Rexy

I can confirm the source use right off the bat. It's as described across both submission letters, and it's evident and apparent. I didn't contribute to the previous submission, but I compared this attempt and the last to look at your adjustments. I sensed Security Hall better adapted tonally, less abrasiveness on the saw synths at 1:34, and the new Emerald Hill ending working well with both the Meteor Herd backing and allowing the saw synths to adapt to their chord structures. I just missed the cool pitch-bend down from the initial sub, but the rest of the change-ups work well to secure the tail end nevertheless. The rest of the track is no slouch, either. The sound design is fun, tightly secure, and has various tones throughout to keep us guessing at every step of the way. And the arrangement, even though it's in a medley format, has a significant number of places where parts of other sources (namely Day 3 and Meteor Herd itself) would interact with others - such a creative technique that otherwise gets overlooked. I'm in favor of the track getting posted in this form as well - excellent work! YES

Remixer (and real) name - Michael Hudak Game arranged - TLoZ: Breath of the Wild Song arranged - "Riding (Day)" Arrangement title - "Run" Link to original - The riding music in BotW is genius, I think. It's a perfect musical blend of organic and mechanical elements (which obviously compliments the game's story); you have a very human piano playing a part that sounds like a transcribed version of sample-and-hold retro computer/patch bay music. I wanted to take that idea further and create something that was obviously computer music, but made from scraped together pieces of very organic, earthy sounds. Salvage art, maybe. Field recordings for Hyrule Field? I took the root/5th/octave left hand chords in the original song, played them sustained with Spitfire's Soft Piano with slight reverb, then clipped only the tail ends of the data. I lined them up on the grid (without fading into the envelopes to keep those pleasant little pops) to act as a foundation loop. I took the super fast flutter notes, listened to them 30 times slowed down to make sure they were right, then lined them up in the same way on top of the bass chords. All of those quick runs from the first 35 seconds of the original are used in my track. The original also has a syncopation where most of the time there's only one note played at once, but of course there's a great harmonic richness to everything when there are multiple layers playing at once. That richness was exaggerated even more when I boosted everything by 20-30 db, which pulls up the undertones. This also drags out the white noise of the sampling room of...whoever at Spitfire made these samples. This gives everything a dusty, nostalgic vibe (rather than just use vinyl noise plugins yet again), and I could also use this higher frequency information about halfway through my song to act as a kind of amp distortion, or even have them act almost as cymbals. Actual paino-y piano shows up for a solo, (with a tiny bit of Zelda's theme, taken from the source), then some birds. Hyrule Field recordings? Some reference tracks I used for this were "Take Time" by The Books, and "Siisx" by Ryuichi Sakamoto + Alva Noto. I have to say that this is one of my favorite songs I've ever made. I would've never guessed that it would evolved to what I did from the tiny loop I started with. Mastering it took literal days, though. There's not a lot of stuff over 3k, and so the process of getting this thing somewhat loud without major mixing compromises (in the low mids, especially), was laborious. It's still on the quiet side, but at this point I'm just as proud of how loud I was able to actually get it - while keeping the dynamic qualities - as the arrangement itself. Anyhow, thanks, as always, for the judges for their valuable time.

Contact Information TheBitterRoost Your real name https://www.youtube.com/user/armageddacrab1 userid: 32609 Submission Information Valkyrie Profile Luminescent Sorcery Harpsichords Illuminating Magic Links composer: Motoi Sakuraba, system: PSX Link to the original soundtrack: Mix comments: All live drums and guitars, but letting the non-stop harpsichord and organ keep center stage. I felt like this tune had a power metal feel to it from the get-go, so I leaned into it, saving room for a small dip into some acoustic guitars. From the Pixel Mixers Valkyrie Profile tribute album, “Nibelung Valesti” (disc 1, track 13)

Producer name: SpaceGhost Real name: Deion W. Email: User#: 36070 Website: https://www.youtube.com/user/Knucklez09 Submission info: Game: Undertale Arrangement: The King of All Monsters Song name: Asgore Original composer: Toby Fox Original song link: Comments: I just really feel like this is a great song that everyone who ever played undertale. I wanted to make it into a track you can dance to, while still keeping the original feel. I hope you guys enjoy and add it to your site, I been a long time fan for over 10 years. I been making video game music for just as long and finally decided to submit something. Thanks for you time, Deion

