Chimpazilla

Co-signing with the guys. This actually sounds really nice to me! But the sampled guitar is too exposed to carry the arrangement. If you could get someone to play this, that would be amazing! It would also be good to have some more interpretation in the arrangement so it doesn't resemble the source so much, and writing variation so it isn't so repetitive. While not necessary, having some backing elements would be nice, even a sweepy pad, string layer, or very light percussion, varied as the piece moves along so it avoids repetition. Honestly I am enjoying listening to this! It's just not ready yet for OCR. I would really love to hear it again with improvements made! NO (resubmit)

It does sound great! But yeah, this arrangement is much too simplistic, conservative and repetitive for OCR. We are looking for re-interpretations of the source songs, with variations and original ideas added, proper arrangements (intro, build, verse, chorus, breakdown, chorus, outro etc.). This sounds like a fun romp through the original song with a beat added. If the original song was ripped and downtuned, I can't exactly tell, but if so, that cannot be included in an OCR arrangement. I actually really like this concept and direction, just needs more personalization for OCR. NO

The intro choir does sound quite fake which is unfortunate. It plays a lot throughout the piece. Ideally, this choir patch should be replaced with something more natural if possible, otherwise perhaps just lengthening the attack on the patch for the longer notes would improve the feel of it. There is so much going on in this soundscape. I get that black metal is a wall of sound, and mostly I can handle that, but here as the other two Js have pointed out, it feels like too much, and there is no way to mix this many midrangey elements in a way that everything is audible and not painful to listen to. This is more of a problem in this arrangement because you are actually trying to convey source-material motifs and melodies over this mid-heavy soundscape. Each writing part (leads and countermelodies) is very complex so it's a lot to take in, melodically. As the guys said, it's hard to make sense of what's what. When the quiet breakdown begins at 3:00, it is very welcomed, and I find that my ears are actually ringing from the previous section. Then that fake choir begins again. This choir sample has got to be swapped for something a little more natural, since it is playing such a prominent role at the breakdown. As Wes said, when it is buried in the backing elements it works a little better, but for me that is primarily because it does not sound like a choir when it is buried, but it sounds like another instrument. Other than that, the breakdown is lovely! As for the source use, Emu and proph could not quite make sense of what was playing where, and I certainly can not either. A timestamp of the source use would be much appreciated, but I agree with the guys that somehow the actual writing has to make a bit more sense, and that can only be achieved by stripping back some of the elements playing in the heaviest sections, and making sure the countermelodies aren't overwhelming any lead writing by being too busy rather than supportive. The track is mastered VERY loudly to the point that I *almost* hear some pumping, it's just on the cusp for me. The final limiter has been pushed hard. It's a bold, ambitious arrangement, really awesome arrangement ideas and the overall track dynamics are great. This arrangement can totally work if it is mixed a bit better and the source melodies are more clear. And I do hope the choir can be improved since it is so prominent in the mix. NO (resubmit)

Awesome direction to take! But I agree with my fellows, the soundscape sounds too muddy and lossy overall. If the backing pads are going to be fuzzy/distorted, the leads should be clean so they can soar over the soundscape, but they are distorted too so everything kind of mushes together. The arrangement works well enough, but there isn't much in the way of arrangement dynamics, because the energy stays roughly the same throughout the piece, mostly because this heavily distorted soundscape never changes, so it becomes fatiguing after awhile. If the backing pads dropped way low or out completely at any point, that would provide more arrangement dynamics. Even with the timestamp provided, I cannot hear the source connections. Perhaps someone with more familiarity with these sources can hear it more easily. I feel like the source represented here has been very heavily interpreted, and often little two-note motifs are being counted as source (which is fine to do, it just makes it harder for me as a judge). I'd love for Larry to take a listen to see if I'm massively missing it, Larry's our source-o-matic around here. But regardless, the mixing issues are holding it back for me. NO

