Sir_NutS

I don't know if that is supposed to be an Open hat or a noise effect, but it is really annoying and piercing. The production here is not great, the performance of the instruments isn't very good, they sound very dull and lack character. The overall mix feels overly busy and jumbled, everything sounds too crazy and disorganized. There are some mixing issues, with some instruments having weird overtones or sub-frequencies that should be eq'd out, such as at 2:32 and 2:44. The arrangement is very messy, there are some cool arrangement ideas in the break but it all needs to be brought down to a cohesive structure. Take the other Js criticism to heart and try to improve, the WIP forums are a great start! NO

Jorito contacted me about offering a new version of this song, without prompt. Here's the new version he has provided: (removed) and he requested to use this one instead. I've listened to both submissions and this second version is slightly less boomy, though a bit less warm too. Elements are clearer, like the guitars, but the wubs are a bit subby in this version. In any case, @DragonAvenger and @Chimpazilla should give it a quick look to see if it's still ok for them. Anyways, As mentioned previously the low frequency balance is a bit off as it can get busy at times, but not so much to bring the mix down. I think the mix of different elements like the hard bass wubs and guitars worked very well, something I find it's not that easy to pull off. Sound design was interesting throughout, even though the mix could've been cleaner. The arrangement is where this song shines, as usual from Jorito, we get a very fun and creative arrangement that takes the original to new places. A very high-energy track that flows well and has some imaginative writing. Jorito hasn't been around for long, but I'm looking forward to hearing what he'll be able to do in the future when he manages to get his production on point, as I'm pleased with his progress with each new song. YES

Cool source! I have to agree with the other Js here, production is pretty good but arrangement and sound design is very very close to the source. There is more variation to the beat in your remix, with little rolls and flairs here and there, but it stays pretty constant for the most part. I'm sure this would be great with more of your own ideas weaved in, as it is a very nice source already. As it stands now, it needs to be taken further apart from the original so it stands out as a true remix. NO (resubmit)

I've been sitting on this one for a couple days, listening from time to time. It's not a bad remix, but this is the main issue. There's not letting down with this song, and the perpetual groove gets old after a while. A simple break at some point would've done wonders. The unchanged beat and sidechained groove are relentless and end up taking the mix down with it. I hate rejecting this because it would've been fine with less repetition and a change of pace somewhere, which isn't a hard fix, but I hope you take this in consideration so we can get a more dynamic arrangement from you. NO (resubmit)

The mix is very muffled, almost sounds like recorded secondhand off a speaker. The leads sound very thin and the absence of bass gives the song a lack of drive. The drums are pretty repetitive, but the song itself is very repetitive as well. There's some interpretation going around the main melody, with the chords in the background, but I feel like it's not enough for the 5 minute duration where the main melody repeats quite a few times. There's a cute atmosphere, on the positive side, and there were a couple sections where you tried your hand at creating a variation off the main melody, but I'm afraid it's not enough for a pass. NO

This is pretty cool, but I agree with Deia that it's not there yet and could be with some small fixes on the production side. The vocals are a bit rough sometimes, but my main problem with them is that they aren't upfront and clear enough. Sometimes they get lost in the guitars which could be fixed with some proper eqing but overall I think they just need to be mixed in better. The drums felt a bit thin, specially the snare, which could be a mixing problem as well. I liked the bass performance, very sadv2. The adaptation works very well, and the arrangement is solid. I would like to hear a revision regardless, and possibly more detail about the source usage. From what I hear I think it's enough though. Re-recording the vocals so they are less rocky would be appreciated as well. As mentioned above my main issue is the production, so I would like to hear a more polished version. NO (resubmit)

There are some production issues here, mostly regarding frequency balance in the mix. The highs are too prominent which makes the hats really sizzly and noise effects (and some synths such as the lead chords at 2:29) get very piercing. The ride cymbals at 3:19 are a good example of this, just too much high content, but also, not enough mids, which makes the other melodies seem drowned. Speaking of melodies, the references to the original theme are far in between, and mostly roaming the background, with the exception of the main section at 3:19 which is a variation of the main motif. The arrangement as mentioned previously is kinda sparse on source content. The structure of the mix is ok, with defined sections and good buildups, the main section felt powerful, and I didn't feel the song entered autopilot mode long enough to be noticeable. On arrangement grounds, this is fine, but the references to the source could be more prominent throughout. I think other judges may take an issue with this. Overall I think this is in the right direction but the production flaws are too prominent. I would like to hear an improved version if possible. NO (resubmit)

Not much to say here, solid mix, tons of personalty. Fusion jazz adaptation works well for all the sources. I liked the pacing changes throughout the song, specially towards the end. The fretless bass is playful and supports the arrangement well. Good blending of all the sources, easy pass. YES

