Jump to content

ASK A JUDGE: While we're busy NOT voting - your questions, we want 'em


Liontamer
 Share

Recommended Posts

I know that it is impossible for you to speak for all of the OC Remixers, but do you think that anyone would create a remix from a game they have never played?

I have remixed but never played any of the following:

Xenogears

Radical Dreamers

Donkey Kong Country 2

I started remixing my favourite game songs, and after time it was so fun that I just like remixing anything :). Also I'm a project whore, I'll join anything.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can be bribed with Subway gift certificates, cookies, and baked ziti.

*takes down notes*

On a similar note to remixing games you've never played (which I'm doing more and more of); Does judging a mix from a game you've never played affect how things are judged? Like, does it make it much harder or easier?

I know when I know a song really well, hearing a mix that changes things unexpectedly might make me not enjoy it as much at first, for example.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd make a very poor judge. If I haven't played a game or never heard its soundtrack I'm not going to be interested in the mix. But if I do listen to it, and like it, I'm likely to check both the soundtrack and the game out. Though if I have played it and I think the remixer has mixed it "wrong", I will likely dislike the mix simply because it has a different baseline or plays the chords in the wrong key at some point. I wonder if the judges are affected like this and if they're aware that they are, if they are.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On a similar note to remixing games you've never played (which I'm doing more and more of); Does judging a mix from a game you've never played affect how things are judged? Like, does it make it much harder or easier?

It has less to do with having played a game, and more to do with general familiarity with the OST. I played World of Warcraft for thousands of hours but if you asked me about the OST I wouldn't remember most of the music. I haven't played Super Turrican ever but I know the main theme backwards and forwards. Familiarity with the source material makes judging MUCH easier, in general. Some mixes, where I don't know the source and it isn't particularly catchy, I've had to listen to the source 5-10 times to get it in my head, and then keep switching back to try to link up melodies/harmonies from the remix. It can be very frustrating.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On a similar note to remixing games you've never played (which I'm doing more and more of); Does judging a mix from a game you've never played affect how things are judged? Like, does it make it much harder or easier?

Makes it much easier for me, personally. I don't have to constantly compare the mix to the source; saves me about half the time I'd spend on a mix. :)!! Sometimes I feel I get a better appreciation for a mix if I'm very familiar with the original, but I try not to let that get in the way of judging.

Though if I have played it and I think the remixer has mixed it "wrong", I will likely dislike the mix simply because it has a different baseline or plays the chords in the wrong key at some point. I wonder if the judges are affected like this and if they're aware that they are, if they are.

If this has happened to me, I've not been aware of it (though my judge career is yet young heh). Changes like that have sounded off to me, but I'd like to think they've been changes that would have stuck out even if I wasn't familiar with the mix. More often I go the other way, where the changes are more pronounced given my familiarity and so that creativity is more noticeable.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Moved this over from the Dirt Devil reviews thread:

hmm, im curious about the whole concept of "direct post" function .. is there any way for a remixer to know about that? (unless like in zircon's case where he is in the Staff ;) )

No, there's no way unless they ask, but most people don't ask. Palpable made a great point earlier about providing direct contact on when panel decisions are made on submissions, and it's something I hope to develop with djp and the panel for my use once we thin down the queue more.

To other questions I haven't answered, I'll be getting to them down the line.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Say a song is in many games. As an example, I can only think of the main theme of final fantasy right now. How do you decide on which game that remix will be labeled under?

Whatever game the artist designates it as (as well as platform for a multiplatform release), that's the game the ReMix would most likely go under. If the artist gave no info on that, we pick the game it would go under, usually the first game the source tune was a part of.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is there anyway to get a remix on this sight without harming or improving the source material of the original composistion?

for example, say I wanted to remix the sky runner theme from earthbound, very catchy stuff, I really like this thing the way it is though, and I only use 2 eight-bar sections from the original composition, and build my way around it from there, without harming the quality that it once had, because it's just fine the way it is,

how would I do this without going against the standards and policy of the OC?

I would imagin it's much harder now, taking into consideration that new license thing...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is there anyway to get a remix on this sight without harming or improving the source material of the original composistion?

for example, say I wanted to remix the sky runner theme from earthbound, very catchy stuff, I really like this thing the way it is though, and I only use 2 eight-bar sections from the original composition, and build my way around it from there, without harming the quality that it once had, because it's just fine the way it is,

how would I do this without going against the standards and policy of the OC?