As with all of the VQ tracks I have evaluated, I can hear and feel how much care and attention to detail went into this. As with the other submissions, there is a story behind the arrangement, the instrumentation has been carefully selected to convey a specific mood and tell an evolving story. There are so many textures, sfx and ear candy, and the arrangement never loses interest. This one is actually mixed rather well I think, compared to previous submissions. (Although as with the previous submission I voted on, something has gone wrong with the mastering because it is hitting peak 2.4db, and it needs to be limited at 0db maximum). ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Before I write what I have to say next, which I wrote six days ago, I need to say that the Shinobi source song is problematic for me, in that it contains unpleasant dissonance, clutter, and lack of melodic contour in its lead writing. Weird-ass source, imo. I'm having a harder time busting this remix for doing similar things as the source is doing, but here goes. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The problem I am having, as with previous submissions, is that there is so much going on at once, and quite a bit of the writing sounds extremely random and often out of key too, which ends up sounding awkward. The track starts out fine up until 0:25, at which point the flute is already conflicting with the main arp, vocal patterns, and kettle drums. It's several different patterns at once, and none of it makes sense together. This problem persists throughout the piece. The worst section for me is from 2:30-2:52; the patterns are so varied harmonically as well as rhythmically that the entire section is just confusing. I don't even mind the fuzzy timbre at 3:27, I kind of like it! But the arp patterns conflicting at that section is what ruins it for me. For musical writing to make sense to a listener, lead motifs should have some sort of motivic or harmonic contour, meaning the notes don't just bounce all over the place. Also, countermelodies, arps, basslines and supporting patterns need to interplay with each other in a way that makes a cohesive soundscape, and that is not happening here. In a previous submission, Larry described the problem as a "lack of melodiousness.." I hate to say it, but that's the problem here as well. I hate to come down hard on this. There's a lot to like about the track. It has a great ethnic flavor and energetic vibe. The combining of the sources is well accomplished and the arrangement has great dynamics. The attention to detail is off the charts. The mixing as I said is even working well enough (although please use a final limiter, set to 0db maximum). But the mismatched harmonic, melodic, and rhythmic patterns are sinking it for me. Ok I am listening to some Glitch Mob tracks to try to understand what's being emulated here. Wow, their stuff is really unique, full of varied patterns and sounds. The difference is that even though they are really pushing the envelope, the patterns ultimately make sense rhythmically and harmonically even when many of them are layered together. This would be a tough style to emulate, it's a very ambitious undertaking for sure. In all honesty, and please take this in the spirit of helpfulness, I suggest you select a much simpler source song, and approach a remix in a much simpler way, so that you can learn about melodic contour, harmonies, countermelodies, rhythms, and keeping the soundscape more simple, with elements placed purposely and never randomly and never too many at a time. Don't be afraid to cut out ideas that aren't working, even if you spent time on them! Eventually you do get used to doing that! Your arrangements are already VERY good, they just need refining at this point. NO

It sounds "primitive" because it's jungle! Haha! Nah, I hear what MW is saying, the synth patches are indeed on the weak side. The bass is huge and awesome (and I love the varied types of bass processing, distortion and bitcrushing), but it sounds overblown because the other synths do not have a similar level of beefiness and badassery. Even the snare is falling a little flat for me, it should be smacking me in the face and it isn't. The other issue is that the master is UBERLOUD. I'm seeing -4.8RMS which is like, louder than Skrillex loud. The bass is surely causing that; it probably needs to come down a few db and also be EQ'd to make sure nothing below around 25Hz is coming through. Everything else about this arrangement rocks. The two sources are seamlessly combined, and the energy of the piece has awesome dynamics. Plenty of details and ear candy. The writing is varied and cool. The drum writing is great and the filtering transitions are excellent. I do find this to be a layup, even if I think it could kick harder with better synth patches or processing on the synths and snare. YES

