DaMonz
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Posts posted by DaMonz
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Quickly chiming in as well. The humanization and mixing issues pointed out by the others are also not that big of a bother for me. The adaptation and expansion over the original is well executed, and the arrangement has plenty of highs and lows to offer which keep things very interesting all the way through. And great guitar playing!
YES
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All right, so I'm going directly to the updated version.
The arrangement is super fun, and I love the sound design! There's a lot of variety in the sound palette, and everything works together really well. The sine synth melodies backing the main theme is really an awesome touch, I wasn't expecting that at all. It's a nice contrast with all the nasty, gritty sounds in there. The guitar work is also great and definitely contributes in making this even more badass.
2:14-2:28 has quite a generous amount of mud and things seem to get lost. The issue seems pretty specific to that section, and no other part of the track seemed to be off on the mixing, so it's not a dealbreaker.
Awesome track!
YES
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First of all, this is quite an ambitious arrangement. I think you did a great job writing a progression that makes a lot of sense and that tells an engaging story. I also think there's plenty of blending of the different themes, and the transitions are not a problem for me overall. There are weaker parts, and I'd say that 1:30-1:53 felt pretty awkward because of the mechanical sequencing, but other than that nothing stood out to me as problematic in the arrangement. There are a lot of great things to say about it. The change in instrumentation at 3:04 is a beautiful surprise. I *loved* the subtle reference to the ocean theme at 5:48. Zelda's theme being progressively introduced around 6:45, and the climax 7:00 onwards are gorgeous, and make for a very satisfying ending.
The sample quality isn't the best out there, and some more humanization could have helped make this better. The harp felt a bit too dry to me at times, which bothered me a little bit. I think there's plenty of attention to detail in the writing though, and I can easily overlook those issues. I can understand some more negative votes due to them, but I personally think this is over the bar.
Keep 'em coming, Rebecca!
YES
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Okay so first off, I agree that the sample work could be improved, but I don't think it's that bad at all. Mechanical harpsichord don't bother me, because I personally think that's how the instrument is meant to be played most of the time. The violin is the most noticeable one, and could have used more expression in the sequencing, but the writing is great. Also, the drums didn't bother me. The kick and snare could have a tad more presence, but are definitely easily audible even in the busy sections.
I don't think those issues are dealbreakers, especially with such an awesome arrangement. The progression is excellent, and the source is handled very skillfully. No hesitation from me even with the aforementioned issues. I think this is still an easy
YES
- Jorito, djpretzel and TheChargingRhino
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3
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This is repetitive alright, but I think it's justified even just because the source is just as repetitive. I'm hearing this arrangement as some sort of enhancement over the original's direction, for which repetition is key, so I don't think that's a problem. Also, I think the additions and detail work are enough to customize the track compared to the original.
With that out of the way, I think the production is mostly great, but I agree with Deia about the low-end being too strong at parts. Around 2:15 was the biggest bother for me in that regard. It's basically the only problem I have with the mix though and I don't think it's a dealbreaker.
YES
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Okay, so I understand where Larry is coming from about this being repetitive, but I dig this. I dig it a lot. I feel there are enough sprinkles, details and embellishments to the groove to keep it interesting all the way through. I love what you did to the bass line and percussion, the subtleties in the writing are super tasty. The occasional variations to the soundscape, such as the bumped up reverb on the chords around 0:48, really help in keeping things interesting as well.
The ending left me a bit wanting, but I'm not really a fan of fade-outs in general and it's not a big deal. I think this is great overall.
GROOVY
YES
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This is enjoyable, but I don't think it's a match with OCR. I agree that the winds are a bit out of the picture, but overall I think this sounds nice, and wouldn't be a dealbreaking problem in itself, in my opinion. Although, the arrangement is extremely conservative, and repetitive. The whole structure being copy-pasted to loop three times and leading up to a fade-out ending really hurts the arrangement's potential. I think that each repetition should at least be justified by notable alterations (to the structure, the instrumentation, the melodies, etc.) in order to expand upon it and add more of your own touch to the arrangement. So, in a way, I think fixing the repetition in your case would most probably also fix the conservative aspect of the arrangement.
If you want to submit your track again, I think the first thing you should do would be to either think of a structure of your own to try and customize things some more, or to get rid of the repetition altogether and focus on expanding the contents of a single run-through. Those are only suggestions, though, as there are many possible ways to personalize your music. In any case, I think you have great potential, and I hope you'll keep sending music our way!
Best of luck!
