Rexy
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Posts posted by Rexy
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Behind the wandering source, there is a steady melodic loop with rubato time throughout, so I can understand why prophetik decided to break down the source into a singular set of notes. But by looking at the melodic pattern as a whole, it boils down to two variations of that melody, with timbral, timing and harmony changes. However, the backing stream is a constant stream of pads and bells, which is okay for new age - but ultimately, the pairing of a stagnant backing track and minimal interpretation means there should be more to it. You could add a development section in the middle, add some surprise textures whenever you see fit, experiment with countermelodies, change the backing tones for the second variation entirely - quite a few ideas to pull off while keeping to the constraints of the genre.
The mixdown has a couple of minor critiques, but nothing as drastic as the arrangement. The balance is excellent, nothing is poking out unintentionally, and I didn't mind the amount of headroom as it's appropriate for the gentle nature of this arrangement. You also did well with backing your choir in the first half with a Rhodes piano, as the articulations otherwise are stiff, with constant attacks and sustain, and hardly any release. A real choir would have variety with how they start singing and are more careful with letting notes finish. Otherwise, the choice of pads, bells and effects is lovely to take in for the genre's standards and work effectively despite the issues with the stagnant writing.
This submission is also one that I had looked back and forth on - one of your better productions, and one with some subtle variations on the melody line. Ultimately, the stale accompaniment contributed to an underdeveloped arrangement overall, which is why I can't pass it as it is. If you ever get the chance to add more substance to it, it'll be nice to hear the result. Whatever happens, don't stop making tracks of this nature - it fits your skillset like a glove.
NO -
The bookends are an alarming concern as the mapped instrumentation is identical to that in the original. But past 0:24, it's less of a concern and with instruments more suitable for the style. The basic 4-bar melody present in the source has some slight modifications with an altered notation at the end of the last two - but that change is identical with every variation present, regardless of changed textures. It would've been nice to have heard more variations with each run.
Additionally, while I don't mind the Simlish voice clips, I do feel their integration is needlessly excessive - to the point that a handful of samples got used more than once. Consider cutting some repeats out and finding other ways to raise anticipation for the builds. Additional percussion, synth glissandos, and effects are three such suggestions at the top of my head, and I'm sure you can experiment with any other fun ideas.
You're a lot more on point with the production, though. The mixdown is clean, the balance is tight, and your kick drum in particular packs power - albeit a touch too much, so see if you can bring its volume down by a small amount. I like your selection of gates and EQ sweep envelopes on the synths here - it makes them sound more distinctive in the bigger picture, with articulations that suit the wandering nature behind electronic chillout.
As of right now, while you've got some fun production chops under your belt, the interpretation behind the source is minimal, and I don't feel it's transformative enough to hear it on the front page. See if you can add variety to your variations beyond just switching instruments, plus cutting down on repeated Simlish clips. Whatever happens, keep going - it'll be nice to witness your development within the near future!
NO -
The source dominance checks out, alongside the genre adaptation - an appropriate choice of backing instrumentation and changed chord treatment for the source's A section. While I appreciate what you did there, the static delivery fell flat, with multiple blocks of 16 bars having only eight bars mirrored with very little done on the last bar to transition out. 2:57 is considered extremely problematic, with the only difference between that block and at 3:26 being the different melody done. A change-up in the accompaniment at 3:55 can also add a more distinctive sound, rather than a carbon copy of 1:58-2:57. See if you can find some ways to make those areas sound more engaging.
And as MW also pointed out, look out for the writing on your synth harmonies and arpeggios. Their current writing tends to cause dissonance, particularly on every 3rd, 7th, 11th, and 15th bars of each block. See if you can go back there, think of what chord you wanted in the first place, whether it be F major or an E major or something different - then adapt the writing to fit around it.
The mixdown also has a couple of rough spots. The instrumentation themselves are reasonably balanced for the most part, but I would've liked to have heard the volume brought down on the hi-hats. They've got the high frequencies covered, and they didn't need to be that intense in the mix. Additionally, the sub frequencies have so much power a subwoofer would mask the entire mix - so consider putting a high-pass EQ on your master chain to reign them in.