As the others have said, there's a ton of personality to the wind parts in this arrangement. It's a very light and fun concept. But it's falling short for me as well. There isn't much going on here besides the various winds. There is no bass instrument or lows to speak of, other than the kick drum. The drums are comically quiet, and also the pattern being played is extremely quirky but also repetitive, so the energy of the piece never changes from the first moment to the end. The drum pattern really needs some more variation. To me, this sounds like an extended concept wip and not a completed product. The wind performances are great though, I don't believe they need to be changed. But it should be mixed better. The flutes are too loud and also shrill, and as I said the drums are way too quiet. Some kind of simple bass accompaniment would really help, at least during the big choruses. Even just a sampled standup bass playing on one and three would do the job, as the winds are already playing busy patterns. Here's an example I slapped together quickly. I really like this cute concept and the performances are great! It just isn't quite there yet, production wise. I don't think it should take too much to fix it up. NO (resubmit)

I agree with the NOs unfortunately. This is a super cool track, everything about it is great, the arrangement, instrumentation and performances are stellar! But it was mixed inside a potato I think. There's no bass presence, and what is left is all midrange and it's all competing to be heard. Drums are comically quiet; the kick has no low end so it is barely audible. Snare is super quiet too. Hats and crashes may be ok. The track seems to lack any kind of mastering, and the peak is -2.2db which is unnecessarily quiet. Awesome arrangement. Gonna be a great track to post on OCR, after it is mixed and mastered properly. NO (resubmit)

I know this source like the back of my hand, and yes the motif is hugely obscured in the first half. Larry's timestamp did help, but I can clearly hear the notes being played, in a totally different way from the source; the emphasis is on a different note than in the original (up until 2:13 at which point the source motif playthroughs are more straightforward). I generally love Michael's work and this track is no exception. I love the sparseness and the interesting sound design, as well as the reversed bits of motif. As Larry said, fun little audio experiment. I'm on board. YES

This may be the grooviest 8bit original tune I've ever heard, holy shit. Ok on to the remix. Beefy kick right out of the gate, blowing my ears in, in a good way. Retro sound palette for sure but it sounds great. Oh man, this beat hits hard. Love it. The production on this track is ace. Unfortunately, I have to agree fully with Mind Wanderer. The repetition in this arrangement is too egregious. I cut the track in Cubase at 2:16 and layered 2:16-3:25 over the section of 0:00-1:16, and they are identical, with two exceptions: the intro of 0:00-0:15 is double the length of 2:16-2:23 (with clap entering halfway through), and there are a few extra notes written into the lead writing at 3:02-3:10 compared to 0:53-1:02 (with the same lead instrument as before). That's a very tiny amount of variation. I soloed each part back and forth multiple times and could not find any other differences. Darn it, I really like this track, but that's too much repetition. I'd love to hear some real variation introduced into the second half, enough to distinguish it from the first, then this will get my hearty yes vote. Guys, we recently voted NO on a track by bLiNd for overuse of repetition, even after he went back and made subtle changes that just were not enough variation because what he changed was the exact same type of sounds. This track is even more blatant repetition than that track was. This one should not be getting YES votes at this time, just my $0.02. NO (I really dig this, please vary second half, and resubmit)

Co-signing on what the guys said above. Great sounding guitar work here! Panning is way too wide for my taste. Drums are too quiet in the mix, as is the bass. The arrangement is too simple, too straightforward and way too short. Ending is a cold, unnatural cutoff. This seems more like a concept wip than a finished product. I agree with Larry and Brad that DoD would be a great place to refine your arrangement and production skills. I'd love to hear more from you in the future, in terms of a fully-fleshed out arrangement, because as Larry said the musicianship is most definitely there! NO

I have voted on this twice already, and both previous times I found the writing too sparse, simple and mechanical. and the soundscape was extremely sparse. Also I noted that the track had no mastering and came in at -6db peak. There has been quite a bit added to the piece in terms of instruments, textures, padding and sfx. This is a huge improvement. It still feels very sparse but now it sounds purposeful and with enough going on in the soundscape to retain the listener's interest. This arrangement isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea, but this resubmission gets the job done. The track now has some mastering or at least a final limiter on it. I see that a new version was uploaded to remedy some clipping. The master is still very loud for this style of music, but I don't hear any clipping or overcompression artifacts. YES

proph covered the issues well. This is basically a cover, with very little interpretation or additions to personalize it. For OCR we look for transformative arrangements and not covers of the source material. This also needs a huge mixing overhaul. Please don't be discouraged, everyone starts somewhere! I suggest posting this into our wip forum and/or Discord server to get further advice on it. Also you can look up tutorials on proper song arranging and mixing. NO

