Gario

Ooo, this is pretty cool. I'd like to hear it filled in with them strings and piano, but for now it's a pretty fun listen.

That works surprisingly well. Nice combinations of chips and guitar, and nice arrangement of Rachel and Locke's theme. Nice to see you again, JAXX!

Oh hey, I got mine in today. Tinkered with it a little bit, got the firmware updated, etc. It's pretty much what I'd expect it to be, at this stage - fun little games on there and some emulators. Controls are tight (save for a moment when it felt like it got stuck on a command in one game - could have been the game, as that didn't happen again), so no worries there. The touchpad will take some getting used to though. The controller is comfortable, too. The interface is alright. The exiting method for the games are a bit inconsistent, but the controller has a hard exit option on it, so it's not too big of an issue, Some of the games are actually pretty fun, and it's nice to see that there are plenty of exclusives on there already (even though there currently isn't anything TOO spectacular - for a few months time for development, though, some of them are great). The FtP and demo model of showing off games (as I haven't purchased any games yet) actually works pretty well, so far, and I've seen various methods of implementing it already (in Canabalt, for example, you can play five free attempts per day, unless you pay, and FFIII you could play for a short time before you needed to pay up). I think it can work for the company, if they stick to it. Shuttle Rush was pretty fun, too (nice work, DaMonz!) It's pretty much what I expected the system to be for 100$. I haven't checked out too many games yet (there are a surprising number, considering this is pre-launch), but in time I'll have a more rounded idea of what this system is capable of.

Oh yeah, this project was a thing. brb, gonna make a mix, lawl

Mmm, if you're not sure if the arrangement will fit the criteria after reading the guidelines you could also create a thread in the WIP forum posting a MIDI of the arrangement (assuming it isn't hand written). If you need specific feedback on it, message a workshop mod asking for help once it's posted in the forum - it's what we're here for.

I can't avoid hearing the Sword of Phallis in that video.

I've done it, but I do hope you're getting a response outside of OCR if you're getting a sample of the FB population - a bunch of people from OCR is hardly a representative sample

I think the simple answer is that the tropes about men is entirely men's fault. If guys didn't want it then they'd stop making these tropes so prominent. If there is evidence that women are in fact perpetuating this trope and men can't do much about it then bring it to the table, too.

Yeah, but mine doesn't run games very well (anything post UT3 engine runs either sub-optimally or is unplayable on my hardware), nor was it designed to. A lot of people don't have PCs dedicated to gaming - assuming that much is silly. I personally would need to invest in either beefing my laptop up significantly or investing in a desktop to be able to play the latest steam games at a good frame rate and resolution. Quite a bit more than 100$. No, it did not cost you 0$ for your PC. If I recall, you recently got a pretty powerful machine, didn't you? That cost is your console cost - you can't cut that cost out just because you didn't beef it specifically for gaming. For any argument bringing a PC onto the table, this is the case. To get a modest PC with around the specs given on the OUYA (~2 ghz processor, 1 gb RAM, no dedicated video card) it cost me about 160$. This computer, mind you, will not be able to run games at any decent frame rate, and in many cases will have compatibility issues that would cost hundreds of dollars to fix. That's not to mention a screen for the computer (I left that out in case you wanted to use cables to hook to a television), and the cost of an operating system (Linux is free, but then you come across more compatibility issues and emulation slowdown, in the case of using Wine for running Windows programs). A good computer that will run all the more recent games that you want at a good speed & resolution runs at a price higher than any console currently on the market, if you're really trying to make something that will run games optimally (which a dedicated console like OUYA will presumably do, by default, since designers will be designing for the console). Even if you can haggle the prices a little bit, there is no way that you can make a machine that's decent at running games at OUYA's specs for under 100$. Just for the PC argument that keeps flying around, for some reason.

Any and all arguments for and against the Ouya are based 110% on speculation (Good games can be made quickly enough to enjoy in the near future, and comparing a system price to an ebay auction is silly; wait for an Ouya to go on ebay for 50-60% off retail before making a comparison) - the system has not launched with all of it's capabilities, yet. Even when everybody gets theirs from the preorder batch, it'll be far too soon to make any real assessment on the system, since it's not really complete yet (to be completed before launch in June using updates and taking in feedback from it's users). Rather than making a prediction on something for the sole purpose on bragging rights if your prediction comes true, why not simply wait and see what comes out of it? It's not like you can prevent people from making poor purchasing choices when they've made the purchase nearly a year ago. Relax, open a beer and wait for the results in two months. That way you'll have real data to work off of rather than guesses on something which is relatively unexplored territory. Or not. I'm just throwing that out there to save a few bursting blood vessles. I'll personally wait judging it until I've played it for a month or two.

