deftflux

I apologize if I reiterate anything here... I read through most but not all of the 9 pages of responses... So let me see if I got this right. Both versions consist of A) WAV files and patches for certain programs to load them in. The Reason version is $10 cheaper because it is 16bit/44.1kHz instead of 24bit/96kHz. (I presume because Reason cannot handle 24/96?) Now to the point: I don't have any of the programs for which there are patches, and have no interest in getting them. Are the WAV files at least organized into folders? Is there any kind of naming convention otherwise? Seeing as they are percussive samples, I'm assuming I wouldn't have to worry about loop points, right? From the demos it seems like a great old school kit. Too bad I'm not into that style, but I'm thinking these might be great source material for distorting and mangling into phat electronic sounds. One thing electronic misses a lot is a grungy, dirty sound since everything tends to be crisp and clean. Throwing some analog recorded acoustic samples would help mix it up. Thanks.

Bump.

I've had this remix sitting around for a few months. I posted it on some Descent forums for feedback, but not on OCR. I'm not quite happy with it, but haven't had a chance to work on it in a while. Looking for some feedback. Descent was made in 1995, so the original on PC is MIDI (as I'm used to hearing it). But an actual studio recorded version was produced for the Mac and PlayStation versions. My remix is based on both versions. PC MIDI recorded on AWE32: http://www.deftflux.net/mp3/descent_credits_pc_awe32.mp3 Mac/PlayStation version: http://www.deftflux.net/mp3/descent_credits_mac.mp3 My remix WIP: http://www.deftflux.net/mp3/novel_depths_wip.mp3 Thanks.

jayc4life: Sounds great... so where's the main RSS? lol willrock07: Thanks!

I've found it pretty hard to keep up with new remixes on the site. I've subscribed to a few threads, but it's hard to filter through all the noise. So my first question is, can you add a feature to subscribe to new remixes for specific games, etc.? Maybe like RSS feeds? One other thing that would be really helpful and much easier: On the home page to the right there is a short list of the latest remixes, yet, I can't seem to find a way to view a full list of remixes sorted by most recent so I can see all the ones that are new since the last time I checked. Is there a way to do that? Thanks.

Ok, I finally have an update! I shortened the intro and added another sound and completed the ending. http://www.deftflux.net/mp3/lonesome_hero_wip2.mp3 EDIT: Oh, I forgot, I also fixed the "harmonic inconsistencies" and various other tweaks. Thanks for the input.

Thanks for the feedback. Very observant. There are harmonic inconsistencies all over the place lol. The harp part is the great fairy theme. That melody does not lend itself well to harmonization since the notes are very close together and are not limited to just notes within the key. There was one place where I changed one of the notes, but it was after the harp was more in the background. I tried your suggestion and compared. If the harp plays Bb instead of B it no longer sounds like the great fairy theme. And I actually kinda like the tension that the B throws into the mix. By the time the harp plays B, the ocarina is playing G, so B and Bb are not played at the same time on the same octave. But does it really sound that off to you? You're right about the first 2 minutes...

The console-centric explanation is a much better answer to my question. See that makes sense to me. I'm sorry I misinterpreted your first reply as offensive. (It could have done without the proceeding "Duh"...) It was all in good fun, though. By the way, I did read the guidelines before I posted. I'm pretty sure I followed them too. I'm sorry you misinterpreted my question as indignantly rhetorical. I only meant to express my confusion considering that the total of exactly 2 Descent remix submissions ever on OCR versus the plethora of Sonic and Zelda remixes does not seem to match the popularity ratio between the games. Had there been, say, 4 accepted Descent remixes instead of 1, I would not have been suprised. Lol I wish to clarify that I do not mean to insult any artist's source selection. I did not mean to imply that artist's have not chosen to remix Descent, but rather that after 14 years there must be remixes already made that for some reason aren't being submitted. Rather than being indignant, I was in a very light mood when I started the topic. I'm sorry for the confusion. There's a reason I didn't request, say, Descent 1 Credits specifically. (Just using that as an example. Good track, but I don't mean to limit my request to any specific track from Descent.) See, I totally agree that artists should remix what they want to remix. I wouldn't want someone to make a remix of a specifically requested track that he did not particularly care for. An artist will naturally put more effort into something he's excited about instead of doing just for the sake of doing it, and it will show in the quality of the work. I was hoping that there are some remixers, like myself, who are fans of Descent and are already disposed to make a Descent remix and that a friendly reminder of that old game and some assurance that there are many, like myself, who would appreciate such a remix might help encourage them to get started. As for the specific material they take from Descent, that is totally up to them; I want them to choose. And there are 27 full-length tracks in Descent 1 alone to choose from, so it's not like it's a narrow category. Oh, and regarding nastalgia, I was one of those who grew up playing PC games. Descent is the most nastalgic for me. So those people may be fewer but they are out there. I actually, for instance, never played any Zelda game as of one year ago lol. Never had a Nintendo console before. The theme I'm remixing from Zelda is from TP too which is very recent. So it's not about nastalgia for me in that case, it's just good music.

