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

[DarkeSword 🎮]

Or, you know, we could just pick the ones we want, which is pretty much what we did, and it all turned out fine.

[Palpable]

Definitely would love to see OCR shout out some Palpable mixes when they do these articles.

[DragonAvenger]

Definitely would love to see OCR shout out some DragonAvenger mixes when they do these articles.

Fixed it for you

[Brandon Strader]

Would love to see some new Palpable and DragonAvenger mixes. Maybe you 2 could collab?

[Magnetic Ether]

Say the basis of a remix is based on a single source, but it includes a guitar solo which contains bits from other sources. Would I need to include the additional sources under "Name of individual song(s) arranged", or could I just mention them in the comments section?

I'm asking because in my case these sources do not contribute to the overall structure of the mix and it would feel strange to me to have them link to the track when they only appear as references.

[Liontamer ⚖️]

Say the basis of a remix is based on a single source, but it includes a guitar solo which contains bits from other sources. Would I need to include the additional sources under "Name of individual song(s) arranged", or could I just mention them in the comments section?

I'm asking because in my case these sources do not contribute to the overall structure of the mix and it would feel strange to me to have them link to the track when they only appear as references.

You should mention them somewhere so that we know of all the VGM pieces used in the arrangement, even if it's just cameos for several themes. Cameos don't need to be right in the "Name of individual song(s) arranged", but include some mention of them in your general comments. Timestamps help too.

[Magnetic Ether]

Great, will do!

[Brandon Strader]

I submitted Legendary to the panel on May 17th, 2014 and you guys are almost up to it in the inbox so I was wondering if that sub is void and will be passed over? Or if I could sub something else in its place. I only have 1 song at the moment I could sub in for it if it's allowed, just thought I'd ask. !!

Not trying to tiptoe around the rules or anything, it's just an "empty" sub since it was already posted in a flood. My next sub after that was on June 27th which was more than 3 weeks between

I mean....... if you even need more brandon mixes!! right?

________________

Also on this post http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR03073 it's listing the composers as individual people rather than as the group (The National) in addition to other composers that didn't have a part in the song... that seems odd and was wondering if it could be fixed or simplified in some way? When the eventual Blind Guardian remix gets done how is it going to be credited? Maybe thinking too far ahead

Are the names just being pulled from a database or were they entered manually?

Edited February 2, 2015 by Brandon Strader

[Mirby]

Question: after the forum software switch, will we still need to wait 82862861387598131486 years for Larry to get around to adding new avatars?

[Liontamer ⚖️]

I submitted Legendary to the panel on May 17th, 2014 and you guys are almost up to it in the inbox so I was wondering if that sub is void and will be passed over? Or if I could sub something else in its place. I only have 1 song at the moment I could sub in for it if it's allowed, just thought I'd ask. !!

Not trying to tiptoe around the rules or anything, it's just an "empty" sub since it was already posted in a flood. My next sub after that was on June 27th which was more than 3 weeks between

I mean....... if you even need more brandon mixes!! right?

No need for replacements. If something gets picked for an album flood, that's the directors'/staff's call, but it doesn't mean there's replacement submissions; that just means what you sent was a direct post.

Also on this post http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR03073 it's listing the composers as individual people rather than as the group (The National) in addition to other composers that didn't have a part in the song... that seems odd and was wondering if it could be fixed or simplified in some way? When the eventual Blind Guardian remix gets done how is it going to be credited? Maybe thinking too far ahead

Are the names just being pulled from a database or were they entered manually?

Currently the site pulls all of a game's composers from the database no matter who composed the source tune of a mix, and we tag the mix the same way (all of a game's composers). If we can populate the database to handle all of the individual song credits, we may be able to get more specific, but that would definitely be a long-term project, i.e. it would take a lot of time to do.

Question: after the forum software switch, will we still need to wait 82862861387598131486 years for Larry to get around to adding new avatars?

We haven't had new submissions since '13, but we have plenty of avatars. That said, the current avatar set won't SURVIVE the move to Invision, so make your peace with these lil' guys not being there anymore.

[timaeus222]

If a source tune has vocals, and someone made a ReMix for OCR with the same lyrics, but a different melody and harmonies (but similar-sounding blend to the harmonies), would that still count as source usage? Specifically:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKye8frl9Qc - Original

https://app.box.com/s/d7wsat6dt4dlx8ul9yjzqij3xdh3vkd9 - ReMix

 

The original seems vocoded, and mine is vocoded.

[~Faseeh~]

Quick question, sorry if someone has asked this before. Asking because I recently did a resub. 

 

If some is doing a re-sub, are we supposed to explicitly state in like the subject of the email or something? 

 

And is there any changes in the judging process for a re-submission? 

 

Thanks haha. 

[Liontamer ⚖️]

Quick question, sorry if someone has asked this before. Asking because I recently did a resub.

If some is doing a re-sub, are we supposed to explicitly state in like the subject of the email or something?

And is there any changes in the judging process for a re-submission?

Thanks haha.

We're more likely to see it if you include "RESUB" or "resubmission" in the subject line or body of the email. The only change in the judging process is that resubmissions skip the waiting line and get placed on the panel as soon as we notice them, since they already had to go through the waiting time in the past.

If a source tune has vocals, and someone made a ReMix for OCR with the same lyrics, but a different melody and harmonies (but similar-sounding blend to the harmonies), would that still count as source usage? Specifically:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKye8frl9Qc - Original

https://app.box.com/s/d7wsat6dt4dlx8ul9yjzqij3xdh3vkd9 - ReMix

The original seems vocoded, and mine is vocoded.

