Rexy

Now, this is a great genre adaptation! With the original being a brooding composition in 6/8, it felt natural to morph it into 4/4 and aim for a direction that emphasizes a four-on-the-floor pulse. That said, the structure goes through two variations and a final buildup based on the A section - so a safer path, but you've done enough to distinguish both halves. The difference between the B sections (1:05, 2:53) is that the second one has some countermelodies while the first one doesn't. Then we have the A sections (0:12. 2:00, 3:42) with more daring changes - with the second one pushing for rhythm changes and stabbed chords, while the third one went back and forth between referencing the first four chords as whole notes and doing its own thing in the following four bars for the climax. This arrangement approach is a vast improvement from what I've heard from you in the past - so color me impressed! The synth palette has a great mixture of shaping, effects, and envelope filters, the latter being very welcome on your arpeggio runs. The balance is also very sturdy, but oddly enough, for much of the early part of the track, only the bass, drum kit and polysynths are present, resulting in the EQ shaping being very reliant on low-end frequencies. Even with more and more synths present, the bass felt set to dominate the soundscape, so I would've preferred it if it was a touch quieter in the mix. The arrangement's strength doesn't make this one aspect a dealbreaker, but it is something to observe if you decide to return to synthwave arranging at any point. Even with its minor flaws, it's a very worthwhile listen and a sign that you're pushing hard to get onto OCR's front page. With its strengths from the genre adaptation, arrangement variety and palette shaping, I believe you're about to make your mark. Great stuff, and I hope you keep being active around the community! YES

RebeccaETripp Rebecca Tripp http://www.crystalechosound.com/ ID: 48262 Game(s): FF6 Song Title: Shadow Mood Songs Remixed: Shadow’s Theme I recently got some slightly more modern software! I hope the humanization will sound okay to y’all!

Hey remember when I made VGM remixes? I stopped for a long time but then I covered “Through the Storm, We Will Find a Way” by Garoad late last year and figured I’d submit it. Then I forgot, so I’m submitting it now.

Jean-Marc, I know I said I like to hear you experiment with your work - but I wasn't expecting you to entirely put the guitar to one side! Structure-wise, you allowed the bass to provide most of the quota leading up to actual melody use. When you got there, you ensured that no section variation sounded like another, which is not an easy thing to do considering your limited instrument setup. I particularly liked how you added harmonies to the melody at 1:30, making the second loop heighten this adventurous feel you've got going on. Going to how you articulated the strings, you managed key switches well and gave firm volume shaping to your legato notation - but at the same time, many of the notes feel locked to tempo rather than being slightly in or out. The piano also has that same stiffness, but the tone and velocity variation more than makes up for its placement in the mix. That said, the balance feels off in multiple ways. A lot of your backing strings took more prominence than the melody, higher-pitched solo string parts have a piercing quality in the mix, and the oboe isn't cutting through the mix at all. It's worth taking a look at your project file, tweaking overall volume levels so that the backing parts aren't as dominant, and making any necessary EQ cuts to both give the oboe its presence and cut back on unwanted sibilance on your strings. Even before hearing this track on the panel, I've said to you that it's a more daring direction than what I usually expect. But it's currently let down with a cluttered mix that needs another pass regarding both volume and EQ. Keep going, mon ami! NO (resubmit)

I'm co-signing with Brad regarding the arrangement as a whole - sloppy timing at the beginning and tonality in the final minute, as pointed out. Still, the driving force plowed on with theme runs under various rhythm guitar patterns, which is impressive for surf rock. The solo spot at 1:36 felt tight and worked some synergy with the backing, especially with the transition out into the third repetition. Yet, I'm afraid I have to disagree with Brad on the "cookie-cutter drums." On closer listen, there's plenty of variety in where the snare's ghost notes are and what cymbal got used alongside it - a case of sticking with few parts around the kit and finding ways to utilize them, therefore not making any two grooves sound the same. On the presentation side, the guitar tones are fun with tightly recorded leads, the rhythm guitars are well-textured, and your guitars' volume levels also feel firm. That said, the drums are supposed to provide a beat that punches through everything else, but it's hard to identify when the kick and snare feel masked. Consider either making small notches in your bass and rhythm guitars, respectively, to let them cut through - or raise the drums' volume. Additionally, for having so few instruments to work with, the mixdown feels stuffy - with not a lot going in the high frequencies, as Brad also pointed out. See if you can play with any of your non-bass instruments and find a way to round out that side of the EQ spectrum. Daniel, you know very well that I'll always appreciate your novelty for bringing surf rock to the community at large. Yet, I don't think this is quite ready for the front page either, I'm afraid. If you do decide to resub, I'd personally like to hear a revision that has some re-takes done on the tail ends to mitigate the timing and tone issues, plus another mixdown pass. You've made it onto the site before - and I know that you can do so again. NO (resubmit)

