Xarnax42

For quick playlists based on tags, codebeard has done some really nice work: http://kieranclancy.com/ocrtags/

Hi, everybody! Happy to report safe (if excessively delayed) travels, and we're finally settled in on base in Afghanistan. Just got my internet activated a few hours ago. It's slower than dirt, but at least it's enough to browse. And, as far as I can tell, I should be equipped to contribute whatever's asked of me in our mystery round. I have managed to get a hold of all the mixes (with the latest batch ready in the next few hours), and I never fail to be impressed. I'll post more in depth impressions when I get a chance. Merry Christmas!

Howard Shore + brass = And yeah, that song is beautiful. It reminds me a lot of Gregorian chant, but the harmonies add an even more mystical quality, and the basses....so rich. As for Bilbo, if you've ever seen the British version of The Office, you'll know that role is in good hands.

Do you know how long these are available? Also, I have a buddy who qualified, but never enrolled in the Ambassador program. Is it too late for him or can he still get in on this (and maybe the NES titles, too)? I'd do the research myself, but this connection is the sucks.

This was actually a processed sample, and that's exactly the feeling I was going for, so thanks! With regard to your entire post (and most of your write-ups, really -- see quote below): I think it's really important to remember that this isn't the WIP forums, and I guarantee every mixer here would love to hear what you (this is to anyone sharing their reviews) enjoyed about their mix. I have no problem with constructive criticism, especially when you need to justify your votes, but the point of a review is to share the good and the bad, not to explain what needs to be fixed to pass the panel. Of course, I'd rather have a harsh review than none at all, and I really appreciate you taking the time to do a write-up every week (I wish I'd had the time to do the same...) !!!!:dstrbd:

Sleep is for the weak. And the conquerors of procrastination. I am neither - third Friday all-nighter in a row! (The direction I'm taking this could be inspired...but inspiration came much too late, and there's no way I'm going to do justice to this arrangement. Hopefully, some of you still enjoy it.)

I love the idea to expand beyond the classic shirt design. I probably wouldn't buy either of these though. I agreed with Jill before I even made it down to her comment, though I will say the design is classy (no pun intended) and visually appealing. (I can't read the inscription below, but I gather from the length and spacing that it's the mission statement. If so, I like that touch, too.) The Instruments shirt....I dunno. I have no design experience, but I instantly wanted them to be in a circle and not a square. I'm sure the designer put a lot of time into the layout and pic selection, but ultimately, to me, it has a feel of clip-art pasted in a grid somewhat arbitrarily. Not sure how much of that to chalk up to taste...it looks like the response has been mostly positive. Also, has the new shirt design movement been underway for a while, or is this the first time it's come up? With all the artistic talent in the community it seems natural to welcome anyone interested to suggest designs, but I haven't seen anything like that around here. Whatever the case, I'm glad to see more OC gear in the works, and I hope it brings in some much-deserved coinage.

EDIT: I mean, seriously, Lyrai: everyone in your sig is rocking out to this one.

Cut what?

I was talking to Jake last night, and he said he's got something he's pretty excited about. The Skull Men should be good to go this week.

Guys. Do you not know that Mega Man and elevator music are the perfect couple?

With DarkeSword's approval, and a complete disregard for my sanity, I'm at it again this week for Energy Tank.

All of this a million times over. Finished back to back weeks by the skin of my teeth. But if you thought I was rolling over after this week's votes and crits came in, ummmm.....no. With more time I probably would have done a bit more with the arrangement, and my ear for production lacks experience, but this is BY FAR the most complete piece I've ever created. Very stoked. Hope you like.

If anyone's scrapping for source ideas, there's obviously the requests thread. Also, you could check the requests that were made for the Freshly Baked Remix Challenge. Quite a few of those went unfinished.

Sounds to me like you're describing (aaaaand a vocal version here). In what way are you hoping it will be different?

I never pass up the opportunity to spread the love for Yuzo Koshiro's Legacy of the Wizard (AKA Dragon Slayer IV: The Drasle Family) soundtrack. It looked like theshizz awarded lots of points for innovative composition, especially from a technical standpoint. This might not push a lot of envelopes in that regard, but these tunes are melodic and energetic, and I find myself humming them regularly no matter how many years it's been since I last played the game.

And the non-modulated ones for good measure: The more I listen to this, the more the production flaws glare at me. Unfortunately, with basically ZERO production background, I didn't have the time to learn and implement the techniques to fix them. Most of the criticism touches on issues I was already aware of, at least, so I know I can develop the tools with a good bit of work. Somewhere down the line I do hope to clean this up, and probably tack on an extra verse or two.

