zircon
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Posts posted by zircon
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I sometimes think I shouldn't even write reviews for McVaffe's songs anymore, because they're all so good that I end up saying the same things. But for effect, I'll say them again. Excellent combination of both non-traditional and traditional percussion, excellent orchestration and instrumentation, dynamic, energy-filled arrangement, flawless production. The bottom line: this mix rules, even if you've never played the game.
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Proof again that Michael Vafeas is a genius. I love the percussion here, as well as how the panning and production was done. Synths are great; minimal, but well-done, as usual. The arrangement expands on the original in a good way, without losing sight of it. The effects used throughout fit well, and the transitions and subtle changes keep the mix from getting boring. Truly amazing.
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Brilliant, as is the rest of McVaffe's stuff. Great arrangement, fantastic synthwork, great execution and production values. I didn't mind the repetition that much, because it's such a great track, and none of the loops used are irritating.
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Besides upgrading your processor, is there any way to reduce system strain from VSTis in FL? I routinely use 10-15 instances of things like FM7 and Superwave p8, making it near-impossible to do anything on my computer, let alone in FL itself. Previewing, of course, is completely impossible.
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Though this is certainly not very creative in terms of arranegment (in fact, it's not creative at all), the production values are good. The artist here knew what he was doing in terms of mastering and instrumentation, and he at least should get some credit for that.
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Definitely an awesome remix, and a great example of McVaffe's arrangement and production talent. The use of in-game samples to the assortment of other synths and instruments is top-notch, as always, and the arrangement not only builds upon the original, but adds to it. There's not much to say here besides the fact that McV and this track both rule.
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I have a shameless request- could you play "White Nexus" ( http://www.zirconstudios.com/Music/WhiteNexus.mp3 )? It's an original, 1st track on the album I'm working on. would appreciate the plug
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Is there a playlist floating around? I missed the show
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Definitely a great show last week! Keep encoding with whatever method you've been using, it sounds great (better than the stream I get). I had planned on calling in, but with Holland, "John Dough", and Darkesword already having done so, I decided against it. I'll do that this week I guess
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Definitly awesome stuff. Great drum chopping, pro synthwork (especially with the bass), and good integration of the movie quotes.
I actually think the original Dune movie was quite corny compared to the Sci-Fi version
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I have somewhat mixed feelings on this one. While there's no questioning that I enjoy it very much, and that it's pleasantly flashy and fun to listen to, the arrangement is somewhat shallow. I say this because when I attempted to play it by ear on the piano myself, I was able to play it fairly easily on the first attempt; most of the techniques used (ie. various progressions, arpeggios, tremolos) turned out to be quite basic.
However, this is by no means a reason to discard this mix as being amateur. Much like klutz's arrangements, it sounds great, and does an excellent job of presenting a new take on the original theme. As for performance and production values, I honestly have no problems. Being someone who tends to play flashy pieces like this (like the Sonata Pathetique movement 1, Rhapsody in Blue, Hungarian Rhapsody #2) I can say that you're SUPPOSED to do many of the things that some of the earlier posters were complaining about; for instance, tempo changes, delay, emphasizing first notes, etc.
So, overall, in the grand scheme of piano pieces go, this is probably only average in arrangement. But as far as video game arrangements go, it's definitly awesome. All things considered, I highly recommend this mix- 8.5/10.
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This is probably my favorite track from Prot also. It seems as though compared to his other DKC2 mixes there is a greater proficiency in mixing, mastering, and arranging. Also, the samples used are quite good. The new age-ish progression and execution is both relaxing and well done. The 'birdcussion' is quite catchy, and not at all grating or overly repetitive. In fact, the piece as a whole is not repetitive, though you might expect it to be because of the length.
Two thumbs up. Keep up the good work.
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Ha! I hate Jim Holland!
I don't have the HQ version of last Saturday's show mirrored yet, but if anyone wants the 36MB lower-quality version (it's still a good listen), please PM or contact me when I'm signed onto AIM and I'll find a way to get it to you.
Jim Holland is the man.
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Let's get something straight:
DJP and the judges are completely wrong. This is the most professional sounding mix on the site, as well as the most technically impressive and INNOVATIVE mix as far as I'm concerned. All this crap about "balance this", "lack of innovation that", is just that. Crap. Complete and utter bullshit.
bLiNd, man, with mixes like this, you are going places. No, screw that. YOU ARE MAKING THE PLACES.
Bottom Line:
If you like techno, you are obligated by the higher powers to download this mix immediately. If you do NOT like techno, you have 24 hours to repent and change your damn dirty ways, buttmonkey.
Ok. Feel free to have your own opinions. I like this mix as much as the next guy, and I agree, it's quite professional sounding, but innovative? Not only was this done in a similar style to the original (hell, maybe even the same style), but there's certainly nothing new about the style used or how it was arranged and executed. That's not a bad thing; few mixes are truly 'innovative'. But it's pretty ludicrous to say this one is.
For something more on topic, as someone who listens to a lot of dance, trance, and hard trance, this mix sounds damn good. Arrangement is a little minimal, but varied enough to keep repetition low and energy high. Instrumentation is nearly flawless; the synths could have been a little less basic, though they really got the job done. Two thumbs up here, for sure.
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Looking for a good choir sample. Doesn't need to be intensely high quality, like directly recorded from a church choir, just fairly realistic.
