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NO GOD DAMN IT! I HAD A WHOLE PAGE TYPED UP AND IT TOOK LONG ENOUGH THAT THE DAMN FORUM LOGGED ME OFF AND I LOST ALL OF IT! AND NOW I CAN'T REMEMBER ALL OF IT! FUCK!!! 1) Drums. See what I said about sequencing in 12 beats a measure. 1 3 5 7 10 is 16th triplet 16th note. Pretty common on toms and other things. Another thing is the 16th build with bass drum is rough because of the insane amount of control that you just don't have over the bass drum. It's not a scalpel, it's a hammer. Much more common is an 8th note build in the quiet sections that's bass + snare + low tom. Better volume control. Then when it's loud or where you want it, add in 16ths with the bass. Consider using a poly rhythm like you did at the beginning but in half time like 1&2&3&4&1&2&3&4&1&2&3&4&1 This repeats every 3 measures and keeps things more interesting during a build than just plain 8th notes. 2) The ending right now I'm not impressed with. Look at some of the examples of bands that've done this sort of intro/build before. It can start slow and build to be powerful, but it never slows back down (or looks back for that matter) Metallica's ONE was the first thing that poped into my head like this, but there are lots of examples. I'd be fine with this ending at 2:45 and getting some more substance in the middle. 3) I had other minor stuff, but I can't remember what it was now... Anyway, hope this helps. -H

I'll get you an in-depth 'is this ready' review in a bit. Stay tuned, I'll edit this post. Game time now though.

XD No worries. As far as the beginning goes, that's the left over lazy from moving things around. Envelopes and stuff don't move with the tracks, so when I took out the 4 measures, it added 5 bars of silence at the beginning. When I export the audio, I just select what I want to export. It's actually sort of written in 3 bar chunks. 1 on, 2 off. But I've just been exporting the whole thing. I'll clear that up when I work on this again; which may be soon. I'm playing with something for the competition, and it's giving me a headache trying to have a very loose interpretation of the Syreen theme, and making it very, double bass metal. As far as changing that melody ways other than the notes, I'm looking into track automations (know more about them then I did when I started this piece) So I may try that.

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You know, I've been digging this thing out of my works in progress saved folder for like a month and listening to it... Good stuff! Oh yeah, was it accepted? And shameless link to it if it was! -H

Okay, whatever it is that we're talking about that you keep bringing up. I don't know what it is that we're talking about, and I'm looking through this thread and not finding stuff. I mean, the main lead part does go up that 5th parallel now, just like the second echo part because the new synth is not playing in paralells, but other than that, I don't know what we're talking about... The volume wasn't like that on the preview, but I didn't listen to the completed MP3. I just wanted to get the damn thing done so I could leave it alone. I did try doing something with the volume of the bass part only, and I think it's ending up messing with the compressor when it's all said and done, but doesn't sound like that in the project, just the export. I'll have to look at that. As far as the new lead goes, I'd like to see what I can change about it. I (mostly) changed the part because when I tried to do some writing other than the melody with it. (when I was working on the break bit) I could not get it to cooperate.

Much better! Another note on the drums (math heavy bit here) There are places where the bass drum is playing 16ths fast and a few places in there where some triplets or double sounds could really help out. (that solo bit just after 1min comes to mind) If you're using a step sequencer (I do like 90% of my drum stuff in a SS) You can sequence in 12 beats per count and do some really cool things with it. 12 beats because it's the lowest common denominator of 4 and 6 for triplets and 16ths. Filling every note in 12 is kinda insane. But every other will get you 16th triplets, every 3rd, 16th notes, etc. So you can do neat things like 1 - - 4 - - 7 - 9 - 11 12 The intro cymbal stuff sounds pretty good, consider some of the love on the ride bell and crash cymbals instead of just the ride. It'll help with the feeling and dynamics and stuff. Quit, loud quiet. That poly is a real build, then go to a quieter cym or bell. Keep your poly rhythm on the ride, but move the other stuff around the kit a bit. Poly is that triplet feel over 16th notes, one of my favorite things to do on the kit, very progressive:-P I like the sound of your bass, but it's getting buried in this, it was kinda in the first one as well. I'm not sure how to really pull it out. I think it's too quiet for starters. I play with a shaper effect on most of the basses that I end up liking in mine, or maybe another sample, some EQ, not really sure. I like the unfinished ideas at the end, they'll be fun once they're all worked out. Good stuff! -H