....just....wow. I always appreciate when people take the time to give this kind of feedback. (I know, I'm totally unique like that. ) Especially awesome coming from the mind behind the song that's been stuck in my head for the last week. (Those "OH"s are mmmmdgaggfsakhdfadk!) No surprise there. Aside from the last GRMRB and a handful of 2-hour compos, there's no "other stuff" to speak of. I can be a bit scatter-brained, but the competitive aspect (not to mention having a deadline) works wonders for my focus. Definitely still a beginner, so I'm well-prepared to take crits on production. Thanks! This was the first time I've tried to incorporate vocals into a track, and I have a profound new appreciation for people who can get them to sit just right in a mix. I hoped for more crispness myself, but I had to move on, and never had time to get back to it. I was rather surprised that just a slightly brighter tone or small nuances in phrasing would affect the overall effect of the piece so much. I ended up spending quite a bit of time with that. (Not to mention that trying to come up with lyrics that don't suck when you're crunched for time is not such a great idea.) That said, it's unlikely I'll be attempting another vocal entry in this compo. Back at ya.

This guy gonna have another crack at Wily this week.

As a member of of a team that looks to have 1 point (to 9 or 10 for first) after two rounds in the current system (and probably 9 [to well over 100] in the proposed alternatives), I'm not concerned one bit that we'll still be in striking distance if we throw out some unexpected hits. Collectively, my teammates and I are far and a way the least experienced, and I don't think any of us really expected to be competitive. What the tallies can offer us, however, is a quick glance at how we measure up to the competition, and -- based on how we've started -- can show how much we improve. The official results don't really matter to me, but I do think the current system seems a bit arbitrary and spreads the top out a little too much. Nutritious made the best argument with the example of consistently solid vs. occasionally awesome groups. There are other options that would require more of voters and be a bit more tedious (say, rate each mix on a scale of 1 to 10) that could even more accurately reflect each entry's reception, but I think Jason et. al have a legitimate solution for an obvious sore spot. Also, Jason and SectorZ - thanks for the score sheets. I'll definitely be keeping my eyes on those. Finally, votes are really secondary in terms of feedback. It takes a lot of time to critically listen to 10-12 tracks. Thanks to everyone who took the time to share their impressions, reviews, and especially critiques for Round 1. I hope you and others keep that going. Especially for the people who aren't getting votes, it's REALLY encouraging to hear what you liked about our tracks.

I'm probably preaching to the choir here, but all interested parties should bookmark both rooms. Overclocked_Remix tends to draw a smaller crowd, but more regulars, and to this point, at least, has been populated a bit more steadily. The music selections a bit broader, and especially when it dwindles down to just a couple DJs, there's great opportunity to get exposure to a really wide variety of material you'd never come across. ocremix draws a bit bigger crowd (Facebook promotions work, errbody) and is a good place to randomize your OCPlaylist in a new way. Of course, this is place to be if you want to chat a bit with some of the site's superstars. Both are great opportunities to meet some really cool people with a common interest. I've found the chat here typically to be a bit more conversational and less random than in IRC, and made a couple good friends. Also, they're a great place to get on stage and showcase your own work for some instant feedback. Get over there!

It's 11:11 RIGHT NOW. That is all. (Please set your time zone to GMT -6 to fully enjoy this post.)

