timaeus222

Hehe, I think picking partners would make this too easy. I mean, I could just pick Nabeel, or Mr. Molina over thar who wants to fight for his Spectre Knight. I'd be all for a random match-em-up for people who happen to pick the same corresponding firsts/seconds/etc., or what you said, Shariq, about revising our picks if we want.

Sounds great! The only thing I'd say is that the bass feels a little unrealistic. Some of the moments with multiple repeated notes sounded mechanical, such as at 1:34 and 1:42, since those repeated notes sounded like the same round robin iteration. The mixing makes it blend into the soundscape enough IMO, so it's not that big a problem, but you may want to try out some more bass samples before sticking with one for this track. Maybe if you want, you could send me the BPM, and the MIDI for the bass, and I can send you a few sample-replacement WAVs?

so random Good laugh.

Neither did I (dude, you and I think alike, Garrett). That's just what I'm accustomed to doing because I've never badly needed those frequencies. Now, if I'm using sounds that contain those frequencies, then yeah, I'll keep in what I'm comfortable keeping in. Otherwise, it's a no for my purposes. Either way, going on about this would really be picking nits anyways. As for the remark about headphones not going down that far, I mentioned that because it's so common to see people listening to music on headphones or earbuds these days. At least where I live, soooo many people use Skullcandy and Beats headphones that I probably do internal facepalms every time. Oh, and APZX: Since I never really gave you the audio context, here it is: http://oi57.tinypic.com/33275e1.jpg corresponds with https://app.box.com/s/pqp2xdtfu6aj3o7mrqe6

Ideally, yes, unless you're in a situation like this, which as mentioned before, was possible in synthesized sounds. Even if it's a minimal shelf, it's really not necessary to have 20~30Hz left in a composition, because it's so inaudible, and additionally hard to mix properly without synthesized sounds since it would be optimal with a well-treated room, bass traps and all, and more-or-less flat-response subwoofers. Not to mention no headphones even produce frequencies that low accurately enough anyways. It's easier to leave it out (aside from synthesized sounds you trust, or samples from people like Spectrasonics, Impact Soundworks, etc., who know what they're doing with regards to providing sounds with polished low end) so you can mix as loudly as this.

Duuuuuuuuuuuuuude. I would say hell yes to that. =D

Shelving IS a problem when the song is turned up in volume, especially if you're boosting bass, so I still maintain exactly this---I would never recommend doing upwards shelving EQ in the bass. I just synthesize a bass with balanced low harmonics and use that because I can know exactly what I introduced into the sound. Steep filters have never created any issues for me, nor have they introduced any strange resonances. I never do upward shelving below even the midrange. In fact, I barely ever do substantial shelving EQ these days. However, if I were to do an upwards shelving in the bass AND additionally do a steep high pass near 30Hz, I would also increase the bandwidth of the HP so that it cancels out more of the low shelf than it would by default.

virt is on the move! 1. Spectre Knight 2. Propeller Knight 3. Polar Knight 4. Shield Knight Oh, and about what time span (length and dates) could this last? EDIT: Doubles, please. (Currently no teammate) Silently wanting to work with Will. *nudge* Maybe I could work with Nabeel? idk

That's going to boost frequencies below 20Hz. Even though you can't hear them, they might be there depending on the synthesis method (Comb filters often bring sub-20Hz frequencies, for example), and if there's too much, a sound can feel more compressed than usual. So, if you're going to do a shelving boost to raise the subs, I would highly recommend doing a steep high pass near 30Hz to shave off the really low subs and get some headroom.