I would imagin it's much harder now, taking into consideration that new license thing...

I'm not a judge, but I'm thinking the answer would be a "mostly no" on that one.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What I'm saying is, I want to put the original "unmodified" melody, and mix it with a modified one, and have them play at different times in the song.

an example would be to put the unmodified version right at the end of the remix, so instead of generating a sense that "the song is lifting off", it's more like, "the song is leaving".

get the drift of what I'm trying to say?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I do. What if there were newly composed, arranged, and creative material, but some sample of the original piece was right in there? I know some mixers do use the original at the beginning or end of their mix like he indicated, but what about something basic that played throughout?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Why do you guys ask questions like these when the answers are right here?

http://www.ocremix.org/info/Submission_Standards_and_Instructions

I mean seriously, this thread is for asking questions of the judges, but come on:

4. Arrangement

2. The arrangement must be substantial and original.

  • Submissions must be different enough from the source material to clearly illustrate the contributions, modifications, and enhancements you have made. Acceptable arrangement often involves more than one of the following techniques:

  • Modifying the genre, chord progression, instrumentation, rhythms, dynamics, tempo, or overall composition of the source material
  • Adding original solos, transitions, harmonies, counter-melodies, lyrics, or vocals to the source material

I mean it's right there. Anything beyond that you can't really ask about; you just submit the piece and look at the decision.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, for one, this IS "Ask a judge." We've been invited to ask questions... don't tell us we shouldn't.

As for the rule you're pointing to, I'd argue that doesn't answer the question as specifically as would be best. It says it must be different enough to illustrate the contributions you have made. Well, we've already said there would be newly composed material. It's just that the original would be sampled. Technically, the newly composed material satisfies the condition you indicated. I definitely think it's not as cut and dry as you're making it out to be.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"Direct sampling" is pretty much only allowed in small quantities.

Taking the original game audio and simply adding drum loops or using an existing MIDI file and assigning new instruments does not qualify as substantial or original arrangement.

This combined with the rest of the guidelines should make that clear. We strongly discourage direct sampling for more than short portions of a piece. Even if there is original writing and arrangement around it, getting a piece passed that directly samples the source tune for extended periods of time is almost a surefire NO.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, for one, this IS "Ask a judge." We've been invited to ask questions... don't tell us we shouldn't.

I don't mind people asking questions; that's what this thread is for. But we do have a whole mess of articles written by judges and judge decisions for people to read as well all over this site. It doesn't hurt to read up on that stuff before asking basic questions like "Am I allowed to sample?" That is covered in the Guidelines, and to be honest, I don't think you interpreted Nicholestein's question accurately to begin with.

And I maintain that a question that's worded vaguely like the one Nicholestein asked cannot adequately be answered in this thread; it's a very generic question about a very specific idea. The best way to get an answer about that kind of submission is to just make the piece of music, submit it, and let us look at the mix itself and judge accordingly, rather than grasp at trying to describe a very specific type of conservative mixing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I guess this is more of a site maintenance question, but Liontamer keeps ignoring me, so bleh.

I noticed a while ago that Doom 'Purgatory' is encoded at 48kHz because my little Sony mp3 player wouldn't accept it so I've been wondering about that for a while, but I just today noticed in the submission rules that

Audio must be 44.1kHz Stereo.

Will there be a re-encoding of tracks like this to the lower whatever-you-call-it-rate or are we just leaving them as-is?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I guess this is more of a site maintenance question, but Liontamer keeps ignoring me, so bleh.

I'm not a machine. :lol: I'll go back to the other questions and answer 'em when I have the time.

I noticed a while ago that Doom 'Purgatory' is encoded at 48kHz because my little Sony mp3 player wouldn't accept it so I've been wondering about that for a while, but I just today noticed in the submission rules that

Will there be a re-encoding of tracks like this to the lower whatever-you-call-it-rate or are we just leaving them as-is?

Nah, anything posted before that rule went into effect will be kept as is, much like how we haven't asked for re-encodings of anything over 6MB.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...