As far as the drums go, add some EQ and maybe reverb to it. You can keep those samples if you like them. The EQ will help to pull apart the tom part so that it's not as muddy. Then put more of an emphasis on the down beat. If the set still doesn't sound like you want it to, add another drum sample and layer your sounds by playing 2 samples at the same time. The setup I'm using now has 2 snares and 2 basses hitting at the same time for each sound I want. A second guitar part doesn't have to be very complicated, It's mostly there to fill in the sound and take some of the heat off the bass, which is too hectic for the style right now in my opinion. The guitar part you've got now sounds great, it's just lonley, give it some company, have the second part help support it harmonically and play a more standard tune while what you've got solos. To clarify, the bass part that you've got now sounds hectic only some of the time. When it's just the bass and drums the fast is okay. But during the solos with the guitar, I'm thinking it should have more of a background role. That's really where I can see the second part helping out.

Okay, first things first. 1) You're drums are really confused here. If it's a rock song, you've got like balled light drums going on. They're not really written 'rock' style. You've got that prominent up beat feel; at the least rock is accented on the beats. Faster rock may only play quarters, but pretty much on the beat. Your bass drum has no power to it. Give it some EQ at least, and I'd consider changing many of the samples, snare and bass drums stick out in my mind, and that's the heart of the kit. The toms are also very muddy, pick some toms with a more clear tone if you're going to play a long time over them. (this could be my bias toward liking that big kit sound, think dream theater) 2) The length makes this less of an issue now, but I image when you finish this I'll be bored with it before it's over. The synth that you've got playing the melody at the beginning plays basically the entire length of the song. Now, progression isn't really one of my strong suits but I'd say you're gonna need more than a few breaks to really fill in the sound. Taking that synth in and out will help too. 3) The whole thing has a sort of empty feeling to it. At times there's just the bass and the drums playing. It's not enough meat for me. If you want to do something like that, look at who's done it successfully, like the Metallica guitar solos or something. But it'll take a lot of work to make something simple like that really shine. 4) The synth at the beginning or the guitar needs to be the leader, and the volumes adjusted so that one is more clearley in the background. As it is now, they're fighting for space. Some EQ work may help this, but that's not really my area either, sorry. 5) Your bass doesn't work for me. It's just not doing what a bass should in rock. It's being used almost like another guitar. Add a second guitar part and put the bass down to bass stuff. Along those lines, move lots of the offbeat stuff to the second guitar part, and give the bass some low end. These are my thoughts running through it, hope this helps. -H

Okay, I am convinced that it sounds different. I am not convinced that it sounds any better. This'll be the last update for this for a while, this is going up on the shelf for use at a later time. http://www.mediafire.com/?jmynymzthyy Did stuff: 1) Panning toned down 2) Added synth at the beginning 3) Re-worked bass during longer notes 4) Changed lead synth 5) Added new synth at the opening drum intro with the start of the swells 6) Fixed compression issues (I hope) 7) Changed break and second break eight) Minor transition and volume fixes Broke stuff: 1) God awful clash/death sound in the main synth when it tries to echo while it's playing something new. It sounds okay the other 80% of the time, and I can't figure out how to make it not do that. Got sick of working with it. 2) Synth at the beginning I'm hit or miss on, I kinda liked it the old way better, but got sick of playing with it. 3) I miss my acid bass lead, even though it never fit, it was still fun. But when I tried to work it into the new break, it fell apart. It's actually a sequence that's supposed to be played on a note for 2 measures. Groove clip style. 4) No ending. The echo is built into the new lead synth. I didn't do any origional stuff at the end, because I can't get the rest to do what I want. The time I'm putting in isn't giving me the results I want. So I'm taking a break and hopefully learning some more for next time. Thanks again for all the help. -H