Both js above me make good points that I agree with (with the exception of the "uh" sound, I didn't find it out of place). I think this one could go either way. For me, I think the arrangement trumps the production. Yes the soundscape can feel empty at times but I think this is a more "personal" sounding mix so it doesn't harm it that much. The violin is a bit thin sounding at some points but the player infused a good amount of expression in it to make it work for me. The arrangement is great of course. YES (borderline)

Right off the bat the mix here isn't very good. Drums seem very thin and the bass feels a bit dull. The leads are too upfront and dry, though I liked the one used at 1:15 a lot, fits the song more than the vowel-filtered one. The call and response around the middle of the song doesn't sound very natural to me, partly because of the dryness of the mix which makes the lead feel too separated, like they don't belong together. The drums lack punch and they feel on autopilot. The arrangement was nice and I think both sources were included well. The lead writing was good too, I only wish the production was up to par to support them. I think this needs a bump production-wise to get a pass. I would like to hear some expression applied to the leads though that's not a deal-breaker for me, but the unbalanced mix and dull drums and bass are. NO (resubmit)

I enjoyed this very much. Excellent atmosphere and pace, good selection of textures and handling of the performances. Mix levels are good, and you made sure not to let instruments get lost in the reverb and ambience which is something we get a lot in atmospheric tracks. Loved the subtle use of the staccato strings at 1:47, so often overdone but here they supplement the melodies finely. More often than not, I'm a stickler when it comes to conservative arrangements; however there are a lot of details around the main melody that are of your own creation. You decided to go for a similar feel as the original and keep the main motifs and build your interpretative elements around it, and I'm fine with that. I would've liked if you strayed a bit farther from the original structure, I think people often miss how much even the slightest changes in structure can add so much to an adaptation, and I think that would've been the case here, but I'm fine with what we got. Also sorry for your loss, I think your emotions come out transparently through this track. Nice work Avaris, happy to let this one through. YES

Hi, sorry but I'm gonna have to fold, too much on my plate atm.

I enjoyed this, specially since I played tons of pw64 back in the days, but this had a lot of missed potential. So I would say to YB to push the personalization a bit further next time. Nice work regardless.

This is one strange and unique remix. You could say it's rare. The structure of this remix is very odd. There's a fairly large intro before we even get to a verse, and the track feels very empty at times. There are odd tempo changes here and there which made me tilt my head to the side in curiosity. They were quirky and cute. The mix is ok, nothing glaringly bad, but it does feel dry and sterile for the most part. You won't find creative synthwork here, and there's not much modulation to speak of, that I noticed. The drums feel very basic, bordering on serviceable. I think the biggest offender regarding production was the usage of the same (or very similar) lead sound throughout. On the first couple of listens I was leaning towards a rejection here, but after several listens I think the song grew on me. There's a lot of creative arrangement work here, the artist was pretty cheeky in his approach to it. Although the lead sound is the same for the most part, it's used very creatively in the performance. The structure may take its time to get around to the good parts, but they hit with a good amount of energy when they arrive. I've been sitting on this one the whole day, and I think that the arrangement overpowers the very basic production values we find here. Whatever the other judges decide, I think you should work on taking your production skills up a notch so they complement your fun and personalized arrangements better. YES (borderline)

Excellent choice.

You don't want to know.... "The girl on top, Don't see why not, I like the girl on top!"

I disagree with Kris with the similarities of this remix and the original, they aren't in the same tempo and there are changes in the arrangement, a bit subtle but there are. As Kris mentioned it starts pretty conservative but it diverges from the original with its own (more noticeable) variations around 1:40. I do have to agree on the matter of instrument quality, specially on this section, the fakeness of the instruments is very exposed. I think this kind of adaptation would be very hard to pull off without a good library or a great knack for humanization and instrument processing. I think the arrangement, although close to the original, showed its own style and interpretation, but of course more would be very welcomed. The break at 2:10 was specially sweet. Overall a good idea but its being held back by production. Better humanization and processing of your instruments and you will be near our bar. More interpretation and it would be a yes more likely than not. For now though... NO (resubmit) EDIT: on further listening and with Kris' help I noticed that the mix is much closer to the original sources than I previously thought. Some of the sections are pretty much identical to the "Dummy!" source. My vote is still a no but I have to further emphazise the need for more interpretation .