To me, that's like saying "if a source tune prominently uses a flute, does using a flute in an arrangement with an unrelated melody count as source usage". To me, that definitely doesn't count. In your case, it's not about just using vocals with similar effects, it's about how much of the arrangement directly arranges the writing of the source. I wouldn't give you credit for mimicking the style of a track. I would for arranging the theme.

[Nabeel Ansari]

1) Will submissions and the remix judging/posting queues ever be moved to a live database driven application with forms and appropriate functionality (like storing judge decisions, keeping live statistics of the judge decision types like YES vs. resub vs. NO, custom functions for DJP/Larry like overrides, maybe) rather than driven by email inboxes and forum decision threads/lists?

 

2) If so, when can we expect the shift?

 

3) If so, will the dev(s) make sure to put in a notification system for telling people their remix has been judged and also for when they're posted or need revisions? I think not being told about judge decisions is a really big problem. It requires people to follow the judge threads everyday, and since the queue is almost a year behind right now, people are very likely to forget.

 

 

To me, that's like saying "if a source tune prominently uses a flute, does using a flute in an arrangement with an unrelated melody count as source usage". To me, that definitely doesn't count. In your case, it's not about just using vocals with similar effects, it's about how much of the arrangement directly arranges the writing of the source. I wouldn't give you credit for mimicking the style of a track. I would for arranging the theme.

 

I'm all for giving higher musical precedence to musical writing than verbal writing, but this seems kind of wrong to me. If a ReMix uses the same lyrics, that should count as source usage. It's NOT the same at all as comparing it to a flute, since the flute doesn't have the unique range of inflections and words the human voice has. If something is using the same lyrics with a different melody, it is the same song, just a different piece of music under it. It is recognizable, and a direct tie to the source.

[Liontamer ⚖️]

1) Will submissions and the remix judging/posting queues ever be moved to a live database driven application with forms and appropriate functionality (like storing judge decisions, keeping live statistics of the judge decision types like YES vs. resub vs. NO, custom functions for DJP/Larry like overrides, maybe) rather than driven by email inboxes and forum decision threads/lists?

 

2) If so, when can we expect the shift?

 

3) If so, will the dev(s) make sure to put in a notification system for telling people their remix has been judged and also for when they're posted or need revisions? I think not being told about judge decisions is a really big problem. It requires people to follow the judge threads everyday, and since the queue is almost a year behind right now, people are very likely to forget.

 

1) S'lot of work, but that's the intention. Less so the live stats (at least initially), more the automated aspects of submitting a track.

 

2) No time soon. It could be years from now. djp can speak to it with some actual detail, but we'd need someone who could code it.

 

3) I assume that would be part of it, even if not at first.

[Brandon Strader]

Why didn't Larry finish the Follin album? Can we assign a new director to it? And to ff5 too! Like they did with Vroom and some of the others

 

Also can we redo albums? Like take the old 1 down and make a new one?

[Draconiator]

Did the mix in question here -

http://ocremix.org/community/topic/41927-no-final-fantasy-1-dawn-of-souls-chaos-temple-2014-djbny-club-rmx/

- sound like any of the other stuff on his Soundcloud?  GREAT call if so.  What I heard was EXTREMELY hot and overcompressed.  It has that one on there too.  and I agree with the muddiness, and well some of the synths are just..."boring"...and yep the repetitiveness in there.   And dat transition at 1:50...sounded like a rush job to the extreme.  

[Schtiffles]

I'm curious, because Soundcloud streams in extremely low quality (128kbps), and tends to crush the hell out of highs.

[Liontamer ⚖️]

Make the file downloadable, which solves the problem.

[Schtiffles]

Make the file downloadable, which solves the problem.

Sorry I thought the title was clear enough, I meant assuming both options are available. Is it the case that you'll always download when possible then?

[timaeus222]

If both are available, they should always download the file for the original fidelity.

[Schtiffles]

If both are available, they'll always download the file for the original fidelity.

Awesome, exactly what I was looking for, thank you very much

[Flexstyle]

If both are available, they'll always download the file for the original fidelity.

 

I like how the non-judge chimed in here with no basis for that claim.

 

Depends. I can usually get what I need out of the 128 kbps streamed file in order to judge a track, but if there's something going on where I think the quality would make a difference, of course I get the better MP3. Really, though, it doesn't always make a difference. If the arrangement isn't up to par or the mix is off by a certain amount, then the stream is all I need, and no point downloading anything.

[timaeus222]

I like how the non-judge chimed in here with no basis for that claim.

 

Depends. I can usually get what I need out of the 128 kbps streamed file in order to judge a track, but if there's something going on where I think the quality would make a difference, of course I get the better MP3. Really, though, it doesn't always make a difference. If the arrangement isn't up to par or the mix is off by a certain amount, then the stream is all I need, and no point downloading anything.

 

Well, if you're going to give a consistent judgment whenever the production is compromised AND is more significantly problematic than the arrangement, I just don't see why you would download some mixes but not others. I can see why sometimes it can be negligible, but that's what I would do, at least.

[Liontamer ⚖️]

I download any file whenever available. However, Flex is right that sometimes the stream itself is perfectly fine to make a decision. If I were to YES something off a stream, it would be conditional on getting an actual copy of the file, since we'd have to post an actual MP3. Nothing more to add.