NO (resubmit)
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Quick co-sign here, there's not much more to say that wasn't pointed out already. This is a nice take on the popular theme, and I really like the melodic explorations in the second half. The sound design is great, although I agree that the lead at 1:05 could have used a few more polishing passes. Other than that, the production sounds great to me, and the arrangement is solid. Nice work!
YES
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I have to agree that the copy pasta is too strong, here. I won't beat a dead horse, the others have told enough about that already.
I'll add that I really like the style, it suits the track very well. It's super fun, and it shows that you definitely have the potential to make great OC ReMixes. Work on that arrangement structure, push that creativity up a couple of notches by varying the contents of your track in the second half, maybe even rework the ending, and you'll be on much more solid ground. Clarifying the mix as mentioned by Kris would also help, but it's not the main concern at all here in my opinion.
Keep at it! Looking forward to hear more from you.
NO (resubmit)
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Ahh, I'm glad to hear this again! And with more live performances, at that! I agree with Kris that the mixing could still be improved, especially for the bass, but this is now easily above the bar for me. Super fun arrangement, and great performances.
Nice work! I hope you'll send more!
YES
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Oh god. OH GOD. Crazy Bus...? Did he... Did he really... Is it even possible??
This is awesome. And the crazy bus ending made me burst out laughing. So good.
Next step: Crazy Bus on a wind quartet? I DARE YOU
YAS
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I have to agree about the piano sound not being particularly great, but hot damn is Shnabubula amazing. "Genius" is a very appropriate qualifier. Superb arrangement and performance, as always.
YES
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I have to agree that this requires some work before it can be considered for posting. The concept is good, you have something very nice going, but it definitely lacks a lot of polish. I think the first thing that should be addressed is the looping background hi-hats part. I think you should work on the velocities and on the writing to add some flavor to it, because as it is, it gets stale very quickly. The second biggest issue, in my opinion, is the mix balance. The bass, the drums and the leads don't mesh together well, and I think you should definitely work on that by reviewing their levels, their EQ's and even maybe their sound design. The lack of humanization is also very apparent throughout the entire track, and some polish work there would also help a great deal. And I agree that the current ending is not convincing.
I have to say, though, that I really like the direction you've taken for this. I think that if you polish it correctly, it will most probably be a very refreshing take on the original. I hope you will take our feedback into consideration to rework your track. Please keep at it!
NO (resubmit)
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Well, I'm loving this cute little gem. I agree that a lot more could have been done on the arrangement to explore the material further... But sometimes, less is more. I think this works very well for what it's seemingly trying to achieve: a mellow, simple groove over the theme. I love the sound design, and the soundscape is beautifully fleshed out.
I see where you guys are coming from, but no borderline from me. I think this is just great.
YES
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I have to agree with Mike. The concept is interesting, but the poor production and the awkward structure bring this below the bar for me.
I don't think the mostly required production fixes are a big amount of work, but I think they would go a very long way. Rework the levels to bring the leads forward, and I suggest EQ'ing down the lows on your synth leads, because they're just adding mud down there. You could also look into ways to beef up the drums with multi-band compression and such. Some work on EQ of the kick could help clarify things as well.
I think the arrangement needs quite a bit of work, though. The structure doesn't really make sense. Lots of tempo fluctuations that don't really lead anywhere. There are multiple build-ups during the track, but you're not using them. This could be great on multiple occasions, but I'm always waiting for the follow-up that *could* be so great with all the tension you're building and it's never showing up. I strongly suggest reviewing your arrangement structure to try and use all the untapped potential of your multiple buildups and energy fluctuations.
NO (resubmit)
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First of all, I think this is very nice. The synth design on the backing detail work, the pads, the flourishes and such is very cohesive and shows great potential. Although, the lack of humanization on the piano/poor piano sample and the unbalanced mix (notably the excessive lows/low-mids) are breaking the deal for me.
The first suggestion I have for you is to bring up the piano in the mix to give you more room to play with the velocities. I can hear you put some work in the velocities already, but it's not convincing enough as it is, in my opinion. Work on identifying what should flow and what should be accentuated in the piano melodies, to get a better idea of what to do with those velocities. I also suggest unsnapping some notes from the MIDI grid to add more emotion to the performance. The sample is not very good, and if you can manage to find a better one that would be great, but I can understand how that may not be an option for you.
The next suggestion I have is to review the EQ'ing on the low-heavy and mid-heavy elements to try and clarify the mix. The wobbly bass-pad sort of thing that's present for most of the track is the first instrument I'd pass through this treatment.
I also think the full stop isn't working currently. I think it could be a nice surprise if it was followed up more closely, because with such a huge gap I think it just breaks the flow and feels awkward.