This source feels simplistic, even for PS1 standards. All you have to work with here is an evident melody, a slow-plodding bass, and a pad. The composition alone gave you plenty of room to expand upon it, and you managed to do so in very subtle ways. You used just the A section as your source provider and letting other layers ride underneath your melody line, brought the key down to C from the original's F, plus having the first half of your melody transposed back to the source's original scale for a unique voicing choice. I approve of these twists a lot - great call. Kain's kalimba running an alberti bass accompaniment is appropriately delicate for the laid back mood you established - though I do feel the constant use of the pattern is on the repetitive side. I would've preferred that to have a changed up accompaniment pattern for the piano solo at 1:16 instead of your accordion, something that still feels on the stiff side when it's doing something other than sustained chords. Nevertheless, the instruments all do their assigned roles, and that's something I can't counter. Naturally, with the minimalist instrumentation, the mixdown also feels pleasantly gentle. For the most parts, the instrumentation has their distinct spots across the EQ spectrum - though the accordion and piano ran the risk of bleeding into each other, and some EQ tweaking on either part - preferably the accordion - could've helped their spaces get more defined. The instruments' recording quality is pristine as I usually expect, and Kain's assortment of percussion certainly got used well. However, I did feel concerned for the volume as it hardly ever went above -5dB with one spike to the right barely going above -2dB, but the style and ambient space needed gave me second thoughts. Even with its minor presentation flaws, the track itself feels like a complete package to me. You nailed the interpretation, had fun with live instruments as always, and you've gotten used to knowing your collab partners' strengths. Lovely work there, Reuben! YES

You made a fun dance-pop arrangement, with some appropriate blippy synths and the usual quality guitar recording I've expected from you through your Pixel Mixers contributions. The synths also had some careful attention to subtle tone shaping and volume, which helped them feel less vanilla overall. However, I'm co-signing with Joel regarding the narrow panning and the muddy mixing. For the panning, the bells at the beginning had some fun stereo effects, but hardly anything else felt like it was getting pushed to another side. Consider putting your written parts over at least two layers and panning them on opposite sides of the stereo field for more of a textured effect. EQ-wise, there's not much action going on in the mid-highs to highs and too much the other way. It's worth revising the panning on some of your higher-pitched instruments to favor those frequencies, as well as your snare and hi-hats to give them some more impact. It doesn't hurt to make the mix louder overall, too - there's 4dB of headroom, which is something a quick normalization can fix. The arrangement, while sturdy, also has a big problem worth addressing. On the plus side first, you did well with breaking the source down and finding ways to develop sets of motifs individually, with the first two bars of the melody getting used as your leading hook and the countermelody in that same area working well for transitions. The rest of the source got used for the bridge sections in the second half, both of them surrounding your fun guitar solo. The big problem that I had with all of this is that the source didn't sound dominant. Here's what I detected: 0:01-0:08 - First two bars, used on the bells in the intro. 0:35-0:39 / 1:06-1:10 / 3:00-3:04 - First two bars used as your hook throughout. 0:44-0:49 / 1:22-1:27 - Countermelody usage for transitions. 1:29-1:51 / 2:30-2:51 /3:07-3:13 - The rest of the BGM got used for the bridges around your guitar solo. At 42% source coverage, I feel the track either hasn't applied the source enough or went too liberal depending on the section. This source is an interesting one where the amount of countermelodies present doesn't mold well for chords to be part of the quota. Within the gaps where BGM is absent, consider finding ways to fit some in - whether it be a melodic passage you already used or something left abandoned - for example, like the original's bass. Heck, even other FF2 BGM can work if you feel you're still too short. I felt like I dumped so much critique all at once, Julien, but that's because I know you've got the potential to be a posted OCR artist. You said you still have your project file, so that gives you room to revise the mixdown/panning and find ways to make the source material more apparent. I'd say keep at it, but I know you'll do just that anyway - I believe in you. NO (resubmit)

