-
Posts
9,386 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
152
Content Type
Articles
Profiles
Forums
Events
Everything posted by DarkeSword
-
*NO* Sonic 3D Blast (SAT) 'Pannic Attack'
DarkeSword replied to djpretzel's topic in Judges Decisions
Sounds dry and unprocessed. All of the instruments vy for my attention. Very Fruity-esque. OH NO, you used that voice sample. GUH. Totally out of place. Clipping later on. The whole thing just really lacks any kind of energy. I really don't feel any kind of excitement in this piece. Everything bleeds together; there's no coherence. NO -
I'm throwing in my opinion for shits and giggles. Don't bother me about this on AIM though. Drums - the changes and variation are subtle, but they are there. There's a fair bit of retriggering going on. Most people prefer something more tricked out; I don't see it as a huge issue, having more subtle drumwork like that. However, drums alone do not make a mix; the other elements are severely lacking. Sounds are unbalanced, and the reverb is weird as hell. The whole thing is TOO loud. Work on mastering. Resubmittable, but still needs a fair bit of work. NO
-
*NO* Chrono Trigger 'To Far Away Memories'
DarkeSword replied to djpretzel's topic in Judges Decisions
To clarify my vote; the only issue I have with this song is the really bad note that happens in both iterations of Chrono's Theme in the 3rd minute of the song. If those TWO notes (which are both the SAME bad note) were fixed, I would easily yes it. I think its something that's so simple to remedy, that's why my vote was NO. Otherwise, it's an easy yes for me. There are some instances of interesting choices in the strings, but I don't think they detract from the overall quality of the song so strongly. I also disagree with Binnie's claim of SERIOUS NOTATION ISSUES. They're not serious at all. I would like to see this eventually posted. -
*NO* Fury of the Furries 'European Fury'
DarkeSword replied to djpretzel's topic in Judges Decisions
It's got a good sound, but there's not much really going on. Intro takes a bit long to get into, and then when the melody finally comes in, the lead is pretty weak, considering its sitting there unsupported by anything aside from the gated rhythm in the back. Basic four on the floor too. Not in the least bit interesting. NO -
*NO* Final Fantasy 10 'Devoid of Original Sin'
DarkeSword replied to djpretzel's topic in Judges Decisions
Definitely some nice guitar playing, but the whole thing is too loud; so much that it clips at times, especially in the opening. Everything seems to be tracked/recorded way too loud here. Piano sounds very detached from the rest of the mix too; as if it were added as an afterthought. There are nice ideas here, but I think the execution needs work. I strongly urge you to work on production issues and resubmit. NO -
The beat is simplistic and the sounds are thin. Does NOT sound much like an 'electric guitar.' This song also lacks bass. The arrangement is repetitive, with little variation. Quite amateurish. Sorry dude, but NO.
-
No dude, this was IMC15. You won IMC15, not 13. StarBlast won 13. Like a fax machine, remember? Okay so, I really enjoy this piece. It's a bit standard as far as techno goes, but it arranges the source material nicely, and the sounds are solid enough. Not particularly groundbreaking, and a bit short, but I liked it. For good measure, here's my review from IMC15, which I judged in. YES
-
First, don't steal software. Okay, now that that's out of the way, here's the lowdown. This is pretty much a MIDI rip. You did some processing, and there's a decent drum breakdown, but the melody, countermelody, and bass are exactly what they were in the original. Bass is also TOO loud, and that ending is cheap. Your instrumentation is not interesting enough to get away with such minimal arrangement. Here's a tip: don't use MIDIs. Do things by ear; write your own countermelodies and basslines. That's what we'd like to hear: some originality. NO
-
Piano is SO nice. Should have just kept it a solo piano piece! When the percussion comes in it sounds really off. There's something iffy going on with the timing. Things get a bit messy around 2:20. Too much going on! I think they're strings? They're a bit indiscernable. They meld too much with the piano. The flute is a bit mechanical too. End is kind of iffy too. It sort of just tapers off without any kind of vamp or conclusion. You seem to have talent; you just need to bring your ideas together in a more cohesive way. You said you used Adobe Audition? Try a sequencer like CakeWalk, where you can time things better. It may be more beneficial than a wave mixer. NO, but I urge you to work on this and resubmit. Perhaps nix everything except the piano and seashore sounds.