Remixer name : jmabate Real name : abate jean marc Email : website : https://www.youtube.com/user/jmabate userid : 35644 Name of game(s) arranged : Sword of Vermilion Name of arrangement : Fight for Excalabria Name of individual song(s) arranged : Statts ; Last City ; Dungeon ; Title Composer : Hiroshi Kawaguchi System : Sega Megadrive Original : Guest : last guita solo by Capt’n Shred Best regards jmabate

Hello, I'm JulienMulard (waiting to be changed to Julien Mulard on the forum), userid 32622, and I would like to submit my track "Hacking the JANUS System" to be posted on OCRemix. This mix is a rearrangement of the 6th dungeon theme (Face Shrine) from "The Legend of Zelda - Link's Awakening", going through different styles of music along the way, atmospheric, metal and trance. I love hybrid styles of music, and wanted to achieve a good synthwave/electronic music/metal track for a long time now. At first, the track was not even supposed to have guitar sounds, just heavily distorted synths. I finally changed my mind thanks to Timaeus on the WIP forum, and it made the track even better I'm also very proud of the mixing/mastering, as it has always been what I struggled with the most. I was primarly inspired by artists such as The Algorithm, MasterBootRecord, Igorrr, or even Infected Mushroom, but I think I managed to find my own sound. In some more obscure ways, there's also inspirations from Rush and Savant, but those are more Easter Eggs of sorts. Regarding Easter Eggs, I hid 5 in the specter of the track. Now, I know judges are busy people so you'll find attached to this email a document detailling were they are, what they mean, and why there here. You can also look for them yourself, but no pressure at all ^^ You'll just need a adjustable spectrogram analyser, a binary/text converter, a Morse code alphabet, and some good eyes... Link to the Easter Eggs guide Story wise, it's kind of a crossover between the story of the game and The Matrix. Link is a hacker trying to find answers by logging into the highly protected JANUS System (Janus is a two faced god from the Roman pantheon. From Wikipedia, he's " is the god of beginnings, gates, transitions, time, duality, doorways, passages, and endings", which I found higly fitting given the dungeon is the Face Shrine, the boss is a Face, and it's the turning point in the in game story, where you learn about what will really happen if you choose to wake up the Wind Fish). Link managed to enter the system, have to face different type of security, and finally manage to break free from the simulation he was in, but with untold consequences. If it's possible, in case of publication, to have a spectrogram effect on the youtube video so that people can easily see all the stuff I hid, I'd love it. I imagine it's some extra work, so don't worry about it too much. I can always upload it on my own YT channel later (plus I'll be able to select the right setting to have everything clearly visible). Plus I imagine it could create a precedent about custom videos. But hey, it's free to ask ^^ I hope you'll like it as much as I enjoyed creating this track. In case of rejection, you can let all the links in the Judge Decision forum. I wish you well in these troubled times! Sincerly, -- Julien MULARD

Arrangement-wise, it doesn't re-invent the wheel - two run-throughs with modifications when necessary. The first one went through the source straight, and the second one replaced the entire A section with a rad organ solo. And there are textural modifications in the background, too. The first repetition had the A section's melody with harmonies in fifths; the brass and vocals provided more countermelody and padding support beyond the simple strings in the original; and those textures are unique between both B section run-through. It would've been nice to have heard some more extensive treatment to the bass as well since that is one of the driving elements in the source - but with the amount of detail in there, I'll be okay with it taking more of a backseat. It shines more in its presentation - outstanding balance, no instruments sticking out, and the brass has some great humanization going on. I'm not too worried about the organ solo's position, as there's a good handful of times where it'll hit a notation on the 8th triplet note immediately before the next bar and overlap it - a cool syncopation technique. However, I do think the bass echo in the B section could've had a more distinctive EQ rather than just being made quieter and panned hard-right just like in the source - something to prevent any tonal overlap between that and the central bass. I feel the presentation is easily over the bar in the bigger picture, but the arrangement barely made the jump. I can see this track being a considerable debate among the rest of the panel - but whatever happens, Vannick, I see great potential with you. Good luck! YES (borderline)