Yeah, I didn't read that. I read that some games had a latency problem, which could just as likely be a problem on the developer's side. The review said that other than the battery inputs (which seemed flimsy) and the latency (not pinning it on the OUYA controllers just yet) the controllers were quite enjoyable. I don't know what the business against the 'A' was - on the SNES the 'A' was exactly where the OUYA 'A' is...

I thought the review from The Verge was fair, if a little misinformed (though that score doesn't seem to reflect what they said about it, nor does it consider price point). The biggest sin they commit (and probably what landed a low score, to begin with) is that they wonder why the console launched before it was ready to launch (bugs, lack of games, etc.), when the console doesn't launch until June 4th. The consoles that people are now getting are in fact a sort 'Beta' test of the console, according to OUYA, one that will increase the features & games that the console has over time. To consider the current roll out of systems the 'launch' date is silly.

I was just playing Tie Fighter literally not one week ago. This company's demise is truly sad news, indeed.

I think we ninja'd each other, there. The difference between the other video people (who make their videos for sponsor money) and hers (who made her money from the people's own money) is precisely where the money came from, for the consumer. If you paid for it, then yeah, you expect people to at least be courteous about it and extend at least a word to let the audience know s/he's still working on it. I'll patiently wait for her next video - she can take her time if she wants to. It would be a gesture in good faith if she let her public know when they would come out. See, before the video was released she would send an e-mail every so often to express her progress on her series to her supporters, and express her gratitude on the project. Now that the first is released, nothing. No mention of progress, no hint that it's around the corner. It's not only an issue of slow release, but also an issue of dropping the public relations ball when she started to get things rolling. Even other video makers (AVGN, TGWTG, EC, etc.) keeps their audiences informed of video progress and/or delays, if it's applicable (AVGN let people know not to expect videos regularly due to the movie, TGWTG tells people about delays in production, as well as EC, etc.). I don't demand a time table, per se, but seeing that it's something that other video makers do for their audiences (even if it's just gestures stating that they're working on it or that there is a delay) it's something that's expected. It's actually a complaint I have against the ERB series too, when they have a larger than a month delay in their production, since they claim it's a monthly production. Free, yeah, but they also get their money from the public viewing their material so video makers should a the very least respect the audience. Doug Walker (TGWTG) actually expresses a similar sentiment in this video, I believe, at about 8:00 on. It's not quite the same Eh, people will get over it (it's a very mild annoyance for me, personally - I don't think about it save for when I see it in this thread), but it is rude to be silent with an expectant audience, especially those that contributed to it personally.

Yeah, I've been wondering about this, myself. The lack of time table is also certainly troublesome. Yeah, but in the case of those videos they weren't paid 160k$ to do so, so no one expects them to come out regularly (unless otherwise noted, like Nostalgia Critic and Extra Credits). Comparing free videos to one with such a large budget from a kickstarter specifically aimed toward those videos isn't exactly fair - I don't think anyone thought it would take over a year to see the fruit of their donations. At least let the public know when they can expect the release of the videos.

I'm up for hanging out with ya when you get to LA. Be sure to keep me posted!

Haha, I know the project feeling, bro. Here's a suggestion on this track, though - if you don't know what to include without sounding like other people, why not try adding everything in all at once, making it an ultra-blend of sorts? Violin/chiptune/electric lead guitar/Avaris combo would end up sounding ironically unique. Also, thanks for the Zeal Feels Good love - always nice to hear.

