Chimpazilla

Larry: What you show here as RESUB2 and RESUB3 are the same link, one of those needs to be deleted. I have evaluated this track two of the five previous times it has been submitted, and listening to the current version, I am going to quote what I wrote one year ago, because it still applies now: This version is sounding better than previous versions but still has the same mixing problem, it's all highs and sizzle. The lows sound like they have been severely tamed, and the highs are hyped (and already sound too loud due to the lows being cut so much). If your sounds are decent, you shouldn't have to do so much "EQ correction" as I think you are doing and have done on every resubmission. I would pass this version, the sounds are good enough, but the mixing is unbalanced to the point of still being a problem. On each individual track, you only want to EQ such that no low-lows are coming through on anything other than your kick and bass. On an average midrangey instrument, that cut could fall somewhere between 80-100-ish Hz. Do not EQ in a way that cuts or diminishes the fundamental of the sound, that is what is leaving each instrument sounding weaker than it should, the cuts are too extreme. If you are saturating, distorting or otherwise hyping the highs, either individually or on the master, this is done way too heavy-handedly, causing the entire track to sound overly sizzly. On your master, you should not be doing any major shelves or cuts, unless it's just a very gentle-Q low-cut to make sure nothing is coming through below 20-25Hz or so. Whatever you've done here is too extreme. Do you have someone else to listen to this and perhaps help you dial in your EQs? Also, the master is overdriven, there is no need for this track to be hitting -6.6db RMS. The loudness wars are over, and -12 to -11db RMS is better and more reasonable. Getting closer, but not sounding good enough production-wise, yet. NO

I remember this track and I voted on it. I remember thinking it was great but the vocals were sinking it and the synths were dry and blocky. It seems all of the issues I brought up have been addressed and it only took a decade! The vocals now sound amazing and everything fits in together super well. If these are fake vocals, they sound very good! "Fauxcals" bwahahahaha! Yeah this is good to go now. YES

Jewbei!!!! Hey dude, long time no see! Congrats on your marriage! Very abrupt intro, I would have preferred even a short upsweep or reverse-reverb intro, but ok. Soundscape sounds great right away. Bell lead starting at 1:14 is too bright and loud and feels abrasive. I appreciate Larry's timestamp of the source. The arrangement is generally good although it feels quite repetitive. The same leads appear again and again, against the static trance backdrop. There are four nearly identical sections with the piercey bell lead, with extremely minor differences each time (slight writing variation, additional perc loop). The production is good overall, the sidechaining is good although leads could use some slight sidechaining as well, especially that bell lead which feels like it just rides on top of the soundscape most of the time. The master is bordering on too loud but I don't hear overcompression artifacts. Ok after listening through several times, I hate to say it but the arrangement is just too repetitive. It's trance, so having the continuous trance backing for the majority of the track is fine, but with that being the case, the leads absolutely need more variation as the piece moves along. And the bell lead I feel needs to be tamed or replaced, as it hurts my ears if I try to listen to the track at anything other than a very quiet volume. NO (very borderline, please vary leads and resubmit)

I am assuming the bulk of this remix is Stealthy Steps. That's what I hear the most of, and the beat is the same as Stealthy Steps throughout the majority of the track. I also cannot hear Ninja Step. I like the granular intro with the sfx a lot! Neat way to set the mood. The volume and intensity ramp up until the drop at 0:45. I really like the gritty soundscape that's set up and the varying sounds coming in and out as things move along. I really like the inclusion of the phone beeps, super cool sfx. The beat really never changes which unfortunately gives a very repetitive flow to the track overall, but there are so many instrumental and textural changes happening that I'm ok with it. A few variations of the drum fills would have broken up some of this beat repetition, the same fill each time is not the best choice. There is definitely too much sub-30Hz content in this mix, which is causing a loss of mastering headroom, and the master is overly compressed as a result of including these inaudible frequencies. By rolling off these subs, the master could be driven even harder without risking overcompression. But I don't hear overcompression artifacts, in this case "overcompression" means that the track's dynamics are overly flat, due to these sub frequencies being included in the master. Overall, I love this. Tons of variation and fun sfx and writing, great vibe and mood. I'm going with this one. YES