I wouldn't call the arrangement "straightforward" by a long shot. What you did was adapt the airship theme into a minor scale, then transposed both sources to the same key and worked with them that way. Your way of arranging is clear and distinct - breaking down the sources by sections, restructuring them to fit your vision, and using different performance techniques for further distinction. I consider that to be your trademark approach at this point - an expected one, sure, but not baby steps in the slightest. It's a good presentation, too, with a lush piano tone and render on par with previous works. The performance is as passionate as I expect from you, but the 1:05 transition could've been much smoother going into it, and I'm unsure why you needed five bars to go through it when four would've been more than enough. However, I do concur with pumping feeling tighter than I thought, but I don't feel it's enough to sink the performance underneath. Though, it would be advisable to weaken your compressor's settings for future works. It's still lovely stuff fit for the front page, Guillaume - a vibrant performance that weaves two unalike sources together and presents it in a well-rendered package. Bien joué! YES

It's a simplistic take - two variations with the electric violin solo between them, and going back to the intro and A section for a sudden ending. But there are indeed some subtle variations to keep things refreshing. Firstly, credit to Max for the bass riffs in each intro use (0:00-0:28, 1:13-1:26, 2:23-2:36) being completely different. Secondly, both theme variations had completely separate leads, and the rhythm guitars handled their roles differently - sustained strums in the first, and more concentrated and muted ones in the second. The only elements that kept more of a stagnant role were the bass's use outside the intro and your drum groove outside of all of the different fills, and those are needed to support all the different parts riding on top. It's not a detailed interpretation, but this setup didn't need it. It's a good presentation too. All performers are on point with clean recordings and accurate performances as well. The balance is tight and has very few stick-outs, though I would've preferred a small mid-high cut on your mellow lead (0:59-1:13) not to make it pierce as much. Some further clarity between your brass and rhythm guitars would've also been nice to have, but that's more of a nitpick. Nevertheless, it's a pleasant and coherently produced no-brainer submission with enough textural variations to keep it afloat. And by listening to the track, it's also made me realize how far you've progressed creatively since your first ever Dwelling of Duels submission 16 years ago - very astounding. Aside from other guest appearances, I hope the next track you send won't take another 16! YES

Original decision Name: Michael Hudak ReMix name: SEGA Space Station Big Dome, 2094 Games arranged: The same ones as before, plus Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Sonic Adventure 2 is still the primary game. Michael Hudak here, resubmitting my Sega jam. The original email was loooong, so it might be best to just look at the old forum post for time stamps, for sanity's sake. Judges hated the "I'm a Spy" lick at 0:47 because it was horrendously dissonant (i.e., bad), and I also toned down the synth stacks a bit at 1:34. I think I was mixing this song and also working on another project at the same time that was essentially walls of distorted white noise, and so I thought, somehow, those things sounded good at the time. I also changed the synths at 4:41...in the middle of where I added a new ending! "I'm a Spy" doesn't appear a second time anymore; now the final minute features "Emerald Hill Zone" from Sonic 2 starting at 4:09. It's a long section, but I continued using the "Space Trip Steps" elements throughout - pizzi violins, the the Dr. Dre sine - and so I still consider this to be a SA2 remix. That sine was tough to mix though...it really cuts through on ear buds, but is almost lost with some other listening devices...for once I decided to air on the side of caution with high frequencies and leave it lower in the mix, for the ending at least. Song ends with the "SEGA" signature tune. Overall I'm very pleased with how this turned out. One last thing to mention that I didn't before is that this arrangement was partially inspired by an old OCR jam by Protricity called Savage Seduction, which I listened to who knows how many times throughout high school!

