Chimpazilla   Judges ⚖️

As far as I can tell, all the issues have been addressed. I'll be honest, I can't remember the original version, how it sounded, but I read my vote and it must have been so very cluttered. I think it sounds great now, leads are clear, backing elements are fitting in where they should be. This is sounding good to me! Nice work! YES

Wow, this is a great arrangement of this source, really nice full sounds used. I have to agree with Wes though on the mixing, it's pretty muddy overall. The pads have way too much midrange content. The track is drowning in reverb and I'd guess that none of the reverbs have been low-cut, so the reverbs are all mudding into each other, blurring the track unnecessarily. If this doesn't pass, I recommend low-cutting all your reverbs so no reverb plays below 500-800ish Hz. Then you should carefully eq each sound so nothing is overlapping too much in frequency, and notch some mids out of your pads. These changes alone would really tighten things up. Regardless of these issues, I find this to be a really nice track. I like the busy bassline, it compliments the long dreamy pad notes well. I'm going to say YES based on the arrangement and writing. YES

^This^. Very funky, groovy, and cool. Agreed it's a bit mid-heavy. YES

I didn't hear the original version, but this is a very lovely arrangement. The stiff sequencing doesn't bother me as much as it does Larry, but the dynamics of the piece bother me a lot. Why does it get SO loud at some spots? And the instruments aren't balanced well at all, the pan flute is so quiet when it plays. Do you by chance have the ability to render the parts of this song into separate wav stems? Someone might be able to help you mix/master this much better if so. NO

previous decision Original decision: http://ocremix.org/forums/showthread.php?t=44788 Hey guys, I've tweaked my Wild ARMs mix. Unfortunatly, this was created with my old equipment (technically even not *my* equipment), so updating samples was no option for this one (unless I redid the whole thing on my new KRONOS). I've changed the volume of the fulte and layered a very soft (normal) flute on top of the pan flute to make it a tiny bit more realistic. I agree with djp about the triple forte, but since this is an old mix (3~4 yrs old) I guess it just shows that I've grown in arranging since then Since this was unanimously YES'd the last time around, I think this should be no problem to hold it back. And the eagle stays, sorry Dave - Pieter P.S. I think you guys should mail if you take something out of the submission queue; I've only recently found out about this veto when I checked if there were some BadAss 3 mixes being judged. --------------------------------------- Original submission info: ReMixer name: pu_freak Name of game(s) arranged: Wild ARMs Name of arrangement: Flight of the Eagle Name of individual song(s) arranged: The Bird which Flies in the Sky (Emma's Theme) Link to individual song(s) arranged: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdAv75LhFvg Your own comments about the mix, for example the inspiration behind it, how it was made, etc.: This is my mix for the Wild ARMs album: ARMed and DANGerous. Jade asked me to do a remix for her album, but I never played the game and thus wasn't familiar with the soundtrack. I liked this source, since I could easily imagine how I could make a calm version of the so energetic (but short) source tune. One of the requirements for Jade's album was that it had to have a western vibe. To make it feel like a song that could be part of a western movie, I used a flute in addition to the piano (and the eagle at the end should also contribute to that vibe). The title of the source has inspired me a lot, because I wanted it to be like you could close your eyes while listening to this song and feel like you're an actual bird soaring through the sky. The soft flute and choir in the middle of the song would be the wind you can hear as it gently passes.

