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OverClocked Records is proud to announce the upcoming release of "Rust and Effervescence", the DEBUT full-length orignial album from OC ReMixer Omni-Psyence. To celebrate, we're releasing the full stems for the atmospheric, vocal electronic track "Stardust" and launching a REMIX COMPETITION starting today!
 
THE ALBUM
 

 
Releasing on July 27th, Rust and Effervescence is the debut album from progressive electro artist Omni-Psyence, whose work you might know from OCR and albums like Harmony of Hunter. Featuring 14 tracks of hybrid electronica with influences ranging from synthwave to psytrance and even cinematic soundtracks, Rust and Effervescence will take you on a synth-fueled emotional journey. 
 
Also featured on the album are friends and collaborators Anba, Tera Catallo, and Vivien Lalu, each bringing their own amazing and unique style. With over one hour of music over a year in the making, this debut release is not to be missed by any fan of introspective electronic music.
 
You can help support and promote the album on release day by joining our Thunderclap on social media. It's easy and free:
https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/28606-rust-and-effervescence?locale=en
 
THE TRACK
 
Stardust (ft. Anba) - 90 BPM, E minor
https://soundcloud.com/omni-psyence/stardust
 
THE STEMS
 
Instruments: https://app.box.com/s/n1iwrpi8or75l5eqszi5ulvrpn512l84
Vocals: https://app.box.com/s/q1pqjrd3fzj0933zmn2oqxwxto4v53ij
 
THE CONTEST
 
We want to hear YOUR remixes and arrangements of Stardust. Anyone can enter! You can use the stems provided above to get started, but feel free to write your own new parts from scratch, or by ear. All genres are welcome, from EDM to metal. 
 
The contest begins today (July 20th) and ends in two weeks, on August 3rd, 11:45PM EST. We'll announce the wniner one week after that, on August 10th.
 
When you finish your entry, you can email it to the artist himself (seifer7979 (at) yahoo (dot) com), CC to Mason Edwards (mason (dot) edwards13 (at) gmail (dot) com)
 
THE PRIZES
 
The producers of the top three tracks will win some great sponsored prizes provided by:
 
* VSTBuzz.com - Insane weekly music software deals, up to 90% off one sample library, plugin, or soundset each week!
* Impact Soundworks - Virtual instruments designed with composers in mind. 
* OverClocked Records - The video game community record label.
 
1st Place: $100 gift certificate for Impact Soundworks libraries, $50 coupon for VSTBuzz deals, $25 coupon for the OverClocked Records store.
2nd Place: $50 gift certificate for Impact Soundworks libraries, Business of Music Licensing e-book (fantastic!), $25 coupon for the OverClocked Records store.
3rd Place: The Sampling Handbook (upcoming ebook!), $25 coupon for the OverClocked Records store.
 
Good luck! Let us know if you have any questions!

I think the Final Fantasy series has always been about evolving and trying new stuff out. They've very rarely stayed the same from game to game and almost always have tried very new things with each release. 
 
FF2 totally changed the character advancement system to be based on combat actions.
FF3 introduced a basic job system.
FF4 had ATB combat for the first time and a rotating cast of unique characters.
FF5 used a greatly expanded job system.
FF6 did tons of new stuff, from tactical multi-party battles to the ability to switch people in and out of your party, the esper system...
FF7 was a drastic departure in tone and style, not to mention visuals, plus the materia system, limit breaks etc
FF8 took a whole new approach to advancement again, plus a totally new magic system and pushed even more into sci-fi territory.
FF9 was probably the 'safest' in that it re-used a lot of concepts from earlier games - I'll give you that one.
FF10 used a new combat system - turn-based, but with free switching within combat and character agility mattering way more, plus again totally new character advancement.
FF11 was an MMO, nuff said.
 
etc.
 
While technically FF2 and 10 are both "turn based" they're extraordinarily different games in terms of how combat, progression, equipment.. EVERYTHING.. works. 
 
SE trying new stuff with FF12, 13 (and 13-2, 13-3) is to be expected!

I think the Final Fantasy series has always been about evolving and trying new stuff out. They've very rarely stayed the same from game to game and almost always have tried very new things with each release. 
 