The structure here is simple and effective - two repetitions, with the intro, bridge and outro sharing the same general idea. That idea is taking the chord pattern in the source's first two bars, applying the rhythms to the acoustic guitar, then overlaying other instruments with an I-vi-ii-V chord pattern across 8 bars. Not many slow-burn intros reference the BGM to such a degree, so it's very welcome in my book. Both theme variations itself went through straight but had changeups on how the accordion and flute carried the A section's melody - the first one having the flute join in part-way over the top, and the second one having both instruments take turns in carrying the lead. So to the casual ear, enough is going on to keep things engaging. However, I keep mentioning autopilot as a common criticism in your work - and I sensed the cello ran through the same pattern in the intro, bridge and outro, and sticking to the same countermelody in both theme variations. This same sentiment also applies to your other backing instruments, but they're carrying the track's meat and potatoes and aren't as bothersome. It feels odd - Eric's cello performance is clean and expressive otherwise, so this usage and lack thereof feels like a thing of personal taste. The mixdown and balance are nice and clean, and Greg and Eric pulled through with some lush sounding recordings to compliment your own. But the master is on the quiet side - it hardly ever goes above -4dB. Thankfully, the arrangement's nature doesn't warrant too much power, but it should be something to keep an eye on with future works. As it is, it's an understated mix that does its job - a laid-back and comfortable arrangement with an equally friendly instrument setup. There's something about this whole package that makes me want to emphasize with the Slowpoke in the well and what they went through - and that's a good thing. Great stuff, Reuben! YES

Thanks for the source breakdown, Michael. The notation checks out, and with over 65% BGM space accounted for, integration is a non-issue. From the day version, I heard the A and B sections with unique writing flourish variations between uses, the first five seconds of the night version made eight times slower (!) at 1:38, and all incorporations of Mt. Moon used straight. I also find it cool that you placed all the sources on an entirely different minor scale - 4 tones up for Malie and 2 for Mt. Moon. And yet, they naturally adapted to your writing approach, where even the original writing kept that fusion between minimalism and Eastern inspirations. The sound palette is an interesting one. The balance is tight with no parts sticking out, but a lot of that is down to the restricted instrumentation. It makes sense as you set out to emulate YMO's style, keeping the palette to bass, percussion/SFX, melody, and occasionally a secondary melody. So while I can understand Brad's concern about wanting another instrument to fill out the roster, it's not needed if it is intentional. I would, however, recommend you to look out for your kick writing. It feels uncanny hearing them act as a complement to the snare rather than an underlying rhythm that typically starts a groove at the beginning of a bar. It's more of an annoyance than a dealbreaker, so consider it as something to keep an eye on for future projects. All in all, it's a more accessible presentation than what I usually hear from you, and yet it still has its quirky moments on the arrangement and palette sides. The way you're educating *us* in more unknown composers and styles feels refreshing, and so it makes me feel any of your projects from this point on can still be unpredictable (in a positive way). Solid stuff! YES

There's nothing wrong with a two-textural-variation route, and I can see that with the full-on doom metal vibes (bad pun!) for the first one and a cute non-overdrive breakdown at 1:32 marking the start of the second. However, aside from the textural shaping on the rhythm guitars, the notation is note-for-note, even with the pads doing the same thing. To shake off similarities between leads, try and play the melody with some minor differences, like adding other notes, articulations, and any original lick replacing a written sustained note over 2 bars. Some methods off the top of my head to change up the pads are to let them play a chord inversion lower or higher, apply a rhythmic gate, or keep the part as it is but put an arpeggiator over the top. Experiment and see what happens. The production aspect feels okay but can do with some improvements. Firstly, the guitar tone itself feels thin and lacks brightness, so it's worth experimenting with the EQ and seeing if you can get a thicker sound. Secondly, yes, the choir pad can benefit from changeups, as Kris pointed out - but I also think the sound isn't as thick as a choir would usually have, so consider doubling it up with another pad and putting them on separate sides of the stereo field. And most importantly, I co-sign with Kris and Joel regarding the lead guitar texture. When hearing some samples from your Doom EP, the lead's off-pitch timbre was a significant issue that sunk the experience. The tone is a few cents higher than it should be and becomes more apparent when going through the B sections (1:03, 2:31). It is by far the biggest dealbreaker and is worth looking into during your next project. There are some good ideas there, Lauri - but it's not interpretive enough in its current form, and the lead guitar and pads need thickening up. But most importantly, the lead guitar's tuning is a glaring fault that needs addressing before you even think of writing something else. It's a lot to take in, but I only want the best from you, and I hope you keep going with your craft. NO