previous decision PROJECT: For Vampire Variations 2 This is for the planned VV2 reissue on OCR. Link to previous judgement: http://ocremix.org/forums/showthread.php?t=47606 Now with a lot less mixing & arrangement clutter! - Guitar re-EQ:d for meatier sound & better presence (was horribly high-passed) - Organ sound tweaked & re-EQ'd (was doubled by a choir sound & horribly high-passed), some writing adjustments - Much of the drumming reduced & tweaked, not everything is playing everything all the time - Bass similarly somewhat simplified (and a bit of bass-boost re-EQ) - The "background guitar" sound tweaked, it's higher in the mix & alternates between fuzz & clean chorus sound (though the latter is very much a background thing) - Drums take a little break at a couple of occasions - Bass drum had a noticeable tone that was off-key Thanks for the detailed feedback, it was very useful! Can't say I turned the guitar down as suggested, the opposite in fact, but the important thing is that everything should now have it's place in the mix & the arrangement of each instrument also leaves room for other instruments each in their time. Hopefully the source is more prominent (and not less) thanks to the tweaked mixing. The source usage itself wasn't changed. Finally thanks to Pleiade, for providing similar critique as the judges & checking out the new mix. Previous sub letter also applies. I notice that the resub process is stretching the timeline for being done with this piece closer to the mentioned usual two-and-a-half years. cheers, --Eino https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOlYyBwQ6qI

This is actually a very cool medley, it sounds quite cohesive, considering the disparate nature of all of these themes. I'm impressed. Each source is played conservatively enough to be easily identifiable, yet is very nicely interpreted here. I don't have any particular mixing crits, it is sounding good to me. I like it! edit 3/18/15: *listening again* I still think this sounds stylistically cohesive, and each theme is very well performed. I still like this a lot! But the guys are right, in the end result, it is in fact one theme after the other without any integration between them. Too many abrupt transitions within the arrangement. Darn it, gotta vote no. NO

Contact Info: On Being Human Greg Johnson www.onbeinghumanhumanmusic.com 50551 Submission Info Final Fantasy IV “From Baron to the Moon” Featuring: Prologue Kingdom of Baron Mystic Mysidia Mt. Ordeals Cry in Sorrow The Lunarians Golbez, Clad in Darkness Fight II The Final Battle Hey Cid! Victory Fanfare Best! OBH

I'm going to have to come back to this one. It's LONG, and I don't know these sources so I'm struggling with that. Still, some interesting ideas here. Lots of different aspects to comment on. edit 4-20-15: Listening again. I agree with Emu that the loud horn blasts in the intro are overused, and they are too stark with nothing in the low range playing at that time, so they sound jarring and not in a good way. I also have to agree that the orchestral portions of the track are the best produced. The dancey portions are the weak link, unfortunately. Larry said they are "unsophisticated and sound shoehorned in" and that describes it quite well. The beat is really generic as are the drum samples used. The sidechained synth is very plain and predictable. I think if the beats were more varied and interesting, with more emotive/fitting samples, and with those sections introduced better (ease into those sections), it might work. The beats as they are sound pasted on top of the mix instead of sitting nicely within it. It is a very bold concept to combined these styles, so the transitions have to make sense, and they don't quite yet imo, but I think the transitions will sound smoother once the beats and drum samples are addressed. I agree with Wes that this is worth working on, but some further creative ideas are needed to make this unique idea fully click. I'm pulling for ya, and I can't wait to hear this again! NO (resubmit)