Wow that 600Hz spike HURTS. This is actually painful for my ears. I love Lavender Town, I have remixed it myself! This arrangement however, does not develop sufficiently. It is just the source writing repeated several times. I think this is a good structure from which to carve out a remix, but as it stands now, this sounds more like a barebones concept wip. I can understand wanting to do an ambient, drumless remix, but for that to work there has to be more going on melodically and sonically. There needs to be some kind of interpretation on the source motif, some original bits, some countermleodies etc. At the very least there should be more and varied instruments, and you can also use sfx to tell a story that evolves over time. proph had a great suggestion to visit our workshop for more ideas on how to expand this arrangement. I'd love to hear it again in a more fleshed-out form! NO

ANOTHER Lower Brinstar.... what is going on here, this one even has a nearly identical title to the one I voted on two days ago. I'm darn glad I like this source but I feel like OCR has entered some kind of weird dimensional rift into the Metroid-verse. I like the beat established here, very groovy! Good instrumentation and fun interpretations of the source material. Lots of variation in sounds used. The elements are cohesive and sound good together. Arrangement is conservative and repetitive, I agree with proph on that. I really like this sound palette, but since it remains the same throughout the track, the repetition gets heavy. I agree with proph that the arrangement needs just a bit more development to pull away from the repeating source material and sounds. You could add a very soft yet moody breakdown, where the drums drop out and the bass goes to a pedal instead of groovy pattern. Let that simmer awhile then bust back into the groove, with something new or surprising added for the final section, with some original writing, or with variations in instruments playing the parts. On the mixing side, I think the elements are volume-balanced pretty well. The low end feels a little weak, perhaps some compression and a bit of volume gain on the bass would be good. The mids sound a little hyped right now, due to the low end being on the quiet side. Raising the bass volume will fix that. I'm actually pretty borderline here because there's a lot to like in this mix! Ultimately, the repetition is keeping it just under the bar. NO (borderline, resubmit)

I'm not sure why we are suddenly getting an influx of Lower Brinstar arrangements, but I love that source so let's do this! Again! Opening piano is very mechanical but has sufficient reverb, and the flute that follows is painfully dry, so they don't sound cohesive. I am also not a fan of the hard panning of instruments. There are several elements that are panned left or right (piano left, choir right, clanky percussion left, etc.), and proph said the track is widely panned, I assume he means the hard panning of various elements as opposed to overdoing the overall stereo spread. When the soundscape opens up at 0:31, I like the distorted electro textures that are added, along with bells and metals and delays. Great soundscape! However, the arrangement itself is not developing much as it goes along, it is just the same motifs over and over, played with the same instruments each time. The writing is 100% from the source tune. Some writing interpretation or original bits along with the source writing would help break up the repetitiveness of this arrangement. I love the bell timbre starting at 1:33, it is a wonderful creepy sound and fills the soundscape beautifully with just the right amount of reverb and delay. I also really like the guitar synth that begins around 2:50 with some little original flourishes here and there. *chef's kiss* I love the idea of the big crushed section starting at 2:00! This section could be so cool, but the mixing of that section is off. Everything sounds mono after 2:00, crowded in the center, and lacking impact. The bass growls, percussion, sweeps, that smacky snare, everything is in the middle and that is a wasted opportunity to really grab the listener. When using so many timbres that live in the same frequency range, the mixing has to be on point, and everything is competing here. If some of the elements in that section were stereo-spread more (NOT panned, but spread), that section would have so much more impact. The actual mixing also needs to be revisited in this area because you've got some very badass bass and growls there that I'm not feeling. SPAN shows me there is plenty going on in the low end but it sounds muted, and I suspect the issue is stray lows on your other elements. EQ should be used to remove everything below 100-ish Hz other than kick and bass, that will clear up low mud and give you more clean mastering headroom. I think this can really be a great track, as proph said it has great bones. It just needs a little more TLC. Do a small bit of piano humanization, at least when the piano is the most exposed. Make sure the flute has a reverb that sort of matches the piano so they sound like they are in the same room. Try to add some writing variation here and there, even adding more flourishes like you did with the guitar synth will go a long way toward breaking up the repetition of the continuous source-writing. And that big section needs a mixing overhaul: EQ elements (other than kick and bass) to remove lows and inaudible mud, tame some of the hard left/right panning, and give some of the elements after 2:00 some stereo spread so it doesn't sound so centered/mono. I really do look forward to hearing this one again and seeing it posted! NO (resubmit)

