The Radical Sifu

http://cbnow.co.uk/theradicalsifu/Mega_Man_7_Junk_Male_2.mp3 I like this version a lot better. I've tried to address just about everything. I've added distorted, harder backing synth, swapped out the drum track during quieter bits of the song for a lower-key breakbeat, fiddled with reverb and stereo spacing, chopped the Metal Man ending off, and generally just fiddled and fine tuned a lot. I've just noticed a mistake at 1:17 where one synth goes quiet for no reason, I'll fix that up before finalising. I hope you'll politely ignore that for the purposes of review and critique. Thank you all so much for the comments. I like the mix even more than I did already. How do you think I'm getting on now? Anywhere close to awesome?? *nervous*

I love you.

This made me smile hugely. I love SMRPG and I like where this is going. Compositionally the arrangement is pretty solid, I haven't got much to add. Can't wait to hear where you take it. My two absolute favourite SMRPG tunes are this one (ought to fit right in) and the Trouble Ahead music (which I just couldn't find on Youtube) http://www.vgmusic.com/music/console/nintendo/snes/Trouble_2.midBut anyway, let's talk production: - I'm liking the samples and the reverb. Still could use some humanising with regard to the dynamics/velocities, particularly on the piano. Note timings too. Still sounds slightly 'sequenced', timings are too perfect. - I think the bass is probably fine in the octave it's in, it just needs more presence. - This may be a personal thing, but the drums are a bit wet for my taste. Especially with so much reverb on the bass drum it makes it sound like the whole percussion section is swimming in it. Maybe consider taking a little bit of reverb off the bass as well. When the drums kick in, they don't really have enough body for me. I'm sure somebody else might disagree, though. Your snare sample is really nice, by the way. I like it. Really looking forward to seeing where this goes.

Nice samples and a cool arrangement some weird timing issues though. Sounds like you went a bit overboard with humanizing and just made it sound like it's being played by an orchestra who can't keep time XD Sorry if that's harsh, but it's holding this track back and it kinda ruins it for me.

Alright. Having listened to it, here's some thoughts: - Musically not very interesting at all. Sounds just like the original but with different instruments and with a drum beat pasted over the top. I would strongly recommend coming up with a more interesting arrangement. (If I didn't know better, I'd suspect that you'd just started from a Mario Galaxy MIDI and changed all the instruments. But even if you didn't, it sounds like you did. So you should change that ) - Drum beat itself: kick needs to have heaps more presence. Also you really need some high-end, the hats (apart from the irritating constant crash sample) are basically fuzzy mush and it all sounds like it's being played through a sock. - Leads are waaaaay too loud. Wobble sound gets pretty annoying pretty quickly. - Track is a bit short at 1:30. Be more creative, develop the source tune, add original sections, turn it into something more detailed Sorry if I sound over negative. I do love the source choon and I'm curious to see where you go with it. Best of luck.

Mod Review means you've marked the thread to be reviewed by a moderator. Normally you'd only do this right at the end of your mix's cycle, when you're sure you're just about ready to sub it. Will listen to the mix later today and give feedback.

Thanks for the feedback and encouragement Will! I love your stuff, by the way. Alright, gimme a week or two to pour yet more time and love into this mix. I will be back, I promise.

Alright, alright. I've been thinking about this for the last couple of days and I'm going to have to change this up. The plan is: any parts of the song where I can bring myself to get rid of the primary drum track will be replaced with a different, more groove-based breakbeat. Those parts of the song where I'm prepared to fight to keep my drum track I'm going to fill out with more instruments, dirty synths or saws or electric guitars or whatever I can come up with to make them fit a bit better. Does this sound like a plan? Thanks to everyone who's taken the time to listen and comment. And thanks to those of you who have offered some words of encouragement. I was starting to feel like this whole mix, which I've been working on for well over a month, was basically dog shit.

