zircon

Well.. I have to agree that this mix seems to try to carry itself based on the samples. The sequencing isn't BAD by any means, but it lacks expressiveness and emotion. That said, the samples themselves are VERY good.. Stormdrum, RA, etc. But you can't carry a song based on those. Dunno what that electric guitar is (VSL Overdrive? Hans Zimmer?) but it doesn't seem to mesh well with everything else. The arrangement itself is a bit on the repetitive side, constantly repeating that one riff. Considering it's only 3:00, I think more could have been done with the theme. At around 2:00 things get a little more interesting, but again, samples are carrying it. I'm trying to imagine this with free sounds and I don't think it would work out well. If you expand the arrangement, refine the structure, and spend a little more time with the sequencing of your instruments I think this could pass. NO

The originals had a lot of energy and drive to them, particularly the "Level" theme. I think you had some good ideas here to improve on that, but you stretched them out over 5 minutes. Tightening your arrangement and doing more stuff with the originals would be a good idea. As DS said, making something of a climax would be ideal too. Around 3:00 I thought I was going to hear the addition of new instruments and a new drum pattern, but it didn't really go anywhere. I guess I felt like while this was longer than the originals, it didn't really do much besides stretch them out, rather than interpret them in a unique way, which is what we're looking for here. On the production end, a lot of the instruments sounded pretty fake, including the guitar, and there was a real overuse of delay. Did you have delay on the drums? It sounded like that, and it didn't sound good. Synths were alright, but could have been better. I think this aspect of the mix could have used tightening too. Not terrible, but needs some substantial refinement in a few areas. Keep working at it. NO

While that might be slightly faster, my method provides you with an fx channel accurately named after the processed instrument. Thus I proclaim it the more sophisticated approach! p.s. POWERUSER WAR!!!!! Well, the thing is.. you might have multiple instruments on that FX track - that is a situation that often happens with me. Thus it's not entirely useful to have it pre-named.

54.. yeah, ST is good, but you're on the high end, and it's also boring as hell. One more level and you've got BRD anyway. Try Un'Goro, Western/Eastern Plaguelands, maybe Felwood. Winterspring in a few levels.

Yeah, AV is definitely a lot of fun. And Ice Barbed Spear is one of the best hunter weapons for awhile. Damn, you levelled pretty fast too, suzu.. what are you now, like 55?

Come on, there is SOME tricky stuff in MC. We wiped on fire packs for months before we mastered dealing with them. Geddon was a hard fight for awhile, as was Garr. Sulfuron still can give us trouble and Domo took a few weeks. It may be an "intro" place but it's pretty demeaning to say it's no harder than scholo.

MC is only boring once you get it to farm status. Many of the encounters were very fun and challenging the first 5 or so times around. They're not all *that* boring now either, it's not like I can go AFK during the fight.

I gotta agree with Larry. I LOVE the style here, the lyrics, the vocal style, and the arrangement. But the implementation is absolutely awful! There is TONS of clipping all over, the vocals at times are practically distorted, etc. Please fix these volume and mixing/mastering issues, because this is such an awesome mix. If you clean it up, I'll easily YES this. NO

We don't do the UBRS buff, because I've heard conflicting reports from GMs that it's exploiting. I would rather not get banned for something stupid, when we already have enough FR. Are you saying you do 2 waves of sons, though? According to the "Pacifists" guide, 2 waves = wipe almost 99% of the time. We can barely handle 1 as is. I don't see how you can NOT do 2 if you can't get him below 50% on the first phase.

Oh man. PSO's music is absolutely fantastic - I just picked up the soundtrack a week or two ago and this was one of my favorite tracks. Let's hear what you did.. I'm definitely liking the atmosphere that you set up, but there are a few things that I noticed within the first 1:30. For one, the strings are really mono.. you gotta treat those somehow. If you check in the ReMixing forum, you'll find my tutorial topic stickied - check out #2 and #4, and you'll find some tips to get you started on expanding strings and making them more realistic. The key here is reverb, and possibly delay. Also, I thought that the drums didn't quite fit in. The hats were sort of cutting in regards to everything else, and the sequencing didn't really create much of a groove to speak of, and the pattern got very repetitious after awhile. Consider looking for some better drum samples too, as these are pretty GM-like in quality. Finally.. the tubular bells playing the melody? Not cool.. try a different instrument for that. They sound kinda cheesy in their current form. The arrangement was kinda straightforward for the most part. You did add some neat harmony patterns and a few variations here and there, but you have to go the extra mile and really make this YOUR interpretation. You did keep some of the chill mood, but because your sounds aren't that great, it almost felt like a downgrade from the original rather than a unique remix. And there was no ending! What's up with that? Hit the ReMixing forum and keep practicing. You've got some good ideas, now all you have to do is refine them. NO

Err.. we're not TOTAL noobs, you know. MC is a very difficult instance (maybe not after you've run it 1279313x) and we read an awful lot about it before we formed the guild to get it started. Everyone does have all the consumables, from tubers to NDB to potions to bandages to fire pots etc. However even with all that, we just can't break the 50% mark before he submerges. We've been waiting only 3 secs for the MT to get aggro because we're afraid we're not going to do enough DPS before he went back down (and we haven't been able to, but that is perhaps because we've been holding back). Is that bad?