MOD REVIEW Well, it's not too bad for a first attempt. Not something that will get on OCR, but it's better than other first attempts I've heard in the past. I take it you were going for a calm, orchestra approach. I personally liked the instrument choices, but I feel that you need to learn how to make an orchestra sound convincing. Everything is played at the same volume note to note. I promise you there are no instruments that play the same dynamically throughout a song - it just sounds flat. There's also the issue of every strike sounding the same; instruments shape and swell over phrases in real life, so if you want a convincing orchestral piece you'd need to do that in your DAW, as well. Overall, the piece is too quiet. I suspect one reason of this is because you your super reverb-y harps taking up all the sonic space, not allowing you to increase volume without clipping there. This is a great instance of why it's important to balance your instruments throughout the track - if one is significantly louder than another, it simply ruins your ability to raise the volumes to significant levels without insane levels of clipping. Speaking of balance, there's the issue of bringing out instruments that are important (like the flute) and bringing down instruments that are not as significant (like the non-melody arpeggios of that run). Seriously, try it yourself on this track and listen to how much more focus can be brought out in this track when you balance the flute more to the front of the mix (meaning making it stand out, volume-wise) while bringing things like the non-melody harp arps to the back (lowering them in volume compared to everything else) - you'll be shocked just how much of an improvement it'll give your track. Arrangement-wise, it's structure does actually lend itself to something that could be considered on OCR (it's not a cover of the track, yet the source is there), but it's very hollow. It doesn't fill the space with very much, relying on singleton instruments or groups of two (without this track actually being a solo or duet). It would need a lot of interesting texture work and a more full orchestral sound for it to work. There is a lot to know about arranging music on a DAW, as you're probably learning right now. Notice all that you need to consider about writing an orchestral track, for example - without even getting into production details (the trick is trying to get louder without losing any quality; that's where you'll start needing to dabble in production values). This track won't pass on OCR, nor is it close to the standard, yet. Arranging music on a DAW takes years to learn, though, even for a seasoned musician (took me about five years to get where I am today... and that was with 8 years of musicianship prior), but it's very worth it, in the end. Go out and read up tutorials on how to use Reaper, how to write orchestrally (or whatever style you're interested in) in production and on what plug ins are great for you, and be ready to invest a lot of time into this craft. People are willing to help you along the way, so don't be afraid to show us what you've got when you have it (like with this track here). Hope this helps you out a bit. Good luck, man.

Mmm, tasty mix. I really enjoy contrasting this track to your last one - they kind of belong to one another, as a pumping beat and a reprieve. Very well done, you guys.

There was a lot of good that's coming from that. It might, MIGHT be time for me to upgrade from R5 in the near future...

Hey man, happy birthday! Without you, I'm not sure we'd have ever have gotten what Mickey Mouse's name was in Swedish. Thank you.

If it didn't have many issues/problems then it wouldn't make sense to pick that out - people only tug on what they can take advantage of. While Brushfire's video targets Feminist Frequency aggressively, I didn't think the points he made were off, providing that they're true (won't make that assumption, myself, nor do I care to do the research). No matter the side, my personal pet peeve is when someone shuts down reasonable argument in one form or another, which while I haven't had any arguments with Anita personally I do have experience with other feminists who do just that (argumentum ad nausum, ad hominum attacks, just plain ignoring, blocking, censoring, etc.), so I can feel where he comes from. He did say that he didn't like Extra-Credit, though, which knocks him down a peg or two, in my book. Either way, I do hope Anika shapes up her presentation style, as it's flat and bland, as it stands. More gestures, more interest, less monotone - I kid you not, that annoys me more than any heavy handed feminist tone (which I'd expect from someone that runs a YT channel called 'Feminist Frequency'). With a budget of 150k$, show the viewers that you care about them a bit more.

MOD REVIEW Ooo, got some sexy soundscaping going on in this one. The sources seem to be pretty well present in this track, as far as I can tell (I gave the sources one listen through each - not familiar with em' otherwise, but I could hear them in there throughout), and the merging of sources felt very natural. Also gotta add that the lead work is amazing in this track, throughout - very nice variety and groove. There is one thing that holds this track back, though. I feel barely any bass throughout the track (save for the bass drum). That makes the track feel hollow, in a way - I would like to either hear the FM bass you currently have cover the lower end better, or layer that with something that covers that end of your soundscape better. It's an issue that remains prevalent throughout the track, so I'd recommend making a fix on that. I'd say this would be a borderline YES on the panel, at the moment (as the rest of the rack sounds great), but in order to be sure I think you guy should get that bass spectrum sufficiently covered in this track. Really nice work otherwise, though.

When the opening of a mix makes me say 'Fuck yeah' out loud, I know it's good. The source is just such a juicy one to bite into, and Lemon doesn't waste time playing with the melodies and themes that were present in it. I'm liking the sound scape, and I'm really liking the slowdown in the middle, there. Chiptunes are always a plus, too. Mighty sexy stuff, here.

This album is truly one I've been waiting for. Kirby Superstar had an amazing soundtrack, and this album doesn't disappoint. At all.