Notes is good! I don't do well without them. I knew this guy once that could hear something and play it. I'm not even close. Thanks for the help, I'll get werkn on somefing here before long... -H

I can't seem to get the .mod file to play. What I've read says its a mpeg2 format, but mpeg2 players don't like it. I did get Gnsf to play the nsf file though. I don't suppose this will work? I half sure this is a theme from the cap'n gettin busy! O.O

It's WAY too close to the source. Even the instruments, tempo. Very repetitive because it's to close to the original. This will need a lot more work before it's really ready to be critiqued here on this forum. Start with an idea of something you want to do to the source, and build on that. What you have is a midi with new instruments assigned, which is a fine place to start (my first thing I did was something like that) But don't get ahead of yourself and think you're almost done:? If you need inspiration, look to the other remixes laying around or actual music. Make metal wolf, or waltz wolf. Hope this helps -H

The introduction and first minute or so in this is great. The build up and drop to a single instrument at 1:11 is nice, then the very basic melody. At 1:40 bells enters and sound good. The while I like the bell sound, this area feels like it needs more of a lead instrument. You maintain that great sound scape, but don't really have anything to lead it. At 2:20, solo 'ahs' and a slight build, leads to the same problem as before; A+ on sound scape, but no real leader. It sort of builds to the same level as before. I'm not so much thinking of volume or intensity, as sort of a need for something to stand out. I'd say the piano is the star of the show here. The bells from 1:40 might do well at the end and the piano can go there in their place, really building after that break. I can imagine things I want to hear that piano do and get away from the sort of static pattern I hear it playing, and the break seems long enough that the piano would be fresh and new again. You could also keep the bells there as is and add the piano on the top of them. Have the bells hold that more static part and let the piano be more creative. I'm against adding too many more instruments because someone mentioned the word 'minimalist', a word which always gives me the willies:puppyeyes: What you have now sounds so good, I don't think you should add any more sounds, just a little bit on the arrangement and some 'risk taking' solo work to pull the piano away from that static part in the middle. All just my opinions of course, Hope this helps -H

Well, HoboKa, Jager would be liver that'd be hurting:tomatoface: At the moment, I have this torn into pieces and am changing orders and amounts. The first break has been cut out entirley in favor of something else that doesn't disrupt things quite so much. The second break is twice as long and the second 4 measures is slid up the same amount as the first and second leads. I'm playing with ideas that I want to add to the end and transitions now. But this will for sure be the slowest bit for me. I'm shooting for a 4-5 min song, so there's lots I still want to add. Actually, I'm playing with different synths trying to decide what to add to the sound as a whole to sort of fill it in. (yes chords, chords ) That and there's some effects that I want to add that I don't know how to. Some of the time my track envelopes work, sometimes they don't, which is frusterating. That and I've all but taken a break from this over the past few days. I'll try to hammer something out by the weekend at least. Feel free to troll the thread, but I won't be updating quite as diligently as I was, at least untill I know more about what I'm doing. -H

Yep, that's pretty much it. Also, for a little bit different feel, a song can 'slip' one position around the circle of fifths, there are other modes and stuff that break the cycle giving you minor feels and stuff. The thing is consistency, there are exceptions to everything, but unless it's a key change, you don't vary from the key you're in. Once you know what you're changing, you can do really cool stuff. I had some off topic ranting in my last thread about going in and out of minor scales. Bb major is: Bb C D Eb F G A Bb But Bb harmonic minor is: Bb C Db Eb F Gb A Bb See what those sound like one right after the other:tomatoface: But I don't know much about the actual progressions and stuff. I'm still very midi dependent:oops:

