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pixelseph

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  1. pixelseph
    until
    This is a Chrono Trigger arrangement prompt. If we were to tally up which soundtracks get the most arrangements in our weeklies, Chrono Trigger would undoubtedly be near the top. And why wouldn’t it? It’s widely considered one of the greatest video game soundtracks of all time. Well, this week marks the 30th anniversary of its release, so let’s celebrate by arranging any piece from the Chrono Trigger soundtrack. You are free to reinterpret this iconic music however you like. Go big with an epic orchestral arrangement of “Frog’s Theme”, go small with a music box version of “Wings That Cross Time”, or meet somewhere in the middle with a wind quartet version of “Battle with Magus”. Transform a piece into a different genre - how about a jazzy take of “Guardia Castle”, a DnB remix of “Schala’s Theme”, or an acoustic folk version of “Yearnings of the Wind”. You could also reimagine the music as if it were in a different game – like a cheerful platformer-style “Black Omen” or an uptempo kart racer arrangement of “Corridors of Time”. And you will never let us down by making a mash-up featuring "Robo’s Theme". There are just so many great tracks to choose from and so many ways to arrange them. Just don’t let the choice paralysis stop you though! This might also be a good opportunity to revisit this great 8BMT video that looks at more awesome Chrono Trigger pieces! Entries will be due Thursday, 13 March, 2025 9:00 PM EST. - Please note the deadline. It might've changed due to daylight savings time! Entries will be rated by you, the people, on the following: Use of prompt Score Overall To submit your entry, please DM the message vote!submit to @8Bot via Discord. This will give you a special link that will take you to a page where you can upload your music (in discord-embeddable format like mp3 or link to streaming site like soundcloud or youtube) and score (in pdf format). If you have any trouble using this system, please don't hesitate to ask a staff member. Useful Resource
  2. pixelseph
    until
    Calling all musicians! VGM CON is hosting a 72-hour charity album jam! Work together to arrange, record, and mix video game music tracks in just 3 days. All proceeds will benefit the PFund Foundation. Whether you’re an arranger, instrumentalist, or mixer, there’s a way to contribute. Join the VGM CON Discord server to pitch your ideas, collaborate with other creators, and be part of this unique musical event! Vol. 5 of the 72-Hour Charity Album Jam! March 6-9, 2025 What is it? We’re speedrunning a charity album! We have 72 hours to arrange, record, and mix all tracks for the album. Not mastering; that’ll be done by a GameGrooves mastering engineer after all the final mixes are submitted Charity: PFund Foundation When is it? Thursday March 6 9PM ET – Sunday March 9th 9PM ET Track pitching will technically start Wednesday March 5th 9PM ET to accommodate for time zone differences, but the main goal is that each track is made in 72 hours Track pitch meeting: Thursday March 6th at 9PM ET Live listening party: Announcement coming soon Details on hybrid availability for virtual listening party TBD Album release date: Friday April 11th How does it work? All communication and collaboration will take place in the VGM CON Discord server. Each track on the album will gets its own channel under the 72-HOUR CHARITY ALBUM JAM section of the server as it is approved by a staff member. We will have a meeting for pitching track ideas (run by staff members), as well as the option to pitch track ideas via Google Form (link in Discord when available). Here are some things you might consider before the meeting: Do you want to arrange a track and/or participate in someone else’s arrangement? What instruments and/or recording equipment do you have access to? What songs are licensable? See Rules for licensing information See the full details here.
  3. pixelseph
    until
    March's theme is Women's Month! Here are the following criteria for this month's theme, you can meet any one of these to have your song count in the contest: HOW TO ENTER Use this link to enter your song: https://forms.gle/APrQgsYR8cf8FFLg8 Other Rules: Cover must be uploaded in March 2025 to count. No exceptions. 1 Entry per person, but you are allowed to appear on multiple tracks as a guest. If you submit an entry and also appear on another track as a guest, you will only get points for your submission. If you don't submit an entry, but are featured as a guest on a track, you will get 50% of the points the submission gets. Tracks are subject to rejection if they fail to meet the theme.
