Hipnotyk

Lots of good information here, and I wanted to add some extra advice for anyone looking to get started. A few companies offer some great software freebies that could come in handy for anyone new to the production game. Korg offers a very useful bundle of software with the purchase of any of their small USB MIDI devices like the MicroKey or nanoKontrol2. You may have to set up some logins with third-party companies but it's worth it to get some extra instruments and plugins for free. Also, purchasing an audio interface through Focusrite or any sort of MIDI gear through Novation will get you set up with some more plugins and a version of Ableton Live Lite, another DAW that has some stylistic similarities to FL Studio. It will have limited capabilities compared to the full version, but it's still a risk-free opportunity to see if you like the layout and workflow. Other hardware-producing companies may have partnerships with certain software vendors, so be on the lookout for similar bundles. If you play your cards right, you could end up saving some money in the long run.

I'd love to buy this and keep supporting ISW (seriously, I own almost everything available =P ) but I'm quite happy with what I've been able to get out of Trilian. However, this sounds like another solid instrument and I'll keep recommending it to my friends and colleagues who are looking to get invested in production. The Bass 2 + Drums bundle is a great deal for anyone looking to get started, especially guitar players who should strive to make their accompanying tracks as good as their guitar playing.

Thanks for approving me! If I can crank out the two tracks I claimed and there's still time, I'm willing to contribute some more depending on what's available. A few unclaimed tracks still greatly intrigue me such as Martial Law and The Legendary Beast. If they're not claimed, I could take a crack at them. On a side note, I'd love to hear another person or group put their spin on Movin'. As a young little noob, that was an epic moment in the game because of the killer FMV it accompanied and I was like "WTF THE BUILDING IS FLYING!"

I'm going to try and put something together for this round, but I've got a lot of real life obligations in the next couple of months and have to take them all pretty srsly.

I would like to be a part of this. Long time musician, but I've finally got my feet wet with production over the last 8 months (4 of which I was finishing up college). I just recently participated in the Materia Collective FF8 project, contributing covers of Never Look Back and Movin': If this is sufficient for me to pass the audition, I would like to tackle Lunatic Pandora and The Salt Flats.

Listened to it this morning (on Soundcloud), didn't realize you also had a video to go with it! Production wise, this sounds very good. The one thing that I really wasn't sure about was the third section where only the backing instruments are playing and there is no melody. I feel like this cover would be much more effective if you had the second iteration (elec guitar solo section) lead into what's currently your fourth, cutting the third entirely. If you don't want to do it so suddenly, an 8 bar vamp would still keep the transition feeling natural. As it is right now, I feel like you built up the energy very well but then you abruptly took it back down and left it there for a little too long. I really like the sound of this cover, though. With a slight change to the road map I think you've got a damn good track.

Got my vote in. Again, really disappointed that I couldn't find time to put something together. I'll get around to it eventually, and maybe do a full-blown remix while I'm at it. Good entries, it was a tough decision.

I meant to make something for this but the holidays were busy and now I've got even more going on, as I'm putting some stuff together for a big job opportunity and it's due at the end of the month.

I've had this one stuck in my head for over a decade! I spent a day trying to figure out what to pick for the next round and this kept coming up in my head, so it was an easy pick.

It was a great pick. I actually mentioned that when submitting my votes. X_X

Submitted.

Ah great, thanks! I definitely wasn't trying to be a jerk at all, especially considering this involves a skill you've clearly got in your bag of tricks that I've yet to fully develop. I should be able to put something together for this before the deadline.

I'm still a newcomer here for the most part (as far as posting goes, I was lurking for over a decade before that) so I'm not sure if I'm overstepping a boundary by saying there's definitely wrong notes in the MIDI file, primarily with the metallic sounding instrument that comes in around 0:46. My ear is still a little weak so I'm not comfortable trying to fix it, as I'm also juggling three other projects with deadlines right now. Again, hope I'm not saying something I shouldn't be. Just feel like the onus should be on whoever selected the track to ensure that it's an accurate representation of the source.

Oh yes, I definitely own the Myth album. Used several of the tracks as pre-ceremony music for my wedding in addition to some of the slower stuff on the first two Distant Worlds albums. I appreciate you taking time to listen. I remember listening to this track a few months ago and thinking, "there is literally no way anyone could ever make a better version of this track." I feel that way about a lot of the tracks in the Xenogears OST because the quality of samples used for a PS1 game is pretty good. Definitely don't feel like mine's better; it's just an altered, personalized version that I've made to keep working on production and if others enjoy it, then that's fantastic. Glad you enjoyed it!

Yeah, it's an acoustic kick drum. I should have some quality synth options to try out, though.

I appreciate the input. You're right that I didn't deviate from the original much, as I'm really just trying to stay busy and learn new things every day in various styles. I should be able to clean up the tambourine sound and make the sweeping synth sound a little more reserved. For the kick drum, I've sidechained it but do I just need to do more with the EQ to accentuate the impact?

https://soundcloud.com/matt-s-harrison/shevat-the-bells-are-jingling I know this is probably not enough deviation from the original to be considered for mod review, but this is my first draft for a holiday themed cover/remix. I changed some of the supporting instrumentation around to give it a slightly more natural or organic feeling. The bass and the flute absolutely had to stay, though. To me, this track isn't the same without either one. Would like to consider taking it to a point where I can deviate and make it more worthy of being a "remix" as opposed to a cover, but I'm really not sure how to go about doing that. Do I need to break up the melody/bass line or is getting more elaborate with the accompanying lines enough?

