GrayLightning
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Posts posted by GrayLightning
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There's nothing more to add at this point. I agree completely with the others. There's no meat to this. Everything sounds way too airy/trebly. You essentially have the melody, high pads, drums/perc. Where's the middle frequencies, where's the low end? This also needs to be expanded. It gets repetitive and feels underdeveloped.
Cool stuff, work on it more and give it more compositional and instrumental substance.
NO
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This is actually mostly interesting, especially the beginning. I'm very familiar with the source material, and I like what you've done here. More bottom end would definitely help this. Either with some kind of traditional bassline or how about adding/supplementing stronger material for double basses/celli sections?
I think this mix could benefit from better pan placement in whatever space you're creating. Everything sounds centered. The piano is for me the highlight of the mix. I might try experimenting by moving it an octave up or if you place it where it is, I would EQ in the treble areas and give it a few boosts to make it stand out more.
Expand this more and try to incorporate more of the source material. Have the mix evolve more as it progresses. Like analoq said, it has the sensation of static qualities. Keep at it, this has promise.
Not a great ending, also there's an annoying pop at the very end.
NO
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Since I did arrange this theme in my Return of the Phoenix OCR mix, it's probably incumbent on me to weigh in on this.
I agree up to the part that larry mentioned, 2:32 was minimal arrangement in my opinion. After that part until the end, for me was repetitive "showmanship" that any decent to good guitarist could pull off. And in this case the guitar performance is extremely well played. While I do admire the performance, I feel ultimately the arrangement is not very daring or as expansive.
Production is not perfect, as I too wish the guitar had more clarity among other things, but for me it's above the bar in that regard.
Which isn't to say I didn't enjoy this, I do enjoy it a lot. Powerglove rocks. It's also very well played and it also does sound pretty. I don't view this as a mere cover, but I simply don't see enough expansion in the melody, harmony or structural changes to say with certainty that this is an arrangement of artistic merits that I could pass.
I suggest a resubmit. Borderline NO.
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Pigskin Power!
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Simplistic and generic usage of synths, repetitive, and unoriginal.
NO
Binnie about covered it.
I'm sorry, this needs a lot of work. I'm sure you spent time on it, but a lot more polish is required at this stage. I suggest you post your mixes to the OCR WIP forum for more feedback before submitting. http://www.ocremix.org/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=13
Below the bar material, but not horrible. This needs more work on the arrangement, concept, execution and production. Keep practicing and working.
NO
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Too static. Everything is perfectly on time, it makes things sound very mechanical. It's a minimal, simple and sparse arrangement. Please mix things up more. Add your own flava to this. Try changing the structure or adding some melodic/harmonic expansion - something. Production is below average as well.
Kinda enjoyable, but that's to be expected given the great source material. As an arrangement/OCR ReMix though, this just doesn't have enough. I hope to hear your future submissions, better luck with those. Keep at it. NO
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This is incredibly tough, I'm very borderline. This is a big improvement over the WIP versions.
As before with the wips, I still think the synths don't sound as good as it should. Honestly the synths sound like stock FL and the samples sound like generic free samples. I do like the bell synth though (and the composition of that instrument).
The arrangement didn't do much for me. It had a lot of good ideas, but I'm not sure it necessarily did something memorable, complex, original or have the hooks it should *especially for this style of music*. Which isn't to say there weren't good ideas here. I also felt the string writing was a bit weak and mechanical sounding. Another little issue is problem with the string writing and attack/decay during the faster sections, like at 1:32. This was a problem with the WIP versions as I remember mentioning it to you. But it's still there in one or two instances. A minor issue I suppose.
I'm not a fan of the vocal fx, I know it goes with the motif you're trying to do. But for me it sounds gimmicky.
Drum writing is pretty good, but in terms of sound quality I thought they sounded kinda limp and dull in color. It needs more punch with compression/EQ.
Production is a mixed bag. I think given your tools, the sample quality, usage and synth design sounds pretty basic. More fx processing (outside the vocal phrases), and automation would really help. The mastering by compyfox really helps makes this better. He did a good job in that regard.
Some nice ideas, but I don't feel it's there yet. Sorry, Borderline NO.
