Chimpazilla

I'm starting a new mix with just a bassline and some basic drums. While I loop that, I'm taking the melody and messing with it... turning it into little motifs and arps and stuff. Eventually I'll come right out with the melody, but not yet, but soon I'll play the melody in a recognizable fashion (after I've toyed with the listener for awhile). Then halfway through or so, I'll do this process again and come up with some kind of breakdown based on the melody, and later on, some wicked solo with the melody as countermelody, or something. Have fun with it. Try a few different kinds of ideas, and string together the ones that work.

^This^ is so amazingly awesome.

What the heck just happened here????????

Haha Argle, yeah he really did. That'll teach him not to say "aw, no one listened to my track" ever again. Hahahahehehe!

Haha neurogen, have we confused you sufficiently yet? Maybe some examples will help. Let's take "Zelda's Lullaby" as the example source song. 1. You could play the whole song verbatim with the same arrangement as the source, but in reggae style, and in 4/4. 2. You could swap the first and second halves of the arrangement, play them in reverse order, in a more electronica style, but still downtempo. Make some unique transitions. 3. You could make an entire remix out of just the first 8 notes of the source. This is more difficult to do but can be done, and you might even need to provide us a source-breakdown so you can show us all the places you used those notes. You could use the motif as melody sometimes, countermelody other times, backing arps or chord structure or whatever, as long as it is recognizable. (I remixed the six-note "Requiem of Spirit" source and managed to make a 4 minute mix out of it, that passed the panel) 4. You could mix in another Zelda source, say "Song of Storms." Make a remix that includes both sources. One source becomes the verse, and the other the chorus, or use one source as melody and the other as countermelody, or whatever, but BE CAREFUL HERE... it just can NOT sound like a MEDLEY... they have to blend and form a cohesive new song with good flow (not a bit of one song, then a bit of another, then yet another and then done). You can use as many sources as you want (preferably from the same game), 2-3 is a good number, more can be confusing, and again if you do this, please give us your source-breakdown writeup. These are just a few ways you can make an OCReMix! Did I leave anything out, anyone wanna add more examples? In your case neurogen, with your track, I'm thinking just a little bit of unique soloing in one or two of the verse or chorus sections might do the job. You already added some cool countermelodies and arps and stuff, so it won't take much. For an example, the part in your track that begins at 1:57, that synth and the writing are a little plain... that part could become some kind of wicked solo! Just an idea. But let's see what you come up with! Also, name that track something cool. Honestly, you clearly have potential here. Hence all this attention. (also, wow you got it to -7db RMS? That's impressive because it sounds really clean!)

Ugh, you're right... *facepalm* Let me rephrase that. *ahem* 1. Feel free to use 100% of the source. This is a fine idea in fact! Arrange it in whatever order you want... it just has to be personalized. Change the style, instrumentation, transitions, time signature, add fun unique solos, or countermelodies, or something. Make sure it's just a little bit different from the actual source song. 2. Your track can NOT be a direct cover of the source song.

Your track is nearly 100% source now. Maybe just make one or two sections a bit more original, new solo or something, or rearrange the parts a tiny bit... don't go crazy, just, personalize it somewhat. 50% recognizable source is the minimum, but 75% source is an even better number. 100% is too much. You can alter the rhythm or cadence or time signature too, and still claim source, while still making it your own. I know it's a bit confusing... it's not an exact science, and yet it is... just do some minor stuff to your arrangement and let us hear it again! edit: 100% use of source is fine, just needs to be personalized, cannot be a direct cover.

Enjoy your day today, Rozo!

I "covered" that already Rozo, haha! neurogen, please don't feel intimidated by Timaeus222... he tends to give very detailed feedback which can be very helpful, but this can be overwhelming if you're not used to his feedback style, haha! Take from it only what you find useful, but please know that your track already sounds quite good. I'm looking forward to hearing this again!

Yikes Timaeus! Let's just find out what he plans to do with this mix first, if he is even shooting for OCR submission at all. Then we can barrage him with ProTips! Welcome to OCR, neurogen!

This is true too. I was going to say that in my post, but I thought I'd save that comment for after he did some more unique writing! Comment has merit, though.