Yeah, this is ridiculously difficult. I think I got mine figured out. Really, really great work from everyone. Thanks for taking the time to BLOW MY MIND. (Also, to the Round 2-ers: I don't care how high the bar was set, these next mixes had better collectively be at least 0.595% better, because that's how much more time you had.) Here we go! She's a Squirter - Brandon Strader - There are a lot of great things going on here. I really dig the sound choices, and the glitching and FX fit perfectly, although I wish some lines came through with a little more clarity. Production's just a little bit muddy throughout. I really like that synth arp under Splash Woman's theme, maybe because it has an aquatic feel to it. The arrangement is solid; nothing too flashy, and the energy didn't quite carry me through to the end, but the transitions are seamless. An excellent departure from 'Lady in the Water'. Kudos on showing diversity with flair. Don't Make Me Cut You - halc - Man, Blade Man's theme is just weird. One of the more unique master themes both in composition and sound design. I'm glad I looked at again before I reviewed, because the harsh sound design was bothering me a little. After a few listens, I actually have more issues than I expected. The Blade Man usage was rather limited and repetitive, and the transitions were unexpectedly awkward -- esp. the one at 1:13. I do really like the synth solos, both the melodic line, and the rhythm and synths supporting it -- really well-arranged, high-energy stuff. Lots of little ornaments that could easily be missed or mistaken as incidental hold the piece together. Polished, with lots of attention to detail. Just wished for a little more with the arrangement. Totally Rad Winter - Sir_NutS - Lush soundscape and really crisp production. What could be an overdose of synthy goodness is impressively balanced. Static velocity kept a couple lines from being as powerful as they could have been. The themes play off each other really nicely. Percussion is mostly subtle...maybe too subtle at times, although it comes up nicely when it's exposed near the end of the track. Fun track. Double Doctors - Main Finger - Hands down, the most conventional track of the lot, but playing it safe isn't going to get you anywhere, is it? Oh, wait. Seriously, I love all the change-ups and curveballs. This piece has tons of energy, and the way that's carried from the kick to the samples to the meter to the lead to the breakdown to adding layers...it never stops building, and it never gives what I expect. A solid percussion line and the choral usage ties it all together. The laugh sample was hysterical the first time....afterward, maybe a little grating, but well-implemented. Production's just a tad iffy in places. About a minute in, I'm losing some of the bass. Some of the wider synths need to be EQ'd so they don't muddy each other. I really, really, really wanted to vote for this one. It's my 3b, without a doubt. You're GRMRB tracks show this was no fluke. I'm sure I'll get the chance to make for it soon. The Knight Who Says ROCK - Lidawg - I took Knight Man my last stroll around a compo, and I'm happy to see him return. And wearing a much better suit of armor. It can be a tough source, and I wish you'd done more with the second half of that tune. That said, what's here is a solid piece of work. Arrangement-wise, a bit heavy on the Wily, and the transitions are a little forced, mostly at the very beginning and very end. I really like the layered guitar, and the tone is nice. Percussion support is mostly solid, with the exception of the snare/hi hat combo during the solo. I really enjoyed this. First track I've heard from you, and I'm looking forward to more. Burn the Castle - AMT - This is a really impressive arrangement. Lots of segments with something to unite each one to the next, and more synth layers than I can count playing off each other and the leads without falling apart. The guitar tone is gritty (too much so for me, but 'no accounting for taste' and all that jazz), and could probably stand to come forward just a little. (Actually, it's perfect at first, but it starts to get buried further in.) Driving percussion, competent bass, and some perfectly-placed breaks and rebuilds (I love the way the way my face gets melted at 1:19) earn this my third place vote. The Last of the Clan - Jason Covenant - I always appreciate an approach that breaks expectations. Eclectic chillout/ambient definitely fits the bill. I have no problem with the vocal intro, and it had the right atmosphere effects on it, but I also wouldn't really miss it if it weren't there. The arrangement flows beautifully, although it doesn't seem to develop much. The sound choices work for me, but the leads (the voiceover, too) are mixed a little too loud for me to just settle in. Great vibe, and really original approach. Two Minds without a Single Thought - zerothemaster - I really like how you take a slow build to the voice sample, and the sound really fills out from there. Unfortunately, the space is so empty for the first minute or so to the point that build loses a lot of its effect. I didn't understand the choices of samples. :/ There are a ton of great ideas throughout, lots of variations interpreting and expanding the sources -- the big issue is that it's too many ideas, and not a lot to tie them together. The guitar line from the first couple seconds shows up throughout, but seems thrown around too recklessly to get the job done. Clearly, the most ambitious effort of the round. On your next mix, you'll probably want to shoot for a much shorter track to give you time to really focus on nailing the arrangement, and then tweaking your production. I know both Amphibious and C7 have a very strong musical sense. Get them a WIP very early in the week, and if they're feedback isn't brutal, call them out on it. Keep up the enthusiasm, and you can compete with the big dogs. Dubious Brothers - Benjamin Briggs - How can you NOT use that clip? It seemed a little out of place until I heard it say "Snake Man". I am a sucker for chiptunes, and your production's always been solid. This one gets a little grittier than your usual fare, but not distractingly so. In terms of sound design, I dig the keyboard with the 9bit percussion. The varyingly subtle and not-so-subtle pitch bending is delicious. Arrangement is extremely unified, but almost always developing. Objectively, this is probably the most complete track of the round. Pristine production and fluid arrangement get this train my second place vote. Under Construction - SuperiorX - After a brief scare of a too-minimal piano solo, this dives into some funky genre-defying goodness. It's playful, and you obviously had a lot of arranging this, and I'm having a lot of fun listening. Your synths could use quite a bit of filter/velocity/LFO attention, but the way you handle the melodies makes up for it -- passing the lead between instruments, straight rhythm to swing and back. The percussion gets stagnates a bit right before the ending. A lot of well-executed ornaments are the icing on the cake. In terms of enjoyability, this was my favorite after one listen through all the entries, and remains there after several more. Despite the production flaws, arrangement and dat swang thang earn this ditty my top vote. Seriously. Lovin' it.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure you can get a bit o' help from your teammates, too. As long as you're the primary arranger, collabs should be encouraged. Especially if it's the only way to get a top-quality mix.

Yes. More of that.