Cecil uploaded his original take on his YouTube page, but he didn’t send it here as a submission. Thought I’d make that a little clearer

Hello, Here is my submission for a guitar cover for Tifa's Theme in Final Fantasy 7 Remake. Your ReMixer name: kennyslik Your real name: Christian Morte Your website: https://www.youtube.com/user/gtdolorz Name of game(s) arranged: Final Fantasy 7 Remake Name of arrangement: Tifa's Theme Name of individual song(s) arranged: Tifa's Theme This guitar cover was inspired by guitarsvd's original cover of the song! Thanks, Christian

In proper Rebecca fashion, the track went through three different source variations that all sound texturally different from each other - no surprises there. The slow tempo buildup is neat to take in, as well as a little padded segway at 1:53 in the middle of your third loop. Many of the changeups are from mere instrument swaps, though you added some textural variation with the percussion variation and strings along with a new tuba harmony at 1:07. This kind of subtractive interpretation isn't as elaborate as what I heard from your Golvellius mixpost last year, as I wanted to see more of those pads and side melodies present. But what you did here is barely enough to get it over the bar. On the presentation side, I can identify your parts thanks to some thorough EQ work, but my right speaker had earned one heck of a workout, as Joel hinted. Why are the strings and other bass instruments not only loud in the mix but also pushing through on that side in particular? There's at least a 3dB difference between both speakers for much of the way; hence re-balancing would help things considerably. The sequencing for your non-percussion instruments feels stiffer than what I usually hear with not a lot of attention to articulations this time around, plus the usual legato note shaping problems persist on top of that. Yet, with the segway at 1:53, you improved on that with some volume automation, so that's a start. Unfortunately, I don't think this track is ready for the front page just yet. I like your usual textural ideas, but I feel the balance and robotic orchestration had let things down. I hope you have your project file because I'd like to hear another version that revises the panning so that it doesn't push too hard on either speaker, plus a closer look at the articulations on your instruments. Additional countermelodies would work well on the arrangement but are just nice to have in comparison. Good luck with the rest of the vote. NO (resubmit)

Contact Information Remixer Username: Audio Mocha Real Name: Daniel Florez User ID: 33297 Name of games arranged:Final Fantasy 3 Name of arrangement: Surfing Fantasy 2 Name of individual songs: Opening Theme Source material: Comments: Back in 2014 before Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Curtain Call came out, Square Enix was holding a contest called the Legacy of Music campaign. Me being a huge fan of the original Theatrhythm and having been curious about creating game covers, I instantly started working on a submission for the contest. The rules were to make a remix of the Final Fantasy theme that plays in every single game and the winners of the contest would receive prizes but more importantly, the highest ranking entries would be judged by Nobuo Uematsu himself so that alone made me get into the contest. I had recently gotten into surf rock so I had the idea of making a surf rock remix; I knew that since the judges would receive a ton of metal entries so maybe the novelty factor might help me. Since that was one of my very first times ever recording guitar and filling in for the rest of a rock band, I was very much just winging it. I recorded the thing using Audacity and the drums were some loops I made in a Adobe Flash drum sequencer with a pitch dropped guitar filling in as bass. It was definitely a rookie effort but I've always had a soft spot for what I did then and had been wanting to go back and make a better produced remix of the Final Fantasy theme. Fast forward to hearing about the Dod x OCR FF3 event. The moment I saw that the event was asking for an Opening Theme remix, I knew that my time had come.