Very interesting medley arrangement, the concept is solid and the combination of themes works really well. This arrangement is a winner and does not need to be changed imo. But the production needs some improvement. The opening starts super abruptly, and the soundscape is oppressive. There are multiple instruments and choir playing, and it is very midrangey and crispy and overwhelming. The guitar or dulcimer at 0:18 is very bright and robotically played. I like the choir but it is trying to carry the melody which falls apart for me when the dulcimer comes in. To my ears, the dulcimer is playing a countermelody but it is mixed as the primary instrument in that section. The dulcimer doesn't always sound in key with the choir during that section, and the choir is playing a variation of the source material at that point, so my brain is confused. At 1:46 we get the main guitar playing the source motif very clearly with good interpretations. I agree that a real guitar would benefit the track. The sampled guitar sounds uncanny and robotically timed, and the extra notes in the motif line make it sound more fake than it should be, since the attacks are all the same. The outro is the same as the intro, the heavily midrangey choir and pads and dulcimer. The mastering on this track is unnecessarily loud. SPAN is showing me there is some inaudible sub/rumble content below 30Hz for a good portion of the track, which only serves to reduce your mastering headroom. Make sure nothing is playing super low other than kicks and basses, and make sure nothing is letting inaudible rumble through. NO (resubmit)

"Apparitions" (Super Mario World Castle theme) Chimpazilla's comments: Another Chimp-Emu collab coming at ya! This was a wip that Wes put together a few years back, but he lost motivation for it, so he sent it to me. I was immediately interested, and I loved the fact that the arrangement structure was already about 90% mapped out, ready to be worked on. I ran with it, I wrote an intro for it, and we shipped stems back and forth but I ultimately ended up with the file. (The next collab coming up for submission is the opposite situation: it was my initial wip, and Wes took over the file! A perfect criss-cross situation.) "Apparitions" is another track where we both worked on it in a frenzy and every idea was a winner. The track was originally intended to be a lo-fi bop but my additions pretty much killed that idea! The result is a half-time chillout groove that Wes and I are both super happy with. The arrangement sounds so eerie and groovy at the same time. Wes is 100% responsible for that utterly astounding outro! I'm sounding like a broken record here, but look out for more Chimp-Emu collabs coming up soon! Release date request: Since the track sounds so spooky-ooky, perhaps it could get a Halloween release? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Emunator's Comments: This song started its life as a 20-second lo-fi demo back in 2021 that never went anywhere. Fast forward several years, and it found new life as the latest entry in our ever-growing catalog of collaborations that just felt right. After hearing Kris' intro, the vibe was completely changed for the better, and it inspired me to get back to work on this, instead pulling more inspiration from gritty industrial sounds and the quirky haunting synth tones of Celeste. This track was always destined to be like this, it just took a few years before it fell into the right hands to get it there! Letting go of a concept to a collaborator, even a demo that has been gathering dust for years, can be extremely anxiety inducing. That said, I can say that I never feel that fear working with Kris. She gets it. She has an innate ability to understand both the existing spirit of a song, and its unrealized potential, and bringing both halves of the equation together in a way that shines every time.

The intro sure is quiet, but it really sets the mood well. I like it. I really like this arrangement, no surprise there. Great dynamics and storytelling. I love the instrumentation and part writing and all the varied ear candy. I think this one is pretty close but there are a couple of remaining issues as the guys pointed out: - In the section from 1:40-2:17 there are a few sour notes here and there, perhaps have someone go over it with you to figure out how to fix them. It's not terrible, just enough to feel awkward. - From 2:17-2:54 as Larry said, the backing strings and sometimes the piano are playing notes that are out of key. - From 2:54-3:51 the mallet backing instrument is playing a line that doesn't always fit in the key, and the strings are too loud here. - From 4:03-4:36 again there are sour notes in the backing elements. I like the music box ending. So many cool ideas in this arrangement. Generally the mixing is working well other than the loud strings at 2:47 and it wouldn't be bad to address the issues that Brad and Larry brought up. The biggest issue here for me is the out-of-key notes that appear throughout the piece, mostly in backing elements but sometimes in the lead writing. This is something you worked hard to remedy in your last resubmission and you did an excellent job of it, so I know you can do it with this one too. Looking forward to hearing it again! NO (resubmit)