Wow, this is a HUGE improvement in writing and creative ideas! The writing variations on the source are groovy. The vocal pad really gives this a new flavor when it starts after 2:00, I wish it played just a hair longer than it does. The drums have been varied just enough to avoid so much repetition, and they feel more natural now. The new drum production fits the soundscape just right, good job there! I don't find the bass boomy at all on my system that includes a sub. The bass hits pretty hard at 100-ish Hz, perhaps that is agitating Larry's headphones and offending his ears? It sounds fine for me. The production overall is working well I think. I really like the new reverse/slowdown ending! It's still abrupt, but it's an actual ending. It is weird in a cool way. The warbley production is an artistic choice, and I like it. This one gets the job done for me! YES

*Checks submission thread* Ok so this track has been updated NINE times??? First, that's too many updates. Second, we need a better way to have more visibility when submissions have been updated. I'm still cool with my YES on the track as of the 4/13 version.

I have to agree with my fellow Js, the overall mix is overly quiet and needs proper mastering to increase the overall volume while preserving appropriate dynamics. But the bigger issue is the sample quality. The strings (solo cello and string ensemble in particular) are dealbreakingly bad, and they play for so much of the track that they are totally distracting. The brass starting at 3:23 suffers from the same fake uncanny-valley problem. I think there are flutes in there, but as MW said they are almost inaudible. I agree with proph and MW that this is an excellent blending of these themes into a cohesive and emotional story. Clearly a lot of time and heart went into writing this, and it is really a very beautiful composition. I can imagine this with vastly better instrument samples, or better yet live played instruments, and it would be outstanding. But as it stands currently, it sounds like an orchestral mock-up or wip instead of a finished product. I would certainly love to hear it again with better instruments! NO (resubmit)

Right from the get-go I'm loving the wide, alive stereo soundscape. I love the gentle trap vibe happening here with the 808 bass and trap hats. All the elements fit together well and this is mixed to perfection, mastering is appropriate. Oh, awesome glassy/synthwavey lead starting at 2:29. So many arps going in the background, but the soundscape doesn't sound overcrowded and the leads shine through. This is just excellent, let's go. YES

What a gorgeous source tune! Ok on to the remix. The intro is already super loud. The piano sounds very rigid and blocky, the timing with the violin is frequently off, and there are moments where the notes don't match, such as at 0:14 and again at 0:40; the piano and violin are playing different notes. At 0:33, the soundscape is now very heavy and the percussion sounds very loud, dry and very overcompressed. By 0:58 I am already hearing overcompression pumping across the track. At 1:49 the entire soundscape is smashed to smithereens, with crunching and unwanted pumping. The addition of the Hitler recording is a bit shocking and it's a very bold and interesting choice. I can see how this recording adds to the theme and feel of the track. I was alarmed when I heard it at first, not even because it is Hitler but because the recording is way too loud and dry, it dominates the track while it is playing. I think you can keep this idea, it's good, but it has to be mixed better. You need to turn the volume of it way down, and give it a touch of reverb so it sounds nestled into the soundscape instead of being heavily on top of it. It is menacing, but does not need to be THIS menacing. At 1:49 there is a note progression that makes no sense, I'm not sure if that was intentional but it does not sound good to me. At 2:34, the previously established soundscape stops abruptly and there is a short piano-only outro. This piano part sounds pasted on, as there's no flow from the previous section which was stopped absolutely cold. This is awkward. Ok, listening to it again, what about doing a very short white noise sweep to wrap up the previous section right before that last bit of piano? The sweep should stop abruptly right where you have the rest of the instruments stopping. That would make your abrupt outro idea work. I think you've crafted something very moody and cool here, but it needs a mixing overhaul. Go through and re-balance the volumes of things, most especially lower the industrial percussion volumes because they are too loud. Check the notes of the piano and violin, and make sure they match where they are both playing the same line. It would be very good if you could do some humanization on the piano so it sounds less blocky and gridlocked, and more natural/real. Lower the volume of the Hitler recording and add some reverb to make it fit into the soundscape. EQ all instruments so that nothing is playing in the low-lows other than bass and bass-drums. This will clear out inaudible mud and give you more mastering headroom. The last critique is the mastering, it is waaaaay too heavy and hot. Lower the gain on your final limiter by several db (I'm thinking 5ish), such that the overall track doesn't have that crunching and unwanted pumping. I look forward to hearing this one again. NO (resubmit)

