DaMonz

Nice source choice! I like it, reminds me a lot of the Super Mario Bros. 3 Koopling Boss theme. I really like the intro. Lots of cool arrangement ideas in there. It starts to feel a bit stretched at about 0:49 until the theme comes in soon after that. I agree that the section around 1:46 currently doesn't work well, but I think it could be great if it was explored further with the rest of the instruments and not just the drums. For example, I'd suggest using that part to write some cool/funky rhythmic interplay between the drums and the bass, which would break the repeated bass pattern for much more impact in the arrangement. I also agree that the total silence at 2:19 is off-putting. I'd suggest using an SFX as Chimpazilla said, or holding even just a single note to keep the tension up before the riff comes back in. I really, really liked the chiptune at 2:59, it's a neat idea. Other than that, the theme does get a bit old rather quickly, I think you should explore more variations in the melody and the harmonies, add more instrumentation here and there, etc. Maybe you could use the similarity with the Koopling Boss theme to get more content to explore, if you're lacking ideas? Just a thought. Also, drum writing didn't bother me as much. Some reworking couldn't do any harm, but I think mechanical drums are appropriate here. For the production side of things, the soundscape is definitely unbalanced for most of the track. The focus is pretty much on the bass the whole time, the highs barely get any attention, except in the intro and the chiptune part. The lead synth is cool, but is very undefined with all those spacy effects, which I think contributes to how things feel so unbalanced. All that being said, I like the concept, and I'd love to hear it reworked. NO (resubmit)

I like the concept of the track, but I have to agree about that unbalanced bass. I also agree that from 2:10 on, things don't really seem to be going anywhere, and I strongly suggest revisiting that part of the arrangement to give it more meaning instead of having a few bits and pieces thrown around the same bass pattern. Maybe even just balancing the mix would improve this issue, because the bass having the focus for so long without having that much variation in it may be a big contributing factor to that problem. Although I still do recommend revisiting the writing of that whole section. I really liked the breakdown section from 1:04-1:20, it added a lot of value to the arrangement. I also like the general concept of the track, but I think the balance issues should be fixed before this can pass, and reworking the arrangement would be a great plus. NO (resubmit)

First of all, quick source breakdown since it was mentioned: 0:00-1:05 - Final Hours 1:41-1:58 - Mask 1:58-2:14 - Wrath 2:14-2:29 - Final Hours 113 seconds out of 167, which means 67.7% source usage. Check! I really enjoy the arrangement overall. I like the transitions, the tension, the build up, the instrumentation. Although, the arrangement feels incomplete to me. More than half of the piece feels like a preparation of some sort for something bigger, and I really feel like there should be more following up to it. Also, I didn't like how the solo cello was handled around 1:50, it sounded very particularly fake to me. I also agree about the "ouch" SFX at 1:07. So, like I said, I think most of what was done here is great, and source checks out, so this puts it just above the bar for me, even considering my issues with the arrangement. I'd really like to hear a longer arrangement eventually, or maybe a sequel? A second movement? Just a thought. YES (borderline)

I agree that the arrangement is excellent, and I like most of the ideas in there. It's definitely an arrangement with a strong epic feeling to it. I particularly like the brass, the strings, the tubular bells, the acoustic guitar, and the magus breakdown. The actual execution feels like it lacks quite a bit of polish in multiple areas, though. Like the others said, the drums are definitely off. I also agree about the sloppy soloing, which I gotta say was a pretty big bother to me. Also, the wind lead at 1:16-1:45 and 3:03-3:34 felt cheap to me, and it was pretty far away in the mix, which I think contributes to making things awkward. Also, the busier parts often have the orchestral portions fighting over the leads, which also doesn't help understanding what has the focus (most noticeable at parts like 3:24). So yeah, this has a LOT of potential, but all these problems add up too much to me. It's still a close call, but this definitely needs more work. I suggest trying to improve those solos, and carefully reworking the mixing so that the spotlights and the backing parts are clearer. NO (borderline, resubmit)