  4. pixelseph
    until
    March is a Free Month! This means that any song from any video game is acceptable as a source tune for this month. This month's banner art is by Pokerus Project! If you have any questions regarding if a game fits this theme, message a moderator/operations/evilsonic on the DoD Discord server! Upload your submission for the month using our Submission form! Dwelling of Duels entry rules: Main Entries Alternate Entries Listening Party Check out the entrees LIVE over at the Dwelling of Duels Twitch on Friday, March 29, 8:00 PM EST!
  5. pixelseph
    Hello hello! What a cool introduction to Remember Me - love that glitchy electro-orchestra vibe! Thank you for breaking down the source usage for us! I've included my timestamp sections from the source below for ease of reference. The remix seems to reorder the source sections as ACBCDEB. Source sections: :00 - :20 (A1) :20 - :52 (B) 1:13 - 1:53 (C) 2:16 - 2:36 (A2) 3:02 - 3:12 (D1) 3:55 - 4:30 (D2) 5:12 - 5:32 (E) Arrangement-wise, this is good stuff! Every section feels distinct from the rest, even when revisiting earlier ideas. The transitions between sections are well-handled with cues from brass (:26, 1:57) and cymbals (:49, 1:19). The dissonance from the winds at 2:31 adds great tension to the piece right before the climax. I didn't recognize the odd-time signatures on my first few listens because they are cleverly done! However, the production side of the piece has some issues. The attack on the quick brass and string runs (1:58, 2:01 - 2:42) as called out by the other judges needs to be addressed. I'm aligned with LT and Rexy on the humanization not being there yet - moments like :00 - :25, 1:20 - 1:28, and 3:06 - 3:17 feel like missed opportunities for more dynamic emphasis and expression, such as hairpinning the chordal voices with crescendos/decrescendos. Given the goal is epic and stressful, these sections aren't contributing to that goal. I found it easy to discern what voice was meant to be the lead in every section of the piece, though I hear what Emunator is saying around 2:31 - 2:42. The brass has the focus earlier in the section (2:01 - 2:31), but it's less clear as a listener if the focus is on the winds or the brass for the rest of the section. I would love to see this one posted to the site! However, for me to sign off on this one, I would need to hear the attack timings corrected, and more dynamic expression inside the sections outlined (:00 - :25, 1:20 - 1:28, and 3:06 - 3:17). NO (resubmit)
  6. pixelseph
    Coming in fresh on this one as well! This track uses all the meat on the bone and then some between both source tracks. Durandal has a lot of repeated parts for its 3-minute runtime, and the Infinity theme is a quick A-B in under a minute. Intro uses a creative interpretation of the Durandal B section string backing; A section builds with the Durandal A section and some pauses. 2:42 finally introduces the Infinity B section, which leads to the outro at 3:45 with Infinity’s A section. I’m enjoying the attention paid to the dynamics of the track - ambience in the right places (:00 - 1:07, 2:42 - 3:45), synth bass stabs as builds (:56 - 1:17), four-on-the-floor kick drum in the “choruses” (1:25 - 1:41, 2:11 - 2:41, 3:45 - 4:28). There’s a story being told by the piece to guide the flow, and for the most part, everything is in service to that premise. There’s more room for variation within each section, as there are some sections that are copy pasta (1:41 - 1:56 and 2:11 - 2:26 are identical in the waveform). Even something as small as changing the drum fills in one of the sections makes a huge difference. The build-ups and downs are great, on the other hand! The way the space is treated at :56 is especially good when it uses the ambience to make space after introducing the phrase. For me, the instrument choice and implementation need more attention. I think the strings are serviceable for their role in the piece (no crazy fast articulations here, just swells and padding) but the guitar programming is not. While the parts at 1:40 - 2:00, 2:10 - 2:27, and 3:44 - end are hitting harmonically sound pitches, they lack realistic expression and articulations. Except for the bends, all of the notes are articulated the same way (down-pluck, no round-robin (sample swaps to create variation on the same note), no slides or hammer-ons/pull-offs (legato)). Look for ways to embellish these articulations on the guitar's phrasing, and I can sign off on this one! NO (please resubmit!)