Nevertheless, it's not bad for your first submission - and to hear you've made the transition after approval from Newgrounds staff is inspiring. But if we're to see it get posted on OCR, it'll have to be with another version that has more variance in the backing, the problematic dissonance cleaned up, and another pass on the mixdown. Keep your head up, and I hope you'll return to the inbox soon.
NO (resubmit) -
As always, the orchestrated treatment sounds lovely. It's a simple idea, with two run-throughs of the theme and an ending based on the A section, but the choice of instrumentation and accompaniment writing differs between the two variations. The first one varied the scope up with additional countermelodies and harp strums, keeping more of that source familiarity. Then, the second run brought the main melody into the background with an emphasis on multiple countermelodies and harmonies, all on a much higher register. As Larry pointed out, there isn't much dynamic variation other than the ending - but the way you utilized the instruments in each run-through more than makes up for it.
Obviously, with Chimpazilla helping out with the mastering, the usual quiet mixdown problem is absent. That makes the track a more reasonable listen, and the clean and balanced mixdown also contributed to it. The string articulations do feel stiff and too soft, though. I would've wanted to have heard the treatment as straight legato rather than repeated gentle attacks, myself. Yet, I also know such articulation is challenging to program even in the most elaborate string VSTs, so it's not too much of a concern. And while Larry brought up the pops, I didn't hear any of them other than the obnoxious one at 1:48, so along with the sudden ending cut-off, these sound like quick fixes that either Kris should address or you should re-render.
Even without the pair of hiccups, it's a satisfactory source treatment with a respectable amount of interpretation and a solid mixdown. If the pop and ending cut-off issues get remedied, then I'll consider it set.
[EDIT 2019/06/27 - Rebecca and Kristina have gotten together to get the two conditional issues addressed. It sounds gorgeous to me now, and I'm more confident with seeing it on the front page. Nice job!]
YES -
First of all, I was not involved with the previous two versions covering the other overworld theme - so I heard this track with fresh ears.
Arrangement-wise, the source is dominant, no doubt about it. You played around with the B section's melody at 0:20 and 0:54; then, at 2:12, the A section also had changed notation before the uplifting key change at 2:28. Sneaking in the source's first bar at 1:44 and 1:48 as part of comping also showed how well you know the melody in incorporation - and with no repeated ideas and the 12/8 section at 1:10 further cementing it, I believe you've got a solid grasp on how to put an arrangement together. Good stuff.
However, there are several issues with the production values that drag it down for me:
* First of all, as MW said, there are several places where timings got loose. I understand your liking for swing rhythms from the 12/8 section, as mentioned earlier. But the swung fills at 0:52 and 2:07 fell out of place and sound like they'd be better as 4/4 for synergy. You also attempted a syncopated melody at 0:56, 1:04 and 1:08, but the pauses and delayed attacks didn't get them to synergize with the rest of the instruments. Holding on to the notes is one way to fix the unsettling gaps, but I also would recommend setting the synth's voice mode to mono and adding a small glide to make the legato phrases go by smoothly. That is, providing the synth VST has a voice mode, as it can take a lot more work to remedy without it.
* Similarly, most of the samples sound thin. You do have some subtle effects with the gated pads and some good variation with the synth instruments, but other parts like your percussion and pads sound cheap and empty. Frankly, I'm not a fan of the MIDI-esque electronic kit as the timbre is too vanilla and doesn't fit the synth timbres well. Nevertheless, thickening up samples can be done in two different ways - keep looking for some nicer free VSTs to replace some obvious offenders, or layer multiple timbres for the same instrument. See if you can experiment with this and see what happens.
- The mixdown not only feels excessively bright but also has too much sub-bass for what its worth. Frequencies below 50hz ideally should be sensed more than heard, so I'd recommend putting a high pass EQ at that frequency on your master chain to cut back on this boom. Meanwhile, to tame the mid-high and high dominance, you could either experiment with a multiband compressor, or make cuts on that range across your higher-pitched synths. Adding more body into the mid frequencies themselves won't go amiss, but be careful not to let too many parts blend into each other.Regardless, I'm all for seeing you adapt to a smoother workflow with Cakewalk - and even with the switch, you've got potential as a writer. My production critiques stick out as dealbreakers, though - the mixdown, the thinness of the soundscape, and some unintended sloppy timing. It'll be nice to hear another version with those issues addressed. Keep going, Eric!