What a quirky match-up of sources! They both have their distinct moods, but believe it or not, they both relate to each other thanks to the Burmecian species in the game - so I can imagine an honorary showdown here just like you. It's a lovely stretch of story-telling while also enhancing the sources with how you see fit. Bowlerhat's flute worked beautifully well for the introduction, with the buildup in layers and mood while going through "Cleyra" straight for a loop and a half. Then, when you added "One Danger Put Behind Us" at 1:25, instead of going into the direct minor key, you shifted into a completely different one and adapted the melodies into 5/8, only going back into 6/8 near the end of each set of 8 bars. And you kept going with that experimentation with an 11/8 section that blends the two sources at 1:56 - just in time to let "Cleyra" take center stage for a defined finisher from 2:40. There's a lot to love with how you treated the source material and created your own thing, for sure - but if there's anything I'd change, the transition to the 2:40 section feels abrupt. Hence, I would've wanted a chord modulation that better bridges the two segments together. But it's a small part in the grand scheme of things, and I'm sure you have your reasoning for that. As expected, Bowlerhat and Chris's contributions are beautifully recorded and synched, and your programming on the rest of the instruments work well with your vision. Yet, I also don't think the orchestra's production values are as polished but for entirely different reasons to Joel - I feel the volume levels for the leads, while quiet, are still identifiable in the mix. I'm more concerned about the master volume being louder than what I usually expect from you. The RMS average is at -11.5dB in the left speaker and -13.5 in the right, making this louder than Youtube's music upload standards, and the master compression hammered down on your percussion hits in the louder parts. So while I would like to hear a slightly quieter master and some instruments re-panned to the right for steadier balance, the track otherwise feels listenable as it is and got more done well with the articulations to make up for it. So while I'm not too thrilled over the presentation this time around, the quirky arrangement idea and execution shines well among the rest of your equally fun marches. The three of you did some nice stuff - best of luck to the rest of the vote. YES (borderline)

Jazz fusion Wily? Hell yeah, sign me up! You've changed up the A section's chord section entirely, left room for a sweet solo at 0:54, and allowed for more swagger across your backing to carry the style forward. I'm afraid I have to disagree with Joel regarding the pacing transitions, though - which use the B section of the source. Even though they got their time signature changed from 4/4 to 12/8, the lead in and out of it flows naturally, making them a feature that works and draws attention at the same time. Despite the excitement of the genre switch-up, I did, however, feel concerned about copy-pasted segments. You have two uses of the A section (0:41, 1:42) that all got duplicated from the initial one at 0:06. These duplications account for nearly 20% of the running time. Thankfully, your B sections all have different drum patterns - and in the case of the one at 2:07, the piano also took more of a backseat to the toms. So while the A sections aren't all that distinct, you've demonstrated that you've got a grasp for variety elsewhere, so I can let them slide. The mixdown is a slick one, with all instruments getting their defined space in the mix. The guitar parts sound tight, expressive, and free of artifacts, and the tone is sublime for this kind of genre adaptation. Though, my only complaint is the snare feeling stuffy with not a lot of punch getting through. It sounds exposed when it's on its own for the intro and a brief drum fill near the end, but less than 10 seconds of that isn't going to break the deal. It sounds a lot better when the rest of the backing is in play, so no harm got done. I understand that everyone and their dog had covered this source at one point, but the style you went for here shows that there's still room to do something refreshing with it. Complete with a slick presentation, I'm all for seeing this on the front page as your debut! YES

This track has a fun progression for being this Basshunter-inspired waltz dance thing. You've got the opening build, the breaks, and the theme making an entrance at the climax, which is pretty much what I expect for the genre. However, it fell in a crucial pitfall in source use not being dominant - so much so that it doesn't make its first appearance until 1:37, and that's only the chords for the second half of the A section. Here's what I found in terms of source: 1:37-1:51 - Chords for the second half of the A section at half-speed. 2:12-2:32 - Starts with the second half of the A section, then went through the whole thing straight. 2:40-3:08 - A section in full, twice. 3:21-4:17 - Resumes with the A section melody, getting played around and brought into half time. At 3:50, the speed returns to normal for the high-pass filter ending. That placed your source quota at barely 45%, making it very clutch. Within that interpretation, the chords hardly got changed up, the melody got played with only once, and 20 seconds of that run-time got based on chords alone. I understand you - there's not a lot in this source material to work with, but it's still possible to enhance it in a dance setting. You could cut off the melody's first four notes and use it as a repeating rhythm pattern during the intro, find ways to fit in other FF2 sources if inspired to do so, or even change up the chords while letting the melody remain unaltered on top. Experiment and see what works. The mixdown is clear enough to identify parts, and the noise and EQ sweeps you've added on occasion do enough to shape the track. Though, aside from the climax at 2:04, the overall EQ shaping lacked mid and high frequencies. Something like that can get rectified by either tweaking the EQ of the instruments you already have or a more advised idea of adding more instrument layers to beef it up. And as Joel also brought up, envelope shaping across your instruments is extremely minimal otherwise, letting your parts sound more bare-bones than they had any right to be. Your synths all have parameters that can get manipulated with careful tracking, just like what you did with the EQ at the end. See if you can check them out and find ways to integrate them. It's not often that I hear dance tracks with this kind of time signature, and I'm all for seeing something like this on OCR down the line. But it's still got a way to go before it can head up there. It'll be nice to hear a revision that does more with source integration, adds a thicker palette, and adds more envelope based engagement. Whatever you do, please keep going! NO (resubmit)