  7. pixelseph
    This remix is a fairly conservative, semi-chiptune take that would've been right at home in the late ‘00s OCR. No question about source usage here. Source has an intro-ABC, where the intro is reused as a tag in the C section to loop back to A. Timestamps for the remix using the source A section (:00 - :40, 1:01 - 1:21, 2:02 - 3:02), source B section (:41 - 1:00, 1:21 - 1:41), and source C section (1:42 - 2:01). Sections have been swapped around from the usual ABC loop, with filter builds and breakbeats. The drops at 1:41 and 2:02 are stylistically appropriate, as is the resonance sweep on the reese bass at 1:01. The breakbeats are handled well, though each distinctive breakbeat loop (sounds like there are 2 total, and a third drum loop for the chip refrain at 2:02) seems to be only about 4 bars long. There aren’t enough variations in the loops throughout to make each section feel distinct from a percussion perspective; this can be achieved by doing unique chops of the snares at the end of every loop, or adding different fills. The overall structure is solid, and the arrangement has enough variation compared to the source so I'm satisfied on that front. I agree with my fellow Js that the mixdown and additional variation on the leads and drums are the biggest things to focus on to get this one over the bar. Add some more snare chops and fills for variety, balance out the mids to bring the lows and highs back, and address the phasing on the pan. There is plenty of room to add more stereo ear candy as well, after addressing the previous points. NO (resubmit)
  8. pixelseph
    Thrilled to hear this available on the site! Working with @ZackParrish was a treat - enough leeway in the composition to add small embellishments in the second half of the piece but enough structure to stay focused. Is there more Parrish & Pixels content to come? Who knows!!
  9. pixelseph
    Hi Banana! That lead in the source is cursed. Detuned and awkward for sure - the tracks has a vibe, nonetheless! You've built a great intro and A section, though I'm wondering if there's a B section you could come up with for some variety. The vibe is right for what you've got built, it just structurally says everything it needs to say in the first minute and then loops for another 30 seconds with nothing different. The sub-bass information on the bass instrument also has some mud happening on some of the lower information. A different oscillator might be the right call for the lowest notes, but that's also a taste thing - if you are digging it, no reason to change it! Keep making cool stuff man! Have a wonderful holiday!
  10. pixelseph
    I'm all in on this concept! Some of my favorite tunes are the credits themes and I don't see enough representation for them (SotN's ending theme, "I Am the Wind", or Metal Gear Solid 2's "Can't Say Goodbye to Yesterday" are great examples).
  11. pixelseph
    Awesome!! Looking forward to it :)
  12. pixelseph
    This was a lovely piece to put together in under a month (arranging took a couple of days, recording another couple of days, and then Connor mixed it all in maybe 10 days or so?) Each and every collaborator was awesome to work with, and I’d collab with them again in a heartbeat!!
  13. pixelseph
    Guitar: Cute Emily SG Shreddage 3 Stratus Unreal Instruments Metal-GTX (requires Plogue Sforzando) Bass: Shreddage 3 Precision MODO Bass 2 Amp Sims: Ignite Amps SHB-1 (SHB-1 is a boutique tube amp sim for bass guitar; comes with it's own cab IR built in) Ignite Amps Emissary and NadIR (Emissary is their boutique tube amplifier sim, NadIR is a cabinet IR sim that can be used with ANY other amp sim) Guitar Rig 7 Shattered Glass Audio ACE IK Multimedia Amplitube 5 Pedal VSTs: TSE Audio 808 TSE Audio R47 Plugin Boutique Face Bender
  14. pixelseph
    I highly recommend against ASIO4All in general, though if it does solve your problem, it’s worth it!
  15. pixelseph
    Hi Audiomancer! If your mix is sounding drastically different between project and bounce, there’s an issue with the codec being used by the DAW. You’re using FL Studio correct? What format are you mixing down to - 44.1k/128 bitrate I assume?
  16. pixelseph
    I love this! Can't tell if it's samba or bossa nova vibes but it definitely nails the island vibe even without steel pan.