NO (resubmit) -
Contact Information
ReMixer name: Reuben Spiers
Real Name: Reuben SpiersE-Mail:Submission Information
Game: Wave Race 64
Name of Arrangement: Follow that Dolphin!
Name of Original Song: Dolphin ParkFeaturing TSori on trumpet, JammingInMyJammies on lead guitar, SubversiveAsset on Sax, and myself on acoustic guitar, bass and accordion
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Hello everyone.
Here is my remix submission and below is the information:- Your ReMixer name: ALADS
- Your real name: André Silva
- Name of game(s) arranged : Mach Rider
- Name of arrangement: Future Rider
- Name of individual song(s) arranged: Race Theme 01
This remix was made in Ableton Live 10, with Maschine 2, Guitar Rig, Kontakt and Ozone. The inspiration is basically one day I got the midi file and started to mess around it and that is the result. A rock rendition of the race theme.Thanks! -
I find it interesting that you used a small part of the source, yet made an engaging arrangement with very few seconds left bare. With just this C section alone, you've used it with a modified chord structure for your leading hook, and a transformed snippet of the second half for the intro (0:06) and bridge (1:24). I appreciate you keeping the minor key at 1:36 while letting the melody pass by, maintaining the tension for the prior bridge, and making the bass's LFO take prominence. The second proper run-through at 2:00 also has some impressive sound design to keep it different from the first, with some call-and-response between a full groove and a pause from the percussion and bass. No section feels stale, so by that merit alone, you nailed the arrangement.
The production values are high, too. The palette has a playful selection of synths with varying processed effects, the parts got cleanly mixed in, and the effect envelope work is top-notch. In my opinion, I would've wanted the melodies to be a touch louder so that they don't wrestle so much with the other effect work - but as careful synth shaping is the core aspect of the interpretation, it's nothing more than at nitpick in this case. It did so much right that I'm happy to approve it on this front as well.
Nevertheless, it's considered a more "academic-style" mixpost - a study in both palette molding and how to arrange with only a small source fragment. These ideas form a unique personality and stand as a memorable addition to your PC game initiative. Let's go.
YES -
The BGM breakdown is a piece of cake. Aside from that section at 1:00-1:29 with the chord breakdown, you'll always hear at least one of the sources listed in play. It's a straightforward structure - the A section, the break into Gaster, a build to the B section / Toby Fox solo (not comping as prophetik said), some smooth integration of the E section for Asgore into the A section's chorus, and a simplistic high-pass/fade ending. It's not what I would consider groundbreaking, but the integrations of other sources, building transitions and harmonies (0:52) add some moments of brilliance in the arrangement.
I agree with the loud mixdown, especially going up towards the bass and low-mids. Luckily, the breakdown with the Gaster cameo and the fast side-chaining did enough to tame the framework in time for the B section at 2:14. The instruments are also clear enough to take them all in, and I appreciate the bass having both a tone and resonance noise to cut through the rest of the soundscape. The drum writing isn't the most engaging I've heard, but the dynamics, dropouts and fills do enough to keep the energy flowing, albeit more subtle. And I also agree with Larry regarding that dry piano at 1:59 - it's a suitable tone for the aesthetic, but I would've liked to have heard a hint of reverb to cut back its dryness. The production crits I've mentioned are all that I consider "nice to have" next to the clean mixdown, so I feel it's barely gone above the bar.
Nevertheless, it's a fun ride with a reasonable amount of interpretation and a balanced mix. It's not bad for your debut mixpost, Erick, and I hope you'll take what you've learned to keep improving your craft. For now, welcome to the clan!
YES (borderline) -
As is the norm with Rebecca's submissions, the modifications to the sources are simple but effective. The structure is simply two run-throughs of Sealed Grounds, an original bridge and a singular push through Sheikah Tower, so no integration between either of them - but the number of additional background instruments more than make up for it. I also like how Greg got free reign to add more to the flute's notation during that second loop - it felt like the melody walked between the lines of original content and source changeup, and that is a big plus in my book. If I have to be honest, though, I felt the addition of Sheikah Tower at the end got slapped on for no reason - but the smooth transition between the two sources accommodated its presence anyway, so it's not too much of a big deal.