In general the main issue with this song is humanization, although sample quality isn't the greatest and is certainly not helping much. There are other things to look at to better your craft as well. The mix here wasn't ideal, as it never feels as a full orchestra is playing your arrangement, but rather it feels as a collection of unrelated instruments. Giving your instruments their own space in the mix and making sure they sit well is something very important in these kind of adaptations. You should try to achieve a mental image of an orchestra playing your arrangement to the listener. Right now, your piano could be less upfront, and the instruments feel overly dry and separated, and the performances feel mechanical specially on the arpeggios and staccato melodies. The flute sample is the worst offender when it comes to quality in my opinion, and I think you'll be best served by switching it for a different one instead of trying to make it better via humanization/mix balancing. The other instruments could be made more fitting with more work put into these aspects, but I don't know to what lenght. Your arrangement is interpretative and flows well, although some of the busy parts felt a bit aimless, partly because of what Kris mentioned about instruments competing with each other to be the lead, but also the arrangement itself which clashed one instrument against another in a flurry of notes, though as I said this is something I found to happen in the busy sections, in the other, more relaxed parts, the dynamics flowed better. Overall this needs quite a bit of work, but I'll be glad to re-examine it if you feel inclined to take it to a higher level. NO (resubmit)

Yeah I remember this. These guys spent the whole competition rickrolling people. Not a big fan of some of the wubs, which felt a bit out of rhythm at several points, which is a symptom of songs that just throw them around to get "dem dubsteps for the kids" in. I also think they were too prevalent throughout the song and they got old after a while. I did like the use of vocoding to add some flavor and the synth soloing was great. The two themes were fused pretty well into a natural-sounding arrangement. I'm not feeling this one as much as I'd like to, because of the issues above, but I can't disagree that it's a solid offering. Definitely some creative usage of both melodies, which is what pleased me the most. YES

I think this song would lend itself to this kind of adaptation pretty easily, which is why I was let down by the execution here. As pointed out above, the performances are mechanical and articulations flat. In orchestral music dynamics are VERY important for the flow of the song and we don't really get any of that here. I think your mind is on the right place when it occured to you to try this adaptation but there is work to be done to make everything flow well. The arrangement is not overly interpretative and I wish you would've taken more liberties with the source material and structure. We'll need to hear a better humanized version of your submission first, but I would recommend exploring the theme a bit further. NO

Showroom Dummies is a Kraftwerk song, Kraftwerk is my favorite electronic music group of all time, and I'm a huge geek about them. They have been a huge influence in my music and srd's style was pretty much Kraftwerk derived at the start. The founders and original members of Kraftwerk were Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider.

Yeah, SRD was an alias I used for a while to try different styles without people telling me to "go back to trance". It got a little out of hand after a while, and when I joined the staff I felt it was wrong to keep the ruse going any longer. Just in case anyone wonders, I didn't use SRD to circunvent PRC rules, I was participating regularly as both srd and sn, but I never selected a song for the other alias to remix if I won a round. I simply skipped the next round if I ever won. After a while, stuff I was doing as srd seeped into sn so it was really pointless since both were very close in style by the end. Sorry for the shenanigans, but srd did help me broaden my styles to the point where I'm not the trance guy anymore.

I'll probably give this a shot, I need to think about what songs could be interesting to remix.

This arrangement is really good. I enjoyed every bit of it. I have to agree that the choir and hapsichord samples weren't the greatest, but they aren't used quite as much or too prominently, with the exception of the hapsichord intro. Outside of the choir, the quality of the sampled elements wasn't too distracting for me. I think the mix isn't perfect either but it's definitely good enough. I was also fine with the drums, They could be a bit more powerful maybe, but for the arrangement they work well. The guitar and bass performances were on point and they shone in their own moments. They were well incorporated into the mix and I didn't feel much of a disconnect between the live and sampled parts. As Wes pointed out this arrangement is very ambitious, as it takes the source and expands it over 7 minutes and a half, but every minute was put to good use and there's no filler or wasted potential here in my opinion. The soloing with the violins, guitars and synths were great. The arrangement was well-paced with effective breaks and buildups to powerful sections. This remix is a very close approximation of how castlevania music sounded around the ps2 era, and that's a great thing. Overall I agree with the issues mentioned by the other Js but I think the amazing arrangement and live performances trump the sample shortcomings. YES

I think Deia offered some pretty good advice. It feels like there's way too much reverb in the track. I also think the piano felt very mechanical. The frequency levels are very unbalanced, there's a lot of mid-high content that is piercing, specially on the high notes, and a lot of content around 800 and 2.5k hz that should really be toned down. When the beat comes up, it's very boomy, and I don't think it's coming trough as clear as it should. Regarding the arrangement, it's very repetitive but there's some interpretation towards the end. I think the performance there isn't ideal either, and the soloing is hit and miss, with some parts feeling natural while others feeling a bit noodly. I agree that a different lead could perhaps help keep things fresh, and more natural writing for the solo section. The staccato strings near the break felt a bit dull as well, I think the strings work fine as texture when used in legato for this track, but the staccato section exposed the quality a bit more. For me the production needs to be leveled first, then look into the arrangement to make it a bit less repetitive and the performances more natural. NO