If the track passes, we'll need to get in touch with Jean-Marc for both a new title and the removal of the in-game voice clips. -Rexy Remixer name : jmabate Real name : abate jean marc Email : website : https://www.youtube.com/user/jmabate userid : 35644 Name of game(s) arranged : Valkyrie Profile Name of arrangement : Take a Flight cover Name of individual song(s) arranged : Take a Flight Composer : Motoi Sakuraba System : Sony Playstation Original : Guest : Psamathes - Vocals

Hi! My remixer name: Lifestream Orchestra Real name: Andreas Grimell Email: user id: 36716 Game: Final fantasy VII Name of arrangement: Welcome to Avalanche, Cloud Name of the song: Bombing mission Additional information: Released on the PSX 1997 and composed by Nobuo Uematsu Original soundtrack: comments about the mix: I've arranged and recorded this as if it where a modern metal song with real drums (Alex Rüdinger) and bass guitar (Johannes Olsson), guitar (myself) ect. The mix has been done by André Alvinzi of Faschination Street (the same studio that has mixed Opeth, Katatonia, Soilwork ect).

Remixers: Ivan Hakštok, Sixto Sounds Games arranged: Final Fantasy 5, Final Fantasy 6, Final Fantasy 7 Name of arrangement: Let The Decisive Battle On The Big Bridge Begin! Names of songs arranged: Clash On The Big Bridge (FF5), Decisive Battle (FF6), Let The Battles Begin (FF7) This song was an entry for the April 2020 Free Month on Dwelling of Duels where it placed 4th among some pretty tough competition. After getting stuck for way too long on the pull-up minigame in the FF7 remake and hearing Let The Battles Begin over and over and finally beating it at like 1am, this arrangement came to me in a dream, so as soon as I woke up in the morning I recorded a rough sketch of the first 2 and a half minutes before I went to work. During the next few days I recorded the rest of my stuff and recruited Sixto to do the Decisive Battle leads and the guitar solo at 3:07. I think the sources are well known and easy to spot, also there's lot of intermingling going on, so I'm gonna give just a rough source breakdown: 0:00 - 0:51 = intro based on several section from the FF7 and FF5 sources 0:52 - 1:27 = FF5 with a few bars of FF7 in the middle and at the end 1:28 - 2:36 = FF7 + FF6 going into straightforward FF6, closing it with FF7 again 2:37 - 3:06 = my guitar solo, background is FF7 3:07 - 3:46 = Sixto's guitar solo, background is FF7 going into FF5 intro chords with some FF7 phrases 3:47 - 3:59 = based on FF7 4:00 - 4:14 = FF5 into FF7 with some guitar wanking on top

RebeccaETripp Rebecca Tripp http://www.crystalechosound.com/ ID: 48262 Game(s): Final Fantasy Adventure aka Seiken Densetsu Song Title: Forgotten Palace Songs Remixed: Mana Palace

Remixer Name: Paper Coelacanth Email: Game Arranged: Final Fantasy 9 Name of Arrangement: Amarant's Night Ride Original Song: Amarant's Theme (or Salamander's Theme) This song was one of my contributions to Pixel Mixers' Final Fantasy IX tribute album, Beyond the Mist. This was my first attempt at an 80's Synthwave style remix, which was a fun change of pace! Very much recommend checking out the rest of the album as well; lots of great people poured their hearts into it!

