Digital Coma

Gray is right, the flute doesn't sound shrill at all. It just sounds like a flute. Arrangement is indeed packed with subtlety and voicings; evolves very nicely with more texture than the original. The brass bleats sound misplaced. Ending doesn't cut off now, so YES

Parts of this reminded me of .mod songs in the way that its melody is structured, slowly moving from pattern to pattern. Intro's electric piano and strings sounds very awkward, especially the slight tempo change. A slowed progression is fine, but with such a flatline dynamic, there's no advantage of not using the energy and movement from the original. Introduce builds, swells, dips, stepmaster 2000's, etc. Percussion and bassline are dry, stiff, feel separated from the rest of the song, and mostly just repeat. They need to be improved so they can serve as a solid foundation for the song. With more attention to dynamics and pacing, this could be much better. NO

The volume levels have been lowered a little, but I don't see how that minor change makes this update with improved samples inferior. The artist obviously intends this samples update to replace the previous version, so if no one else had a problem with the samples to begin with, there's no reason why we should post the older version if this passes.

Well yeah ^^, since it's the original slowed down with a phaser

New sample is better, recording is cleaner, tone is warmer. But the problem of plunkiness still remains, courtesy of the stiff and occasionally spiked velocities on key notes. Thanks to the improved mixing, it's a little easier to ignore. My main problem with this work was and still is the original phrasings and voicings, which aren't too interesting; the arrangement is best when interpreting and improvising on the theme. But as a whole, the rearrangement is fine. Past these problems from last time, my borderline no has turned to a borderline YES

No, we can bitch all we want when you're taking such liberty to directly place any submission on the panel. Especially since this mix seems to get worse every time it's "resubmitted" - the same problems from before have now been joined with off-key and generally bad notes in the bell synth and flute leads. Though the mixing/production has improved, this arrangement still pales in comparison to the original composition. Time to drop this and work on something else. NO

PriZm just messaged me to let me know he just now uploaded a new version of his mix under the same link. Since he told me the changes were sample/mixing ones, I told him it wouldn't change any votes except for maybe one. [20:46] Digital Coma B: if you tell me what all you changed, i can make a note and everyone can update their votes [20:46] pk jive: mostly sounds... I didn't change anything in the structure [20:46] pk jive: I changed the horrible organ soundfont in the beginning, make the bass more present, changed the bass drum sound so it got more oomph [20:47] Digital Coma B: ok, so you didn't make any arrangement changes? [20:47] pk jive: well yes in the intro, I made some velocity changes and added some instruments, but the main idea remains Larry, redownload the mix and see if you still have the same complaints regarding the samples.

The small mixing changes made have no impact on the arrangement, so my vote stays the same.

Why would you make the intro so quiet? ROFL a tabla(ish) loop. This is excessively boring to listen to. I cannot imagine how it could not be boring to create. NO

Larry's right that only part of the original is used here. The arrangement of the quirky chromatic-like instrument is missing, for one; for two, well, the whole second half of the theme is missing. So this mix uses only a part of the theme to retain its chill atmosphere. The delayed violins are cool, although when they sustain, the sample just sounds strained. Percussion is pretty much the same as the original's minus the heavy snare. The synth flute does irritate me, probably because it sounds doubled and washed out. Bass and accompanying synths are cool. Main problem here is the repetition of the same passage throughout the entirety of the mix. After the flute B section, which is pretty weak anyway, we're back to the violins, and repeat. Cool chordage and chill, but the arrangement lacks. NO

GMriffic and percussion is annoying. I did like your leads and the soloing ending though. NO

That's nice, but where was the focus on the rest of the rearrangement? This isn't even an improvement over the original in sound quality, not to mention composition. Your new flute material is enjoyable, but the rest of the arrangement doesn't back it up. NO

I'll clarify: the melody adds nothing to the original theme, and is not constructed with the same complexity. The changes in the transcription of the melody are for the worse. Sure there's nothing INHERENTLY wrong with simplication, but there sure is when it's for its own sake and nothing more. As for the percussion, it's extremely subdued, follows along the music, and is occasionally not present. Something more than a simple beat could have really enlivened the song.

Just checked the original; way more melodically complex than this mix. I agree with zircon that the gating is excessive and becomes annoying. Percussion keeps time and nothing more. This certainly is more of an attempt at rearrangement than Fatty Acid's CT mix (well, that wasn't an attempt at rearrangement at all), but not only is the melody verbatim here, it's dumbed down, and the other elements here don't make up for it (static left-panned chip lead, repeating passages, etc). Once again Fatty Acid creates cool synth timbres, but I need the arrangement and composition to match. NO

I'm obviously in the minority, but I do think the time was simply filled up with original material.

I don't like delaying decisions for no reason, but I really don't think this mix should pass. I agree with the previous complaints everyone made while giving this a pass anyway; the arrangement is not just simplistic and safe - it's overly so. Loopy drums, ambience, and the original notes are all that is this mix. Development is zilch, expansion is limited to a repeating breakbeat. Maybe this would have worked if this was a minimalism piece with appreciable subtlety, but there's just nothing of substance here. I only see this as a gimmick mix of the original. NO

Does anyone happen to recognize a game song here? If not, NO OVERRIDE

This arrangement is very conservative and only varies significantly after the three minute mark. I really have no problem with the recording; sounds fine, just not very stereo. It's obviously improved since BogusRed's last submission. The performance is held back throughout the piece and her skill is only hinted at when the movement picks up; I say she's much better at flowing, constant pieces like Into The Golden Sunset than this restraining conservatism. Moreover, the arrangement is not nearly as good. NO

Keeping the same instrumentation, adding turntable percussion and bass, and changing Dazil to Dajil does not a rearrangement make. NO

So this is the original run through some string patches. NO OVERRIDE

Clipping and distortion all over... wow, all over. All over. For six minutes. Learn how to avoid this; until then, NO OVERRIDE

The trumpet sounds clicky, like the soundfont was recorded with distortion. Piano somehow overpowers everything. Brass throughout the mix is anemic and unnatural. What's natural is this interpretation of the theme, but you'll need more skill with mixing and composition before attempting it. NO

Lots of original material... too much material. I don't understand why single measure songs like these are chosen to be "rearranged"; at most, you can make a brief reference to the source and then fill the rest up with inspired shit. Creative expansion here, but somewhere after the synthage and guitar solo this stops being a "mix" and just becomes a tribute song. NO

Very empty song with zero accompaniment, only leads (atrocious synth guitar) and thin bass and drums and some harmony here and there. I'll stop listening before the distortion on the guitar causes my ears to suppurate. NO

Good synth timbres, tedious 4/4 beat, pure cover with a bad attempt at chiptune for a breakdown. NO