I'm glad you like it! Yeah, it's all about the subtleties. I've been known to obsess over the placement or pitch of a single note... Lol I could spend hours fine-tuning, so sometimes I have to remind myself to focus more on the overall arrangement. The way it is now it ends at such a dramatic point, so it leaves you wanting more. The part right after that has to really drive it home. I'm not sure what to do for that next part. I don't think I could clean up the source... I think I just need to find a good sample...

Your attitude is uncalled-for. But anyways, "thank you, Captain Obvious!" Let's not split hairs, shall we? Funny that you should be complaining about popularity when you're apparently super into video game music which itself is not very popular compared to other music. Yeah, nobody said Descent was that popular, but even after 14 years it still has a "decent" following.

I'm probably preaching to the choir here, but I started playing Metroid Prime 3 recently. I like the gameplay, with the wii controls, very engaging. It did not take me long to realize that the soundtrack generally consisted of short loops of uninteresting filler music. I just got the feeling that I would enjoy the game so much better if it had a good soundtrack. That got me thinking, and I realized that all of my favorite games have exceptional soundtracks, like the classic Sonic games for Genesis, Zelda, and Descent. So that begs the question, would they still be my favorites if they didn't have good soundtracks? What role does music really play in the enjoyment of a game? Am I part of a minority of gamers that has an especially strong appreciation of game music? Or is the importance of music in video games underappreciated by many game developers?

Well, I did want it to start out very slow and somber and gradually increase in intensity until by the end it was very dramatic. Originally, I wanted the light spirit theme to be like a choir sound, but for some reason my music program wasn't loading the loop points for the vox samples I had, so I tried to use a synth and stumbled upon a preset that sounded like an ocarina. Once I heard it playing the notes that were already programmed in, I decided to keep it since I liked the texture, it was appropriate considering the role of the ocarina in Zelda, and it gave it more of a lonely, monophonic sound. This track turned out more classical than I intended. I wanted it to be more electronic. I do like the ambient "on a cloud" feeling, but I agree that the 2 minute introduction is pretty dry. What do you think, a vocal sound playing the introductory melody? Anyone know where I can find some good vocal/chorus samples/soundfonts, VSTs or Reaktor ensembles/presets? Thanks!

I'm with skullbullet. At 0:50 the pitch bend sounds a little off-key to me. Besides that, I think this is actually the best Green Hill Zone remix I've heard. At first I was afraid it was too close to the original, until your quazi-guitar solo. Actually, I think a real guitar would have ruined it. The way it is it keeps that 16-bit feel. I would almost believe this was recorded right off the Genesis as part of the end credits medley after you beat the game or something. Lol. Not sure the judges would consider it different enough from the original, but I really think you should submit this.

OK, I really don't know what to make of this now. I need another pair of ears. Most of you probably haven't heard of me before, but I'm not new to music. I mostly work on original music. Some of my original work is available on my MySpace page (http://www.myspace.com/deftflux). I haven't done much remix work over the years, and what I have done has been more of a "remake" than "remix", not including much original material. This, however, is a serious remix of material taken from Zelda. I've wanted to do this remix ever since I first played Twilight Princess and got to the point where you save the first light spirit and it played this what I'll call "Light Spirit Theme", which turned out to be nothing more than a 30 second loop. It immediately struck me as epic and moving. I titled the remix "Lonesome Hero". The concept is that if you imagine the events of your typical Zelda storyline were real and you really were Link, the sole hero responsible for saving the world from perpetual evil, with all of the obsticles depicted in the game, it really wouldn't be pleasant lol. I thought of loneliness and a feeling of frustration. In fact, most of us can probably relate to that in that our own personal worlds are at times frought with problems that may seem as epic and insurmountable as those depicted in Zelda, and we may feel like we are alone in our quest to solve them. So those are the feelings I attempted to convey in this work... I've probably spent more time on this remix so far than I generally spend on an entire original track, yet I'd say I'm about 40% done at best lol. It needs at least another minute and lots and lots of tweaking. So let the criticism burst forth... The source is the aforementioned "Light Spirit Theme", which I recorded from the game and am making available below. Also, I incorporated the "Great Fairy Theme" from Ocarina of Time, also used throughout the Zelda series, which I also recorded from Twilight Princess and am making available below. I also included phrases from the original overworld theme and variations of them in my improvisations. Links: Source 1: http://www.deftflux.net/mp3/light_spirit_theme.mp3 Source 2: http://www.deftflux.net/mp3/great_fairy_theme.mp3 WIP: [EDIT] New version, see reply #10 Thanks!

Yeah, I found that while searching the OCR forums. Not exactly what I had in mind... lol