The source use was obvious for me on first listen, and remains so as I vote. The notation here relied on chord progressions of the pads and synth chords in the source, at the following timestamps: 0:56-1:28 (arr.) - 2:38-2:53 in source (pads) 1:28-2:00 (arr.) - 3:07-3:49 (polysynths) 2:06-3:11 (arr.) - 3:07-3:49 (polysynths) 3:30-4:48 (arr.) - 3:07-3:49 (polysynths) As Michael outlined, nothing got used from the first two and a half minutes, and everything beyond 3:49 was the polysynth pattern with other instruments over the top. Nevertheless, these findings bring the quota up over 65% source use handily - therefore making this a non-issue. With source use identified, I find it interesting that Michael stripped so much of the rhythms away, but kept the chords in place while he let the glitched piano move through it. I'm aware of the idea of subtractive arranging (i.e., keeping the source in place but adding different textures over the top), but to keep the BGM in place and remove things puts an enlightening spin on an otherwise energetic composition. Just like with "Bright Moon" before it, the instrument palette is primarily piano and glitch effects, but now with the addition of an old voice recording (and a very enchanting one at that). The mixdown is also very clean, and neither the piano nor SFX dominates each other when the glitching is prominent. And then there are the moments with the more extended piano notes (0:56, 2:38), allowing for an underlying use of white noise and the vintage recording to compliment the sparser landscape. The only thing that I would've liked to have seen changed, based on the chord voicings, is the piano tone for something slightly brighter - but that's no major rough patch in this case. Overall, this is another textbook example of Michael pushing through boundaries and creating some more unique experiences for the site. Cap it with a more stripped-down source interpretation, and I can see it being a significant discussion point upon posting. Let's go! YES

It's not a bad thing to make an arrangement that echoes shades of the old-school trance of the earliest OCR mixposts, but to approach a similarly-styled source like that runs a risk of not having a unique character. You've given it a good go, though. You swapped out the original's bass buildup with a pattern you made yourself, cut out the melody's A section entirely for something more simple, and spent more time on the source quota using the choir build in the intro and the B and C sections to appropriate effect. The choir rise at the source's tail-end also got used well at 2:35 and 4:45, but the patch you chose hardly has a body, making the notation challenging to hear. While a warmer pad there would be nice, the track still hits its source quota without it, so it's not a huge loss. However, this track suffers from a lot of repetition. Firstly, I co-sign on what Joel and Larry have said about the B section's repeat at 3:26. It's possible to keep the B section's melody and chord structure there while also changing a lot more of the backing parts' textures or writing. The added lead at 3:53 did help to keep things interesting, but it exposed another can of worms in the production, which is listed further down. Secondly - and it pains me a lot to say it - the drumbeat is as dull as dishwater. Your core groove is the same basic four-on-the-floor beat with the same hi-hat pattern all the way through, with only some change-ups in added cymbal writing in busier sections. Some good fills won't go amiss and are usually implemented every 8 or 16 bars with varying intensities depending on what you see fit. See if you can check out some commercial progressive trance and pay attention to how the drums are programmed. You may get inspired by what you hear. And now, the production. Firstly, remember what I said about the lead at 3:53? That instrument is way too loud compared to the rest of the present parts, and when paired with your limiter, it made the progression at that segment very unclear. Consider bringing the volume down, but don't be afraid to try any EQ cuts across other instruments to make it sit better. Otherwise, the balance feels serviceable overall. The two glaring small details with the delayed bells from 3:01 and the imperfect fadeout already got touched upon, so hopefully, you know what to do there. And I'm also one for hearing thicker textures on your drums, but that rolls back into what I said earlier about the part-writing being mundane, including listening to similar tracks for some ideas. It's a good starting base there, but the writing's presentation needs more done to it, particularly in the drum groove and second half. The minor production issues, particularly the loud synth late on and delayed bells, should also get addressed. Whatever you decide to do, keep going with your craft. NO

I hate to double-post myself, but there is some big news regarding album development. This album trilogy has had a history of collaborating with the Dwelling of Duels, and so, September 2020 is the OC ReMix Crossover FF3 Month! If you main a live instrument, go check it out - if you take part and you decide to send it to OCR's submissions queue, the evaluation will get fast-tracked. Any track from the game can be chosen, though there are still some uncovered spots on the OST (including some not even listed in the OP) that would be nice to have some representation. Talking of which - during this past month, @bluelighterhas made claims on not one, but two tracks! He has finished his take on "Crystal Tower" (with added usage for Tower of Owen), and is wrapping up an arrangement of "Ancient's Village" at this current moment. I am delighted to have a talented classical-inspired arranger jump in! If you're a potentially interested arranger, you're more than welcome to send a PM to me here on the forums or in the OCR Discord if you'd like to make a claim yourself outside of the DoD event. I wish all participants there the best of luck, and hype for some great tunes! x)

