tweex

Finally. What I came to hear: Cello. Opening sounds good. Intonation is solid, which is always impressive. Sure enough, the chiptune lead makes it's appearance soon after. The drums, while groovy, start out a little more mellow than some of your other percussion tracks. It almost has a latin feel to it. The orchestral stabs in the middle are sex-ellent! Very Hans Zimmer. It sounds fantastic. The cello and lead synth playing in unison is pretty hawt. A little intonation issues in there, but it's not bad at all. The constant changes in dynamics keeps it moving and interesting. Excellent track mate. Looking forward to hearing future subs!

Very interesting intro. Very trippy, but it also had a very cool underground hiphop feel to it. The beat is hawt. Dirty south all the way. Likin' it. And there it is: the chiptune lead . The percussion in this is tight as hell. This is how you do FFVI right. Synths are classic Seb and they sound great. Production is, once again, crisp and nice. The breakdown was a good change in dynamic pace! It introduced some very jazzy/lounge elements before the big beat came back in. Man, when those drops drop full force, it's heavy as hell. Great work mate!

Very cool intro with the percolating drums. Very similar to the past tracks we've heard from Seb at this point. The man does love his chip tunage. It is a bit heavier than some of the other stuff, but it still has that groove that seems to be native to AeroZ. I love how it almost goes into a Franz Ferdinand beat in the middle. Very cool idea. The variation on the main theme from SMW was great. Excellent interpretation of it. Production value is crisp and clean like always. Cool ending. Very ambiguous. Love it.

And to their credit, they're doing that. By recording real instruments, spatially panning them, natural reverb, 3 mic positions, etc etc, a lot of it is done for you. But it STILL TAKES PRACTICE.

QFE I believe it's because of the advancement in technology that people have forgotten the age old truth: "It doesn't matter as much what samples you have, but rather, whether you know how to use and manipulate them." I'm going through this with my boss right now. He's NOT a programmer, and after hearing what I can do, he's convinced that if I give him my orchestral template, that he will magically be able to do whatever he wants and to have it sound as good. That's simply not the case. It takes time and energy to learn how the software works. However, when you do learn how it works, you can make the samples sing gloriously! Any decent programmer will tell you something similar, I guarantee it. It's important to keep that in mind!

Thant link is really really old . If you go to the Sounds Online website (who makes the software) you'll see the current pricing. In terms of the difference: Silver Complete 16-bit samples Single mic position Essential instruments Essential articulations 11GB Gold Complete Standard 16-bit samples Single mic position All instruments All articulations 33GB The biggest difference that you have are the samples. Silver only offers you a limited number of the samples they've created. Gold gives you every sample that they ever did for the library. The 2 main differences between Gold and Platinum is that Platinum gives you the chance to work with 3 mic positions (they recorded the samples with three different mic positions) where as Gold only gives you 1. The other thing is that Platinum offers you 24 bit samples as well as 16, which is a nice touch. I've also read/seen that Silver stretch sampled the instruments where as Gold sampled them chromatically. the newer versions of EWQLSO on the PLAY engine may have fixed Silver, but I don't know. Honestly, if you go for EWQLSO, save a little more and get the Gold bundle. That way you have access to everything instead of what Sounds Online thinks is "essential".

Not for EWQLSO gold or silver. Silver = $195 Gold = $495 Platinum = $895 Plat. Plus = $995

Well, like I said, it was a special promotion that they did for a month or two. At the end, it just went back to it's 60% off price (the regular) .

It was also the PLAY version. 2-4 months ago they had it.

Intro has Seb all over it . The chiptune synths with the pumpin drums are, as always fantastic. I especially like the time signature changes/syncopation. The production quality is top notch. It's got a great break-beat feel that really has me groovin'. The arrangement is wonderful and keeps the action moving. You really have a talent for that funky bass guitar sound. Just as rhythmic as a slap bas part without being slap bass. It acts almost as a counter melody line, but it's not intrusive at all. The dissonant breakdown section is also very unique to AeroZ's style. You certainly hear it in his previous mixes. Nice break down at the ending. Great work again!