Well, the circle of 5ths is more about chord progression. I'd say read it, but start with a midi and work your way up. (my theory is pretty bad:oops:) This is a massive improvement though, kudos there. I'll do the best laments terms I can do. (my theory is pretty bad) Take your midi file and look at it in the piano roll view. You're looking for whole steps and half steps. A flat ( is a half step down and a sharp (#) is a half step up. I start out by looking and seeing what flats and sharps there are in the piece. As a general rule. Once you see the flats and sharps, you don't use the normal note. I'm referring to major scales here, which is about all I know. If you take Bb Major, and go Bb, C, D, Eb, F, G, A, Bb You won't be hitting B natural (which is just plain The same for Eb. Now, there is an order to the major scales that'll help you figure out what key they're in. That's your circle of fifths. If the piece is written in a major scale, then there's a pattern to what flats you add. F major has one flat. Bb. While Ab major has Bb Eb Ab Db. The order is: Bb Eb Ab Db Gb Each step around the circle of fifths, the scale changes and you add a single flat or sharp (flats in this case) So, as you look at your midi file, the first flat to look for is Bb, if you find it, then the piece may be in F major. The second flat you want to check for is Eb. If you have Bb and Eb, then it may be in Bb major. Continue till your find notes played as naturals. If you look for Ab and it's not there, then the piece is probably in Bb major. Now is a good time to note that this is a very basic lesson in major chords and keys. There are also minors, modes and lots of other stuff I really don't know much about. Hope this helps -H

I don't have time to do anything with this tonight, but for some help with what keys things are in and that sort of thing. (I have a very bad ear for this also, massive envy for people that can do that8-O) http://www.vgmusic.com/ That site will give you a basic midi that you can dissect. Key signature. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Key_signature and the circle of fifths. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circle_of_fifths Will help with knowing what notes to use in original writing.

SLyGeN - Ah, yes, here at 1:10. The bass plays Bb, C, Db, C correct? But the Bb sounds like an augmented A, and then the C, and then the C# which would be in A Spanish-Phrygian. You want a new route to go with this piece? Throw that extra exotic flair in there. Wherever your third interval is, try augmenting that. It'll sound like you're in Arabia or Egypt. Cool shit. Spanish scale can be found in wiki here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phrygian_mode Phrygian dominant is also known as the Spanish gypsy scale, E Phrygian dominant Mode: E F ♯G A B C D E Major: 1 ♭2 3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 1 Minor: 1 ♭2 ♯3 4 5 6 7 1 If I knew what all those words in the wiki meant, I'd be on a roll! Getting there slowly. I do have this bottle of rum... Me and the Cap'n are good friends. It's not so much that it's hard to come up with ideas, it's getting them to do what I want that's the trick... I hear things in my head first, then I write them out, and they're never what I hear in my head. Pretty sure it' s a lack of experience thing. And I pretty much trial and error onto what I'm doing. I'm getting to where I can stumble faster and with more correct notes though:-P I toyed with the idea of getting this thing that caught my eye: http://www.zzounds.com/item--KORNANOKEYB 50 bucks, does kinda what I want. No one's said anything about my post in the 'what keyboard should I buy?' thread. I also may hit e-bay or some pawn shops or something... As far as moving on, I'm doing okay to not burn out on this; but I really don't know what to do next as far as fixing the progression. I can change things, re-arrange things, put in breaks and transitions. But I'd like to have a format to fit the ideas into, rather than guess and check. And If I'm going to be doing guess and check, using the mouse to guess is tedious. Mouse takes forever to hear and check ideas as far as original stuff. Even stuff like 'what does this synth sound like'