I was thinking mostly in terms of the general sound balance, the way Pendulum use these fast drum-n-bass esque beats with a rock-y sensibility, the use of hoover synth and saws, etc. I'm not saying it actually sounds like a Pendulum track because it doesn't: I wanted it to sound like a Mega Man track and a Radical Sifu track too. All I'm saying is the drum sounds I used are that way because that was the sound I was going for. As for rhythmically, here's a Pendulum track: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLaHFF_6-Nw I'm calling your attention especially to the fact that the drums basically don't change at all, ever, but get by simply on endless bombastic energy and speed. I've taken that basic premise and added more random fills, grace hits and what have you. I hope you can see the influence in my drum sequencing, tempo etc.

Agree totally with the Metalman comment. I like that section, but the transition from one track to the other is horrible. Largely because there isn't really a transition at all. I'll see what I can do with it. I feel like I need to defend my drums though. I hear what you are saying, but, eh. Throughout doing this track I specifically wanted to do something 'Pendulum-y' and that's the sound I've used as a reference. I'm pretty happy with my drums the way they are (and they are in fact a great deal more varied than they would be in most any Pendulum track). It's always seemed a wee bit silly to me that conventions that are perfectly acceptable in mainstream, commercial, professional music are suddenly completely taboo on OCRemix, like everyone has suddenly got ADD when they're listening to drum beats. Doesn't it seem crazy to anybody else that hundreds of popular, critically acclaimed and successful professional electronica artists wouldn't be accepted under OCR's submission standards? That kind of driving, constant beat was what I was aiming for. Of course I can change it up and make it more varied, and change the drum kit, but... well... I don't think I can do it without compromising my own basic vision for what I was trying to do. If you see what I'm saying. So, um, maybe I'm stuck.

Any ideas on how the drums could be made 'less basic'? I'm not 100% sure what you mean by that. Is it just the repetition that makes it basic, or is the drum sequencing itself somehow crude?

The old thread dropped off the face of the earth, so here we go again. This is as close to finished as I can get without your help, good people of OCR. LATEST VERSION (10th July 2010): http://cbnow.co.uk/theradicalsifu/Mega_Man_7_Junk_Male_4.mp3 (4.54mb) Original MM7 level theme is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVsL6a20zPA *nervously awaits feedback* :S EDIT: have updated the link, see newest post below for comments on the new version. EDIT 2: Have marked the thread for mod review as I think I am on the final stretch towards subbing.

Lead synth sounds a bit lo-fi, could do with being a bit more crisp. It's a fun mix, but starts to get repetitive towards the end. Maybe change the chord progression or something.

Anyone? I can see you all viewing the thread. C'mon, don't be shy. What have I got to do to this to make it sub-able

Hi, welcome. Um, isn't this just the source music with different instruments? You don't appear to have actually done anything to it.

Thanks for the comments, I've got an updated version: http://cbnow.co.uk/theradicalsifu/Mega_Man_7_WIP_2.mp3 Drums still need varying up, still need a proper ending on it. Plus I think I've overcompressed it a bit. But still, what do you reckon on it thus far, those issues aside? EDIT: sorry, just reuploaded it with some minor changes to the levels

Hi everyone, got another new currently untitled WIP, this time it's Mega Man 7 and the Junkman theme It still needs to have an ending put on it, the drums need to be varied up (which I'll do as one of my last jobs, so please don't pick me up on it, I know it needs doing ) and the mixing lacks general polish at this moment. But it exists in complete enough form for you to get some idea where I'm coming from. NEW VERSION: http://cbnow.co.uk/theradicalsifu/Mega_Man_7_WIP_2.mp3 OLD VERSION: http://cbnow.co.uk/theradicalsifu/Mega_Man_7_WIP.mp3 Please be critical, brutally if necessary! All I ask is that you take the time to explain your comments, be they good or bad Thank you, hope you enjoy it

Oddly enough, that end part with the acoustic guitar is my favourite part of the song - to the point where I think you could even discard everything before 2:29 and start the mix there. That's a great intro for something, why does it ennnnd there? I want more Mixing isn't bad, but the first minute really begs for some bass frequencies, the snare needs more presence, and the hats have got way too much clout in the mid-frequency range and are too overpowering. Can't wait to see where you go with this, JFG kicks ass

Thank you Rozovian, I can definitely see where those critiques come from. Much obliged. Will see what I can do about them.