The production is also clean and well-balanced, so no problems with anything clashing. I also feel the headroom works well for the sound palette - it's supposed to feel delicate, so I'm okay with a 5dB gap. But just like with prophetik, my main concern is with the articulations behind a handful of synthetic instruments. I concur with the critique on the cello and mallets, but I also feel the panpipes stick out too. The held legato notes - with the biggest offender at 3:31 - felt stiff and sound like they used more air than a human can naturally breathe in, plus the attacks leave little transition room from pipe to pipe.
In this context, the articulations aren't what I consider dealbreakers, as the track did a lot more right in the arrangement, balance and performance values to bring it over the bar. I wouldn't call it one of Rebecca's more elaborate works, but it is one of Greg's best contributions and is worth checking out on that merit alone. Great job to both of you!
YES -
Reuben, you are a brave soul - trying to see if you can put the kazoo onto the OCR instrument map!
The arrangement is simple - one straight run-through of the theme, another run-through with different melodies, and a return to the A section at the end. The call-and-response between the kazoo and banjo from 0:38 was great not only to add more use of the source, but to add a more natural lead to counter the kazoo's intentionally polarizing tone. For that second source run-through, the accompaniment had copy-paste with all melodies brought over at 2:40, leaving you with 80 seconds of further development to consider.
I have more to say about the production, though. First of all, let's address the main attraction of the soundscape - the kazoo. Due to its nature as a harsh sounding wind instrument, using autotune to correct impurities would make it sound unnatural. So I respect your decision to layer two of them down to mask each other's mistakes. However, at parts where one of them plays a higher octave than the other (1:01-1:30, 2:31-3:01), the contrasting tones make it harder to correct each other's mistakes. A simple chorus effect or overlaying more takes could help nullify that effect.
To your credit on the presentation, your performance chops across all parts are getting increasingly tighter, and I've enjoyed hearing that from you. Though two big irks caught my attention. First of all, the balance feels off - muddy and lacking power in the mid-range. The choice of instruments is satisfying, but with your only mid-range parts present are the banjo and accordion, the idea I have in mind is to revise the EQ for both instruments so that they stand out more. Meanwhile, your kick and snare drum still feel muffled - so see if you can make some cuts elsewhere to give some presence to both parts. And then there's the second thing - a quiet mixdown that hardly ever goes above -3dB. See if you can find a way to mitigate the volume spikes as well.
I see good intentions with getting something insanely quirky on the front page, Reuben, and I respect that idea. But before it can get there, I feel the kazoo melodies themselves need to be thicker, and it needs another mixdown to address problems with track volume and balance. Fixing repetition, particularly in the second half, is desirable. I hope you get a chance to keep working on it.
NO (resubmit) -
Hello!
Thanks for reviewing this track!Contact Information
Remixer name: NbZero
Real name: Lauri Karvonen
Website: https://soundcloud.com/nothingbutzero
Userid: 29276Game: Doom (1993) by id SoftwareTrack title: Phobos AnomalyOriginal composer Robert "Bobby" Prince, Doom is already added on the site with some existing remixes.This track have been arranged and recorded using ProTools, Adobe Audition and Reason software, with guitars and bass recorded through Line6 Pod Hd500x amp modeller.Track is arranged with modern metalcore and djent inspired rhythm section with a more late 80's classic heavy metal lead. Arranged for an 8-string guitar with standard F# tuning. The second half of the track also has a more toned-down, clean mid-way break with added guitar 3rd harmonics.Cheers and thanks,Lauri Karvonen -
After getting in touch with Michael, I got a more refined version of the source breakdown. These are my notes based on that PM exchange.
Quote0:00-0:13 - The main hook throughout. It goes through the first half of Clanky Cavern's A melody (0:00-0:23), then goes over an adaptation of the descending bass in that section, and back to the first bar of the source. The eighth measure in the sequence is original writing.