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There are nice ideas here. I particularly like your woodwind writing. But the arrangement is fairly straightforward most of the time. I think you could expand on.
I know there was some controversy in the WIP forum about this being sort of a subdued piece. I have no problem with that, I think it's a personal taste issue. It works in this context.
I'm sorry to say, but the intro is pretty dreadful. The string attacks are way too strong. Those should be softened out into slower more blossoming lines. The harp writing in the beginning is also not very good (it gets better as it goes on).
Actually, binnie/larry, there are some great/high quality samples here, but it's used poorly and processed simply.
Production as a whole is pretty good. More EQ work is needed I think, it's pretty dull sounding, as is more reverb and depth placement.
What the piece needs a bit more dynamic contrast. For a piece of this nature, where's the emotion or the texture?
This is a mixed bag. There's some sophisticated stuff going on here, and there's also some sloppy/simple stuff going on here. I would suggest more work on the arrangement. Expand with it a bit more, play with the themes a bit more. This needs more instrumentation and orchestration. Some parts are a bit too sparse.
Really loved the ending parts though. This has a lot of great potential. FM I know of your talents, with more polish with this or your other mixes it could be something special, but at this stage, it's a borderline NO.
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Mixing problems ahoy as already described. The levels are off on this one. I would definitely put the drums a bit further back, and make it quieter. To me the drums sound Pasted on. It doesn't sound like it's in the same environment as the other elements. This could be remedied by either better reverb programming or better mixing. There's a lot of eq problems also. The sounds tend to clash rather than work together. Strings are way too sharp, I would push those a bit further back with reverb and perhaps roll off somewhere in the 2 or 4 K hz regions.
I too enjoyed this a lot, but this needs more polish. Borderline NO.
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There's a lot of audio problems/crackling/clipping at the beginning and throughout. I too also thought there was too much reverb here. The trumpet/high pitched instrument is extremely shrill. I would lower that an octave at the very least. It's too much.
This needs more expansion of the ideas, of the length at this point. Also the production problems alone here doom this mix. Needs more polish. Fun mix on some levels though, but a NO all the same.
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It surprised me on April Fools, simply because it was actually GOOD. Then I remembered, this was analoq, who couldn't make a bad remix to save his life, but still won bad remix contests.
That's because his wasn't intended to sound bad or as a joke mix.
Edit: We decided to make one A1 (Pigskin Power) mix and one real one (analoq's) among other things to contrast each other and confuse people even more.
Good job Analoq.
You have to admit, it is surprising to see a good mix go up on April Fools Day here, because I don't think it's happened before.
Exactly what went through our mind when we planned it.
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It surprised me on April Fools, simply because it was actually GOOD. Then I remembered, this was analoq, who couldn't make a bad remix to save his life, but still won bad remix contests.
That's because his wasn't intended to sound bad or as a joke mix.
Edit: We decided to make one A1 (Pigskin Power) mix and one real one (analoq's) among other things to contrast each other and confuse people even more.
Good job Analoq.
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I agree with the others, main problem here is lack of exploration as it tends to jump around a lot. However, this isn't really a big issue. In some instances, and indeed this context, I think it works. There's a feeling of constant movement throughout this whole mix.
Arrangement is very good, performances are tite. Production is good, no complaints, except for the encoding.
High quality work and an easy YES.
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Where to start? I don't think the vocal phrases add anything here, the same thing over and over just sounds distracting to me. I also think is a bit over EQ'd, particularly in the treble department.
Arrangement and composition just sounds too loose. There's really no direction here. It's just trying to sound cool, but I don't think it works.
Production is problematic too, some of it sounds decent, some of it sounds very generic FL. Drums make everything sounds too cruchy as well.
This needs a lot of work. Spend time exploring the source material, thinking up ways to make more of an impactful concept, and work on executing it. Synth programming/design would be helpful also. I just don't feel the sounds mesh too well. Keep at it. NO
As Xelebes is one of the more knowledgeable people in this community on this genre, I've asked him as a guest judge to comment on this mix.