Remixer Name: DJ Galvanization Real Name: Oscar A. Galvan Email: Website: https://soundcloud.com/djgalvanization UserID: 53449 Games: Bioware's "Mass Effect 2" and "Mass Effect 3" Title: Save the Earth, Save the Galaxy Source songs: ME3's "Leaving Earth" and ME2's "Suicide Mission" Source Composers: Clint Mansell and Jack Wall, respectively I came up with the idea for this mix after finishing the entire Mass Effect trilogy for the 2nd time. I had such a hard time saying goodbye to the characters when it ended that I had to find a way to keep them going a bit longer. A remix combining two of my favorite songs in the trilogy was the answer for me. I have recently started trying to get orchestral elements to cooperate with electronic ones and this is my take on it. The first source track is Leaving Earth and the second is Suicide Mission. I chose these not just because they are among my favorites, but because the titles made sense as well, even when played in that order. The main character had to leave Earth to save it and the rest of galaxy and embark on a suicide mission of galactic proportions. And by leaving Earth to then return and save it, he also saves the galaxy, regardless of the ending you chose. I leave enough of the source material (Leaving Earth) in the first half to make it quickly identifiable and then start making some subtle changes to its tempo (slowly from 80 to 134) and start introducing electronic elements and my own spin on it. I had to sample and use the Reaper Horn though because that had such an impact on me when I first played the game. I also use it as a break and a riser with my attempt at clever looping and pitch bending. The 2nd half (Suicide Mission) is actually in 7/8 time and not the traditional 4/4. I tried my best to make this transition seamless and imperceptible and gave it my own instrumental spin. The changes occur soon after the song undergoes a time signature change from 7/8 to 6/8 (or 3/4). Then it leads to original melodies (back to 4/4), but I had to pay significant homage to the original, as it is an excellent song. I cut and slightly rearranged a good portion of the original though to keep a healthy song length. Finally, the song ends with a key change for one last hurrah and instrument dimming. I don't know if it is perfect, but either way, I am looking forward to the feedback on the track so I know what to improve on or what to change for the future. This is my very first submission so I'm not expecting much, but hopefully it's good enough to catch an ear or two. I was told by several friends to submit it here on OCRemix so here I am. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ME3 Leaving Earth: ME2 Suicide Mission:

There's only so much you can do with a source such as this, basically a seven note motif with simple chord progressions behind it. You've definitely added your own flair to your track, but still it sounds almost painfully repetitive. With a source such as this that you've selected, it might almost be a good idea to add in a bit of a second source or a short original section to break up the monotony. You've got a decent orchestral soundscape going, although the harp sounds very mechanical with every pluck the same velocity. The drums are just a touch too loud, and the writing is very samey, same hits and rolls every measure, it needs some more variation. This is an encouraging start but needs more melodic and writing variation, I hope you'll work more on it! NO (resubmit)

Contact Information : - supercoolmike - Miguel Poblete - User I.D - currently waiting for activation Submission Information: - Title of arrangement - "You've grown so much X" - Original Composition Title - Dr.Light - Game: Megaman X (capcom, 1993, SNES) - Remixer: Supercoolmike - composer(s): Makoto Tomozawa, Setsou Yamamoto, Toshihiko Horiyama, Yuki Iwai, Yuko Takehara Hello there. I have always been fascinated by the amount of content in overclocked remixed website has to offer. Just hearing other composers compositions were my inspirations and motivators to try to remix my own version of a song from a game. I especially love it when there's a competition or when a new album comes out to listen to, so I have always wanted to submit my own work... I won't lie though, I have always been intimidated to submit my own songs because I'm always comparing my own work from others, so I always felt like it could be better. In the long run I was only hurting myself with this mindset. So as of now I will submit my remixes whether I think its good or bad ( of course following the submission rules)... To be honest I'm more concerned/excited to get feedback on this remix (and future remixes) whether its praised or harsh criticism, I welcome it because its better than not having any criticism to grow on at all. This remix is based on the song that plays when X has reached a capsule and a hologram of Dr.Light appears to speak to him. I wanted to portray a song about how influential Dr. Light was to X even though he wasn't around to answer any/all of his questions since Dr.Light places X in a capsule chamber to continue on with his legacy to maintain peace to the world... So I decided to make the remix orchestral because of how powerful emotions can be created into a person. looking forward for future projects with u guys Thanks for reading.

Just to clarify, I LIKE dem gated strings. Like, A LOT. I just think they are mixed VERY loudly, dry and with too much in the midrange. I think fixing up those issues will make this significantly better. Other than that, I'm onboard. I'm not upset if this passes as-is, however. Lots of cool stuff going on in the track.