WOWZA this is great!!!! Starts out so strong and keeps delivering. The guitar performances are just dynamite. The synth work and drums are also excellent and all perfectly supportive. The arrangement is full of dynamic shifts and varied instrumentation and rhythmic patterns. Reminds me of some of the best prog-rock arrangements from the 90s like Dream Theater or Planet X. Super professional sounding, this arrangement is groovus maximus. YES

This track is so very lovely. At 1:07, when the strings enter, the soundscape gets very full and busy, because the strings are playing a fast melody at the same time that the choir is singing a melody and the harp is also doing a melody, so it is hard to know what to focus on. There is no way to mix this any better while that many busy things are happening. Each instrument part seems to be trying to be priority rather than supportive or countermelody. No element is truly taking a lead role, which also leads to the crowded and unfocused feeling. The track is currently mixed as well as possible, given this many elements at the same time. With this second wav upload, the mixing is not the problem. Personally I feel that any section of a song should have a lead element for the listener to focus on, unless the track is truly a background cue, in which case the elements should sort of run together to form a uniform soundscape without anything even trying to poke through, so it ends up more of a vibe than a proper arrangement. This arrangement however is straddling both worlds which is what makes it sound too busy for my taste. These are notes for Wes for next time. Is this ideal, no. Ideally some of the elements should be dropped at the 1:07 section, and something lead-like should be added. Is this dealbreaker for OCR though, no. It's a lovely emotive song, short but sweet, full of feels, and people will love it. YES

There's plenty of high-end clarity coming through for me; there is a ton of distortion and purposeful fuzziness, way too much for my liking, but it's a creative choice. I wouldn't call it lossy, but I definitely feel that the distortion and bitcrushing is totally overdone. The lows are rich and full, I'm checking on SPAN and I don't see any inaudible mud and I don't feel like it is boomy. The primary lead starting at 1:30 tends to be piercy, and also has a tremendous amount of distortion on it. I can only guess that this was done so it would cut through this distorted backing soundscape. The distortion is creating a wash over the soundscape that is grating after awhile. When the piano breakdown begins at 2:05, my ears get a break from the intense distortion. The piano does sound similar to the source tune, but it has been clearly recreated and fits into this soundscape really well, although it sounds blocky and lacks humanization, and it is way too loud. There are some nature sounds behind it that I can barely hear. I like this arrangement a lot actually, but it gets very repetitive after awhile with the same instruments and writing over and over. At 2:18 and again at 2:36 there is an awkward series of notes in the lead writing. I've listened to this several times in a row now, and I am getting a headache from this much distortion. I have to agree with Larry that it is too much. I also feel that the level of repetition of sounds and writing, combined with the arrangement having such long sections without developing very much, is also a dealbreaker for me. The arrangement is generally good and I like the mixture of the two themes, but in those long sections such as 1:17-2:06, and then from 2:06-3:16 it's just the same piano and lead motif over and over and over. Even though you have tons of other stuff coming and going, those sections feel sooooo long to me. Perhaps the repeated motifs wouldn't sound so repetitive to me if they were played with different lead instruments now and then, or with varied backing elements, new drum grooves/percussions/etc. and if the backing elements were less grating. At the minimum, the distortion overall has to be reduced. Also the track is mastered extremely loudly, the final limiter should not be pushed this hard. NO (resubmit)