0:30-0:56 - An adaptation of the 1:26 section of Surface 1. As this is a transformation of the B section of the Bond movie theme, I will not consider this as part of the tally.
1:00-1:13 - Return of the main hook.
1:15-1:29 - The intro to Chicago Stealth. Take away 6 seconds to accommodate for silence.
1:45-1:55 - Transformed version of Witchyworld's A melody.
2:08-2:15 - Tiny snippets from Rusty Bucket Bay (1:24-1:28) and Mad Monster Mansion (1:25-1:28). Michael, you are a legend!
2:16-2:29 - Return of the main hook.
2:38-2:44 / 2:53-2:57 / 3:01-3:07 - Adapting the first bar of Clanky Cavern's D section (1:26 in source).
3:15-4:00 - Last return of the main hook. Deduct 2 seconds due to this loop happening three times with that same original conclusion.
4:23-4:37 - Abrupt use of the intro in Atlantis, getting more transformed as the track goes to a close.
My calculations gave me a total of 143 seconds - or 50.7%. It's a bizarre treatment, with several tracks using less than 5 seconds, but there is some creative manipulation with every BGM brought to the table. As far as the source goes, I consider this barely dominant.The arrangement writing is suitable for this mock TV theme idea - good use of fading envelopes, careful attention to drums with some subtleties stopping repetition, a bass with an appropriate focus on 8th note runs, and those intentional "happy accidents" at 1:19 with the delayed chimes. The soundscapes also feel much fuller than what I usually hear from him, with attention to pads, countermelodies, and other effects going through - so with everything taken in, I feel the arrangement side checks out.
Addressing MW's concerns about dissonance: I did hear those straight 4ths at 2:23 with that harmony slip at 2:25, but I didn't hear any off-scale notes at 3:45. Nevertheless, the stray tone at 2:25 is a nice-to-have adjustment, just to bring that one C note up to C# to match the key.
The production is also okay - no instrument bleeding into another, and no part is out of balance either. The synths and percussion chosen are all appropriate for the genre adaptation and have a wide variety of gates, attacks and releases. The one thing that irks me, though, is the sound levels. Yes, the peaks are close to the top, but the track itself rarely pushes itself beyond -3dB. If he can find some places to apply compression and bring the volume higher - whether that be individual instruments, the master limiter, or both depending on what you feel works - then I'll be more comfortable with seeing it on the front page.
Yes, I'm the other way to MindWanderer - the source is more evident with the timestamps, and the writing is a vast improvement for submissions outside of the musique concrete material. If Michael can bring the levels up, I feel this will be good to go.
YES (conditional on levels)
[EDIT: 2020/08/06 - I have read Emunator and prophetik's votes - and while I feel their sentiment in struggling to hear much of the source, I feel the transformation hasn't gone far off the beaten path to be completely unrecognizable. The hook kept the melody but messed around with the rhythms, and with the fragmented cameos, he kept the melodies verbatim (sans the transformation on Witchyworld). I honestly don't see this aspect as a dealbreaker, which is why I'm adamant with my feelings staying as they are. I am, however, not objecting to the idea of Michael making source use even clearer if he decides to do a resub.] -
Remixer life name and real life name - Michael Hudak
Game arranged - Ys III: Wanderers from Ys
My arrangement name - "Get Your Wings Back, a Song for Perseverance"
Original source is the PC-88 version of "The Boy Who Had Wings", by Mieko Ishikawa:
After spending several months trying to get most of my electronic music to sound like it was made between 1978 and 1991, I challenged myself to do something straightforward for once and drum up a nice, modern sounding synth-dance jawn. All side-chained up and everything. My buddy Michelle runs the Doors and Dungeons Podcast and introduced me to the bulky, gray, floppy disk- powered PC-88 and PC-98 while I was in Japan. Ys III is a classic from those "consoles" (I mean, they're computers, and they were expensive), and "The Boy Who Had Wings" is a tune with so much drama and melody in it. This ReMix kinda wrote itself! Kinda. I wanted to cram as much energy as possible into it at first, but 4 minutes of relentlessness sucked the air out of the whole thing, so then I made the traditional chorus section much quieter.I also got to reflecting on my last 12 months personally, and the start-stop nature of the song became a bit of an allegorical projection, I think. The working title was "The Boy With Jet Boots", but I changed it (with a wink to Melt Banana) to something a little more serious and uplifting. A positive message from me to me, and to you! Things are often really tough, and people falter, but we can pull through! And music can help! -