AeroZ review: Very chilled sound! Love it. The "8-bit flare" is here full force from Seb! Sounds great. The phat drums are also AeroZ all over the place. Great drive and excellent punch. The jazz progression, while tepid's baby, works really well with the synthy sound here. The elements between tepid and AeroZ are seemless. This is a wonderful example of a collaboration that acts as though it's a track done by one person. Fantastic work all around!!!

Right out of the gate, this has very similar instrumentation to your first. Cool sound with the chip tune synths. Progression follows a similar feel to your first mix: a track that is driven by a chiptune synth and pumping drums. The breakdown is a nice dynamic shift. The dissonance is a good touch as well. While I do like the chiptune sound, I would love to hear another, non chiptune synth in there, but that's personal preference. Ending was a little abrupt but not a deal breaker at all!

AeroZ track number 1! Awesome intro right off the bat. Thd short popcorn synth sounds wonderful The rhythm of it really helps to drive the piece. The drums are particularly good. The change in time signature is especially good. Excellent production value. This sounds like a glorified chiptune, but at the same time, it still sounds really well produced. Not a midi rip at all. The bubbling/pulsating bass/synth sounds cool. It really gives the track the rhythmic pocket. Very cool. Excellent work on your first OCR mix!!

Also, while this is a good deal, Sounds Online has sold this bundle for $995 in the past during a special deal. Having seen that, I wouldn't pay the current price right now.

Fantastic videos so far. I'm pumped to see the rest!

NEW REMIXER AeroZ Final Thoughts: If you want catchy chiptune leads, groovin' beats, and the occasional cello cameo, then go no further. AeroZ is one of the best for taking the classic 8-bit sound and immersing it into a fully polished and produced sound. However, while production quality is great, it's the arrangement that really shines for all of Sebastian's work! His attention to dynamic shifts in his pieces is flawless and each track feels like it moves along naturally. AeroZ came into OCR with a good understanding of production techniques, so there is little "change" in comparison to most other remixers, which is a tremendous achievement in and of itself. Likewise, his arrangements were solid from the beginning, but after listening, I can certainly hear how he has matured as a composer and artist! However, the one "drawback" comes from the fact that his tracks do sound very similar: same concept of the 8bit lead with a lot of funky/jazzy elements. I would really like to see (and hear) Sebastian step outside of his comfort zone and try something out of his normal genre. Hell, it would be terrific to here him collab with someone who works in a very different style of music. Hard Rock and Orchestral are two that come to mind. However, his sound is solid, his production is great, his arrangements are glorious, and he plays the cello. What more can you really ask for! Great job from a man named AeroZ!

Danny Elfman strikes again.....er...Steffan Andrews strikes again! Once again, this mix is jsut another example of how Steffan has grown as a programmer, arranger, and composer in the 5 year hiatus he took from OCR. It is seriously night and day! The arrangement for JENOVA here is fantastic. The addition of the battle theme is a wonderful addition. Great work there. The production quality is fantastic. The programming is spot on! This could be straight out of an Elfman movie (MIB comes to mind first). The ending is wonderous. I agree, it is very Batman esque. Excellent work all around mate. Come back and give OCR more of this orchestral goodness. Steffan is truly becoming a master of his craft!

Steffan Andrews review: This is the first mix from Steffan in about 5 years. Production quality is superb. The growth that Steffan achieved in those 5 years is beyond amazing. It's almost as though it's a totally different person. It's no secret that Steffan has been a fan of Elfman over the years, and this piece definitely showcases that interest! The arrangement is phenomenal and the orchestral brilliant. The way the orchestra fades in with the chiptunes at the beginning is fantastic. I could gush over the orchestral parts in this piece all day, but I've gotta clam up before I never stop! Absolutely brilliant work!

Bagpipes. Sweetness. Very unique. And yes, as you said in your writeup, the track is very repetitive . The piercing sound of the pipes could have been toned down a little bit, but it's not terrible. The sounds/samples used, while dated by todays standards, aren't bad at all for the time (7 years ago!). The tuba was a nice addition. Gave it almost a polka feel that I liked. Wasn't a huge fan of the exposed snare and concert bass drum, but it wasn't a deal breaker. The Bagpipe drone was very well done. Not bad at all!