I gotta say, I thought there were some very cool ideas behind the mix. The integrated sfx + the percussive sequencing were both good, for example, and the overall interpretation was quite creative. The big problem here of course.. the sounds I'm sorry, man, but the sounds here are very bad. They sound GM-like in quality. You gotta get some better stuff, man! There are free synths at www.kvr-vst.com and free samples scattered all around. ReMixing forum would be the place to go to look around. Sections like 1:13 could be spruced up too.. that's where you can hear the low fidelity of the samples you are using the most. The actual USAGE of the sounds is good, it's just a matter of improving on them. You also might want to use more effects, like reverb, delay, compression (etc) to really maximize the mix and make some of the 'real' instruments like the marching snares sound more realistic. Cool vibe overall, just bring the production up to speed and this will earn a YES from me. NO

Bah, I'm not sure if I remember. It was pretty balanced in terms of classes, though. Maybe a few less Druids/Warlocks/Hunters and a few more Priests + Rogues though. Phase 1 we get him down to about 50-55% ish at best. The problem is that even though rogues are spacing out their DPS, they still draw aggro. This is presumably because our tanks aren't doing their jobs properly, so we're going to try it with new tanks (who do have the requisite FR) first. Usually in Phase 1 we have about 6-7 people die.. maybe a little less lately. Problem with sons is simply that.. they rape us. We try to all move to one spot immediately while mages frost nova and warp away, tanks engage them and then we assist them down. Usually our assist has died in phase 1 though which is kind of annoying, and another thing is that we can't control all of them well enough. It's just really, really chaotic and very difficult. By phase 2 (if we get to it.. we only have like twice out of ten attempts) we're just about wiped out and have no chance.

More Rag attempts.. we still can't get him. Very frustrating, even though we're using consumables. Rogues are not able to do enough DPS because they are drawing aggro (and yes, they are using feint, and yes we have 2 tanks with full FR hitting Rag around). I don't get it. Sons are owning us too.

Interesting that you say it's a stupid topic, because a whole lot of people requested I write about it. And as a judge, I hear a lot of songs that use reverb in a way that's sloppy, or they don't use it at all - ALL the judges can testify to this, so it's not just me. I figured it would be helpful it include it on a topic covering "effects", and clearly a lot of people agree with me on that. I can't think of where I've told people what libraries to use. And why would you bring this up now, after the fact, even if I did? Do what normal people do. If you see something you disagree with, post about it.

Ah, "fag". You're such a mature fellow. OverCoat is right. You didn't read it. I list a handful of before/after examples for reverb (for example) but the vast majority of it is what a reverb DOES, actually. Again, very simple stuff.

Yes, because reverb controls are REALLY subjective topics. Obviously, an overdrive effect preset for one person is different for another person. Have you even bothered to *read* anything I wrote? They're mostly "basics" guides and simple techniques that have been thoroughly explored and written about for years. All I'm doing is writing them in the ReMixing forum and putting them into a practical context for hobbyist musicians. Interestingly, I don't see you posting in that forum, helping the ReMixers here, or doing much of anything at all on this website. So why do you even care? It seems to me like you just joined the bandwagon with JM + po of hating on a non-OUS musician. If there was an ounce of truth to what you were saying, maybe you wouldn't have made a fool of yourself on the air last night to everyone that was listening.

The notes ARE wrong, bro.. :06 in the original and :09 in yours, they are just not the same. And, while some people will disagree with me, I think the harmony that you have set up there in the intro is a lot worse than the one in the original. Just sounds ugly. But that's not a huge deal, it's something I brought up only because it hit me as soon as the song began. The arrangement factor is here. You've got a lot of cool things going on with the different instruments, variations on the original, some variations in the background chords and the progression. Good stuff. The problem here IMO is the production. We've been telling you this for just about everything you've submitted. Stop over-compressing and over-saturating everything. Everything is so huge and lumped together that your ears get worn down quickly listening to it. Giving the different parts some room to breathe will relieve stress on the listener AND make stuff sound more musical, because you'll actually be able to *hear* the harmony notes and pads. The choice of instruments is solid, though again, the massive compression on the drums makes them sound way too punchy, and they override the other parts. The strings here are kind of abrasive too at times; overly cutting when you have the more interesting stuff going on in the guitar parts. Also, the wah on the guitar does get a bit old after awhile, and it really didn't sound all that great to begin with. To to summarize, some production issues.. pretty much the same ones you've been having, arrangement is great though (aside from those wrong notes). Please tweak this and resubmit. NO

Kaijin called in to take a dump on me LIVE!! Too bad I missed it. I would have done a three-way call. He's joining JM and po in their player hatin'. Why? Beats me. None of them have the balls to talk to me to my face, apparently.