Contact Information
ReMixer name: Reuben Spiers
Real Name: Reuben SpiersE-Mail:Submission Information
Game: Final Fantasy IX
Name of Arrangement: Trick and/or Treat
Name of Original Song: Jesters of the Moon
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Contact Information
- PerksJFP
- James Perkins
- https://www.youtube.com/user/perksjfpmusic
- 20899
Submission Information
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- Final Fantasy VII
- The Angels One Wing
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Trail Of Blood
JENOVAThose Chosen By The PlanetJENOVA COMPLETE (A.K.A JENOVA ABSOLUTE)Birth Of A GodOne Winged Angel
- Nobuo Uematsu - Playstation 1
- https://ocremix.org/game/7/final-fantasy-vii-ps1
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I've always loved OCRemix, so when I redid an old cover of mine I thought I'd take it a step further and combine a few to make a mini story. In essence the idea behind the cover is to have a overarching Sephiroth song. Starting with Those Chosen By The Planet, and going through songs that heavily involve Sephiroth or Jenova within the game. There was some lovely grooves that came out of cutting up the Jenova theme, and there was for sure a challenge moving from each theme and finally ending up with One Winged Angel.
Many thanks for checking it out, massive fan of the site for a long time!
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Contact Information
ReMixer name: Reuben Spiers
Real Name: Reuben SpiersE-Mail:Submission Information
Game: Final Fantasy IX
Name of Arrangement: Home is Where You Belong
Name of Original Song: A Place to Call HomeFeaturing Earth Kid on recorder
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I appreciate the more folky direction with this one. The initial treatment has some pleasant subtractive arranging with the banjo and acoustic guitar rhythm parts providing that country swagger the original didn't have. I find it interesting that prophetik brought up adding a bridge, as that second variation with all the solos technically counts as one. But even then, it's underdeveloped - the accompaniment does the same thing in all three renditions, and the first and third have the same melodies. The amount of copy-paste and underdevelopment here is excessive, so consider going into your second and third variations to shake up the accompaniment writing more.
The mixdown also has room for improvement. On the plus side, the performances are tight and free of artifacts, and I don't mind the guitar tone as it fits with the folky setup. Yet, there's 2dB of headroom here with the peaks hardly going above -3, so you have room to keep pushing more out of your master. I also second prophetik's concern with there being minimal high end; it's for this reason that the cymbals don't have a presence at all, and more importantly, neither does your cowbell. With your kick and snare also getting buried underneath other parts, consider going back into the mixing and see if you can make some EQ cuts to get them to stick out.
As of right now, it's not a bad tech demo, and I'm surprised especially by how tight the performances are - but the underdeveloped arrangement and rough mixdown are major roadblocks stopping it from going further. It'll be neat if you're able to revise this track, add more to the writing variations, and give it a firm technical cleanup.
NO -
Though you wanted your orchestration to sound menacing, I honestly felt a lot of bounce with the rhythms, and you might've unintentionally retained the goofiness behind that source - which is not a bad thing at all! The interpretation's great - melodically straight-forward, but the theme adapted well to the style, and you have some manipulations with the opening on the strings at 0:15 (hard to hear thanks to the flute focus) and at 1:58. I also appreciate the attention change to the male choir at 1:14 as a middle point between similar renditions at 0:29 and 2:13. However, like everyone else, the problematic delayed syllables (1:16, 1:23) stuck out like a sore thumb. That's something a five-minute fix can resolve.
The production values got me thinking hard about this one over the past few months since I first heard it in the queue. The balance is on point - all volume levels are appropriate to the instruments' roles, and with how the male choir got presented at 1:14, I appreciate it being a background part for the other two theme run-throughs. Truthfully, I would've preferred it getting cut from them both entirely to save some breathing room, but it's your call. There's also a part at 1:43 where the strings and female choir play, but the similar frequencies caused them to bleed together. It's something that'll be nice to hear get addressed, but no big problem if it gets left alone.