Faseeh, I love you. This source is my favorite track in the game, and I'm so happy to see someone arrange it! Arrangement-wise, it's one loop (minus the crazy piano solo, thank goodness) with some neat tricks thrown in. You established a modified chord structure straight away, and this choice fits so well with the first melody lines and those from the break at 1:24 onwards. Joshua's guitar part at 1:00 also added in some harmonies not present in the source, and the plucked synth at 1:12 changed up the pitches of the original's piano descent to better fit the established chords. You also kept the B section's reprise at 2:12 refreshed with the throbbing bass and the gate effects on Joshua's guitar - a minimal way to vary things up, but it works well enough. The guitar kept its momentum to the end with a rad solo and returned to the A section for one big finish. All in all, enough happened with the writing outside of the brisker genre adaptation to match it on par with previous works. Now, I felt unsure about the production values. On the one hand, the mixdown is firm without needing to be too loud, Joshua's guitar part is tight and cleanly recorded, and there's some fun effect work on the transitions as well. I'm okay with the guitar's volume - it's more than enough for me to hear it along the rest of the instruments. On the other hand, there is a light fuzz to the render that gets more noticeable when the distorted bass is in play, plus the EQ shaping on the entire track feels bass-heavy (as expected for DnB). Therefore, it doesn't have a lot going on in the higher frequencies for a good chunk of the duration. Transposing some of your backing parts up an octave could've helped with breathing room here, but the separation of components is still serviceable as it is. Ultimately, this is one of those tracks that has a good presentation and a more stellar interpretation. And in classic Faseeh fashion, it feels both fast-paced and chilled out at the same time, and no doubt something to start winding down a DJ set. Great teamwork between the pair of you! YES

My Contact Information ReMixer name: theconsoloist real name: Chris userid: 34798 Submission Information Name of game(s) arranged: Shovel Knight Name of arrangement: Grand Shovel March Name of individual song(s) arranged: Main Theme Link to the original soundtrack (if it is not one of the sound archives already available on the site): Your own comments about the mix, for example the inspiration behind it, how it was made, etc: This is an orchestral arrangement for a full symphonic orchestra, which could actually really be played. I really love Shovel Knight's Soundtrack and always thought 'damn this would really fit an orchestral arrangement'. Anyway here it is I alway tried to have the main melody playing. Sometimes straigtforward, sometimes a variation of it (especially in the middle sections). But I think the prominent part of the melody (e - A - f#) sticks out pretty well.I hope you enjoy it! It was always a little dream of me to submit my own remix to ocr but never really got to it. So I'm really glad now that I finally submitted one.