Wow that Dead Music is basically an 11 second source. That said, you guys did a LOT with that short of a source. It takes a LOT of variation to make repetitions of this theme work, but that variation is here. Tuesday's sax solo is saxxy. Not sure how I feel about the spoken prayer. I kinda wish the other source could have been worked in somewhere sooner than just stuck onto the end. It does work like this although there is zero transition into that section, and the arrangement sounds a little lopsided this way. The vocals at the very end are a bit too loud and low-heavy I think. This isn't my favorite tune ever but it does work. I'm interested to see some other j's opinions on this one. YES

The piano in the intro sounds super stiff and quantized with almost too much delay. When the theme melody comes in at 0:30, the timbre is harsh and abrasive, with blasts from an even more abrasive sound. The synth lead sounds so dry compared to the drenched piano. The buildup starting at 1:27 sounds nice, I like the filtering automation but the piano writing is super simple. Still, I like that section as it builds up, adding percussion. Around 2:00 though, that harsh lead synth starts filtering back in (and there are a few wonky notes in that section before the drop). Wow that lead is dry and just unpleasant. The drums are on autopilot. This second section sounds quite similar to the first, although there is lead writing variation, the gated backing and drums are the same. The kick is all click with no low end. The hat is much too loud. The drum writing never changes. NO (resubmit)

Interesting ideas here and some cool sounds used. I really like the panning synth but I wish it didn't play throughout the entire track. The overall mixing is a bit muddy with reverbs overlapping. My bigger issue though is that this arrangement is basically two playthroughs of the same writing, except that the intro is slowed down and when that pattern repeats verbatim at 1:33 it is at tempo. The second playthrough of the theme from 1:49-2:59 seems the same writing-wise as 0:37-1:33 but with a different lead sound used. In the second iteration, the sampled guitar is rigid and stiffly sequenced. The lead writing in general seems verbatim to the source. Also there are some very harsh resonances from 1:26-1:33. So to summarize, the arrangement needs to be a little more than two very similar playthroughs of the same writing, the guitar or plucked instrument needs to be better humanized (or replaced), and the mixing needs to be cleaned up. NO (resubmit)

Suuuuper conservative take on this source. The remix started out strong and sounding good but quickly got into a very repetitive groove. I like the middle section the best but the lead writing is uninspired. The same square-ish lead plays all the verses in the track and also in the middle section. I layered 0:28-1:09 together with 2:19-2:58 and from what I hear they are identical except that an additional synth countermelody has been added in that second iteration. I'm not finding this to be enough difference between the two sections. The track is mixed very well and sounds great but the arrangement is leaving me flat. NO (resubmit)

Nice conservative take on this source. Great guitar performance. That snare isn't my favorite but it seems to fit. Bass sounds a bit muffled/muddy. Nice synth accents. I would have liked a bit more dynamic variation in the track but what's here rocks. Nice and solid. YES

I'm having a hard time hearing the source use here other than some Aqua Zone on the guitar. I don't hear Scrap Brain at all but someone who is more familiar with these sources may be able to show me where that is. So much easier when people send along their own source breakdown! (edit: thanks Larry, also I figured more of it out last night as I listened repeatedly in my mind while trying to sleep... haha!) I like the sweet interplay between the guitar and vocals, neat idea, but it seems like the way they are mixed, both are competing to be the lead. Both guitar and vocals sit dead center together, except for the choruses in which the vocal is wide and reverby. I wonder how it would work if the vocals could be wide while the guitar is centered, and then vice versa, that might be cool. It's a simple and upbeat track. The sequenced parts are simple and quantized. The drums don't do much after the groove has been established and their mixing is underwhelming. I do like the filtering automation though. The section from 1:30-2:30 sounds nice but seems to just be original. (edit: I figured it out, those four vocal notes are from the beginning of the Aqua source) The arrangement in general is fairly simplistic and isn't knocking my socks off. I feel like the conflicting lead mixing needs to be addressed. The ending is sort of unfinished, just a last guitar note and no resolution. All that said, I think the lead mixing fixed would do the job for me. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- edit 2/18/15: I have to admit that this track has been stuck in my head for two solid weeks, in a good way. Clearly it has enough source (the sources have also been stuck in my head). The arrangement has grown on me, and I've realized that the integration of the two themes is really quite good. I still maintain my issues I mentioned, primarily the conflicting of vocals and guitar as lead, but it is not bothering me as much anymore. I think this one needs to pass. YES