I'm still not sold, to be honest. The submission guidelines state that an acceptably different remix will involve "modifying the genre, chord progression, instrumentation, rhythms, dynamics, tempo, or overall composition of the source materia". I have tweaked the genre and turned it into a breakbeat/electro piece, changed the instrumentation, added new rhythms, dynamics, and original parts and solos. Furthermore I could easily point to a dozen (fairly recent) accepted OCRemixes which follow their source as least as closely as my WIP does. And I still can't comprehend your comment about the instruments getting tiring on the ears quickly, if you say you had it on loop for 30 minutes? Please, has anybody else got any comments? I've got people saying that it's great, and other people saying that it will never make it. I don't really know whether to sub it or not. I'm going to fix the ending and make some minor tweaks first in any case, but some people here are saying it needs a total rewrite, and I don't know who to listen to...

While I generally don't see the point in 'defending' one's own work from constructive criticism, I am surprised and confused by your comments Gario, as I don't personally consider them to actually be true. 1) The arrangement is a little bit conservative, but it is in no way a carbon copy of the original. For a start there is almost 35 seconds (of a three-minute track) in the middle that is completely original, borrowing only an eight-bar chord progression. There is other original material elsewhere in the song and I have rearranged and added new parts. I disagree that instrumentation is the only difference. I suggest you relisten to the source? 2) Okay, I can kind of see where you're coming from with this, but... the track is three minutes long, and some of the parts do undergo instrument changes. Is it a big problem? I honestly don't think it's that big a deal. 3) Come on, this isn't in the least bit true. The drums change ALL the time. Kick and snare come in at 0:11, hats are added at 0:20, 0:37 sees a new drum pattern with different snare layering and hat patterns, there are little fills here and there (such as a mini hat run at 0:50), drops down to a kick and snare at 0:55, drums return with a different, more deep and punchy snare sound at 0:57... this is the first MINUTE of the track. How did you arrive at this conclusion? Um, can I get a second opinion on these criticisms??

Hi again everyone, I've been working on this like crazy and come up with a new version... http://cbnow.co.uk/theradicalsifu/DK64_Remix_WIP_2.mp3 (4.79MB) Again please let me know what you think, be critical and constructive! I really appreciate it Hope you enjoy!!

Okay, THAT was frickin' awesome. Wow. Instantly one of my favourite OCRemixes of all time. Just... peerless. edit: having listened to it a zillion times, the only complaint I can find is there's some pretty evident noise reduction artifacts on the vocals... at least to my ears...?

Thanks for the comments, everyone! Wow, looks like I've got lots of work to do. I'm going to give my ears a few more days' rest (because they're sick of hearing it ) and then I'm gonna set about making some major changes. Some specific replies: Oh, it's two or three individual snare sounds layered up with some claps. I think the claps were panned slightly left and right too. I'd need to check. Yeah, I forgot to mention that I needed to put a proper ending on it. I've thought about this and you're absolutely right (in fact just about everything said by everyone seems pretty sound and logical to me). I think I've got an idea for what to do with that middle section, so I guess I'll be back soon with the latest version. I agree that the arrangement is conservative, I will see if I can re-write some of the parts. I kind of wish you'd written a bit more though, you've just kind of gone 'no it's no good' and not said a whole lot about what I can do. Thank you very much again for the feedback everybody, I will try to address all of the comments and concerns and be back with an updated version sometime soon much love!

Hi everyone, here's my first VG mix (still as-yet untitled and in need of much finalising)... LATEST VERSION: http://cbnow.co.uk/theradicalsifu/DK64_Remix_WIP_2.mp3 (4.79MB) OLD VERSION: http://cbnow.co.uk/theradicalsifu/DK64_Remix_WIP.mp3 (4.81MB) The levels and mixing are still very much preliminary, and it's possible that the bass/kick might be mixed wrong on some sound systems, I haven't finalised all that yet... also the mix does contain one or two samples and instruments from the original track PLEASE critique, be honest, brutally if necessary... Thank you!!