  17. pixelseph
    Hi Virtual! Great start on this mix so far - it's got a vibe reminiscent of Final Fantasy 8's Balamb Garden. I do have some suggestions to get it to the next level: The percussion feels static and locked to the grid, and not just because it's the same loop being played in the A section. I like the it drops for the B sections, but adding more percussive elements (tambourine, shaker, tabla, etc) would help add more interesting movements into the piece. I would also recommend shifting elements away from the grid, like the hats and snare. The plucky guitar patch, similarly, runs arpeggios for the entire piece. While it does change between the A and B sections, you could introduce more constrast by switching from arpeggios to strummed chords (whole-note chords for the B sections, for instance). This would allow your B sections to open up and breathe more, which in turn will make your A sections feel more like "home" A reverb bus for all your instruments would help glue the entire piece together. I'm not sure if there is reverb in it - perhaps just on the synth parts - but adding a bus and sending some of each instrument to it, along with some EQ to shape it afterward, makes the entire piece feel like it's in the same space. You're off to a great start with this one! Looking forward to seeing where you take it next. :)
  18. pixelseph
    Hi Ruku! This is a total banger!! Very tasteful glitching, really enjoyed the drum swap from that '90s hyper-compressed vibe to something more chilled out. The instrument trade between the guitars and synths/keys was great as well. 10/10, no notes. Keep doing what you do 'cause it kicks ass!
  19. pixelseph
    Hi Ruku! Definitely understand taking this one in a phonk direction. I actually want to disagree with Mokram and say that this has a ton of the source in it. I was hoping to hear more personalization besides the genre flip in here as well as a more definitive ending. The vibe is exactly what I was looking for, though, and the mixing is excellent! Looking forward to more!
  20. pixelseph
    Hi Heel! Really dug the way the track builds. Good use of dynamics to keep the interest across such a long track length. I would have loved to hear more timbral variety in the last couple minutes, as it started feeling stale before the resolution. Shaving down the last round of the A section before the out is another solution, though I would rather hear the former over the latter. I did notice when I brought the export into SPAN that there are a LOT of instances of clipping between +0.1dB and +0.9dB. No artefacts thankfully, just wanted to mention that if you plan to submit this to the panel, you're better served bouncing out a mix that caps at 0.0dB max. Great stuff duder! Looking forward to hearing more from you!
  21. pixelseph
    I'm in! August is definitely doable
  22. pixelseph
    Hi noTuX! There's a real chill vibe going on here. Since your goal is to get this ready to sub to OCR, there are some adjustments I recommend: The percussion hits are not tuned to the piece. Especially when you have harmonic content that is shifting chords, the percussion not moving with the harmony gets sour in spots. The foundational ostinato pattern wears out its welcome after the first minute or so. Is there another element that can replace it for a passage and then come back? Or perhaps just dropping it out for a while to come back later? Feels underdeveloped currently. While there are sections we're progressing through in the listen, it's not clear to me where in the piece we're in and there's a sense of meandering through it. Part of that is because the ostinato repeating throughout, and part of it is there are not really any dynamic shifts other than adding more layers. Would love to give this another listen after you get some more cooking time in on this one. It's got a lot of potential!
  23. pixelseph
    Sorry to take so long to come back to this one! The detuning on the EP (or is it a marimba? sounds like a hammered instrument) at the beginning is a bit too heavy, and when the whistling comes in to double it, it gets sour. I recommend either not doubling with the whistle, or reducing the pitch shifting on the EP to match the whistles. The tremolo picking on the guitar isn't working for me - because of how tight the rhythm section is, it must be together with it or it sticks out uncomfortably. Tonally, the guitar is right where it needs to be; the (programmed) performance is not there yet. Overall, though, this is a great remix! Love the swap from bossa nova to waltz feel - wouldn't mind hearing the drums shift either to half-time or double-time for a section to give some difference in kind to add more spice.
  24. pixelseph
    Hi Seth! This sounds great! Not having anything come to mind as far as critique, so is there anything you're looking for specifically as far as feedback?
  25. pixelseph
    Hi Jupiter! This is a real jam. Love the way you've taken the descending melodic phrase from the original and implemented it across the instruments! The opening piano sample feels robotic currently; the velocities feel like they don't change, which makes the repeated note figure give a stilted sound. In the same way, the ride cymbal sounds like there aren't any round-robins on the sample triggers, making it sound like a machinegun instead of it being naturally played. Humanizing the velocities would go a long way here. I also feel like the lack of bass drum in favor of the timpani is hurting the piece. Their resonance works during the bridge but creates mud for the piece's first minute. It's a great take on the piece, however! Would love to hear more like it :D
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