I have to say this sums up my feelings pretty well. The track sounds great as I'd expect from Timaeus but it seems to lack inspiration somehow, can't quite put my finger on it. I agree about the bass being a bit light in some spots but that isn't bothering me too much. This track isn't knocking my socks off, the arrangement does indeed play it "safe" (even while mixing the themes quite well), but the sounds are great, mixing is great, nice details and overall this track works for me. YES

Cool arrangement! "Assault on the ears" yes. The reason it sounds bleedy and cramped is that (primarily, I suspect) the master is compressed and also limited to within an inch of it's life. Just looking at the sausage waveform tells the story of how cramped everything is in this track, with everything sounding like it's at the exact same volume. -8db RMS is reeeeally loud. The mixing (eq, reverb, etc.) seems good, but the balance is off. I suspect it's mostly due to overly heavy-handed mastering, but it could be the individual balancing as well. Backing elements are way too loud. Needs one more pass at this. Really nice otherwise. Cleaner balance/master will get my yes. NO (resubmit)

You've turned these two themes into a chill, relaxing and cohesive arrangement. Unfortunately it ends up being almost too chill... once you've established the drum groove, bassline and the choir pad backing, none of them changes much at all throughout the remainder of the track, making it sound pretty repetitive. The track sits in one gear the whole time. The lead sounds are pretty underwhelming. I recommend adding more drum variation, change the pad sound at some point, and doing something a bit more interesting with your leads. Also, the pad is loud and takes up quite a bit of frequency space, you would do well to reduce some of the mids and also notch the pad at the frequency where your leads play prominently. NO (resubmit)

Thanks B! And super cool that the tracks got uploaded to the interwebz. I support this being made into an OCR album one day! Let's not wait TOO long!

This is a super fun little track. Plenty of source, tons of interesting details. I'm LOVING the 7/8 sections and the interplay with the regular 4/4 time signature parts. The sax playing is clean and competent. The synthy bits fit in very well with the organic instrumentation. It is clear how much fun went into creating this track. What's happening at 2:33, has a monster entered the room? Haha, cool! My only gripe here is that I think the mastering is weak. The track peaks at -3db at the loudest point. The track could have really benefited from some better mastering, a bit of stereo widening of backing elements, a bit more volume overall, that extra coat of polish would make this track darn-near perfect for me. Still, too cool to pass up. YES

Ok so I just now got the title, "Motion Sickness." I'm super familiar with this source as my son plays Portal 2, but I can't even watch him play it because I also get motion sickness from it! Glad it isn't just me (and my advanced age... haha). That said, interesting track. I like how you've used the 8 note source as the bassline for a good part of the track. However I think the mix can be tightened up some. I don't think your snare timbre is working, maybe it's just me but I feel like it takes up too much space and it is mixed too loud/dry also. I'm finding it quite distracting. I don't find a lot of leadwork to grab onto for the first 1:11 of the track, the lead is very sparse during the first 1:11, just a blip here and there. I like the leadwork you've done from 1:11-1:26, that's the best part of the track for me, even though the melody there is a bit scattered and lacks contour. I sort of wish that original soloing idea went on for a little longer before the 8 note pattern becomes the lead. The section at 1:59-2:15 though, I'm not sure what's going on there and it feels like filler and overly random. Hhhm. In fact I feel like the leadwork from 1:59 all the way to the end is quite directionless. Ok so to summarize, I think that snare needs to be tamed, and some of the lead writing needs to make a bit more impact and a bit more sense melodically. Otherwise this is a cool idea for this source. It's a tricky source to remix for sure since it is so rigid. NO (resubmit)