I know this source SO well. Listening to just the first section of 0:21-0:48, I can hear what has been done with 0:12-0:24 in the source, but I don't think it is sufficiently identifiable; it's more of the backing chord structure of that part of the source since the motif notes are not there. (are they there, if they are I cannot hear them) Same exact thing from 0:49-1:04, and 1:05-1:52, it is like the backing chord structure of the source, shifted to minor, and with no motif. Same for the final section. This is not enough source for me. It is fine to interpret source in a remix, but when it is SO deeply buried, I have a very hard time connecting it to a source song or even enjoying it as a remix. In this case, the genre is completely changed (which is fine!), the tone is changed from happy major to grungy minor (also fine!), the chord structure is suggested but the motif notes are totally absent (this is my dealbreaker). All these things together have buried the connection to the source song for me. Hearing this without knowing what source is being remixed, I would never know this was a Super Mario Sunshine remix (and the most iconic and earwormy theme therein!) To me (and I would imagine to most listeners, although I can only speak for myself) this is an original song. Other Js (like proph above) may feel differently. This may sound negative, but I do love the concept! I think if the motif notes were at least hinted at, I wouldn't have such a hard time connecting it to the source. The arrangement structure is fine, although the instrumentation and writing get repetitive after awhile. The final big section is identical to the first big section. The screamy saw feels very hot and sizzly and isn't doing much of interest other than playing blocked notes. In the middle section there's another synth added with some vibrato on it, adding a very tiny amount of sonic variation. The mixing is very flat and grungy, which is fine, but there is indeed a giant scoop at 400Hz, what's that all about? This is making the track feel bottom-heavy while at the same time quite piercy and shrill. The track has also been master-compressed heavily which adds to this effect (although it does not appear to have overcompression artifacts). The mastering level appears to be fine. (0db peak and -11dbRMS) Overall, I like this concept a lot, but I can't identify the source song at all, it has been interpreted too deeply for me (again, others' mileage may vary!), and the mixing needs an overhaul, direct repetition is too much in the arrangement, and the mastering compression should come down just a bit. NO (resubmit)

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)

That source tune with the 90s brass stabs! The remix does dive right in. Bass sounds great to me, as does the vibraphone. The bass is walking all over me. The balancing and mixing are fine, the master is sort of loud for this style but it's completely clean. I love this, minimal and cool! Waitress, I need another cocktail please. No, I haven't had too many already. YES

Very cool source tune, gives me Tangerine Dream vibes. It has a mixed time signature element, I hear what I think is a fast 6/4 and also 4/4 sections. Cool arps to start with, but the lower sound is boxy to my ears and very loud. This sound is super prominent at 260Hz which is making it boxy. I love the bass when it comes in. I hear what Wes is saying that some automated filter movement or filtered-in start to the sidechaining on the bass and/or other elements would help this thing groove in the intro. By the time the pads and chips come in, the soundscape is better filled in. It's a luscious soundscape, I love it. Feels like floating out in space. Also giving me a very mellow Donkey Kong vibe. When the kick comes in, I am loving this groove, because the 4-on-the-floor is totally unexpected! Great way to quickly ramp up the energy. The kick is somewhat tame and lacking beef for my taste, but it's audible. The sidechaining is heavy for this small of a kick sound, giving the soundscape a pumpy-ness that isn't warranted by this kick. In the final section/outro, that first synth returns at 3:08 with the 260Hz spike. It's not a bad sound, but it is boxy. It is boxing my ears! A few production issues, but nothing holding this back for me. Other than my mixing crits, I love this arrangement and soundscape. Very lush and spacey. YES Edit 6/12/24: New version corrects the 260Hz problem and adds movement in the first half. Sidechaining has been reduced to match the (still small!) size of the kick. Sounds better.

I sent the votes so far to Aaron today, and he told me he made some EQ automated cuts to my mastered wav, to remove two spots of loud sibilance, and he said he sent that to Larry. He should have just pinged me! I don't bite! (hard, anyway!) So we talked about it, I made the changes and re-rendered the wav. For those who have voted, this should not affect anything, as it is just 1/4 of a second of total revision. But he was right, those S's were too loud.