Take it easy, tiger. First of all, no one wants to have to download a track just to give it a quick listen. You should upload your track to Soundcloud or Tindeck or Box, or some place where people can just click and listen. (making the link downloadable is always a good idea, too) Youtube is fine, but the quality is a little lower, as you know. So after a quick listen, your track sounds pretty good! Good trancey stuff, lots of fun little arps here. You've got some really good sounds going through most of this, and some really good modulation. Lots of good ear candy. Mixing is good. I like the vocal additions. The arrangement is close enough to the source to be considered a cover. Are you hoping to submit to OCR? If so, you should concentrate on trying to add some more unique soloing and arrangement ideas, to make it different enough from the source (but not completely original, ReMixes must contain at least 50% recognizable source). If you're thinking of submitting to OCR, here are the submission standards to help you out. Also, "mod review" is supposed to be used as one final set of ears to listen to your track before you submit it to OCR, so ideally you would wait until you've gotten some more advice first, and after you really think it's ready for OCR. Sometimes it takes awhile for people to review your track, but they will, and they are more likely to listen to your stuff if you make it easy for them to do so, and if you're really nice about it. Nice start, sounds good! Let's hear it develop!

My story is one of the boring ones. I was looking around for Zelda remixes in 2009-ish, found the site. Joined in 2011. I was never a musician before 2011, so OCR has absolutely changed my life. (so I guess that's more awesome than boring!) But WOW Amy that's a wonderful story. I love stories like that, where a string of seeming coincidences leads to something life-changing in such a positive way. Thanks for sharing that!

My son and I are about halfway through this game (downloaded on our PS3): . It's a cute looking little game, but after the first couple of levels it is WICKED HARD. Lots and lots of cartoon blood. Catchy, remixable music. Recommended!

I don't know the original, but this is really lovely. Sounds really full and emotive. Piano tone is dark and lush. Maybe just a hair too much reverb? Bass comes close to being overpowering in some spots. Dynamite stuff.

String sustains sound noticeably fake, and need humanization (automate some swells on cc11-expression). The arrangement is nice! I like the changeup when the drums enter. Might even be fun to very gently sidechain the kick to the strings (not so it's pumping, just letting the kick come through cleanly, and providing some movement in the string line). Can't hear the bass too well, the strings get a little too loud by about 1:18. Keep going!

^this^ and yeah, possibly the upright bass, but this bass sounds good, just need to bring out the higher frequencies of that bass so we can hear the plucks in addition to the nice lows. Nice arrangement so far! Yeah, soft drums with brushed snare.

Wubs, yai-yais, chip arps, sine leads, ethnic plucked instruments, screamin' saws, choir, glitching, "guitars," lovely piano, kickin' drums, damn is that all ya got, I'm disappointed. I love this so hard.

You are so right, my bad, dead is a terrible word... let's just say... the project is.... extremely sleepy. Extremely. Sleepy. In fact, it is a coma, on life support, with the family and a priest and the doctor hovering nearby, hand on plug. BUT... I still have hope that Theo and Emu will revive the project, I just have no idea when that would become a priority. But I'm always an optimist.

Try to be happy anyway, but this project is mostly dead at this point, it is "on hold" until Theophany decides to raise it up out of its own ashes and start it anew. Sad, but true.

Calm down, Will. Your music is awesome. That track is awesome. You are awesome. No need for anger, haha! (and you, Timaeus, and Argle are three of my five "highly trusted" friends)

I hesitate to say I've gotten "good" at anything musical, because that implies there is an objective bar somewhere. I have gotten "good" enough at arrangement and production to have tracks passed by the panel here (and that Yoshi collab with Timaeus is a DP!), so I'm quite pleased with that. Yeah, that collab was a turning point for me too, and it remains my favorite track I've ever worked on. As per the feedback I get, I seem to have some decent arrangement ability. As for production, I'll say it is getting better, and I feel this is true when I send a track to five people I trust very much and they send back only minor crits. This just happened on my latest track I wrote. I'm pleased with that, it tells me I'm moving in the right direction, but it's not gonna make me lose my humility anytime soon. I just try to keep everyone's crits in mind, and try not to make the same mistakes again, while at the same time always trying new things... things I haven't tried before, things I'm scared of or feel incapable of. Why not, try everything.

OMG people, if you haven't heard this yet, please give it a listen. You'll need to set aside 9 minutes but man, is it worth it. <3

Thank you kindly! There are several other Chimp/Tim remixes on my Soundcloud as well, just sayin'.