FF2 totally changed the character advancement system to be based on combat actions.
FF3 introduced a basic job system.
FF4 had ATB combat for the first time and a rotating cast of unique characters.
FF5 used a greatly expanded job system.
FF6 did tons of new stuff, from tactical multi-party battles to the ability to switch people in and out of your party, the esper system...
FF7 was a drastic departure in tone and style, not to mention visuals, plus the materia system, limit breaks etc
FF8 took a whole new approach to advancement again, plus a totally new magic system and pushed even more into sci-fi territory.
FF9 was probably the 'safest' in that it re-used a lot of concepts from earlier games - I'll give you that one.
FF10 used a new combat system - turn-based, but with free switching within combat and character agility mattering way more, plus again totally new character advancement.
FF11 was an MMO, nuff said.
 
etc.
 
While technically FF2 and 10 are both "turn based" they're extraordinarily different games in terms of how combat, progression, equipment.. EVERYTHING.. works. 
 
SE trying new stuff with FF12, 13 (and 13-2, 13-3) is to be expected!

Impact Soundworks, developer of the highly acclaimed SHREDDAGE II virtual guitar, is very proud to announce the release of SHREDDAGE DRUMS! 
 
This badass, thundering collection of acoustic drum sounds (raw + produced) was designed from the ground up for rock & metal music. The library was created in collaboration with award-winning composer/producer FRANK KLEPACKI (Dune, Command & Conquer series, Star Wars: Empire At War, Rise of Immortals, Grey Goo, etc) who recorded, performed, & engineered the drum kits.
 
CONTENT
 
Shreddage Drums is built around three unique drum kits spanning three kicks, five snares (maple & steel), twelve toms (8" to 18"), and a variety of cymbals (crashes, chinas, splash, hihat, ride). All drums were recorded in great detail, with FULL bleed control, key articulations, and lots of dynamics & round robin variations.
 
The library also includes two PRODUCED versions of all kicks and snare samples, using the finest equipment to sculpt and polish these individual drums to perfection. We've created dozens of kit presets to inspire you, from big and roomy to dry and tight, punchy, high-tuned, low-tuned, and everything in between.
 
GROOVES
 
We've partnered with Groove Monkee to include a substantial collection of kickass hard rock, metal, and power rock MIDI grooves - all recorded live with real drummers. With over 700 grooves, fills, and variations to choose from, you'll have plenty of inspiration to kickstart your tracks.
 
FEATURES & INTERFACE
 
The engine of Shreddage Drums is far and away the most deep and powerful we've ever created. ALL drum sounds are available in one convenient patch with comprehensive mixing and mapping controls.
 

 
The MIXER offers total mix control with separate buses for kick, snare, toms, hihat, overhead, and room mics, plus a MASTER bus. Each bus has its own FX rack and the direct mics have their own OH/Room sends for precision mixing. Full Bleed control is also available, so you can easily mix a little bit of snare bleed into your toms, kick into your hihat, or any combination you want. Plus, you can send different buses to different Kontakt outputs for further mixing in your host.
 
The DRUM EDITOR gives you precision control over envelopes, volume, tuning, and mic mix for *individual* drums. For example, you can adjust the volume of JUST your 20" kick and give it more sub mix, while leaving your 24" kick alone. Or, mix in more TOP mic to your piccolo snare and a tighter decay, while letting your deep 14x8" maple ring out longer.
 
The MAPPING EDITOR provides unparalleled control over the instrument mapping. Load ANY drum or ANY articulation wherever you want on the mapping keyboard. Want a whole octave of kicks? No problem! Alternating Snare L and Snare Right an octave apart? Sure, why not! Once you're done setting up the perfect map for your keyboard (or drum set), you can also adjust volume and tuning on a note-by-note basis.
 
Other settings and features include:
 
* Fully-editable velocity curve with a dozen presets
* Humanize velocity/timing controls
* Easy transposition
* Visual drum kit with on-click triggers
* MIDI learn to assign new drums/articulations
* A suite of master mix & mapping presets
* Alternate GRID mode mapping to view all mapped drums simultaneously
* Auto and one-click purge to keep unused samples out of memory
 
AUDIO & VIDEO DEMOS
 
DEMOS on Soundcloud:
 
https://soundcloud.com/isworks/sets/shreddage-drums
 
FULL library walkthrough and overview:
 

 
Interview with library producer, engineer & performer FRANK KLEPACKI who brought his experience of 20+ years as a composer to the table!
 