Keep at it, this shows a lot of promise. Best of luck!
NO (resubmit)
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Right off the bat, the production quality got me hesitating a bit on this one. Things are very busy all the way through, and the mids are particularly crowded, and I feel like we're missing quite a bit of the detail work in the backing tracks because of that. Although, the core elements (mainly the lead, the bass, and the drums) are still easily audible, so the track remains very enjoyable and the mud can be overlooked without too much trouble.
The arrangement is quite safe, doesn't stray far from the original's direction, which is totally fine because it works. The energy is handled very well, and even though there are basically no breaks, the variations in the structure and the writing manage to keep things interesting. No stop signs, speed limit. Nobody's gonna slow this remix down.
Bottom line, this is a nice downhill ride with a healthy amount of face melting. I don't really care about that little splash of mud on my boots here, honestly.
YES
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Well, this is a very strong demonstration of arrangement skills! The source content was explored significantly, in a very creative manner. The progression is excellent, everything works very well. I'm loving this attention to detail that is notable throughout the whole piece in the writing of all parts. With the source usage confirmed (thanks Mike!) this is indeed an easy pass. Nice work!
YES
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Instrumentation is awesome, vocals are on point, source is there. The Final Fantasy approach definitely works.
Off to the front page!
YES
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Super fun stuff! Awesome sound design all around, that lead synth sounds particularly great! And vocals are a nice touch.
I got nothin'. Post it plz.
YES
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I concur, the levels are breaking this. The arrangement is fun, and the progression makes sense and has a cool flow, but the levels being all over the place are holding it back. The overall volume should be revised, make sure there is no distortion caused by things being too loud. You should also try to obtain a better balance by reviewing the levels of each track. To do this, I recommend prioritizing each track, muting them all, and then unmuting them one by one following your priorities. Adjust the volume for each track you unmute as you go to try and put everything in its rightful place. When this is done, you should fine-tune the frequency usage of every track by EQ'ing them appropriately, which should help build a cleaner soundscape.
This has good potential, please keep at it!
NO (resubmit)
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First off, I agree about the killer arrangement. The break around 1:50 feels a bit out of place, but apart from that the arrangement is amazing. Great job there!
I also have to agree about the production holding this back, though. The soundscape feels very busy, and it sounds like we're losing a lot of precious content from your arrangement because space is not being distributed properly. Watch out with the compression, and try to attribute specific frequency ranges for each clashing intrument to focus on, by carefully editing their EQ's. I also feel like there's quite a bit of reverb and delay on most of your tracks, which may be one of the central causes of all this cluttering. Try to cut the lows of these effects, and maybe consider generally toning them down to let the track breathe a bit more.
This is an awesome track, I really hope you'll rework it!
NO (resubmit)
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Ohh, this is a great start! I really like this source, and I like the direction you took for it. But I'm afraid your remix isn't quite there yet.
The drums sound great. They're easily the best part of your entire track. They pack a great punch, and the writing is varied. Nice work there. The arrangement is nice overall, and I think the writing is acceptable on all parts.
My main issue is with the expression, or the lack thereof, especially in the melodies. Everything is very static. The marcato strings are the first obvious offender, then the solo violin, then the piano, then the saw lead. The mechanical piano could be an acceptable design choice, but I think it's currently off because it sounds very cheap, especially because it's so exposed. I recommend looking for better samples, doing some velocity work in the piano writing, and experimenting with some effects to make it sound more interesting. Also, I think improving the expression in the lead parts (violin and saw) would be what your track could benefit from the most. For the violin, you should look into humanizing techniques, and maybe try to find better samples as well. For the saw lead, I strongly recommend against using a single non-stop legato melody like this. You should let it breathe once in a while, especially on those longer sustained notes, which could instead be slowly released, for example. Some bends, automated filter effects, etc. would also help make it more dynamic. The sound itself is very plain and could use some more work (you could layer it with other oscillators/synths, add effects such as slight distortion, etc.)
I also agree that the production would require attention, about which I recommend following Chimpazilla's advice.
Best of luck!
NO (resubmit)
OCR03392 - *YES* Alex Kidd in Miracle World 'A Kingdom Under the Sea'
in Judges Decisions
Posted
Most have already been said, so I'll be brief.
This is very interesting, the approach and instrumentation are quite fun. I like the arrangement. Sure there is repetition, but I think the progression works so it doesn't bother me at all.
The issue that stands out to me the most is the low-end rumble I'm getting from the booming percussion. It's quite bothersome, and fixing that would have been great. Although, I don't think it's breaking the deal. Other than that, nicely done!
YES