zircon

Looking to part with my Roland D-50. It's in perfect working condition. No manual, but I have the power supply and it comes with one custom memory card. Cosmetically, no cracks, dings or anything else unsightly. Everything is still there. A little on the dusty side, but what synth from the early 90s isn't? This is one of the most classic keyboards of all time, and this one works great. You can even use it as a MIDI controller, as it has 61-keys and variable aftertouch. I'm looking for $400 for this - I can ship, or you can pick it up if you're in my area.

Roland D-50 Linear Synthesizer in perfect working condition, no cosmetic damage (just minor dust/smudges.) Includes power cable. Seeking $400 for it.

Conceptually, I really like this arrangement. There are some very creative ideas here, and I think you really intertwined the sources well. That being said, I do have a problem with the mixing. The lead at 2:20 is too loud, while the bell lead panned to the left at many points in the song is way too quiet and often times the string harmonies (which are playing the source) are too far back as well. Try to pick a single focal element at a time and have everything else supporting that. For example, at 2:45, there are a bunch of different instruments all at roughly the same volume competing for attention, but none of them really sound like a lead instrument in terms of what they're playing. Besides the mixing, the production is solid aside from the strings, which are really weak as Larry pointed out. Ask for someone's help with those! So, the thing is, I do hear most of the source usage here (thanks, Larry) but to me the mixing is seriously obscuring it in a number of spots, such as 0:19 (bells), 1:20 (strings), 1:40 (bells), 2:20 (strings, or more accurately, the plucked lead is really loud) etc. As a result, there are some issues with there being no focal elements at a few points, such as at 1:20. It just sounds like a bunch of instruments playing original notes with no direction, and a little bit of source usage in the background. I think my issues can be fixed purely with some mixing changes but you might also tweak the part writing. For example, most of your original material is wholly original and in the foreground while source usage is in the background. However, you could also tweak your part writing instead or in addition, as most of your original material is 100% original and doesn't really reference the sources at all. Why not have that plucked lead do a little Ice Cap quote here or there somewhere between 2:20 to 3:00? There's room for it. Short version: great arrangement obscured somewhat by mixing the source elements very quietly, also the original parts could connect with the source a tiny bit more, strings are very weak. Fix some of that, resub and you're good to go. NO, resub

The Pendulum drum sound is pretty hard to achieve, actually. It takes a lot of fine-tuning your samples so you have the perfect layer. It's less about combining breakbeats and more about exquisitely-crafted oneshots. EQ, compression and saturation will help round things out. Unfortunately, there's no other magic formula. Generally, older, vinyl-type kicks and snares will be a far better base than new, ringy rock drums.

That's a little presumptuous - lots of people here enjoy a wide range of musical genres.

I like the level of energy here - reminds me of how I like to approach my own uptempo remixes. The use of glitching might be a little on the excessive side (I can hear dBlue a mile away) especially since the glitches are all fairly similar. Even 1/2 the amount of glitching might be too much. If you went for maybe 1/3 or 1/4 the amount that would be better, especially if you really varied it up with some different effects besides the default dBlue stuff. Some of the samples here really don't sound too good, but overall I feel like the production basically works. The arrangement in terms of structure and dynamics is awesome, and while the interpretation is a mixed bag earlier on, the massive buildup and breakdown in the middle is very creative. I also liked the clean guitar break after, which was unexpected and welcome. Another thing this reminds me of, as I'm hearing the sax part, is the chaotic style of Super Mario BRos "Dirty Mix". This is crazy, but in a good way. I know the production is not very clean, and certainly a lot of the samples are not amazing, but I do think everything glues together really well somehow. However, there are just too many glitches, particularly in the first half. Please cut down on those (or vary them up, like retriggers with speed up/speeddown, less tape stops, some modulation, automated bit crushing, freezing, rhythm shifts to triplets etc.) and I will give this a full YES. YES, conditional