Your arrangement skills have been shaping up nicely since the last time I assessed any of your works! In all fairness, the source is only 80 seconds long, leaving room for interpretation aplenty. Indeed, it starts with a conservative take. Then at 1:01, you suddenly threw in an aggressive variation on the source's more somber E section, letting the loop then resume 15 seconds later. Following its conclusion at 1:39, it returned to an exploration of the C section along with a rad solo that trails between improvized writing and melody exploration. The E section's aggressive take returned at 2:04, with that same melody getting used for the big finisher and layered vocal finish. Indeed, the complexity is getting up there with your guitar skills - so I consider it a fun ride. Yet, the arrangement isn't without its faults. Firstly, the 2:04 section is identical to that at 1:01, so at least some subtle variation in rhythm guitar performance or drum writing could've helped. Thankfully, you did just that at 2:18 with the faster strums and the double kick pedal use, so that makes the blip feel minor in comparison. However, for all E section applications in the key of A minor, the first note at the fourth bar's start doesn't mesh with your modified chord structure well. Said pitch is an F#, just like in the section's scale in the source material, but it badly clashes with your chosen chord of F major. Reworking either your lead or backing can fix this, and I'm afraid you may need to ask Psamathes again to re-record the appropriate harmony for the ending as well. The recording quality of the guitars and vocals are top-notch, and the guitar tone itself is as brutal as I'd like to see in an arrangement like this - good stuff. The mixdown is okay, but it does feel very bass-heavy - as if there are too many sub frequencies going on. It's fair to roll a pinch of that off the bass guitar so the rest of the mix can breathe more. I had to think about the drum kit, though - I'm able to hear the parts, but the snare, in particular, isn't cutting through very well, with only snaps being audible. See if you can find where the fundamental tone is for your snare in terms of EQ and make some instrument cuts to let it pack more of a punch. I like the track for the most part, but those sour notes need to get addressed first and foremost before posting. While not as problematic in comparison, the stuffy mixing is also worth checking out, especially when getting the best out of your snare and taming your bass. Jean-Marc, I hope you still have your project file because this is an idea I'd like to get behind if you can refine it. NO (resubmit)

Contact Information Your ReMixer name: Almighty_Arceus Your real name: Jordan Wynne Your email address: Your website: www.youtube.com/c/AlmightyArceus Your userid: 33542 Submission Information Name of game(s) arranged: Pokemon Diamond/Pearl/Platinum Name of arrangement: "EEVEE used Swift!" Name of individual song(s) arranged: Route 209 Theme Link to the original soundtrack: Hey OCRemix, it's been a while! I'm coming at you with what i call a lo-fi "complexhop" remix of the classic Route 209 theme from Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum. This ReMix borrows a lot of its EQing from lo-fi techniques, giving it a worn and vintage feel, which leans into the classic/nostalgic feeling this theme evokes. However, by tempo and feel, it is much more rapid and active than a typical lo-fi piece, and contributing to that in no small part is the fact that I arranged this piece in 5/8 time. This is how I arrive at the word "complexhop," but call it what you like, I'm not too keen to genres and I'm not so picky, so long as you enjoy what you're hearing This piece should impart a sense of majesty and nostalgia, but also energy and joy. Like a breeze in a way. I find the worn wash effect on some of the instruments, particularly the sampled chimes around 1:13 in, adds to this idea of a breeze, guiding you along on your excited journey as a Sinnoh Pokémon trainer. The chimes sway in this 7/8 breeze, and the drums keep you moving along (and with a little bit of punch!) Since I last submitted a piece to OCRemix, I feel like I have developed a lot as an artist. I feel like I have been developing a style of my own, and it's all thanks to the growth that the remixing community has brought to me. I'm hoping that this piece shows how far I've come as a ReMixer, incorporating some of my signature passions (odd time signatures) with my experience I have gained over the years. Hope you enjoy!

I've been going back and forth on this one for the past few weeks - and that's because when the track works, it really shows. The arrangement opens with Dark Star's A section melody on top of Prophecy's A section chord section, then goes through Prophecy straight following that, time signature swap and all. It then follows on with going back to the intermingling idea, back to Prophecy's A section at 2:06, an original tin whistle/melodica solo section at 2:32 that eventually adds that neat "Angel's Fear" cameo, the return to Prophecy's B section and a close-out with the intro's intermingling idea. So on paper, you've got a satisfying structure to go through from start to finish. Yet, the more I listened to it, the more unsure I felt over some of these repeated ideas. The first sign of it pops up with the 0:20 section appearing again at 1:26, but luckily the drum writing between the two variations is entirely different, and we can't go wrong with blast beats. However, 2:06 completely re-treaded the same section at 1:01, as did 3:10 repeating 0:39 but with a modified fill at the end, plus 3:31 also repeating 1:01 but with a modified blast beat finisher. That's over a minute of straight-up recycling, and a second-half like this one could've benefitted more from any different kind of backing changes to make them stand out from what happened before. The drum fills are a start, but even just changing the bass and rhythm guitars' rhythms can make a huge difference, and what you did before with the drum variance for 0:20 and 1:26 can also apply there. Now, the mixdown is an interesting case. It's on the bright side, but nothing's competing with another part, which is impressive considering your folk-based additions here. It's also clear you wanted to push for an audio direction similar to Eluveitie as Wes brought up - but the tin whistle is going for dominance above all the other instruments. I can understand why this is the case as a lead instrument, but the signal is too high, and it shows both on listening and on visualizers as well. Kris did a great job with the screengrab and showing how it pokes out of the mix, so any way to tame it and keep it in line - whether it be a re-EQ or a doubling up with another part - could help out here. I'm also not a fan of the melodica's tone, but it's one of those instruments you can't express naturally anyway, and it's got a modest amount of flange to make it sound the best it can in the mix. Ultimately, the tin whistle's peaks are problematic on the presentation side, while minimal variation is an issue for the arrangement. I don't think this is ready for the front page yet, but it is a cool idea that I hope you still have the project file around. If you do, it'll be great to hear a version that sits the whistle better in the mix and distinguishes the repeat sections in the second half. Good luck with the rest of the vote! NO (resubmit)

