hear at a normal volume. This could do with some mastering love for sure, at least, and (possibly) a different piano patch, if this was recorded via MIDI. Thinking about how this would sound next to other piano pieces OCR has published, I suspect the listener would have to drastically adjust their listening setup in order to make it seem as though it fit. Should be louder and brighter. Doesn't mean it needs to have its dynamics killed, by any means! Just needs to be more audible. Heck, if you have a .wav or other lossless file of this around, I'd be happy to give it a run through a mastering chain myself. As it stands though, I'm gonna vote as a ... NO (please resub!)

Everyone else has already said the good things--this thing got me ready to kick some punk all over the map with my ultra-grind-leveled team, yo. No complaints here--solid orchestral work, and definitely one of my favorites from you, Alexandre! YES

this competition is gonna rock SO HARD.

^ doesn't get the joke. also vocal haters are so 2005, c'mon, get with the program. I enjoyed this, especially with the Zappa-esque stylings. We need more of those around here.

This is still one of my personal favorite OC ReMixes of all time.