Reporting in! Okay, so here's a quick source breakdown: 0:00-0:16 - Mostly original 0:16-1:16 - Mice On Venus: Theme heard from 0:50-1:24 in the source 0:16-1:26 - Original 1:26-1:38 - Heartbeat, Heartbreak: First 10 seconds 1:38-2:00 - Heartbeat, Heartbreak: Verse 2:00-2:46 - Heartbeat, Heartbreak: Chorus 2:46-3:36 - Mice On Venus: Theme is showcased again 3:36-3:59 - Mostly original This adds up to 190 seconds of source usage out of 239, which means 79.5%. Source checks out! The arrangement is nice, and good job on meshing those two very different sources together. I like the guitar working in the background, it's a nice touch. A nitpick I had though, was that the electronic-y distorted hits building up slightly from 3:14-3:22 felt slightly out of place to me, as if you're not completely confident in the idea yourself. I'd suggest reworking the sound design of it and/or allowing more space for this idea, for it to blend better with the rest of the arrangement. I also think the percussion writing could use a bit more love, as it feels copy-pasty after a while. I have to agree with Emunator though, the piano is a deal breaker. With such a big focus on the piano throughout the whole track, I think much more attention should be given to the humanization, and I'm definitely backing Emu's tips on the velocities and timings. I also agree that the compression is definitely overdone, which is a huge blocker for what could be otherwise good intensity progressions and contrasts. Bottom line: cool arrangement, but deal-breaking piano sequencing and production. NO (resubmit)

This is really cool! I love the direction, nice work on making such a badass take of such a "cute" source. Source is definitely recognizable throughout, but there's still plenty of interpretation. The guitar playing is excellent, and I like the solos. The machine-gun rhythm guitar parts synced with the bass drum are also quite satisfying. I think the focus on the rhythm guitar was slightly too strong, which put the lead a bit too far back in the background for my tastes. I also think the drums writing could use a bit more love, and I think the snare especially lacked presence/impact. Those issues are not deal-breaking for me, but are definitely worth noting for future submissions. YES (borderline)

Right off the bat, I have to say this sounds very quiet. I had to crank up my volume at maximum to hear it appropriately, which I think is a pretty big problem. The arrangement is great. The sections at 0:58 and 2:25 with the piano arpeggios have a good impact, and I especially like the usage of horns and choirs in those sections. Also, I really liked the last few seconds that sound more Vivaldi-esque, which was nice and refreshing. I also liked the percussion work quite a lot. On the other hand, some of the samples sound quite lackluster to me, especially when they're isolated. Also, there's little expressiveness in most of the sequencing. I can hear that a bit of work was done on the velocities, but this still sounds pretty mechanical. I strongly suggest following Emunator's advice for resolving this issue! Bottom line: good arrangement, good concept, but the sample quality and sequencing, along with the volume issues, are deal-breaking for me. NO (resubmit)

I like the atmosphere here, great job on creating a very specific mood. Great direction, the arrangement is awesome. The textures and the structure are great. I like the slow, progressive build-up all the way to 3:03. I personally feel like the ending cuts a bit short on a slightly unfinished idea and I'd have liked to hear a bit more. The strings samples sound slightly lackluster to me. I really like the percussion work throughout, and the organs and choirs are great at keeping the ambiance dark and eerie. A few slight bothers, but overall: good arrangement and good production. YES

Ahh, I love this source! Great choice, and I love the rock band feel of the arrangement. The bass and guitar work are super fun overall, and the organ is a great idea for fleshing out the soundscape. The synth work isn't outstanding, but it's alright. There seem to be a few slight execution flaws on the guitar and bass, for example some timing issues are particularly noticeable in the solos. The drums sound a bit autopilot-y and slightly mechanical at parts, and I'd have liked to hear it with a bit more punch and presence to it. These problems are individually easily overlooked, but together they add up enough for me to be slightly concerned, but not enough to break the deal. As for source usage, the arrangement is pretty straightforward, but the stylistic change and the melodic explorations make it acceptable to me. I believe there might be some room for improvement, but it still sounds good to me as it is and I wouldn't mind it being posted. YES (borderline)

