The Coop

It'll all go into my presidential campaign super pac. The Coop 2032! Make America WTF again!

I don't think it's so much how obtrusive the ads are, as it is that they're present on the remix videos in the first place. That seems to be the biggest contention. Plus, if neutrality was as important as you seem to be potentially suggesting, I can't see announcing it and discussing possible advertisements and ad styles providing any less or more neutrality than slipping it in and waiting to see the reaction. The people who are fine with it are still going to be fine with it. And those who are against it, will still hate it. Frankly, if anything, sneaking it in could stand a better chance at adversely affecting peoples' thoughts about doing it. But at least bringing it up first would have possibly avoided some of what's going on in this thread.

OCR has a history of sizeable changes being discussed to get the opinions of users and remixers. From the legalese form, to website changes/additions, many times the staff has touched base with the users. At times, the users even helped shape aspects of the changes as a result. The YouTube monetization however, was done with no discussion, using the remixes themselves. If it was important to seek our opinions and thoughts over the OCR submission agreement, I believe talking directly to patrons of the site (especially those with remixes on it) over monetizing the individual remix videos is a valid point to address.

Just to play Devil's Advocate for a moment, if a company were to start slapping copyright claims on OCR's YouTube channel, couldn't that then lead to issues with the site that's hosting the remixes that got flagged? You know, kind of point the lawyer dogs to OCR and raise questions? Anyway, I personally don't really care, to be honest. For all of the years I've been coming here, if my four old remixes help pay for the site's upkeep, that's fine. Just don't get me sued, OK? However, I can understand why others would get upset about suddenly having their remixes be directly attached to someone else's income, especially with the secretive manner in which it was done. That can rub some people the wrong way (as we've seen thus far in this thread) and I feel it should have been handled in a better, more open manner. I also want to say that I too see a difference in the "ads on the site" vs "ads in the remix video" methods of monetizing. One is on the paid-for site you're in the middle of using that has costs to cover, while the other is directly on the song someone else made that's being hosted for free outside of said site (unless I'm mistaken, OCR doesn't pay for their YouTube channel). That is a sizeable difference in my eyes when it comes to the source of the revenue, so I don't agree with the "they're the same" assessment others have put forth. All that said, if the OCR staff want to put ads on the versions of my remixes that OCR hosts, feel free. Helping out this site after some 14-plus years of being here is peachy. I just hope that future monetization changes will actually be discussed openly, rather than slipped in until someone catches it. Less drama that way... potentially.

Check your PMs, Touchstone.

Just wanted to say that I haven't forgotten about the website. I should have something at least semi-functional by this weekend. It'll be simple, but it'll work. Oh, and the cover is officially done now as well. Just need the title order/mixer names for the back.

This album is open to anyone, so if you want to do a remix from that game, go ahead.

Nope. You could do Rap, Rock, Country, Folk, Classical, Death Polka... whatever floats your boat.

Well, it's July 4, and the June 1 WIP deadline #1 came and went. Anyone have... well, anything? Anything at all?

Darkstalkers 4 and Einhander 2.

I know some folks will swear by Macs for video, graphical and audio work, but frankly, the days of Macs having a leg up in those areas are long gone in my opinion. There are many programs out there that will allow you to do the same work on a PC at the same speed. Sure, the Mac has a few Mac-only programs, but the PC has that aspect to it as well, along with many quality programs that work just fine on both (Sonar, Adobe products, etc.). Plus, you can usually get a powerful PC for less than a similar-specs Mac, so that could give you some cash to use toward other things (software, components, etc.). So yeah, I'd say unless you've got a hard on for some Mac-only program, get a PC and put the money you'd save toward something more useful than an Apple logo.