I'm one of those who felt torn on the arrangement values. Yes, I heard some neat new additions with the bass writing and changing up of percussion/textures/SFX - but underneath all of that, it felt like a borderline MIDI-rip. Thankfully, what I heard of the added bass - particularly during the first minute - complimented the otherwise minimal source notation. The gate effects during the second minute kept the energy moving, too. Though, I don't think the double-time drums at 2:38 were enough to keep the B section's repeats there any different from at 1:19. I'm in favor of seeing if there can be any subtle changes to one or two of the more melodic instruments so that section could stand out more. You don't need to change the chords or anything - just altering the notation/patterns would be more than enough. I also concur regarding the mixdown. It starts nice and clear for the first minute, but from 0:48 onwards, the master becomes a classic "waveform sausage," except for a few breaks. The textures on the lead harmonies feel pushed against the limiter, and as they return at 1:19, they completely drown out the established background arpeggio and the countermelody at 1:51. That's two problems pointed out in one go - an over-compressed master, and too much mud going along the mid-range. Consider slackening your limiter slightly, as well as refining the EQ among your leads and rhythm parts to give them a more defined space. It's an enjoyable mix as it stands, Billy, but two problems hold it back for me - the lost steam regarding arrangement, and an unclear mixdown. It'll be nice to hear another version with both a mixdown pass and some further melodic development in the final third. Please keep at it! NO (resubmit)

I'm in the same camp as Joel and Larry regarding the arrangement. The track initially goes through two different textural variations - the first one has an added countermelody at 0:53 and a brisker pace on the piano's glissandos, while the second is much closer to the source. Both also had some manipulations on the lead notation, particularly onto its B section. Then at 2:49, you let loose with a different chord sequence and found a way to integrate the melody over the top. Even the slower glissandos on the piano, particularly during the ending, add more content to those on the source's harp. While stylistically similar, there's enough done with the part-writing to make it stand as a distinct entity, and I'm okay with what you set out to do. Oddly enough, while the arrangement checks out, the production left me with a mixed bag of feelings. The balance and mixdown are robust aside from the usual low mastering criticism, which is another case where you have a loud peak (3:19) where the average peak size rests 2dB lower. Have you thought of putting some light compression into your master chain, or just normalizing your audio? If you do go for the former route, it's not to be too heavy - just enough to bring one or two rough peaks in line with most of the others. The volume relating to the track's expression isn't a dealbreaker here but is worth something to look into for current projects. However, what left me feeling torn was your articulations. The samples themselves sound lovely, and it's a good idea to apply vibrato to the flutes when appropriate. Still, the shaping feels off in a handful of places - particularly the woodwind leads, string backing, and choir textures, each of these hardly having any decay (and attack for the choir). The piano glissandos feel robotic and stagnant, which could get remedied with MIDI keyboard input if you have a controller handy. And that buzz on the bassoon also sounds rough - no idea what the intent is with that, but if you intend to add an instrument like that in future works, consider making an EQ cut in the mid-high frequency where the buzz prominently pokes out. It's an uneasy harmonic that really shouldn't be there. This track got so close to me, and I can see either case for mixpost or rejection. Ultimately, I don't think enough work has gone into the humanization to see it get posted just yet, so it'll be nice to hear that aspect get revised. Don't touch the arrangement - it's serviceable as it is. Whatever happens, Rebecca, best of luck with the rest of the vote and your next batch of subs. NO (resubmit)

If the track passes, it will need a different title. -Rexy Remixer name : jmabate Real name : abate jean marc Email : website : https://www.youtube.com/user/jmabate userid : 35644 Name of game(s) arranged : Ecco the Dolphin Name of arrangement : Open Ocean cover Name of individual song(s) arranged : Open Ocean Composer : András Magyari, Spencer Nilsen, Brian Coburn System : Sega Megadrive Original : Best regards jmabate

Not noted in the submission email, but this track also features Steven Higbee on the ocarina. -Rexy RebeccaETripp Rebecca Tripp http://www.crystalechosound.com/ ID: 48262 Game(s): Skyward Sword Song Title: The Beginning Songs Remixed: Sealed Temple