First off, this is worlds better than the first mix that Steffan sub'd. The piano sound quality is very crisp and full bodied. The performance is spot on. The arrangement is fantastic. I can hardly believe that this is one take, but I don't doubt it. There are some wrong notes in the piece, but the style of playing not only allows for them, but it almost encourages them and it gives the track a great feel. The dynamics in the piece are phenomenal. The changes in tempo are excellently performed. I suppose my one "complaint" comes from the length of the track itself. Being just shy of 8 mins, the solo piano, while very well played, becomes a little repetitive in nature. Not the arrangement, just the soundscape. The source is great, but 8 mins just feels a little too long for me. However, if 8 mins is what you needed to express yourself, far be it from me to say that's wrong!

The first track from Steffan Andrews. Having already heard his more recent stuff, I can already imagine how this will only imrpove. While, yes, the samples are old and out dated, I agree that there is a certain charm to the piece. It almost has a Rug Rats feel to it that's sweet and adorable. The fighting tempo is probably the hardest thing for me to get past, but again, for a first piece done almost 10 years ago, I can't be too harsh! On to the next!

Thanks dude and yeah, I've ended up doing a lot of these recently. The work all comes through the networking I've done with people in the industry. Network, network, network!!

Tweex Music Composes Original Music for US Airways Duty Free Commercial Tweex Music is back this week with a new addition to the Airline episodes. This time around, Tweex Music debuts its composition for US Airways. This piece is particularly special in that it uses a piece of music found on the Tweex Music debut album, Alter Ego. The track, “Finding the Pocket,” was selected for this run of duty free spots for US Airways. The original featured the expertise of Jon “JJT” Titterington on the clavichord. While the clav solo didn’t make it into the spot, it was still masterfully done and I highly recommend checking it out. This is the second track from the Alter Ego library to make an appearance in an airline duty free commercial with the first being the DELTA DUTY FREE COMMERCIAL that aired about a year ago. Alter Ego has seen some additional usage in some forthcoming airline projects, so be sure to keep your eyes out for that. Alter Ego has been on the market now for a little over a year and album sales are still rockin’ along. I recommend visiting the DISCOGRAPHY PAGE to listen to some samples from the album and then feel free to head over to the TWEEX MUSIC STORE to purchase your digital copy today. However, for those of you who enjoy the music coming from a physical CD, there are still a few (and we do mean a few) in stock over at CD BABY. With an album that covers all different genres in one CD, you are sure to find something you love. US Airways certainly did, so can you! As always, the US Airways spot can be found on the SFX DESIGN PAGE and be sure to check back soon as new updates and announcements are forthcoming! _________________________________________________________________________________ Watch US Airways Duty Free Spot

NEW REMIXER Steffan Andrews/Spekkosaurus Final Thoughts: If someone is looking to see how an artist can grow over time, go no further than Steffan Andrews. It's hard to believe that a guy who created a mix that had a hard time keeping a straight tempo is the same guy to brought us Black Wing Metamorphosis (and was the coordinator of the whole track, non the less). Steffan has gone from mediocre production artist to glorious orchestral arranger, programmer and composer. He is the bar that orchestral minded people, like myself, try to reach daily. Steffan's body of work has been almost all orchestrally based. The inclusion of different artists, and by association, different genres, is what I believe made BWM as popular as it was! Be sure to visit his site to hear some of his recent work as, I assure you, it has only gotten better. Steffan, we plead you to come back and give us another godly track! Excellent work from a man named Steffen Andrews!

Interesting intro mate. E. Guitar is new to the Trenthian sound. The performance is a little loose, but it's not bad. The drums come in the and the energy picks up and I'm grooving. Then the VOX. Now I'm very particular about my vox, so when I say that they sound pretty good, understand that that means a lot! The harmonies are simple, but they have a great pop sound to them. The doubling of your voice was a very good choice. It's a very common technique that a lot of people don't pick up on and it helps more than most people realize. The break down section with the more breakbeat drums really sounds cool. I like the flute lead with the chiptune counter. The bass finds that pocket and boy does it groove. The Santana style guitar sounds a lot better. The performance is much better here than the beginning. This track really gives a great "live" vibe. The VOX comes back in with the brass and playing the same thing. SOUNDS GREAT! This is simply fantastic! It reminds me of a track that I remember from the Miss Congeniality soundtrack. The outro is pretty cool with the harpsichord. Very cool concept all the way through.