As usual, Rebecca, you've picked some lovely sounding instrumentation with more of an emphasis on percussion than anything else - something that brings out your raw strength when humanizing those parts. I'm not a fan of the sound of your violin VST, but on the plus side, you've given it some volume shaping, so it feels a lot better programmed than what I usually hear from you. There's no part bleeding into another one, which makes a lot of sense with the minimalist audio setup - but I'm with Joel regarding the quiet master. It peaks at -3.5dB during the intro and then doesn't even go above -6dB since. The delicate instrumentation does justify the volume levels here, but it's also one I'd prefer some normalization for at least. The writing has a pleasant framework to it - a steady intro into some motif development with variations. Yet, this source doesn't have a lot to work with - the slow fade intro, the four notes of bass, four bars of the same harp pattern, and some string harmonies. So it made sense to cover the source straight for the first 35 seconds, complete with graceful slowdown throughout to prepare for any transformation happening. However, what I heard after that wasn't so much transformation, but more like entirely original content. I went through the track so many times, trying to find any instrument phrase that sounded anything like any of the source components that I mentioned - but ultimately, I found nothing at worst and too many liberties taken at best. Rebecca, you've handled short sources before, so I'm sure you can find spots throughout your arrangement to make BGM use much clearer. It's a pretty track in a vacuum, shaped and produced well to capture that idea of floating petals in the wind. But I can't pass it if I don't hear enough overt source material. Maybe my fellow judges could prove me wrong with their breakdowns, but for now, I can't see this on the site unless the BGM quota gets addressed. You've got this. NO (resubmit)

What a chill groove you put together - with genre authenticity worth relaxing by. It gave a favorable first impression with some modified notation on the A section and most of the track having textural variations shaping around that same part. The B section doesn't arrive until 2:18, and even then, it looped twice in building textures to go back into the main beat. So while I appreciate the ideas you've got going, this track has a couple of substantial autopilot issues. Firstly, the A section's melody notation got repeated throughout the track, outside of the B section break. See if you can go through the other uses of the source and find ways to vary it - whether it can be with new harmonies, revised note rhythms, or even changing up the chord modulations every once in a while. Secondly, the groove you established at 0:28 got repeated straight twice more (1:50, 2:45) - and while it's possible to go in that direction, just tweaking the textures or drum beat between them can be more than enough to make them feel more distinct from each other. The mixdown is decent - nothing clashing with another part, save the leads needing to be a pinch louder as they're carrying most of the source use. The sound palette feels quirky to me - you've got a mixture of dry organic tones with some wetter leads and backing parts. Unfortunately, those dry instruments stick out like a sore thumb, and even more so when panned heavily in one direction like your Tamborine on the right and the B section's string patch to the left. A touch of reverb across your pitched percussion, in particular, could de-expose them. And as Joel brought up, either that opening harpsichord at 0:25 isn't on the beat, or you've got a delay ping louder than the primary signal. See if you can get that fixed as well. Considering this is your first sub, George, you've got some sweet ideas with the RnB direction and initial source presentation. But with autopilot issues and exposure of your more organic parts, it's a tough sell, unfortunately. I'd like to hear another version with added melody and textural variations, as well as a remedy for the fakeness flaws on your sound palette. Whatever you do next, keep at it. NO