I also thought carefully about the articulation throughout. Usage of these is an excellent example to demonstrate realism in an orchestrated backdrop, but the amount of staccato on display is very peculiar. Can a live woodwind or brass player make so many short stabbed notes consecutively? Possibly, provided there is room to breathe. It's a non-issue in the theme variations as there are some half-second gaps for a virtual player to draw air, but the intro at 0:15 feels so constant a live flute player would struggle under those conditions. It's still not a dealbreaker, but more of an observation and something that I hope you can look out for with future orchestrations - which at this point the overall quality has significantly improved over time.
Having said all this, I feel it's good to go - but provided the delayed syllables get fixed. Regardless of what happens, I hope you've learned a lot from this experience, Alex - and I'm game to see where your orchestrations go next!
[EDIT: 2020/05/06 - I spoke with Alex this morning and learned that he lost the project file in a hard drive crash not long after he released the EP. With there being a year long gap between release and addition to the queue, it feels rough to go through judgment without seeing it coming. These things can't be helped, unfortunately, and as I can't see it on the front page as is, I'm going to have to flip my vote. I still stand by what I said though - these orchestrations have really improved in quality, and I hope I get to hear more examples in the near future.]
NO -
I like the orchestral metal direction for this source. The core notation got altered to adapt to the sound palette, like with the piano and voice carrying the original guitar and orchestra hit backing in a more subdued kind of way, the expression behind the live guitars and its articulations, and the appropriate variations for the drum patterns.
But there is, however, a fair chunk of copy-paste. The second rendition of the A section (0:50) is almost entirely identical to the first, with only the segue to the B section sounding any different. And that same chorus variation got heard again at 1:45, with the only difference being muted drums for the first four bars. Hearing the guitar go through the notation with the same articulations felt tiresome too quickly. This flaw is something I'd like to see get addressed - whether it be original melodies, different harmonies, performance with entirely different rhythms, or any other ideas of yours.
The production values feel all over the place, though - I can identify your leads despite all the clutter, but the balance and rest of the mixing have areas of improvement. Larry brought up the snappy snare, which does indeed need to get brought down a touch. To address his concern about muddiness as well, it's notably a thing when the strings and piano are both heard together, so it's difficult to focus on one part without accidentally hearing another. I also feel the orchestral stabs during the B section (1:22) are even overpowering the drums, so I'd also suggest bringing them down too. The vocal timing didn't bother me due to its slow attack, but the transition between section A variations (0:44) did - it was like the fill accidentally got brought forward by a 16th beat. I suggest you take a look at that area and clean it up.
It's a concept I'd love to get behind, but there are so many small issues that they all add up to a return to the drawing board, unfortunately. It'll be nice to hear a future revision with less copy-paste, a revised mixdown, and that one transition getting fixed. Keep at it, Ernesto.
NO (resubmit) -
The virus hadn't done as much damage as I thought, but it's still done some rough rounds.
Prior to the outbreak, I had been trying to get a longer-term paid job with a strategy of doing volunteer work in my local area. I was actually due to be an IT technician in my hometown's library on the day the lockdown got in place, and I'm sure the offer will still be there once restrictions get taken down. As of right now, the only volunteer work still running are actually here in the remix community - judging everyone's music submissions to OCR, and the contributions to RadioSEGA as well. As long as it keeps my mind sharp, that's all I can ask for.
Outside of here, I'm either hooked on Animal Crossing: New Horizons (or as I'd like to call it, "outdoor play simulator"), and I've also been one of those using Zoom to keep in touch with my family. It's especially good for my father, as because of his suppressed immune system, he is forbidden from leaving the house at all. The only time he'd ever head outside is to use the garage, and that's it. Two of my family members had also contracted the virus, but are both recovering well and I am thankful for that.