Thanks for the kind words, Nathaniel The piano is indeed a VST. I put a lot of time into making it expressive and ensuring that it was something two hands could actually play so it would feel more real. And while I don't want to give away the event in my novel that "Twilight March" was inspired by (it's a bit of an important plot point), I will say the the somber-ish mood of the song, its name, as well as its steady and methodical rhythm, should tell you that it's not about a happy, wanted stroll in a sun-lit park Actually, that song has a rather long history with me, but I won't bore you with the details. Again, thanks for the compliments.

Thanks, NutS. Both for the bumpage and the compliment

You're not going to build a wall along this thread's borders, are you?

Was digging through the forum and spotted this thread. With how inactive it's been for a good while, has the project gone the way of the Dodo?

Sooooooooo what's going on with this? Is it dead?

Don't let the lack of responses here get to you, MX. Lots of people try to point to something of theirs that ends up getting little, if any, attention on the OCR forums. Games, remixes, original music, articles, artwork, opinions, stories... it happens with all of them. Sure, it's nice to have someone go and pat you on the back for your accomplishment, but even in jest, comments like the above can come off sounding rather bitter and/or resentful. That said, hope your e-book sells well, MX. Especially as Halloween gets closer.

It took a few days, but CDBaby got the page for my CD done. Also, I should note that I made a typo in the original post. The CD's not $6, it's $5. With that, here's the link for anyone interested... http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/mtyankovich1

Over the years, I've written a fair number of original songs. Some got done, some got half-way finished, and others didn't get beyond even the first 15 seconds. But I kept making them, and going back at times to work on ones that I'd started, but never finished. Oddly enough, it was while I was working on a remix last year that had way too much original stuff to be a remix anymore (for Vampire Variations III) that I finally just said the hell with it, cancelled that remix so I could make it a wholly original song, and began listening to the done and unfinished tunes I'd made in the past. I began thinking about which ones I'd like to tackle in terms of updating and/or finishing, and wound up doing not only that, but writing several brand new songs that came to me as I was working. The end result, is "The Journey Vol.1." This is an album with music that was inspired by various parts of the novels I've been working on, covering moments that were happy, sad, and points in-between. The style of the music is basically classical or ensemble, with piano, orchestration, and even some chamber-esque music. I'm pretty proud of the end result, and can't wait to get going on Vol. 2 once I've given myself a little break (this was WAY bigger of a project than I thought it would be). You can find the album on both Bandcamp and CDBaby (link coming once it's live) for $5, with 11 main tracks and 2 bonus tracks. Here's the first single from it, "A Mother's Last Lullaby." https://soundcloud.com/dragonwolfdesign/a-mothers-last-lullaby With that, here's a link my Bandcamp page. Hope you guys enjoy the album https://dragonwolfdesign.bandcamp.com/album/the-journey-vol-1 http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/mtyankovich1

Well, you know the cover's basically done, so that's out of the way at least. I'd just need the song titles (with remixer names), the track order and any album credits to do up a back.

This is what it sounds like when Bobby Prince does Final Fantasy music.