Nice beat and lead synth programming. This reminds me of some older Rellik or sgx mixes, which is a good thing. Cool production overall, though the first lead is maybe right on the border of being overused. I appreciate that you switched it up around the middle! The level of energy throughout is fairly consistent, with the groove basically not changing up much at all, and that is probably my biggest problem with the arrangement. I can skip around the piece and have NO idea whether or not one section is in the intro, the middle or the end. There aren't really any dynamics and the groove is very consistent throughout. The piano/string break at the very end was nice, but why not have that earlier? Why not switch up the drums more with some cool fills and processing? I would have loved to hear more layering, too. When the first lead comes back again later, it's pretty much just a reprise of earlier. There's ample room for some unique synth solos which didn't happen. Lastly, the very end is a copout. I think I would have preferred almost anything to a simple, abrupt cut to a major piano chord. How about a reverse cymbal with reverb and delay? Even a fadeout would have been better. Seems like I'll be in the minority opinion here, but I don't think this is quite at our bar. While the production is cool, the interpretation is relatively straightforward, and that is made problematic by how stagnant the arrangement is. With some additional polish this could pass though, so please resub! NO, resub

The intro is definitely weird. While the piano and strings are fine, when the drums pick up it simply sounds awkward, as someone else put it last time. It doesn't sound good. The harmonies are too sparse, the drums are plodding, the doubled melody with trance synth doesn't sound good, and overall it just doesn't work. Once the guitar comes in and things get heavier, I can hear how the elements are supposed to glue together, but even there, the slow piano arpeggio with bell + trance lead over heavy drums and guitar simply doesn't sound good to my ears. It's like this mix is really lacking a focal element. The following section is begging for some kind of lead, but instead it just has meandering, blocky harmonies and arpeggios. Ultimately, it doesn't go anywhere. As the drums build back up, it's just more mishmashed, blocky string and horn chords. Why? Putting so many dense harmonies in the low registers doesn't sound good. So much of the texture and writing is weighted lower in the frequency spectrum, while the high strings are going almost constantly. The climax feels identical to the earlier section, like it was just copied and pasted, and the ending is a copout. There are few elements that help the piece transition from one part to another. The original has a sad, lullaby-esque mood. It actually seems like the remix takes AWAY some of the more interesting chords and just adds all these weird, plodding progressions that don't go anywhere and have no 'drama'. Whereas the texture of the original supports the mood with quiet bass, synths and a music box, the remix seems to be stuck between an orchestral ballad and a rock track. The entire B-section of the original is, as far as I can tell, missing. Overall, all the parts I liked about the source are gone, and what's left doesn't really evoke any emotion at all. If you were going for an enhancement of the original mood/texture, tone down the guitar, switch to more electronic drums, and add more mellow elements. If you were going for a harsher mood, up the tempo a bit, add some synth/guitar solos and make it consistent. As it is now, I feel like the mix doesn't know what it wants to me and just falls flat as a result, in production and arrangement alike. Sorry guys, but there are a ton of things that need to be fixed here before this can pass, IMO. You might be better off just starting over. NO

The guitars here sound great, but right off the bat, the deep drum sounds too low and flabby to me. The acoustic drums are OK, but definitely on the lo-fi end, and the synths are not too great either. They really don't sound like they fit the high-energy mood of the song, and instead sound like more generic electronica sounds. From an arrangement standpoint, there isn't much gluing the different pieces together, and many of the original harmonies, rhythms and progressions have been simplified to just eighth note chugging on a single note with melodies on top. There's a LOT more you can do with the intricate sources found in the FF7 OST, particularly this many of them! The guitars are nice, as is the drum programming (but not the drum tone) and your performances are good, but the arrangement is simply sparse, which in turn makes the interpretation pretty basic. If the production were really amazing, with much more lively synths, this might be a harder vote, but as is there isn't a lot happening on that end. I do encourage you to take another stab at this. If you're intent on keeping the rhythms and harmonies simplified to metal powerchords and chugging, try to do more with the melodies - different rhythms, keychanges, more soloing, more variations on the original material... that kind of stuff. NO, resub