I HAD A EUREKA MOMENT! This hit me when I changed the melody at 1:10 When I copied the melody, it was entirely written in 5th paralells. I kept the paralells in the first bit played by the acid bass, because the synth playing it still sounded good despite the 5th parallel. When I deleted 5th paralells on the second melody part, sometimes I deleted the bottom notes, sometimes I deleted the top notes to change the feel of things. I keep seeing comments about Spanish Phrygian and wondering how I'd managed to do that. That 5th parallel or true transposition (one of the two) is doing it. Except the bass part which was dumb luck and then I kept it! Just thought I'd share:tomatoface:

Oh crap, I feel a wall of text coming on... I'm putting important stuff in red Okay, my plan right now is to work out panning and some of the other issues that have been discussed so far in this thread. (well, I actually adjusted the stuff, but I may tackle the big issue before I release an update) The main thing I sort of want to focus on in this post is related to what Nutritious said I'm at a 'now what' place in this, where what I need to decide is what I like, what I don't like, and (mostly) where to go as far as development. If I'm understanding Nutritious right then I'm thinking a very big change is an order, lots of rewriting to fix progression and structure issues. My goal here is to change the structure (beginning/middle/end/breaks) in this so that even when I have to change things, my order of events is basically the same. The next version of this has to have some more togetherness and seems like a complete idea rather than several small ideas with duct tape holding them together. I can't really see an easy way to do that without rewriting most of the thing:puppyeyes: So, how do I fix the progression? The way I wrote this version was to get introduction idea out, then do the melody pretty much just like the original and write the drums/bass/chords etc. to go with the melody. Which sounds okay, till I wanted to add breaks and stuff, which is when the song more or less lost it's direction. I guess what I'm wanting to do is to write this to have a better idea where everything belongs. And (hopefully) get 2 birds with one stone when I put my own stuff in there. These are some of the things I would like to preserve in some form or another. Everything not listed here I'm willing to change. -ideas wise- 1) General drum beat, half time DnB sort of feel 2) Something in there to create a tense feeling 3) Swelling bass builds. -sounds/instruments wise- 1) Bassy swells through the song 2) Chord bit with bass. 3) Acid bass lead (first lead sound you hear after my tension style break) 4) Kit sounds good for this style. 5) Echo style lead sounds. What I've got now with the lengths (in measures) 1) I like the introduction idea and how that works. The silence and swells, then the bass drums. (11m) 2) I want the drums to come in abruptly (8m) 3) Some sort of pause or break before the melody, suspense + transition (4m) 4) Melody (16m) 5) Some sort of pause or break between the instrument switch from first to second melody part, suspense + transition (4m) 6)Melody (16m) 7) The source has a break of its own in the decending patern that happens before the back and forth melody section. This is that section in E rather than the rest of the song that's in G (4m) 8- The back and forth melody has another break and is repeated with slight variations. (12m, 4m, 12m) 9) Song ends, original loops here. Okay, I put you through all that to ask you this: What's a good way to decide how much and where to move/rewrite things so that I don't have odd progressions and can add in my own stuff? (after I write some stuff:<) Is the criticism more about adding transitions to what I have, or changing the order of ideas? I mean, right now I'm thinking about writing everything I want out like the list above (maybe not in lengths) And trying to give everything a value or at least a place. Be like 1) intro 2) transition 3) idea one 4) melody etc. I have kinda a hard time knowing what I want ahead of time, I'm much more of an impulse type. I guess I'm asking how you would do it? PHEW! Thanks -H