This is some great progress! I think 0:43 works better now as a section without a super noticeable lead. I really liked the section at 1:08. It was a good dropoff from the high energy. Could use transitions here and there, but your dynamics are certainly improving. Looking at the stereo field in the older games (like for the SNES, GB, etc.), there wasn't much someone could do to make a soundscape with depth AND width because they stuck to simple synth tones, likely without a built-in width adjustment knob, so what they did was add panning for certain notes in arpeggios to make them feel more alive, and even occasionally sequenced in manual delays with repeated notes of decreasing velocities (to create a customized delay that might otherwise be much harder to do with a real plugin). I think that can help here, since a lot of the sounds you have feel vintage. Making more use of expression tricks such as portamento/glide, pitch bend, and vibrato can really add character and make up for the simplicity of these timbres. Looks like you're using FL Studio, so you can do the portamento and pitch bend (try double clicking an already-sequenced note) using any of the native FL VSTi's such as 3xOsc, Harmless, Sytrus, etc. If you're using mostly outside plugins, then hopefully those settings are available in those synths. If you listen closely to this (at 0:30), for example, the panning can make you feel like you're in the middle of an expansive soundscape. Or, if you listen to this, the vibrato and portamento on the lead sound can make it feel scarier than without it. And probably what still needs attention are the drum patterns. A lot of the Drum & Bass patterns here feel repetitive, and adding fills (snare rolls, open hi hats, tom rolls, etc.) and variations helps to get out of the conveyed ever-constant feel. Some might call it "plodding". Basically it sounds like drum patterns that are either very similar or exactly the same are being copied and pasted many times. Some examples of varied drums: http://ocremix.org/forums/showpost.php?p=970928&postcount=2

Nice production here. The resonant noise sweep that you used a few times suffered a little from YouTube's compression, but it's all good in the MP3 (maybe a little too bright/resonant compared to all the other sounds). Sorta straightforward of an interpretation, but good use of the stereo field to maximize the immersion during the less four-on-the-floor portions of the arrangement. I especially liked the ring-mod frequency automation at 3:04. Also, just a little note, but the kick sample you used seems like it can also work in dubstep.

I thought this sounded just fine; no glaring issues IMO. I mean yeah, the samples feel soundfont-ish, but that's like Shariq's style, sorta. Things still click overall and the sequencing, I feel, was sufficient for the sample quality presented. Still enjoyable.

Ah, okay, the YM2612. For the bass, can you try lowering the gain (the rounded square sliders on the right) for the "4" and "5" bands down a few mouse wheel rolls (or about 1.6~3.2dB)? By doing that, it'll clear up some headroom for other instruments that cover 400~2000Hz, which include most of the synth arps and leads you have going on. All that means is that you can hear them more distinctly than before. Bass instruments similar to this one don't often need a high amount of midrange (500~4000Hz) because they're providing a "backbone" to the chords outlined by the notes played from the more melodic instruments. This might be a helpful read, written by this guy.

It's hard to tell what's really happening in the Master channel Parametric EQ since that's the overall EQ and doesn't really show how the individual EQs are before they stack up. Can you screenshot the bass instrument's EQ? I think this sounds more focused and cohesive now, so you're definitely getting there. Perhaps you could lower the volume on every instrument (individually, not with the master fader) because as a whole it still sounds a little overcompressed. If the mix sounds about the same with or without the limiter on, and it barely touches 0 dB, then it should be good to go on the overall volume. If there's a little red on the Master channel gain (with the sound bars), then it's too loud. I don't know how long of a ReMix you might be planning to make this, but I think that while 0:12 has some strong drums, the non-percussive instruments don't seem to clearly point my ears to a lead instrument until 0:36; 0:12 - 0:36 feels like a section with drums and accompaniment, while the sequenced brass instrument sounds like it's leading into a "main", heavier section. At 1:01, it feels like a rehash of what was written earlier, with different instruments, I think. There are lots of ways you can reinterpret OSTs: keeping the original structure and adding countermelodies, chopping up the melody and extending it along a different chord progression, changing the melody's tempo and adapting it to different genre contexts (rather hard, actually), using certain parts of the melody for certain types of sections (intro, outtro, breakdown section, etc.) and other parts for other types (verse, chorus, climax, etc.), and so on. Here are two examples of strong interpretations: - melody in different genre contexts (listen closely to the notes in the melody) - melody modified to fit various instrumental contextsAnd for now, it sounds like the snare rolls have the same velocities on each hit, or at least really similar velocities, and that can lead to people calling it "mechanical" (otherwise known as "not realistic"), which just means it sounds like a computer is playing it rigidly with no volume difference between each hit. Since it seems like you're using the same snare sample on all hits of these snare rolls, the velocity variation should help make it feel less fake.