Welp, at least we don't have any issues with source use here! Unfortunately I agree with my fellow NOs. Everything after 2:10 is so unique and weird and cool, but up until that point it is just the original source midi, played in the stiffest and driest way possible, no humanization. It's a player piano basically until the strings come in, and the pizzicato and staccato strings can play the fast lines but the legato strings drag, making it feel very awkward when all the strings are playing together. Then we get the harpsicord and xylophone which both sound extremely stiff, followed by more mushy legato strings (attacks are way too long) and it just sounds weird to me. Even if the rest of the sequencing were perfect, I would be sending this back just for the legato line starting at 1:34. The full section starting at 1:46 sounds a little better, but again, every single element sounds so stiff and uncanny. I love this idea! But it absolutely needs more attention to humanization in the first two minutes, and possibly some variations in writing so it isn't just the same midi from the source tune repeated that many times. I'd love to hear it again with improvements made though! NO

Wow, that is a LOT to go through during the production of this remix. I feel for you; computer issues and DAW issues and soundcard issues all together does sound like literal hell to me too. I have no doubt that the jump from FL10 (32 bit) to FL20 (64 bit) mid-production was a nightmare. I didn't see all that detail written in the first submission. I remember this submission, I liked it a lot! But it was ridiculoud and clipping and pumping. Now the render has some mastering on it, which is great and the unwanted pumping and overcompression artifacts are gone. The arrangement has been extended and varied in terms of the beat and energy level. There's a drumless breakdown just as I had suggested. I still feel like more could be done to add interest, more ear candy and surprises, and some of the instruments sound blocky such as the piano that lacks any humanization or dynamics, but this is a massive improvement from the previous submission. I think the arrangement is interesting and moody and cool, with good use of sfx. I don't see anything holding it back from being posted now. Nice work! You switched my NO to a YES Edit 4/24/24: Listened to *ninth* update, still cool with YES vote.

Aw, poor Emu! I can totally relate to the feelings of inferiority that this track must have inspired. Because it's all kinds of freakin' amazing. HOLY SHIT indeed. Somebody here is a psytrance expert. The elements go together so well in this mix; all the synth stuff, the ethereal vocals, and grungy guitars. The arrangement is excellent, everyone's ideas fit together so well. The mixing and mastering are top notch. I could listen to the 15 minute version too. Just truly awesome. My one nitpick would be just a couple of db louder on the bass. YES PLEASE

WHOA. That Banshee source sounds more like something I would expect to hear in Twilight Princess than in anything Mario Kart! Clearly I did not play Mario Kart 64! But it sounds like a tune that would inspire Michael! The source song is full of arpeggio, sharp bells and plucks, creepy strings, ominous bass, and dissonance, very Twilight Princess. The remix seems to be primarily the arp from the source song played over and over in a billion unique ways, along with the chord progressions and horror strings. Wow, this is super cool. So many different elements, forming a constantly evolving emotive soundscape, with that empty-yet-full feel that I love. So much variation, holds my interest all the way through, making me wonder what is around the next corner. Definitely has a comic-nightmare vibe, which is so unsettling. Production and mastering are ace. Thank you Michael, I dig this maximally. YES