DarkSim

Hey thanks for listening to my remixes! That particular one I made about 3 years ago now and I think I've become much better at mixing since then, although I'm still not anywhere near the level of some people on here. I think the key to your question is to have a very good mix before you start master compression. You can (and probably should) use compressors on individual tracks before you put some compression on the master tracks. I tend to compress in 2 or 3 stages, but the key is to have a good mix first. By that I mean, make sure each layer is EQ'd properly and has its own space in the frequency spectrum. It's not just about overall loudness, but frequencies as well. Let's take the kick as an example. Comparing the kicks in our tracks, you said mine sounded about 25% louder. For my kicks, I like to boost the EQ at around 100-120Hz, and then cut that range out of all my other bass sounds using a small bell filter (nothing too extreme like a notch filter, just enough to give it some breathing room). I also roll off ALL other tracks that aren't bass at around 120Hz using a low cut filter. That way, you don't accidentally get any reverb or artifacts bleeding into the bass frequencies, which will cause you lots of mixing problems when it comes to compression. I may also layer my kick to give it a bit more weight, although that's not too important depending on your kick sample. I then compress the kick until it sounds beefy enough, and go from there. Here's a remix I made just a few days ago. It took me about 3 goes to get the mastering how I wanted it, but I think I got the right balance of loudness and clarity, whilst maintaining a dynamic range. Don't be afraid to drop out instruments to leave holes in the frequency spectrum. When you bring them back in, the perceived loudness will be greater. Once you have a good mix, the overall compression should help tie everything together. Try experimenting with the EQ a bit more, and don't be afraid to leave a few things out now and again!

Sounds very overcompressed - there's little dynamic range here so everything seems to blend into everything else, arrangement-wise. As such, it becomes quite tiring to listen to. Try dialing down the compression, and adding some real transitions between the sections to make each part of the song stand out.

Thanks for the replies guys, I'll just put some finishing touches to this one and then send off a final mix to the joojes.

So glad you mentioned this! One of the first games that came to mind for me was Pinball Dreams, also on the Amiga. I've tried to remix 3 tunes from that soundtrack, but every time I don't feel like I can do them justice. Same with Zool 2, which had a fantastic soundtrack as well. Digger T Rock on the NES was hard as nails, but the soundtrack made it all worthwhile. I later found out it was composed by none other than (Sir) David Wise.

Holy balls. This is incredible! The energy! Super clean sound as well. Seems like the ending is cut off before the crash cymbal finishes though, so you might want to sort that out. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be trying to rebuild my mind, cos it's just been blown.

If you haven't played this game already, it's pretty fast-paced fun and full of pixellated carnage. The soundtrack is also awesome, especially the track I chose to remix. The game sees you answering messages on your phone, and trying to piece together who is sending them to you, and why. I've tried to tell a story using the remix as to the slowly decaying mental state of the protagonist as he tries to overcome the trauma of being forced to commit killing sprees behind a mask. Who's There?

Hey, thanks for finally sharing! It's a fantastic start you have here, but I think you're right - something feels like it's missing. You should try adding some countermelodies in there as well as the main theme, to spice it up a little. You could also add a break where the kick and snare are given a rest and then you can build up again. Some pads might also help to fill out the soundscape a little. I really like the instrumentation you've used, and you experiment with some different instruments later in the track, but try using 2 of them together and mixing up the part writing between them. A funky solo? Who knows, but hopefully one of these ideas at least can help!

Omg dude, that remix is incredible! Finish/submit it please!

I love the Oblivion soundtrack - it's one of those that I put on just to chill out to, and it's great to see another remix up on OCR! This mix in particular is extremely slick and sounds like something zircon would do. Love the intricate guitar solos and synth work, in addition to the massive range of percussion and breakbeats. There's clearly been a lot of effort put into this, and it really shows. Awesome work!

Hah, these really made me smile. The Majora's Mask one is especially uplifting, surprisingly!

I was intrigued by the title, and then that Billie Jean intro drew me in. What happened next, I have no idea, but it was insanely awesome. How you can create something so seemingly chaotic and yet cohesive at the same time is beyond me, yet you've done it! Your influences are clear, and I approve wholeheartedly

Damn, son! That's some nice electro you got going on there. Great source track as well. You're right about some of the frequencies clashing, especially in the intro, but that's easy enough to fix. Seems like the outro (2:43) would be a nicer break than the one you have at 1:42 (where it just stops). The transition at 1:11 is also a bit abrupt. I reckon you should re-jig the arrangement a little, and maybe add a 3rd and final drop with the main melody line over the top of it just to really finish the song off euphorically, and you've got a winner.

SonicThHedgog got posted! I remember when this was first on the WIP boards, and boy has it changed since then! I think this - for better or worse - is an insight into the mind of the Hedgog, where nothing stays still for a second! It's loud, it's energetic, and it's completely ADHD. Great remix dude, although I wish you'd gone with the WIP title of "Dem Chemicals" instead

This is goddamn amazing. Super-clear production and performance, a foot-tappy rhythm, and some touches of genius like the train-track sample make this an instant classic. Nice one, Joe!

Well that was badass! Superbly played, and great arrangement.

Awesome video! Really well played. Are you intending to submit this to OCR? I'm not sure it would pass in its current state as it's a bit too much of a cover, but it's cool nevertheless!

Forget the PS4 and Xbox One for a minute. THIS IS THE ONLY NEWS THAT MATTERS!

I really like the arrangement of the 2 sources, and the instrumentation you've gone with. I think you're pushing the low end a bit too much when the crunchy, distorted beat comes in though. That's pretty much my only bit of advice, the rest of it sounds great! And yeah, extend those arps some more before the outro.

Sounds intriguing! PM me

Filled one out for you, hope you find it useful.

Hi! It's always risky doing a solo piano arrangement if you don't play piano - the sequencing sounds very rigid and inhuman (because it isn't human!), so there's a lot of work needed to make this sound more natural. I think it also needs many more flourishes to round out the arrangement and make it sound less like a cover. Maybe you should experiment with adding other instruments and sounds than just piano? Although saying that, your piano does sound nice, so maybe you can make it work solo, but it would take a lot of effort! Keep practicing anyway, it's a nice source.

Whaahahahaha! I love the energy in this piece, it makes me want to get up and dance round a maypole or something (you guys have maypole dancing in America?). Brilliant stuff, nicely recorded as well. We hope to see you again soon!

Huge atmosphere, and the theremin leads sound great within it. Nice beat slicing and filtered drums to give it that extra edge, and everything sounds coherent. Might just be a little conservative for the judges, but as a DarkSim, I'm a huge fan of anything PD-related

I feel bad for the oldskool 1. Q*bert 2. Arthur 3. Psyduck

Not enough vocals, wubs are too quiet, and I don't even hear a cowbell. NO Seriously though, that was some excellent electronica my good man.