This track gave me a fantastic first impression! You turned the source into a waltz, the sound design is unique, and the altered chord modulations allowed the melody to sit comfortably over the top. All this stayed true on repeated listens, with various leads and articulations keeping the motif iterations refreshing despite sharing identical notation, plus that dramatic choir and brass interchange from 1:08 being a great segue between run-throughs. I'm also with Kris regarding the tame finisher compared to all the drama the rest of the mix had, but I can't let that influence my feelings elsewhere. Indeed, I still like your ethnic approach to the sound design with your choice of percussion and wind instrumentation. The humanization on those parts feels organic, as does your variety of articulations across all instruments at any one time. Yet, the strings' attacks feel stagnant and not realized as much as other parts, and some volume shaping on your legato notation on those same strings and woodwinds can also help give them more of an edge. This mix does feel muddy when the full ensemble kicks in, but in quieter sections, everything feels so much clearer to take in. And as touched upon, the mixdown hardly ever goes above -3dB, which is strange on a track written for dynamic emphasis. While a general cleanup would be okay, I am also aware that the sheer ambition behind the arrangement outweighs all the cons put together. Kris may think that there'd be a handful of NO votes based on the track's production, and she isn't wrong about the weaknesses on board. But when the interpretation and part-writing are this good, along with a coherent effort on articulations, I feel the track can get posted as it is. Whatever you learn from this process, Adam, see if you can apply it to future projects - because this is still one impressive debut! YES

Frankly, I wasn't too impressed with the first minute - it sounded more like a sound upgrade of the source itself. But as the pads and drum writing kicked up during the B section, that got me more than set to see everything else in play. You got the high-passed Azalea Town cameo at 1:00, the second variation with the smooth vocals and rad guitar solo, the build at 2:04 leading into the Pokémon theme shoutout, and the segue into Azalea going on top of the B section at 2:52 to close things out. I admit I didn't hear the National Park BGM, as you mentioned in your email, but that doesn't matter when all your run-throughs of the theme sections are so distinct it kept me engaged throughout. Fun stuff! The choice of sound palette is also very charming - starts with dry percussion and synths, then evolves with richer textures, significant guitar/keyboard articulations, and attention to fun effects when necessary. The live vocals have a pristine recording quality, as do the guitars, and no part is interfering with another in the mixdown. Nevertheless, having the maximum peaks at -1.2dB with this pumping intensity is a considerable risk when aiming for loudness, especially when artificially sustaining the crash cymbals and giving them an unnatural swell. If loudness is indeed what you're aiming for, then it'll be nice if you can weaken any compressors in your master chain for the next set of projects you export, as well as bringing the peaks much closer to the ceiling. As a result, you provided a cheerful and lively arrangement that never outstays its welcome, along with such bouncy production values with some swagger despite the sausage presentation. Remember to keep a close eye on your master chain for whatever you do next, but otherwise, consider this a powerful debut! YES

There's something about this particular source and short arrangements. It's somehow a working formula, and this track is no different. The interpretation of the theme is incredible - you've kept the bell backing as it is but brought everything else into half-time, and that just made it evolve into a more cinematic character. The build into the soprano at 1:21 served as a great climax, keeping the familiar arpeggio and B section's chord structure while letting the articulations move the pace along. Like Kris and Joel, I would've wanted another minute with particularly an exploration of the C section, which went unused otherwise - but the handling of the source here is still more than enough. Regarding the mixdown, barely anything sticks out and blends into anything else, and your articulations, reverb and delay have been used to significant effect in bringing out the instruments' strengths. Said parts are some lovely sounding samples for the most part, with a generous layering of ensemble patches for your backing textures. Though, just like Kris, the trumpet patch at 0:26 doesn't sound as convincing as the rest of the ensemble and could've had some extra layers itself - yet, it got used briefly enough not to impact the full scope. Ultimately, the track does its job in bringing a brief yet well-polished arrangement that would fit right at home on the silver screen. If this is your first sub, Ly, then I'm more than curious to know how you'd follow it up - excellent job! YES

Hello, I would like to submit my remix of the "Theme of Love" from Final Fantasy IV. Contact Information Remixer Name: George Shepherd Real Name: George Shepherd Email Address: Website: www.youtube.com/user/SuperBuckleMan Submission Information Game: Final Fantasy IV Arrangement Name: "Can't Get Over You" Song Being Arranged: "Theme of Love" Original Composer: Nobuo Uematsu