The compression is a big issue (and honestly makes this unpostable, especially around 2:20 which is almost pure distortion), but it's something that could definitely be fixed easily. If you need help with that, just let me know. I recommend something like TLs Maximizer or TLs Pocket Limiter to more gently normalize your volume level without killing too many dynamics. Aside from that, the sample is good as is the performance. Very dramatic! My only criticism on the performance end is that there could have been more tempo changes (ritardandos and accelerandos for added drama.) In terms of the arrangement, the beginning is really kind of simplistic and underwhelming, with a very basic melody and harmony for a good chunk of the intro. I much preferred the latter half. However, I do think there is more you could have done on the interpretation side of things. You generally used very simple rhythms, straightforward voicings, and more-or-less direct copies of the original chords and chord progressions. There's so much more you can do with such harmonically-rich source material, but you stuck to the basics without going any further. Be more adventurous with rhythmic, melody and chordal changes and ease up on the compressor! NO, resubmit

Wow, I've never heard of this game at all, but the source tune is absolutely great! Also, I'm a huge fan of the soundtracks for the PotC trilogy, so now I really can't wait to hear what you've done. I have to disagree with Darkesword that the samples are "obviously fake"... we've posted mixes with WAY more unrealistic sample usage. I think the samples are used very well here, especially because I own QLSO and I know how easy it is to make it sound bland and uninteresting. The rhythm section is solid as well, but maybe a little repetitive, with few changes to the rhythmic texture or the tempo/meter. I would have liked to hear some cool triplet fills for example. Your orchestration is clean and smooth, with some nice doubling. Again, maybe not the most complex thing I've heard, with relatively few countermelodies or intricate harmonies/voicings, but it's definitely not bad at all, and accurately emulates the mood of PotC and other Zimmer scores (though not his latest ones!) My biggest criticism of the arrangement as a whole would just be that it would have been cool to do some slower, more dramatic sections with higher legato strings and no drums, sort of like "I Don't Think Now is the Best Time" from PotC3. Still, that doesn't put this below our bar. Props on a convincing, enjoyable and technically well-executed orchestral mix. YES

I wish more people would tackle this source. It's an under-appreciated gem of FF6, and honestly sounds like it belongs on the FF7 soundtrack, like a precursor to Anxious Heart or Aeris' Theme. Yes, the strings are very bright... no need to cut out so much when there is ample space available in the rest of the range. Add some more reverb and tone the high freqs down to keep the lush sound. By 1:09 I was really expecting more to happen, but instead the texture actually became thinner. Some rhythm instruments earlier in the piece (even just synth arpeggios) would have been really nice to start building up the dynamics. I like where you're going with the texture - trippy, washy synths, a breakbeat groove, synth bass, acoustic strings and a mellow mood overall. There are some overarching issues though. First, the arrangement is weird. As mentioned above, the track takes too long to get started. The heavy beat that comes in over 3 minutes into the track should have been in there earlier. Your high frequency instruments, namely the strings and the tambourine, are too bright and piercing, and you have more room in the soundscape for other instruments. The abrupt tempo change right before 4:00 makes no sense and is completely out of place, as is the jazzy piano solo. At the very least, have some warm pads going underneath, or change the instrument to an electric piano. It's very meandering and very different from the mood of the rest of the piece, not to mention it lasts too long. When the solo ended, I was really confused as it seemed like the song only just started. You have some great ideas in terms of instrumentation and overall mood, but the intro is too long, the piano solo doesn't fit at all (and is also too long), and there are some production issues. Keep at it, though! NO

The production here is solid though a little more reverb overall would have been nice (then again, maybe not what you were going for.) So, that leaves the arrangement and interpretation. I can definitely appreciate a simplistic piano arrangement, as sometimes, sparse harmonies can be very emotional or peaceful (in this case, the latter.) The source tunes are not used verbatim, and there are some creative changes to the melodies, so it's certainly not a cover. That being said, I think this follows the chord structure and rhythm of the original too closely, which perhaps would not be a problem if the arrangement were more complex, which it is not. If you are going to take a more simplistic approach, reducing the amount of notes and voices, you should in turn step up your interpretation of the source tune, adding more unusual harmonies, improvised melodies and new rhythms. For a lot of the underwater section you're staying pretty close to the core riff of the original without adding much. This is a tough call because the remix is definitely enjoyable, and very relaxing to listen to. Nonetheless I'm going to have to go with a: NO, resubmit