 
PRICING & AVAILABILITY
 
Shreddage Drums is now available for KONTAKT PLAYER at the introductory price of $119, or only $99 for Shreddage 2 owners (MSRP: $139)
 
GET IT HERE: Shreddage Drums - Virtual Drum Instrument (Kontakt, VST, AU, RTAS)

FF7 has three major things that drastically need improvement. One is the graphics. The models just look awful by any standards. Even by PS1 standards, they really don't look good (just compare to FF8 or FF9). So for that reason alone, a remake would be awesome. Another issue is the translation, which was not entirely faithful to the original Japanese.. to the point where fans have been working for years to completely re-translate it. Lastly, the music (while a personal favorite of mine!) has poor production.. again even relative to other PS1 games. 
 
In comparison, FF6's sprite graphics look beautiful even by today's standards, particularly the enemies, bosses, and summons. The music, despite the SNES limitations, still sounds really nice. Again relative to other SNES games it's a standout. And then the translation is considered to be quite good overall. 
 
On the gameplay side... there's definitely stuff to be fixed in both games, so it's a tossup there (IMO). Especially after playing a game like Bravely Default with such a fantastic battle system.

FF7 has three major things that drastically need improvement. One is the graphics. The models just look awful by any standards. Even by PS1 standards, they really don't look good (just compare to FF8 or FF9). So for that reason alone, a remake would be awesome. Another issue is the translation, which was not entirely faithful to the original Japanese.. to the point where fans have been working for years to completely re-translate it. Lastly, the music (while a personal favorite of mine!) has poor production.. again even relative to other PS1 games. 
 
In comparison, FF6's sprite graphics look beautiful even by today's standards, particularly the enemies, bosses, and summons. The music, despite the SNES limitations, still sounds really nice. Again relative to other SNES games it's a standout. And then the translation is considered to be quite good overall. 
 
On the gameplay side... there's definitely stuff to be fixed in both games, so it's a tossup there (IMO). Especially after playing a game like Bravely Default with such a fantastic battle system.

FF7 has three major things that drastically need improvement. One is the graphics. The models just look awful by any standards. Even by PS1 standards, they really don't look good (just compare to FF8 or FF9). So for that reason alone, a remake would be awesome. Another issue is the translation, which was not entirely faithful to the original Japanese.. to the point where fans have been working for years to completely re-translate it. Lastly, the music (while a personal favorite of mine!) has poor production.. again even relative to other PS1 games. 
 
In comparison, FF6's sprite graphics look beautiful even by today's standards, particularly the enemies, bosses, and summons. The music, despite the SNES limitations, still sounds really nice. Again relative to other SNES games it's a standout. And then the translation is considered to be quite good overall. 
 
On the gameplay side... there's definitely stuff to be fixed in both games, so it's a tossup there (IMO). Especially after playing a game like Bravely Default with such a fantastic battle system.

Option 1 sounds good though I also like the idea of auto-complete/suggestions based on what other users have done.
 
Maybe "Preferred" instead of favorite plugins/libraries?

Jill and I are huge fans of Game of Thrones - her maybe even more than me! - and so we decided to do our own take of the main theme. Jill did a lot of the arrangement, writing and performing the lyrics in actual Dothraki, plus playing recorder & hand drum. I did most of the production and then Jeff Ball recorded violin & viola to make it even more awesome. Really proud of the end result.. but the music video is even cooler imo Check it out below!
 

Alright - after bulking for 3 months I've gone from 162 to about 180 on the scale. Granted at least 5 lbs of that is water weight I'm sure. My lifts all went up and I'm pleased with my visual progress, namely on my arms and pecs. But now it's time for a cut again, since I only gain fat in my abdomen and nowhere else. Thankfully since I was eating ~3k a day for awhile I should be able to start the cut at a gentle 2100 a day ( + 20 min of cardio minimum) and then reduce from there.

Alright - after bulking for 3 months I've gone from 162 to about 180 on the scale. Granted at least 5 lbs of that is water weight I'm sure. My lifts all went up and I'm pleased with my visual progress, namely on my arms and pecs. But now it's time for a cut again, since I only gain fat in my abdomen and nowhere else. Thankfully since I was eating ~3k a day for awhile I should be able to start the cut at a gentle 2100 a day ( + 20 min of cardio minimum) and then reduce from there.