Do you play with a metronome? If not, it might help to record your parts while using one. You're still slowing down a little when the rhythm guitar is more exposed, and in the slower parts that evktalo was talking about. Additionally, I dunno if it's really a legitimate concern, but your strumming style feels repetitive or plodding; I'm talking about when you play straight quarter notes (and that's also when you slow down a little and cause the timing to be off a bit). These points are rather substantial since they're present all throughout, and this seems like practically a 100% "live" performance. Also, I agree with evktalo that the arrangement feels a little "blocky". It just means that there are several sections, but they don't quite feel related or connected, and it's like one long stream of consciousness. As far as the notes played, it feels fine. I think something that contributes to it is that your playing doesn't seem to feel... emotional. If you try listening to , you might hear more emotion in the playing here (especially at 1:16 and 2:42), or maybe in . Right now it kinda sounds like you're... playing along to something, sort of, or maybe looking at your guitar to make sure you hit the right frets. Another way to say it is that it feels dynamically flat; the playing "enthusiasm" that's conveyed feels like it's at a constant low.

I actually think this is sparse earlier on than 1:40. The sub bass just doesn't fit. It's too static and loud. What should happen in the bass is that it should change notes much more often. It literally felt like one note held at 0:33 for 51 seconds because the pitch was hard to determine, and to me it just felt grating. You could alternatively use a completely different bass sound... one that is audible above 80Hz and has a Sustain shorter than 100% on its envelope so that you can feel the good harmonies you could be emphasizing instead of just vibrating the room with something that can be hard to hear well, and so that it's not a 100% constant note hold. Also, the piano early on is so quiet that it feels like just the chiptune sound in the soundscape; I'm using headphones that are louder than the average pair (low impedance), yet I barely heard the piano, so there's some perspective. Good chords here and there, but the piano definitely needs more humanization. All the notes, especially the chords, are stiff and quantized, so it just feels like someone plunked the notes with all the fingers needed on each hit, at the same time, each time. Try adding small rhythmic errors and velocity magnitude variations so that it feels more loose but not sloppy, and less stiff but not too dynamically undulating---having a few super quiet notes in between some really loud notes makes it sound too exaggerated in the velocity magnitudes. This feels like it's supposed to be atmospheric. I think it can be less sparse. More pads would be nice to thicken up the textures. You might find some inspiration by listening to the Phantasy Star Online OST on YouTube.

woop woop! *party sounds* Dunnnnn dun dun daaaaaaaa!

