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Ethan Rex

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Posts posted by Ethan Rex

  1. I was going to ask what the HECK happened to you and Dustin? I was hoping you guys didn't drop out of the compo :(

     

    Yeah, my hard drive tanked on me the friday before I was supposed to submit last round. Lost a lotta stuff music wise and my FL plugins/samples aren't back to 100%, but I've got a good enough setup right now to manage a remix.

  2. So what has started as FL crashing last night has now evolved into my entire computer crashing. I'm trying to get it fixed but I don't think that'll happen in the next few hours so I won't be able to submit something this week. I'm really really sorry, but the good news is that this is (hopefully) a one-off and fixable problem, so I should be fine for the rest of the compo.

  3.  

     

    The ancient computer located inside the Protodome should still be operational

     

    Cannot read this without thinking about OCR Protodome

     

    Anyway, yeah, I agree with Gario about the ending if you want to sub this. P good on everything else, make sure that your glitchy fx stuff throughout the mix isn't too loud on the high ends. Some of em (like around 1:49) are pretty hot. 

  4. Oof, I am not liking most of these samples in the first 30 seconds.  The kick drum is fair, but the clap feels generic with the reverb not aiding much, the bass and synths feel like lazy presets.  Nothing much is really happening either.

     

    :30+ it starts to pick up a bit.  The synth slides are nice, the little spice at :40~ and :45~ are nice, but it still feels weak in energy.  Any snare in this section is barely audible, there's no strong presence in the groove, and the overall sound is kinda cheesy.  The added samples of Yoshi and Mario seem slightly out of place and add nothing to the mix.

     

    The transition @ :52~ is way too abrupt.  This section feels very plodding, it's not developing into anything, it's not adding anything.

     

    Finished listening to the rest of this and... I dunno what to tell you.  The cheesy synths, the lack of development and direction.  Maybe work on smaller projects?  Focus more on one aspect of the music production or composing process?  Listen to something professional written and produce and just try to mimic their writing or production?

     

    Agreed with all the crits above. Everything is bare bones - most of the synths sound pretty vanilla, and most of the arrangement seems to be meandering without any sort of musical purpose.

     

    Think of a mix like a story. It needs a good intro, climax, variation, and texture to be strong. Otherwise the finished product is grating or boring. Add more elements like arps, pads, countermelodies, etc. to add a richness to your music, or it'll sound bare bones. Work on creating a structure to your mix so that transitions seem logical from a musical perspective.  Experiment with synth creation to create unique sounds that don't remind me of vanilla synth1 presets. 

  5.  

    I might also suggest the SS Aqua theme for Pokemon GSC, since that's the transition to the Kanto part of the game (and also a personal favorite  :tomatoface: ). I threw together a really really bare bones concept WIP of a style I think could work with it too, if someone (*cough*OverClockedPlaidMuffins*cough*) wants to take a crack at it. Might take too long to organize though. 

     

    For smash, I might recommend something from melee, since iirc he did a lot of heavy lifting to get that game out without delays. Either of the menu themes are good, and the target test theme is favorite of mine (and also groovy as hell). Full Melee OST Link for those who want to skim.

     

    I think the album is a totally rad idea and a great way to honor a man who gave us so many good memories. I'd join myself, but I don't think I have the skill it'd take to pump out a track in a timely manner.  Though, if anyone is interested, I can try to write out the rest of the arrangement on that SS Aqua track.

     

    Just wanted to throw my quote from the other thread in here.  I'm still up to finish the arrangement for SS Aqua if players are interested.  Alternatively, I could be down for a collab as long as we're done before the Sigma Fortress compo gets in full gear. I think I have an old WIP of a Melee Menu 1/Target Test remix laying around somewhere...

  6. You mean the intro?? I kinda wanted to be like that at the beginning to have a decent build up and "drop" at 0:43

     

    Yeah, I mean maybe throw in a light pad or some atmospheric stuff in there, something to add a little depth that won't really change the "intro" feel. 

     

    After listening a couple of times, I think you'll probably get judge crits on repetitive arrangement as well, so maybe look into that too. 

  7. http://nintendo.wikia.com/wiki/Satoru_Iwata  and http://www.mobygames.com/developer/sheet/view/developerId,52462/

    Scroll down for a list of games he's been credited in. Now, the vast majority is as Executive Producer, which could be anything from "he signed some paperwork" to "he did everything that his staff did, or maore, to make the game happen", but without a detailed knowledge of each game's developement history, there's no way to be sure just how much he was involved in each case.

     

    If we're doing an album, I got some ideas for songs from certain games that need to be part of it. Some of them, I'm not familiar with, so go easy on those choices.

     

    Balloon Fight. This one is a no-brainer. The main theme is catchy and fun. Like the game he made.

     

    Pokémon Gold and Silver, Route 27 Theme. This is the song that plays as you cross over Route 27, the last steps from Johto to Kanto. Pretty damn significant, considering that without Iwata's help, Kanto would never have been included in the first place. He bridged the two lands, and thus the two games, and this song reflects that. Also, a personal favorite.

     

    Kirby's Adventure. There are lots of songs here to choose from, this game is on the list because it was not only one of the first games he was involved in after joining HAL Labs, but also really helped cement Kirby as a character with his abililty tosuck up enemies and take heir powers.

     

    NES Open Tourament Golf. His first game at Nintendo, and he was the programmer. Playlist here.