I can actually hear the McVaffe influences here, pretty cool On the production end, this is solid all around, but it could still using some polishing. For example, the drums (besides the ethnic percussion and sfx stuff) are really lame, practically GM drumkit quality. Please look for better samples or soundfonts and put those to good use. Considering the chill mood of the mix, an electro bassdrum doesn't really fit in, if you know what I mean. They could also use more varied sequencing as the pattern does sort of plod on for awhile. Adding more fills or more percussive layers could really help. The overall mixing was good, though I think the piano had a little too much reverb, and at times the different textures tend to muddy together. The guitar-type instrument that's doing all the slides is really fake. You might as well just use a synth there, because again, it sounds GM-quality. There are definitely better free sounds out there. The sequencing of it is pretty lame too, at least when it's playing chords - the lead guitar panned slightly right doesn't sound as bad. Good work on the effects processing too. Arrangement-wise, I could hear some of Stickerbrush Symphony, but it wasn't immediately obvious to me. Larry + Vig pretty much captured my thoughts on this; there's a lot of 'space' here with not as much actual arrangement. Tweak the structure more and see if you can tighten things up. However, you did do a good job of interpreting the theme - this isn't a cover or a MIDI rip, for sure This brings me to my next point, which is that overall, the structure could use some work. There's not a lot of energy, especially with the repetitive drum pattern, and there's a lot of sparsity all around. You don't have to make the mix "dense" or turn it into an upbeat dance song, but thickening it up with additional layers, as well as perhaps cutting down some of the repetition, would really help. I liked this one, tweak and resubmit! NO

OUS hatin'? I gotta listen in more often

I think overall the recording here is pretty good, though the piano could be brought up just a *little* bit. The arrangement is nice too. The solos are slightly sloppy at times, though, and as a piano player I wish the pianist could have gotten a chance to shine However, I agree that the theme could have been created more repeatedly in terms of the transitions and the overall structure. More development would definitely be nice in terms of the variations on the original theme, as well as tightening of the performance. I enjoyed this - a little bit of tweaking (if at all possible) would make this able to pass our bar readily, I'd say. NO

Ah Xenon. This song was pretty tough.. I definitely know it by heart, now - but I don't think I have got AA on Heavy anyway.. One thing I noticed right away was the encoding. Don't use CBR, man! 128 sounds dulled, at least to me. Use VBR; you'll get better quality AND reduce the file size. The reverbed/delayed detuned saw instrument that plays some partial riffs towards the beginning is rough.. too many spatial effects on it. When combined with everything else it muddies up the rest of the mix. The tone of it is fine, though. The 'main' synth from the beginning is cool, at least. The drums aren't too bad overall; they're solid, albeit pretty generic in the patterns they play and the tones themselves. You might consider looking into getting NON 808/909 samples since they're so overused and cliche at this point that they just sound boring. The section right before 2:35 sounded kind of messy w/ the tempo change. At least the drums that come in after are varied, though. I'm glad you didn't go back to the 808/909 stuff. As the mix progresses though, you just sort of go back to the stuff you had towards the beginning, with the same drum patterns and synths. There's no real build, no climax, it's a letdown. Come on, use all that energy to do something cool! The ending especially is a cop-out. Overall, the arrangement here isn't too bad but I felt like it focused too much on the "A" section of Xenon without bringing in the other part much. I also think the structure wasn't very good, because for an upbeat electronic mix, you want to keep the energy going, whereas here it just died after the middle (which was not a climax at all, but more of a break section). Keep working on this one. NO

Yeah, the original is really simplistic. Just a couple riffs.. I actually think this track is pretty well-executed. Lots of cool percussive stuff, lots of movement, good implementation of the samples, appropriate amount of reverb, volume levels are all good. This sort of reminds me of GrayLightning's stuff in general style. The snares throughout are kind of fake though - vary up your velocities more. It does sort of get crowded when the SFX come in.. I'm not sure how good those are. Really, this isn't bad at all, but as Vig + Larry said, there's just not a lot of connection to the original. Hardly any that I could hear, really, besides some similar chords.. but there's not much to work off of to begin with. Good effort, but too liberal. NO

Arcana is right. Everyone has to start somewhere. Like I've said over and over, these guides are not the be-all end-all, or even remotely close to it. They are either basic explanations and suggestions for starting points, or techniques that I've learn or developed and that I'm sharing (and still not claiming they're the best). This would be a good time to say I'm not leaving. All of the negativity I got yesterday came at a bad time for me overall. I've had difficulty adjusting to college life and I've been pretty down as of late.. yesterday was really the straw that broke the camel's back, and I just couldn't stand it anymore, especially after having spent the entire previous day working on tutorial #4. It was a moment of weakness for me, I admit it. I let a bunch of idiots get to me when they shouldn't have. But I'm human, and I make mistakes like everyone else, so hopefully you guys won't hold it against me. From now on, I'm not going to take any shit from people who hate on me for no reason. I'm here to help the community I love, and the amazing amount of support I got between yesterday and today has really restored my faith that I am doing some good here. Expect part 5 coming up very, very soon.