Anything else I mention here would go into what the UK in general had endured under the outbreak, so that's gonna be worth another thread on its own. In the meantime, I'm doing well, and I aim to keep being proactive for as long as it takes x)- Eino Keskitalo and Rukunetsu
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The arrangement is essentially one run-through of the theme with some modifications. The bass line from 0:41 has more prominence with the octave licks, with the changed chord structures adding a subtle variation to the verse. Things got developed further at 1:31 with solos blistering through on top of that same verse-and-chorus accompaniment, culminating in some beefy harmony work at 2:04. I admit the bridge at 2:19 felt funky to me when I first heard it at the DoD duel this was a part of - wasn't too sure if having a bass doing similar riffs to the guitars would work sonically. But both the cameo reference to the intro and the resulting build back to the final chorus more than solidified its placement here. And yes, the all-out war at 3:34 made for some crazy subtractive work for the outro as well. For something that has more of a conservative approach, it did a lot of interpretive work with the source, and I felt that was worth it on its own.
The soundscape is also serviceable - I can identify all parts for most of the time, the mixdown is also clean, and the tones for the guitars and synths all co-operate well together. Two things caught my attention, though: first of all, the open hi-hats have this fuzzy, loss-like tone to it and could've benefitted from a sibilance cut to tame it. And secondly, when all the leads do their spontaneous solos at 3:34, the soundscape feels very cluttered. The keyboard part going through the main melody was clear enough to keep the section going forward, though the ability to hear the other leads would've been handy to have.
Despite my production crits, I honestly feel the treatment of the source did enough to work with the better parts of the presentation in creating a tight package through and through. I'm all revved up and excited to see it on the front page - excellent work, team!
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ReMixer name - Mak Eightman
real name- Max V. Kravchenko
email address-
userid: 32137
Submission Information:
Title - "Front move"
Name of game arranged - TMNT Tournament fighters
System: NES
Name of individual song arranged - BGM3, Waterfront
Link to the original soundtrack -
Hello!
Second in a row of "different" tracks.
If I recall correctly this mix has 32 tracks of instruments(only 3 tarcks for drums and percussion) and lot of effects chains.
Actually it's a monster.
Made it two years ago.
Cool percussion. Gtrs kinda sharp and abrasive. Sometimes cymbals overloaded.
Overall sounds messy and annoying.
NO. Resub.
Thank you!
SFME! -
Contact Information
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- Your ReMixer name: Crashbomb
- Your real name: Crashbomb the band
- Your website: www.crashbomb.bandcamp.com
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Your userid (number, not name) on our forums, found by viewing your forum profile: ?
Submission Information
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- Name of game(s) arranged: Ducktales
- Name of arrangement: The Moon
- Name of individual song(s) arranged: DuckTales [The Moon] by Crashbomb
- Additional information about game including composer, system, etc. (if it has not yet been added to the site):
- Your own comments about the mix, for example the inspiration behind it, how it was made, etc.:
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OCR04076 - *YES* Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess "Proxy Challenge"
in Judges Decisions
Posted · Edited by Rexy
Wow, that source is sparse. It's so simple it can translate to an 8-bit chiptune with minimal note modifications.
Either way, the treatment is surprisingly engaging. It doesn't go through any straight loops - which makes sense, as source use accounted to two melodic riffs throughout, and all the percussion got changed entirely. Dominance checks out, as one motif or both is present up until the ending at 2:35. And so does the interpretation - while the melodies themselves remained as they are, that left a lot of room to flesh it out with an evolving orchestrated accompaniment that gets increasingly lively as time goes on. It's so captivating to listen to - good stuff.
The presentation is also serviceable - the articulations are gorgeous, and the balance is spot on overall. I did, however, feel there was a touch too much emphasis on the low to low-range, which I believe bringing the levels down for the deeper-sounding instruments can fix. It isn't a dealbreaker, as it did a lot more right, and it serves as more of a nitpick in the soundscape.
What isn't a nitpick, and something I've experienced, is wondering why the track got submitted with 15 seconds of silence at the end. It takes up data, it's not like Rebecca usually, and it's something that should quickly get cut before posting. Otherwise, it sounds great, it's hugely interpretive for what it is, and should get out there for others to enjoy. Excellent teamwork, you two!
[EDIT: One hour later, I got a new render from Rebecca with the silence taken out. It's good to go!]
YES