-
*NO* Chrono Trigger 'To Far Away Memories'
DarkeSword replied to djpretzel's topic in Judges Decisions
Oohh this is really mellow starting out. Very nice guitar sound. I like the pulse. Great progression. WHOA. Ugly note in Chrono's theme in the third minute. It's just totally off key. Everything sounded great until then. BLEH decisions decisions. I'm going to give this an EXTREMELY borderline NO and see how everyone else votes. Should we conttact the mixer for a fixed version? I really like this song, but those bad notes have got to go. -
*NO* Space Station Silicon Valley 'Penguin Mech's Song'
DarkeSword replied to djpretzel's topic in Judges Decisions
It's a bit dry and unseparated sounding. Everything sounds like its gone through the same FX channel; the master one...with no reverb at all. All of your instruments sound very unnatural and mechanical. When you produce 'orchestral' music, you have to make it sound believable. Pay attention to individual velocities of the instruments. As I've said before, don't treat the sample like the instrument it represents; treat it as an instrument in and of itself. A flute and a flute sample are DIFFERENT; they have different qualities, different ranges. Know your samples. Not a bad arrangement, but it's lacking the execution side. NO -
Recording is REALLY subpar. Really. Guitar and voice both. Seems to be some clipping going on too. Seriously man, I'm sure you've got an interesting message, but I can't understand what you're saying. Everything just bleeds together. It's an intersting concept, but things come out way too sparse thought the whole mix, as far as arrangement. Learn some production techniques, and then get back to me. NO
-
*NO* Chrono Trigger 'Omen of the Prophet'
DarkeSword replied to djpretzel's topic in Judges Decisions
First off it sounds like the guitar is recorded poorly; I wish it was clearer. The clearer percussion and bassline make up for it a bit. Things get too sloppy in the latter half though. The high screechy sounds up top layered over the melody layered of the solo just sounds so crowded it's hard to make sense of anything. That ending is weak as hell too. This song lays down the basic groove, but doesn't really develop from its beginning. It goes through the motions. You've got a nice groove; I'd like to see a more cohesive, variating arrangement though. As it stands, I think this is too short and lacks development. Nice start; let's hear some more. NO -
*NO* Chrono Trigger 'Chrono Trigger for Concert Band'
DarkeSword replied to djpretzel's topic in Judges Decisions
Much too similar to the source tune. Awkward reverb. Little balance. Nothing really clicks with this piece. The arrangement progresses similarly to the original. A lot of your samples lack definition in the attacks. Very weak sounding woodwinds. Try for an actual arrangement with some more creativity next time. NO -
OCR01235 - Mega Man X2, X3 & X1 "Beamsabre Beat ZERO v2"
DarkeSword replied to djpretzel's topic in ReMix Reviews & Comments
Nope. It doesn't matter who submits what. Judges judge music, not people. -
Be prepared for a call-in from the VGF All Star, kthx.
-
OCR01010 - Sonic the Hedgehog 3 "Hot Ice"
DarkeSword replied to djpretzel's topic in ReMix Reviews & Comments
Yes, that was intentional. -
Old decision: http://www.ocremix.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=41999 Wasn't sure whether to drag that other thread out of Decisions or just make a new one, so I decided to just make a new one. I liked the initial submission, and any issues I had with it were resolved. This mix has a great beat, cool sounds, and is very fun. Reminds me a bit of Willed Assault by Ziwtra. Good stuff from BGC. YES
-
*NO* Mega Man 2, Mega Man 3 & Mega Man 6 'Quick Metal Plant'
DarkeSword replied to djpretzel's topic in Judges Decisions
Extremely lo-fi sound; those samples sound really GM too. Plantman's theme is a straight cover. Come on dude, that's like one of the best songs in all of MegaMan 6, and you didn't even give it any groove at all. What the hell? Pretty piano comes in for the last FIVE SECONDS? DUDE. Arrangement is unoriginal, uninspired, and incohesive. Production is terrible, with GENERIC midi samples, little balance, and crappy encode. NO -
Piano delays are annoying as hell, as is the massive amounts of reverb on everything. After the rain drops out, there's still waaaay to much hissing as a result of reverb. Ridiculously amateurish dude. TONE BACK THE REVERB. It's absolutely INSANE how much reverb is on this thing. That piano is overused too; bring more elements into this mix. NO
-
OCR01235 - Mega Man X2, X3 & X1 "Beamsabre Beat ZERO v2"
DarkeSword replied to djpretzel's topic in ReMix Reviews & Comments
Techno ELEMENTS? You mean like, the whole song?