I agree with what the judges have said on the mix. The vocals don't really have any purpose in there - they're just overused samples being chopped up, repeated and thrown in - oh and pitched up. Not really all that impressive to the audience. The arrangement is rather drab, the synth programming is particularily weak and mastering does need help.Alright, I hear the distorted kicks, they're kinda ok. When producing gabber kicks, I often will layer between 2 to 5 kicks on top of each other and then boost up the overdrive and up the bass. Or I will use a SID chip or YM chip emulator and produce kicks using those with an overrdrive on top and a hard trance kick to give it an extra punch. Playing with the Band Pass filter before the distortion will give your kick that warping zoom sound.
With the synth programming, don't be afraid to use synths that sound a little trancey, you add a touch of distortion to give it that edge. Or you can try various methods like using the JBM Hoovermaker (free) to make your synths (play with the presets.) Or use a synthesizer that has FM or PWM and just have at it, play with the saws and squares until you get a nice big juicy synthline. Distortion, stereo enhancement and delay will be your friends. Don't be afraid of going New-Style either with a short breakdown and buildup. Just to give this song a little movement beyond sheer aggressiveness. Using automation on filters, trigger gates and delays will add a lot of depth (it seems you have used a bit of automation on the vocals with that delay at the end.)
Basslines. This track needs a bassline to fill up the sound - the kick may sound full but a bassline might help to give it an umph. No I am not suggesting you use a trance/hard house type bassline, just something in the baritone/tenor range to really roar under the lead line. Gabber can have pads too, as similar with your shots that you threw in there, it can add a bit of accents to the constant shifts in the feel of the music. Just be sparse with them and only use them in sections as to vary up the jumping around as what is gabber all about.
Mastering - the kicks need to be abit louder (but not overwhelming. Synths need more body to them (re: synth programming section.) and you just need to pay a little attention on the general sound quality on headphones and speakers.
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Israfel nailed it on the head. In addition, I really felt this was a simplified mix. Often there's usually only around three elements going on here throughout. I really think more harmonic content can improve this. Drum/perc work could be enhanced as well to add something substantiative/creative to the mix, right now it really doesn't add anything.
The synths and drumwork just sounds cookie-cutter for me. There are good ideas here, but it just isn't capitalized on right now.
NO
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Extremely difficult source material and the arrangement decisions Mythril took on this is very abstract. It's pretty rare to mix something like this, and even harder to pull off something like this.
This is music that you need to listen multiple times to understand. I liked the creativity, and it's a neat arrangement.
Drum and percussion work is very unique and is pulled off well.
Production as a whole is above average. One gripe I have with some of Mythril's stuff is his overtendency to make things overly loud. I think some quieter/dynamic sections could have served this mix.
This won't appeal to everyone, but it's solid enough in various aspects to get a Yes from me. It's out there, it works, I like it.
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This reminds me of early 90s game music. I like it.
But judging this on technical merit, it's just average. The arrangement though fun, isn't strong enough to hide some of the problems here. Production is decent. This needs better synths, synth design, execution.
Bad, abrupt ending doesn't help either.
It's a fun listen at points, but beyond that it's pretty average for me.
NO
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I have little to add that they didn't already nail down.
I would have liked the oboe to have been louder though, it's pretty buried in the mix, which is a shame, since it sounds quite nice.
I think the arrangement is a bit too long, this could do with some more creativity in the execution and planning of the ideas.
Production as a whole is average. I think you could boost the volume a bit of the mix as a whole. Dynamics would be be welcome also.
Ending was a bit odd and lazy.
Not bad, but nothing that stands out for me. Above average. NO
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Main problem is the arrangement is pretty conservative, if you can even call it an arrangement. Expand on the theme more, add your own exploration of the melody or harmonic content. This is just too straight forward.
I like the vibe going on in this one though. Vibe + 1.™
Definitely a lot of popping issues throughout like at 2:22. Other aspects of the production are pretty dry. The recording quality sounds very dull. I think this needs more reverb for some processing. Maybe a small room. This could benefit from some EQing too.
I hope to see more of your works soon. We need some interesting concepts like these. Cool stuff, but it just isn't polished or arranged enough. NO
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Ok, this is an improvement from your first version and though this is definitely more polished than your first two versions, I still enjoyed the first version the most. At least this is an improvement. I don't completely agree with the assesment that you need to give up on this mix, because this has a lot of great potential. I think you're getting there now.