A proper live show is awesome, and orchestral music is DEFINITELY better live by a huge margin. However, I'm not a big concert guy because I feel like with rock/contemporary stuff, the volume is simply too loud. I'm a musician and an engineer, so I prefer to be able to hear everything clearly. I love going to MAGfest, for example, but 9 times out of 10, any given band is so loud that I need earplugs and most of what I hear is just a wash of mid-high frequencies because of the guitars. One of the best live shows I've been to was at VGXpo where the Oneups played at like 11pm or midnight. The room wasn't that small but their sound was PERFECT. It was JUST the right volume and mix, everybody loved it and the live energy was still there 110%.

Alright, I'm actually having a hell of a time getting my recording setup to work properly. The first time I recorded, Camstudio just cut off the last 8 minutes of the recording, rendering it unusable. I'm using Voxengo Recorder to output the audio from FL and my mic separately, but with this latest thing I recorded, THAT is choppy from time to time too, cutting out entire words at a time. Worse still, the audio/video completely desyncs. At this point I've recorded the same remix start twice and now I have to pick something completely different. Weak as hell

OK, I believe I've recorded a solid start. It's rendering now and I'll upload it with a PRIVATE YouTube link first so you guys can take a look and let me know what you think. For example, is it too dry? Does it need more editing? This is pretty raw stuff. Will have it up in the next couple hours.

You're half-right (on paper anyway, it depends on the song.) Most likely, the kick and bass are not going to be producing much mid/high output, so muting them may just muffle those instruments too much. Sometimes, you WANT mid/high freqs from the bass so you can hear pick noises or whatever.

As I posted in another thread, I'm extremely sick of Metroidvania games. Konami is terrible about these low-effort sequels, so I'm way more interested to check out THIS title since it has some legitimately new features. I only wish they went full oldschool and brought in characters like Simon or Richter instead of Jonathan, Grant, etc.

I made a music video for this track, available on Jill's YouTube channel: I'm pretty new to video editing, but I think it turned out pretty well Enjoy!

I have always felt that there's no point in upgrading to every new version of Komplete. You will always get more for your money if you wait, so just upgrade on even versions only (or odd versions only.) That's what I've been doing since Komplete 2 and it works great. If you're trying to write in a variety of genres, you can't go wrong with Komplete. It really is as solid a collection as any, and far more comprehensive than any one library or plugin (plus, it's way more cost-efficient.)

I definitely can't do a full remix in my usual style in an hour. I can, however, edit the videos to cut out some needless stuff like pauses in speech, mundane or repetitive tasks, etc.

I have a CD of 10 hip-hop instrumentals (a mix of old and new-school) that I'm using for licensing. However, I think it would be cool to collaborate with a rapper and actually get some vocals on 'em and maybe release the CD as a finished product. Example tracks: http://www.zirconstudios.com/music/wips/HH%20Track%201.mp3 http://www.zirconstudios.com/music/wips/HH%20Track%202.mp3 http://www.zirconstudios.com/music/wips/HH%20Track%203.mp3 (etc, just increase the number by 1 up until HH Track 10)

OK, very helpful feedback. To me, I sound stupid when I'm just talking to myself and fiddling with things, but I'm more than happy to do that if people would think it would be helpful. PART 2... What song should I remix? I'm thinking either the Zelda 3 "Fairy Fountain" theme, River City Ransom (the main theme, bluesy one) or Phantasy Star 4 - End of the Millienium.

That's.... badass.

Thanks for the feedback guys! I'm definitely leaning toward a series of videos that literally shows the creation of a remix from start to finish, rather than specific components of remixing isolated. I'm not sure about having no editing - I don't think I can do a remix in just an hour or so I'll probably do some cleaning up and delete any parts where I'm just going 'uhhh' or generally not knowing what to do. But I'll definitely include anything relating to the process. What do you guys think? Oh yeah, and this is all going to be 720p, highest quality audio possible.