Panning is kinda in no man's land for this. I should really look into the surround effects maybe. I did have it going from about 70% L to 70% R, but I wanted my panning gimmick to stand out more. As for the compressor eating my sound, right now I have much weaker knees on the multiband compressor then I used last time, I'll have to play with it. I've had some chopping issues before with these settings. To be fair, compression and EQ I don't really know a whole lot about. As far as general feel; I toyed with the idea of starting the piece over when I first added the breaks. My thought behind harsh quick transitions and an 'eerie' sort of break is trying to have some suspense and sort of tension. With this still being mostly standard, there's just those few places where I dropped in a few measures. Most of the ideas in this are 16 bars long, so a 4 measure break makes things feel unbalanced overall. (sonar is great for putting blank measures in, but it's hell to take them BACK OUT again. Real good job there guys, nice:| (you basically have to move all your tracks. Moving a track cancels any grooveclip settings AKA drum step sequences all get reset. And you can't move track and bus automations at the same time/at all. So you have to re-do all of those) Before I do that, I'd like to have a pretty good idea how much and where. Now, I'm listening to 1:11 to try an hear this off beat in the melody, And I'm not getting it. Methinks it could be because this is the section right after the Spanish Phrygian scale, and would technically be a key change since my breaks and the descending are technically written in E Phrygian, that first little bit is a key signature change back to C Phrygian. (Wow, that makes me look smarter then I really am. Don't tell anyone that I stumbled onto that spanish part and kept it because it sounded good) That may also be where the 'true transposition' that was discussed is making it sound a little bit off. I origionally overlooked it because I kept the notes of the midi melody as is without changing them, so I was hoping fixing everything else would pull the whole thing together in that area. I'll have to take another look at it I guess. Ack, getting late. Gotta get outta here! Thanks -H

I'll get to a reply in a bit. I prefer separate topics per each mix. It helps me keep things straight when I'm listening to a track over and over. Plus there's twice the work now, and I can't do just 1 and stop. ...OH It's a trap, clever8-O Twinbee first: Just good stuff, fun techno mix. The panning is neat, breaks are done well. The instruments see kinda generic techno to me in places; not necessarily a bad thing. Nothing major stuck out to me as being wrong. So I pick nits. 1) I could really see some dynamics on the loud 'main' synth in places here helping a few of the transitions and keeping things fresh. (1:51 synth) 2) I'm normally not a big fan of the clapper, though it works pretty well here with the echo/reverb. If you want something else, I'd say get you a nice fat snare drum by layering 2 or 3 snares, and adjusting velocities of each and having them hit like it's one drum. Though that loud clap as is now has that really long delay on it that makes it very unique to the piece. Though I'm still not a fan of the clapper, I could almost see it working here... Consider some low velocity grace notes to make up for what you lose in the echo maybe? I'd have to hear it to know for sure if that would eve work. 3) The bass almost gets old at the beginning and end, but it's very techno, same with the repetition, so I'm really not going 'okay very repetitive' 4) Might almost be too much panning on that one part, almost dizzying amounts of quick panning. 5) I'm kinda disappointed in the ending. Could just be that I like things to go out with a bang, but it seems kinda anticlimatic. Especally the awesome build climaxing at 3:11 Now NYC: And now. For something. Compleatly different. It is refreshing to hear techno/jazz. Good stuff. 1) I don't like the kick drum much here. It may just be me again, but I'd like something with a more real sound, or at least a bit different. 2) Jazzy might could swing a little bit more 3) It seems like it's intentional, but there are a few notes in your sax part and then again in the second lead that seem off. I don't know really why that would be, but I'm not diggin' it. *insert theory mumbo jumbo here* I'm learning, but theory still isn't my thing. (ask me about a Phrygian scale sometime) Maybe pitch wheel something to a slight switch in the middle, without starting on a sour note. 4) at 2:11 having the 2 instruments layerd is okay I guess, but I'd rather hear one after another, or trading notes. As is, they seem to clash even though the individual sounds are great apart. 5) Panning can again be kinda heavy in places. Which might not be that bad. (I've gotten critisized for having my stuff too centered recently ) 6) Unlike the last ending, I think the fade down and out works pretty well here. And to make it different, there's that last measure or so of hush hush to sweeten the deal and make it not just a 'turn down the volume cut out the instruments 1 by 1' end. 7) The cymbol samples you use sound good, but it seems to me like they cut off earlier. Maybe I'm just used to my cymbols ringing forever, but at the begenning, it seems like the cymbol is rining, then is deadened a split second too soon. I could just be crazy though. (at this point, I've been awake for way too long. I'm only half sure I'm posting in the right topic >.>) *disclaimer: I'm still the new guy, and I've been wrong before. ...well not really, I'm never really wrong ya know >.> * -H