For me the main issue was the one analoq mentioned. The melodic elements just sound a bit off.
I love the bell synths/pads and flute sounds here though. Don't change a thing with the sound.
I also don't think a piece in this kind of ambient genre really needs a climax either. A lot of genres, especially of an ambient nature like this don't need it. In this context, I feel it fits well in the mold of this style.
Oh, and I really dig your percussion.
Fix up the main issue and it's a yes from me. This bears several listens. It kept growing on me the more I listened to it. I know you've submitted this twice already, but hope you have the heart to resubmit this again though. I'd like to see it pass.
Borderline NO.
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The intro wasn't very good. It just sounded very mechanical. Dynamics also sounded not present, everything was strong. I would work on lowering the levels a bit and working on your velocities. After the intro though, I really enjoyed arrangement after that. Are you using soundfonts or other samples with FL? If so you should try getting some of the bigger ones like Fluid. If you are already using such soundfonts or equal level samples, I think this could benefit from better processing and EQ. Production sounds pretty bland.
Also I heard a lot of clipping going on in this mix. Don't overcompress or overlimit the mix. Set your limit to -.3db at most.
I quite enjoyed the arrangement, but you could expand it more by exploring more of the source material. But the execution just isn't there. Above average. I hope to hear more from you soon. NO
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Right off from the beginning, the panning placement I thought was kind of odd. This may very well work with speakers, but on headphones it sounds unpleasant for me. You have essentially the bongos far left and the guitar playing most of the material of the mix sounding far right. I personally would have panned the guitar center or closer to center with perhaps multiple panning layers. For example, it's not uncommon to quad pan guitars in some genres.
The arrangement itself is pretty interesting at times, and most of the other time strikes me as too conservative.
Another main issue for me in the mix is, everything just sounds very mechanical. Everything is too perfectly in time. It just sounds too rigid.
I would work on these three main issues the most. Everything else outside what I mentioned, such as production was above average for me. Spicing up the guitar with more processing and fx would help too. It sounds pretty bland.
Keep at it.
NO
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Already covered by the other judges. Two main issues, the mixing is off the wall, there's lots of stuff going all over the map, as far as placement in the stereo field and volume levels. The other is all the wrong notes really bring the enjoyability of this mix down.
Other issues are already covered in detail with not much more to add on my part.
Keep at it Roe. I can tell this is old work from you since a lot of your newer mixes and especially originals show great promise. There's a lot of potential with your new skills. I can't wait to hear you put it to use on a new mix. I'm well familiar with the source, so I can say I actually like a lot of the ideas you tried to pull off. There's also some cool arrangement ideas going on throughout the mix. But this is just weighed down by too many issues. NO Keep at it.
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Some of Darangen's mixes have been untapped potentials for the panel, and this mix is a perfect example why. This is Darangen in top form, and something we'd like to see more.
I too thought the 1:50 section had very questionable notes. It is definitely noteworthy, but it's not enough to warrant a retake of the material considering the other good things that could be lost.
Being very familiar with this theme, I'm surprised someone was able to pull out a mix that gives the original its dues while at the same time going many steps further. Arrangement as a whole is splendid, and easily the best Darangen has done. Good balance of new material with source material overall, a trouble issue for Darangen's past mixes.
Production as a whole is great. I actually loved the elements beyond the guitar. They really add a complimentary texture to the mix.
I actually like fade out endings, when done well. But here the ending was not pulled off too well. If you want to go with a fade out, I'd say make it slightly more drawn out and better planned.
No reservations on my side at all, easy YES. Wonderful.
*NO* Grandia 'I Watch Her' *FT*
in Judges Decisions
Posted
RoeTaKa Fallthrough
Your ReMixer name : RoeTaKa
Your real name : Alex Roe
Your email address : roea14@yahoo.co.uk
Your website : http://www.angelfire.com/zine2/roetaka/index.html
Your userid : 17699
Name of game(s) ReMixed : Grandia
Name of individual song(s) ReMixed : Justin and Feena's Love Song (Ganbo's Sandy Beach on OST)
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