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first ocremix I downloaded, and definitly one of my favorites. there's really no bad points that I can think of; amazing arrangement, effects, samples, execution. if I had to give out one perfect score and only one, this would be the mix I'd give it to.
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Yep, that was exactly what I needed. Thanks!
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ugh.. this is practically a midi rip. there is absolutely nothing interesting here; it's exactly like most of the other zeal remixes. there is minimal rearrangement and variation, and the instrumentation/drumwork is uninteresting at best. 3/10.
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I have a question.
I was listening to one of the 3.56 demos (LogDrums something-or-other), and I noticed how it had an X-Y controller open. It was pretty easy to figure out what it did and how to use it. However, when I was working on my own remix and I put in an x-y controller as an effect for a particular pattern, it didn't seem to change the sound at all, regardless of the settings for the controller.
I suspect that the controller must be linked to another sort of effect, but I'm not sure how to do that. Could anyone offer some help on the subject?
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At first, I was really expecting a ho-hum Zeal remix like most of the ones on OCR now (I can barely tell the difference even now). However, this is CERTAINLY above the bar here, despite the fact that the theme has been perhaps over-remixed. The amount of variation, the solid arrangement, and creative branching from the original really makes this remix stand out. I honestly don't have any problem with any of the arrangement or the samples. 9/10, definitly.
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Ow. no headphones for this one.
Solid overall, some nice, bright instruments (perhaps too bright in some cases). 8/10. not much to say about it.
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Remixes on this site most certanly do not compete with eachother.
Professional music has no comparison to songs on this site because they are driven by profession while we are driven by personal feelings towards a song.
This song managed to capture the feel of a certain scene of Final Fantasy 6 perfectly. Its not the instrumentation or the accompany that people love (although it was quite well done). Its the mood that this song caught. To me, it was quite perfect with the soft piano chords symbolizing falling snow upon battered battle field, fire silently in the distance. Amievil took that narshe scene right out of the game and converted it to music with uncommon precision. That is what people like about this song, not the fact that its a popular Final Fantasy tune.
Uh. Yes, remixes most certainly compete to be accepted. This topic has been discussed before, even by the judges: there were lots of mixes that got accepted early on that were of substantially lower quality (such as the ones recently removed). The volume of submissions was much lighter when those remixes got submitted. As the volume of submissions rose, they had to be judged more harshly. It's tantamount to applying to colleges; if only a handful of people apply, and they pass the minimum requirements, they'll get it. But if 50,000 people apply, only the absolute best will get in. Thus, the remixes indirectly compete with eachother.
Again, if someone took the Mystic Quest battle theme and remixed it in the exact same style as this, would it get accepted? Doubtful. That theme is much less emotional than Terra's theme. Remixes should not be reviewed or judged based on how good the original song is.
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THIS is dance remixing at its best. Great intro, simple but effective drums, excellent arrangement and accompaniment. The lead synth is really the main strength of this remix; I'm pretty sure it's FM7, and it sounds damn good. My only complaint (I had to think for a bit) is that it could use a bit more variation on the melody.
9.5/10
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What, pray tell, is professional music? Good music or music which can be sold (I am pointing at the fact that the word professional indicates that professional music is music made by someone who makes money with it.. as a profession)?
Yes. I classify "professional music" as any music that is composed and sold commercially by the artist as their main source of income.
Now I am aware that 'good music' is a highly subjective matter, but it definitely need not be the same as music which is sold (the more the better). I find the term good music, however ambiguous, preferable when attempting to discern the quality of music. If, for example, I like a song I made, however crude or simple it may be, I value it above the loads of professional music which I do not like.Yes, it is subjective. Most professional music is bad. Most remixes are good.
I think that what you mean is that because of the association people have with the game they make the link between the remix and the game and therefore can 'see' more in it. Is this so bad a thing? No. Does it change a person's tastes? No. I think that the emotive association, while perhaps intense, does not somehow befuddle the listener. Perhaps someone may like such a piece a little better compared to similar pieces of music but one can also argue that because of the association with the game a person is more keen (critical) on the atmosphere of the game/the music.Yes, that is what I meant. It's not a bad thing, no. For instance, "Terra in Black" or "TerraTripMachine" are two excellent remixes of the same theme, but they are both technically superior to this one. This is simply a minimal, soft rearrangement. The problem here is that OCR has limited space and bandwidth. Every remix that gets accepted had better be good, since they're going to eat up more space and bandwidth, and that's why the judges are so strict. If those two factors were not an issue here, I wouldn't mind this remix so much.
Think of it this way. If someone took the Mystic Quest battle theme, replaced the lead with a soft acoustic guitar, took out the accompaniment, added some simple drums in the background, and threw in a couple ambient pads in the background, would it get accepted? I don't think so. Yet THIS did, solely because the /original/ was good and people remember FF6 and the Terra theme more fondly. I find that upsetting, and unfair.
Personally, I like this remix a lot. I haven't played FF6, I do know Terra in Black and I think I prefer this remix. I also listened to the original and I found it to be much less touching than the remix.Fair enough.
FRUITY LOOPS 101 - PLEASE direct -ALL- FL questions here
in Music Composition & Production
Posted
Um.. ok, a few things. First of all, you *can* use WAV files in FL. In fact, I use exclusively WAVs for percussion and such. Second, FLP is the FL file format for your project files. It is not used for instruments and samples. A big ??? to you.