Dramaticness Analysis I can see how you perceived this as dramatic, though not really overdramatic, per se. The first 20 seconds has a chord progression that makes use of the root of the VI chord in the bass, followed by VII and I (e.g. A, B, C in C major). Occasionally I use that to introduce a somewhat "heroic" feel to a melody, but I try not to use it so much these days, just for the sake of variety. The orchestral snares with the dubstep/dance kick add to that perception, though as a whole it doesn't seem like a cohesive sound combination, especially since at 0:28 it changes tempo and switches to the next source (and I don't even know Sonic music extremely well). Medley-itis So, I definitely agree with Rexy here that this sounds like a straightforward medley. If I, someone who doesn't know Sonic all that well, can tell when you switch sources... yeah, there's totally a transition weirdness going on here. Those weirdnesses are due to the different tempos that you're linking together. Mixing I also concur about the overcompression and the muddiness. I believe it's the EQ of the bass instrument being overboosted making it sound muddy. I used to EQ without proper reasoning, and if I look back at my really old stuff, I could see that that was the case. It might benefit you to post what you did in the EQ for the bass instrument (as a screenshot). As a general rule, I usually cut frequencies out more than I boost them up, and most of my boosts these days tend to be above 1000Hz (~midrange) so that I don't introduce muddiness (in the sub bass, bass, and/or low-mids). Sidenote When working with EQ early on, I do not recommend boosting; it'll introduce issues that are basically unrecognizable until you realize that they're there, and while sometimes it takes other people to tell you there's "something off", it's also almost impossible to tell what's really happening if there's a bunch of EQ problems clumped into one ReMix (hence, I'm asking you to post your EQ edits). In cases where lots of instruments are overly boosted, someone might say, "this is loud in the midrange" or something similar to that---not so much "so-and-so instrument is boosted here, and this other instrument is boosted here"; that'd be pretty impressive! As for when I'd suggest you start boosting more seriously... I think you can decide when you feel good about it; when you can hear the boosts you do, then you know what you've done with that boost. In other words, be more self-aware. Sidechaining & Loudness Lastly, I can't quite tell if you're aware of the benefits of sidechaining. Maybe you're just doing it too subtly, or maybe it's not even there, but either way, it'll help to listen closely to hear if your sidechaining (assuming it's there) is actually doing something. I would try lowering the Threshold value and see if what the kick drum is being sidechained with is feeling pushed down more heavily. The main reason why I can't tell is that maybe you could be using a limiter that pushes down quite heavily on loud peaks (Hard Knee Limiter), and maybe it just so happens that your kick is loudest (which it usually is expected to be, conventionally). The kick can be turned down a little, by the way, since the pumping compression seems to be happening while the kick hits. Merits Oh, and just to clear things up about what you want to call this, it feels like you're switching genres, between orchestral, dance, and drum & bass. To be honest, you've got a pretty good snare for drum & bass, and the kick is nice too, tonally. You seem to have gotten certain rhythmic patterns down in your head, but I'm not sure if you are aware that you changed genres. Nothing really wrong with changing genres in the middle of a ReMix; just something that I think I should bring to your attention. This kinda reminds me of Kirby at times (Nightmare in Dreamland ~ Boss Tower) with the syncopated rhythms in the dance sections. Some of the writing is actually quite nice, especially the interaction of certain arp work.

Yeah, soundcloud streams at 128 kbps. Shouldn't affect that many songs out there though, to a noticeable extent.

Man, this is cool. It has hints of Phantasy Star Online in the harmonies, and the percussion work is so slick.

The intro didn't seem connected to the rest of the track for me; it just slows down and starts up again in 4/4. It can be hard though, to transition from 3/4 to 4/4, so no big deal there. 0:40 - 3:42 did seem a little bit noodly at times due to the prominence of the gated elements, but maybe it just takes attention to detail to appreciate the development that actually *is* there. I like the 80's drums mixed with the modern Roland drums in that it was sort of a mashup of eras. Overall I do like this; just some strangeness in the arrangement here and there.

Well, I think you sort of have the idea down on dynamics. You have some great sounds here too. The intro is weird though because it's a somewhat piercing texture until the drone at 0:13 comes in. The weird processed vox at 0:19 is very loud though, and didn't make sense to be there until the riser at 0:24 came in. Personally I would have skipped over putting in the astronaut sound clip and just went from 1:10 to 1:17, and just extended the dropoff at 1:04 for 6 more seconds so that 1:04 is in the second half. Also, to me the drums at 1:17 don't reflect the feel that is presented by the other instruments. I think it can work as a 6/4 downtempo piece. I don't mind the length as long as the ending is an ending.

I've told this guy several times in the Workshop Forums that his arrangement skills are phenomenal. Now, more people know.

It feels like your kick drum is wide, or panned left? Rarely is that something people do, conventionally. Also, the textures are sparse, making the dynamics not very identifiable; I can't tell what your intro is, what your low-energy sections are, or what your climax is. In other words, the arrangement feels directionless. Lastly, this doesn't feel like an assault to me; more like some sort of elevator music.

Loved him in Mrs. Doubtfire, and Jumanji too. Actually, my whole family and I were fans.