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)

Wow! This is super nice. The guitar playing is lovely and so well done. Emu is right that the recording and production of this is pristine; it sounds so full and spacious while still being quite intimate. It is mastered just right, too. It is perfect. I'm a lady; consider me melted. YES

These are two awesome themes to blend together! I know Phendrana pretty well from Wes's previous ReMix of it. Lovely intro, although the cello starting at 0:43 is in the uncanny valley, the attacks on the patch are too long to carry the faster notes. Growly bass and guitar sound great when they begin, then the full string section which sounds pretty great to me! Guitar lead at 1:34 could be louder in the mix, it's getting drowned by the backing elements. At 2:17, the arp in that section is louder than the guitar (which I think is playing lead?). String section and brass section are on the uncanny side, but sequenced very well in context. Awesome emotive arrangement and performances. The mix is full of surprises, beautiful instrumentation, variation and ear candy. Great mix of the two themes. Other than some minor production gripes, this is excellent. YES

Riparian Rhythms Chimpazilla's comments: This remix began with my wanting to write a track in ambient jungle style. I've never done one like that, and looking on Splice I found some Serum jungle presets that sounded so amazing that I had to do it right away. I only had to think for a moment about what source to remix: Lakebed Temple from Twilight Princess. I always loved that theme, it's so weird, haunting and totally engaging. The goal was to create a remix that captured that haunting feeling through the recreation of the big chords, while being totally upbeat and melodic rather than spooky, making it sound humongous, super groovy, and of course filling it to the brim with ear candy. As usual, I sent my first little concept wip to Wes right away. He instantly loved it. He said "This one has to be finished, and I have ideas for it already!" I ended up doing the bulk of the arrangement in just a few days, as I did on my previous submission called "Down," and Wes sent me a huge pack of unique elements to add wherever I thought they fit. This style of working together with Wes seems to be very productive and leads to an excellent track full of fun, unique sounds and writing. Nearing completion, I sent him the current wip with no outro, and Wes said he had a wild idea for an outro and asked if he should try it. Of course he should! What he did was so unique, so cool, and so beautifully executed, and it was a breeze to transition it onto the end of the track, completing it perfectly. Emunator's comments: Another month, another collab with Kris! We're getting good at this. She absolutely led the charge here, and I just went into "Emunator Splice Pack" mode where I rendered out dozens of fills, melodic layers, and textures for her to pick and choose from. The original concept came together so quickly and already sounded so tight. My biggest contribution here is the outro, where I channeled my inner DJ Shadow and took a hard left turn into trip-hop territory. 10/10 collab, as always!

Very interesting mixture of synth and metal. Some of the synths sound a bit gentler (and slightly dated) than would be ideal to fit with the guitars, but it still works. I kind of wish the heavy sections were signaled, I jumped out of my chair when the first big section started. The mixing is working well; it's a flat-ish wall of sound (and Larry is gonna bitch about that fo sho) but that's how black metal is mixed. Everything is audible. Nice arrangement and combination of these themes, very full and rich, telling a story. YES

Awesome mix of these two themes, and the performances rock! Great arrangement, although the ending is a letdown, it is so abrupt. I have to agree with MW though, the production is not doing this any favors. The volume balancing is mostly ok, but there is a significant lack of lows in the track, causing the bass to sound extremely weak, and like MW, I can not hear the kick AT ALL. The snare is there but it is so weak. I'm on the fence as MW is, because the arrangement and performances are so strong. But this is not the best mixing iteration of the track. It will have so much more impact with the lows coming through and the kick and snare really audible. That said, if the project files were gone, I would change to YES to have this arrangement on the site. NO (borderline, please fix the mixing and resub asap) edit: Changing to YES based on the last thing I said, but I'm going to share this feedback with the artist and see if we can get a better mix. YES

Sounds so huge right away, I love that! Awesome sound design here. Arrangement is full of interest, various unique sounds and timbres, and ear-candy. The bass is so badass. Excellent mix of these two themes. I love the vocal snippets. This arrangement has a smooth yet spooky vibe. The master is loud, clean and confident. Such an easy vote. YES

Guitars sound awesome right out of the gate. Drums are excellent when they enter. Everything sounds clear to me, mixing is working well. The halftime section is a perfect break from the action, then the doubletime section really rocks!. Great arrangement, lots of great writing and drum variation, great performances, really solid mix. Easy vote! YES

That source tune. That Seinfeld bass patch! Haha! That's a VERY silly source tune. I like the bass much better in the remix. There's a great shuffle to this writing. I like the fake brass! It's cheesy but it works. Really nice groovy jazzy bluesy guitar performances and soloing here. Drums sound good, elements are well balanced. Overall mix is well produced, mixed and mastered. Super fun listen. YES