     

    Earthbound. No explaination needed. OK, maybe a little bit. He saved the game from possible doom when he fixed up the text system, saving it from developement limbo, and possibly worse. I'm not an Earthbound expert, so I'm going to have to defer the choice of song to someone that knows the game better.

     

    An obscure game called Rollerball. His first game as producer. I love obscure remixes!

     

    Smash Bros. I'm not sure what song would be best, as he was invovled in different ways with the series over the years. I will defer to the expertise of Smash experts on this one. Maybe that cool opening opera-ish one?

     

    Wario Ware series. Seems to have appeared in the games as an NPC from what I've read.

     

    This list covers his eariler years, from pre-Nintendo to HAL Labs to just as he was becoming a big name at Nintendo.

     

    I might also suggest the SS Aqua theme for Pokemon GSC, since that's the transition to the Kanto part of the game (and also a personal favorite :tomatoface: ). I threw together a really really bare bones concept WIP of a style I think could work with it too, if someone (*cough*OverClockedPlaidMuffins*cough*) wants to take a crack at it. Might take too long to organize though. 

     

    For smash, I might recommend something from melee, since iirc he did a lot of heavy lifting to get that game out without delays. Either of the menu themes are good, and the target test theme is favorite of mine (and also groovy as hell). Full Melee OST Link for those who want to skim.

     

    I think the album is a totally rad idea and a great way to honor a man who gave us so many good memories. I'd join myself, but I don't think I have the skill it'd take to pump out a track in a timely manner.  Though, if anyone is interested, I can try to write out the rest of the arrangement on that SS Aqua track.

  8. Not a mod so I'm not sure if I'm allowed to post in mod-reviewed tagged threads, but I couldn't find a rule about it so here we go:

     

    Piano is a bit bare for a bit too long. Maybe put some stuff in the background to cover it up.

     

    The high end on that clap is pretty hot, maybe cut the high edge off of it a bit. 

     

    Your low-mid end is a bit muddy as well, that seems to be where all of the action is. Try varying up your part writing/mixing to get a more even soundscape so the mix sounds fuller.

     

    Not a lotta crits on the arrangement, seems to be a pretty nice downtempo mix of an iconic theme. 

     

    Whoa that ending was very sudden, look into that.

  9. I already said this on twitter, but the dude was a programming legend. The guy singlehandedly (more or less) programmed Earthbound, and shrunk Pokemon GS down enough to fit Kanto in. As CEO, he halved his pay when profits dropped. Maintained a priority toward gamers throughout his tenure as well. The man was a monolith in the gaming industry, and will be sorely missed..

  10. Hey man.

     

    This is a huuuuuge project you're looking at. 3 discs is a lot, even for big name series like Final Fantasy or Sonic the Hedgehog. While the Pikmin series is bomb af, it doesn't really hold the star power to get 3 discs of quality remixed music. I think maybe cutting it down to either just one game, or one disc with a bit of everything on it might make things more manageable.

     

    Speaking of manageable, let's talk about your project organization. If you're serious about getting a quality product in a reasonable amount of time, I'd advise revamping your OP a bit. Check out this guide on remix projects to get a good idea on what OCR is looking at for Remix Albums, and try checking out different project history threads to see what worked and what didn't. While I have absolutely zero experience directing a project, I've seen enough project threads to know that some crash and burn and some (definitely a smaller amount) grow into a quality OCR album. Here are some quick tips:

    1. If you're serious about this, grab a co-director with some experience or star power on OCR. Not saying that new folk don't have the ability to run a good project, but you need remixers first and foremost, and remixers aren't going to flock to a project headed by a guy with only one post on the forums.
    2. Speaking of remixers, go ask for some. This thread is great for starters, but sending a message to some remixers you respect/want on your project is more direct, and probably would yield better results. I'm not a good musician by any means, so take this with a grain of salt, but I'm always more likely to respond positively with a message from a director than by a R&C thread. That being said, expect remixers to say no, and be okay with that. It seems like everyone is hella busy nowadays (or maybe just me lol), and oftentimes good remixers are working on multiple projects.
    3. Organize your OP. As I said earlier, check out that project guide. Throw some links to your sources so it's easy for people to listen to different source tunes. Set up a general timeline so people know what your expectations are in terms of chugging this thing out. The more clear you are as a director, the easier it will be for everyone.

    I don't mean to scare you off from this project, but I just want you understand that running a project is a bit more than it looks. Ask some other project directors for tips if you're really interested. I'm by no means AT ALL an expert on projects (not even a posted remixer lmfao), so their insight is probably more valuable than mine.

     

    Anyway, didn't mean to derail the thread too much. Good luck dude!

  11. I like a remix that grabs the soul of the original piece. That doesn't neccesarily translate to "conservative remix," but rather something that conveys a similar mood to the original. Nutritious' Cave Story remix is a perfect example of what I'm talking about here, or theophany's Majora's Mask album - each piece is a creative expansion on the original mood of the source tune.

  12. MM is the coolest fucking game of all time. IMO while OoT was revolutionary for its time, it hasn't aged that well. It suffers from linearity, and a big world with little to do. On the opposite end, I feel like every inch of MM is oozing with substance and content. I remember being so entranced by the atmosphere of the game - the mood of the characters and their evolution through the three days. Never has a game put me in such a powerful immersive context.

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