This is gorgeous. The sample quality is excellent, and the orchestration is beautiful and very expressive. I really like how the arrangement never settles, but still takes its time to enjoy every section to its fullest. Things never feel rushed, and it all flows really well. Great highs and lows to keep things interesting throughout. Everything is well balanced. Each instrument has its own place and role, and is used accordingly in a very tasteful manner. I'm also impressed at how all these multiple themes are incorporated together in such a beautiful progression. Great arrangement, great production, and the source usage definitely checks out! Although, the encoding doesn't comply with the Submission Standards. You should send a 192kbps version. YES (conditional on encoding)

Great source choice, but I'm sorry to say that the arrangement and production are both very lackluster. Production: first of all, as previously stated, the prominent bassy reverb is definitely the big culprit for making the track sound muddy and unclear most of the time. Especially when the lows and low-mids are busier (such as with the bass, bass drum, and that big "boom" that occurs on a few occasions), the whole soundscape gets messed up and incomprehensible. You have to gauge carefully the gain you're feeding on all frequencies, especially the lower ones, by EQing the instruments and effects, in order to get an acceptable production quality. Personally, I have the habit of cutting a very large amount of low frequencies from pretty much all my reverb patches in order to avoid such problems. Arrangement: Most of the track is very conservative and feels more like a cover with added rhythmic components and generic transitions, rather than an arrangement. Also, said rhythmic components are very similar to one another throughout the track (for example, I feel the reversed cymbal fill is particularly overused). I think you should look into ways to personalize your track. For example, you could change the instrumentation, alter the melodies, the chords, etc. I also think I'm hearing some chords being played by the bass at a few occasions, and I can only recommend not doing that. At such a low frequency, close notes are bound to clutter up and contribute even more to making things muddy and unclear. Sorry, but this needs a lot of work to be on par with OCR Standards. Don't give up, keep working, ask for advice, and I'm sure you'll keep improving. Using the Workshop boards would be most certainly a great place to start. Best of luck! NO

Well, this rocks hard! Cool short-and-sweet arrangement, awesome energy. Amazing performances, great production. I personally think the synth sound design is slightly generic at parts, but the playing is excellent. Guitar playing is splendid, and the melodic explorations are super sweet. The arrangement is pretty close to the original overall, but the flourishes and solos definitely bring enough personalization to the table. Bottom line: great rocking track! Keep 'em coming! YES

Wow, that's one difficult source to tackle! There's very little content to explore. I think that reflects in your track, which has some great ideas but still sounds too repetitive to me. I'd suggest exploring some more (for example, by altering the melody at some point, by varying the transitions, by adding a modulation to the track's structure, etc.) As I said, though, there's some really cool stuff going on in there. I like the rhythmic detail work, and the buildups and drops. I was surprised, in a VERY good way, at 2:15. Those chords are extremely satisfying and refreshing, and release a lot of the tension you had initially built up in the arrangement. I'd love to hear more of that. 2:37 onwards, though, quickly makes me lose interest in the arrangement. I strongly suggest sprinkling more of that awesome 2:15-2:37 color later on in the track, or even finding some other new ideas to keep things interesting. The production sounds great to me. The kick takes a LOT of space at certain parts of the track and might be a bit too strong for my personal taste. I don't think it's compromising the overall production's quality, though. What truly breaks the deal for me, though, is the ending... which isn't there. The track just stops out of nowhere, which is very off-putting. You definitely need to fix that by adding a proper ending to the track. Also, for the title, might I suggest simply "Chao Rave"? Bottom line: good take on a difficult source, but more exploration would be great, and the absent ending is a deal-breaker for me. EDIT 04/19/16: Hmmm I have mixed feelings about this edited version. I think the new kick is fine, and the new bass pattern at 3:07 onwards is a great addition. Although, I feel like the reworked sound design for some of the sprinkled atmospheric sounds and background flourishes has really brought down the atmosphere in the emptier sections. 0:33-0:44 in particular sounds *very* out of place in the new version, in my opinion. The same problem is easily notable in the new ending as well. It's an improvement in that there IS an ending now, but it sounds very inconsistent with the rest of the track. The other edits would have brought enough to the table for the arrangement quality for me to vote a borderline yes, but the newly introduced clash in atmosphere in the emptier section is just too big for me to overlook. I don't like to refuse this for such a small portion of the track, but this is very close and I think you have what it takes to bring it up that notch. The sound design you had in the previous version in the 0:33-0:44 section was much more fitting, and blended in much better, in my opinion. NO (borderline, please resubmit)