This is pure opinion, based off of observations. So keep that in mind as you prep your flamethrowers... Metal and Rock are still doing just fine... outside of America. It's thriving with bands like Powerwolf, Orden Ogan, Accept, Edguy, Nightwish, and the many other bands that fall under various "power," "thrash," "symphonic," etc. monikers from other countries. The problem is, that in America, unless a given foreign band has been around for a good while, or comes to the U.S. a lot, many of those bands don't have the name recognition to carry them around in the U.S. and garner them attention (outside of labels like Napalm Records at least). Sure, there are bands like Iron Maiden, AD/DC and Accept that get noticed when they come to the U.S., but they don't really draw in droves of new fans. Instead, they get by mostly with those who have been listening to them for years (or decades). Now granted, we 'muricans have a few of our own Rock and Metal bands. Metallica, KISS, Megadeth, Van Halen, Anthrax, Rob Zombie, Alice Cooper and others who do well when they tour. But they're familiar names that draw in the same fans again and again, while slowly pulling in new ones. And though it may not seem like it, these bands are still inspiring people to join the Rock 'N Roll fray. YouTube's copious amount of young electric guitar players shows that the idea of being a rocker is still out there, but you have to remember that the term "rock star" isn't just about playing Rock or Metal. It's the idea of being on stage, in front of thousands of people that are watching you perform, hearing you sing/speak, and getting whatever message you're putting forth. And while there are new faces coming into the world of Rock and Metal, more faces seem to be headed into other genres to find that "rock star" life. There has to be a reason for this, right? A cause of some kind that's making certain genres more attractive to young musicians. Well, think about it. We live in a world of "I want it NOW!" People expect instant results, and want to put in as little effort as they can get away with. With that in mind, here's a quick question. What genres generally require you to be able to play an instrument? Country, Rock/Metal, Classical, Folk, and their ilk that involves guitars, drums, pianos, violins, flutes, various brass instruments, etc. What genres generally don't require this? Pop, Rap, the various slices of Electronica, etc., as what you write musically can be done electronically. It's become pretty easy to write out a few beats on a DAW, put some lyrics to them (or just go instrumental), and then put it out there. Yes, you still need a sense of timing, rhythm, rhyming, harmonies and so forth, but you don't have to know how to play a real-life keyboard, guitar, violin, drum set, or anything to create a complete song in that second group of genres. The sheer number of programs that are out there nowadays that allow this to be done is insane. As a result, that second group of genres I listed leave the proverbial door open more, so you've got more people trying to step through that door instead of trying to invest the time in learning to play an instrument that you have to hold and touch. I know what you're thinking, and yes, I know that sounds a touch mean and simplistic. But it's also the generalized truth. I'm a living example of it. I can't play any physical instrument to a degree that I'd be able to perform live on a stage, but that doesn't mean I don't have ideas, or the ability to look up what the limitations are on a given instrument so I can represent it more realistically. My remixes over the years show this growth, and my upcoming album will as well. I can't play live, but I can do research and compose, and that's where genres like Rap, Pop, R&B, Electronica and them are more open to people like me. Hell, piano and classical music (my main areas) are fast approaching the same openness now thanks to very realistic VSTs and sample sets, but they still have expected limits that need to be taken into consideration in terms of what the real instrument can and can't do. Pop, Rap, Electronica and them don't have that caveat. Is this a good thing? I don't know, to be honest. It could result in a huge flood of mediocrity and shit, with droves of forgettable, horrid albums and songs. But then again, being able to play an instrument live never stopped that from happening, did it? Lots of other bands came and went over the last 50 years alone that no one knows about, or even remembers these days (assuming anyone did back then). So yeah. To me, the "rock star" isn't going extinct, it's changing because the music industry, and what it takes to make music, is changing. We still have people wanting the so-called rock star life, but "rock star" isn't about Rock or Metal. Never was. It was just a term to attach to the idea of commanding an audience and getting lots of cash, which can be done in pretty much all genres. Elton John did it, so did Liberace, Kenny Rogers, The Pointer Sisters, and many others. But the older genres of Rock, Country, Classical, and those genres have steep learning curves that extend over many years thanks to their greater need to learn to play real instruments, where as Rap, Pop, R&B, Electronica and them have less intimidating learning curves that make people think it can be conquered in less time. So, given the "I want it NOW!" mentality and short attention spans that exist in the world today, more new artists are going that second group of genres. Some will make it because they have a real talent in them despite the lack of live playing skills, and others will fade away without being noticed because they're as generic and uninteresting as can be. Hopefully, I wont fall into the latter group Edit: Smoothed out a few thoughts.

Been a bad stretch for music. Lemmy, Bowie, and now Frey. RIP, Frey.

Considering the amount of Photoshopping most models go through (especially women with tit enlargement, leg lengthening and reshaping, figure reshaping, facial "enhancements," etc.), I think we passed that point a good while ago already in a way. No nude photos of yourself, please. I don't need those kind of ghosts in my PC.