This thing caught my eye: http://www.zzounds.com/item--KORNANOKEYB I'd call this the 'dirt cheap' option. But it also appeals to me because I don't have much space to work with. And 50$ with me being doesn't sound bad either. I don't care too much about the feel (those keys look spot on with what I'm typing with right now. I guess) I'm wanting it to speed up hearing things, simple short progressions, and much less mouse work. Plus, If I decide to get another controller later, this is 50 bucks. Have I mentioned that I'm cheap? Product highlights as I get the good ones: -In CC (Control Change) MODE, the keys become MIDI controllers -12 highly responsive trigger pads, also capable of sending both notes and MIDI control data, plus an X-Y pad with roll and flam functions -nine faders, nine knobs and 18 switches plus a full transport section -nanoKEY includes a download code for the full version of Korg's M1Le, which faithfully recreates the legendary Korg M1 workstation OH YEAH, this too:

As a general rule, posting the source is a good idea to help people know where the song is coming from. A simple Youtube link works fine. Feedback and that sort of thing can be hard to come by. The good stuff takes time to really listen and critique/criticize; so it's not a hop on and do this really quick thing. (for me anyways, also, I'm lazy:<) And for whatever reason, I don't think we have -enough- people that can do it doing it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQTJWhbOn7E A few things I see with this: 1) The flow and dynamic is getting lost in the middle. You have your introduction, then one huge middle where one idea goes into another very similar idea. (Usually + or - something from the drum track) There are some changes, but they're not varied enough for my taste. This makes for a long middle that gets old too quickly. This is about a 2:30-3:00 song that feels stretched. 2) In line with #1, there are times where the development is too slow in my opinion. 0:51-1:09, then the clap comes in until 1:30, then hats till 1:45. This whole time the same bassy thing is going on. It seems like the progression should be shorter with less repetition. The same is true at 2:07 3) The synth that you're using at 2:07 has that real choppy sound to it, but it's very inconsistant. The synth sounds like it's for longer notes, and when it gets to a longer note in the piece, it tries to shift. I'd say look for a more consistant sound that's similar to that if that's what you want (I'll shamelessley promote zircon's guides:arrow:http://www.ocremix.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=29) 4) The drums (and I'm a drummer, so I try to be a stickler for the drum track) need a few of the details worked out. Velocity changes for starters, so they sound more natural. Typically in a rock type sound the hits on the beat are louder then the off beats, stuff like that. The kick needs more DOOF DOOF. I'm not a fan of the clap sound instead of a nice fat snare sound (likley several drums layerd till you get the sound you want) Layering is another way to make things varied enough to be different and iteresting without changing too much. (Hats, open hats, bass drums, etc) 5) There's not a ton of interpretation on the part of the melody itself, just the background instruments, which is kinda niether here nor there. I only point it out so you can think about the OCR submission standards on interpretation. Start with knowing the key, then having an idea of a direction that you want to go with the mix. Rinse and repeat till you get something you like. One thing I might also point out is splitting the melody apart. You pretty much have a 1 to 1 copy of the melody when you use it, just using different instruments. (having keys helps make it easy to play around. I'm making that my next investment, using a mouse to hear my notes is tedious) 6) The EQ and panning could use some work, and don't forget about reverb and anything else I might have missed. This is admittedly one of my weaknesses, so bear with and get a second opinion on this stuff. I don't hear any panning really, other than from a few of the synths on their own. Panning would really be cool on that bell part that is the theme melody. Volume is okay, but not a lot in the way of dynamics. All and all, not a bad start. My ears didn't start to bleed and fall off so we're good.