First off, this sounds very dark, and damp. Most of the soundscape seems to focus on the low and mid frequencies, leaving the lead all alone to fill the highs. I like the idea of using violin with guitar rigs and effects, and it does sound interesting, although it gets stale pretty quickly as there's very little variation to the sound throughout the track. The playing is great, you've definitely got good performing skills. Although, I feel like focusing the spotlight on this exact same lead sound during the majority of the track contributes a lot to devaluing it. The drum sounds also generally lack impact, especially the cymbals and hi-hats. I do like the toms though. As for the arrangement itself, most of it is repetitive. Some ideas are interesting, like the 2:40-3:30 crazy part which reminded me a bit of Rage Against the Machine when Tom Morello just goes nuts in crazy weird solos. Although, as the full track currently stands, I personally don't feel like the few variations in the structure are enough to keep things interesting throughout. Bottom line: the idea is interesting, but the production needs a lot of fixing, mainly to balance the frequency usage, and I personally think the arrangement could use some more variation. NO

Amazing track! (And I'm not hearing any issue with the arp)

We have a title! Just confirmed with Dustin, the album name is: Window of the Stars Thanks a bunch everyone who pitched in! More claims! Tracks coming in! WE'LL GET THERE FOLKS!!

SMRPG! Working hard! Music getting made! Keep it up folks, I KNOW we can do it! We still need a title, though. Here are most candidates I could find that people suggested yet: Tadpole Mixtape Show on the Road Trip to the Stars We're All Made of Stars Return of the Star Guardians Roadside Adventure I'd like to get as many opinions as possible, and more suggestions if you have any! Food for thought: finding something related to the Tadpoles and/or the Star Road might be a good idea!

Awesome stuff!

https://youtu.be/x_M9zWORBuA I had to.

Finally! After all this waiting! Edit: during your research, have you thought of making a fourth genre named "Techno Shit"? I think it could be a good idea for identifying ReMixes that are particularly VERY Techno.

I've never seen a game with such an amazing art direction before (and I actually mean that). This game definitely raises the bar for game development. I'm completely stunned.

That's perfectly understandable! Just keep in mind that in the meantime, the track might still be claimed by someone else.

ALL RIGHT FOLKS. Let's get this project on the road! I've been assigned to help in any way I can to get this project done. Please private message me if you're working on the project and if you're not already on the track list, and tell me what's your status if that's the case (Claimed, WIP, Finished, etc.) If you're already on the track list, check your inbox! Let's make Shimomura-sama proud!

You want to rock out? I strongly recommend going the Sixto way. http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR02867 http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR02869 http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR02293 This could be a good candidate too, if you like fusion: http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR02865 Your requirements are very specific though, you might want to consider editing a track to get something that works (like chopping out the meat, and blending the beginning part with the ending to get that "bombastic" part). Also make sure you credit the artists once you've made your pick. Also, welcome to the boards! Edit: You could also lower the music volume during character introductions, might make it easier for you to pick a track.

Awesome! Next year though (hopefully): dual melodica jams!