Since you gave me a lot to work with for Iris, I figured I should listen to this for you and offer some input! I really like the voice in the beginning as well as the guitar (which resembles the strings) that comes in around :54. The chimes and the drums are very effective and it's great that you did the panning of the drums. It's the little things that have a big effect sometimes. However, and this might be personal preference, I feel like the guitar resembling the choir is missing something. More aggression, bite, attack, I'm not sure how to quantify it. When it enters, I guess I feel a little let down. Maybe layering it with the same notes an octave higher could work because in the original track, that's a heavily stacked choir from bass to soprano. Unfortunately, guitar is my severe weak point (which is why I haven't posted my Flame Mammoth WIP remix for fear of literally being ripped apart) and anytime I try to get a good sound, it's basically "throw everything at the wall and see what sticks" for anything involving amps/distortion/etc. If nothing else, I hope this gives you something to consider checking out. Basically, it feels like you're one step away from this sounding really powerful and well done.

Thanks for the advice and the follow, and I believe I followed you back! I like what you've done with some of those heavy FF7 tracks. I probably uploaded this one in a hurry and I definitely hear some of the stuff you're talking about, especially the harp. Occasionally I get the urge to upload stuff too soon but the upside is I can always go back and make some adjustments. Ever since I stepped up the rate in which I make stuff, I've been learning more and more with every project.. It's crazy to hear the difference from week to week. I really want to pull the trigger on the Berlin Winds more than anything else right now, but I did just spend a few hundred on some Waves plugins (waited for Black Friday and stacked it with coupons on AudioDeluxe for the biggest discount) which have already been a huge difference maker. People have told me the Berlin Winds never go on any sort of discounts so I'll probably get them once my funds are fully disposable again. And thanks again for listening and offering input. I'm looking to make small improvements every day and this really helps.

https://soundcloud.com/matt-s-harrison/hot-pursuit-donkey-kong This one's another MnP-esque remix but I feel like I've had some success raising the energy level while still maintaining that feeling of racing through the wetlands. This one was also a bit of a personal challenge to get more familiar with Omnisphere as I was pulling up new patches and filters that I've yet to touch. When I first started out, it went a little rough but then eventually things started to come together and I'm really pleased with the end result. The only percussive toys are a tambourine, hat and kick drum, but I feel like it's enough to keep things driving. Always looking for things I'm doing right or wrong so I can keep getting better, so any input is appreciated.

https://soundcloud.com/matt-s-harrison/iris-lufia-2 How can a piece so melodically simplistic be so moving? Seriously, if you took out the harp and put it in a familiar key for elementary wind instrument players in middle school, they could play this no problem. None of that changes the fact that this is an extremely powerful piece of music, though. I added some extra elements that the original doesn't have to give it some depth, like tubular bells and soft gong hits as well as some smooth rises (literally, pulled them all from the "Smooth" presets of Rise & HIt). The second go-around is where I change things up a bit with some pizzicato violin, additional vocal harmony and end it with some suspensions. It's not the usual upbeat track I tend to favor but this was still a lot of fun to make. Might have to try out some more ballads in the future.

https://soundcloud.com/matt-s-harrison/underneath-the-rotting-pizza A former co-worker and very good friend was just promoted to Staff Sergeant and he's a great bass player. Since he's moved halfway across the country I couldn't exactly take him and his wife out to dinner to celebrate, so I did a small deviation of one of his favorite FF7 tracks. The original uses synth bass so I tried it out with more of a guitar sound (from Trilian) to see what the end result would be. I also added some extra texture underneath the instruments with various windy soundscapes and metals meshed together to create a "slummy" vibe. The strings are from Albion One and they're undoubtedly my favorite part of that package. Hope you enjoy it, and any mix/EQ/master advice is much appreciated. I feel like I've made a lot of improvement since I started this journey but I'm always wanting to learn more.

This is something I've wanted to participate in since I started lurking the forums over the summer, but my classes on top of full-time Army stuff was a little overwhelming. I'll try to keep contributing and maybe do the next PRC.

The nature of my job allows me to be somewhat liberal with spending on certain pieces of equipment. When it comes to headphones, this is what I've used and a quick summary of my thoughts: MDR7506 - Surprisingly good for the cost and a balanced spectrum. Be prepared to replace the ear pads quickly or you'll end up with little specks of black material on your ears, neck and clothes. M50x - Listening to music in these is quite an experience, but that's the problem. If you exclusively use these for a final mix confirmation, be prepared for others to tell you that your music lacks low end because these headphones give it a boost. DT770/880 - My personal favorites. I favor the DT880 a little more for the semi-open design. However, I can't wear these for too long, at least not as long as the AKG's. DT990 - This is another "fun" headphone. Steer clear for mixing. K702/K712 - These have great sound quality/staging and they're very comfortable, but something is off about the bass. I tried mixing something on these last night while my wife was sleeping and when listening to it this morning on the monitors, the bass was way too high and some instruments in the mid to high range needed to come up. TLDR - I would always recommend good monitors before splurging on a high dollar headphone, but the DT880's are my pick of the litter so far.

Okay, clearly I need to visit more regularly because I missed this track when it came out. This is phenomenal.