so... how do you guys do it?

[atenza]

I mean, when you "remix" or "rendition" a song/theme. How do you begin,

you load the midi file and modify it or you base yourself on the track itself

and start from there. Anybody can tell me how, I wanna start too! thanks

[SenPi]

Magic

lol but seriously I have alot of different methods. When I'm randomly listening to songs, sometimes I will just add some stuff in my head and be all like "Oh man! This could be a cool remix", and depending on what I added thats usually where I start.

sometimes I'll start with a drum beat and see how it fits the source, or sometimes I'll start with my own rendition of the source and build up from there.

There is really no proper way to start, if you feel something, you just gotta do it. Dont remix for the sake of remixing. Like, dont just pick some random song and be like "I'm gonna remix this", because if you dont really feel it, then most of the time you'll get bored because you dont know what you wanna do, or you get stuck, etc.

If you really like a song, and can imagine some sort of remix for it, just do it.

Thats my 2 cents

[Gario]

It comes from 'Man, it would be better if they did this...', then try the idea out yourself, for me.

Listen to the music and ask yourself 'Wouldn't it be awesome if they did [fill in the blank] with this song?' and try it out. Sometimes it's the genre/style, sometimes it's something that's implied in the source but couldn't be filled out on the original hardware (this C64 or NES remixes, here), perhaps it's a reharmonization of the melody. Whatever it is, that's often the best place to start. New ideas will come as you work on it.

Like DJ SymBiotiX said below, if you don't feel it (eg the song is perfect as it is ) then don't remix it. If you feel it, don't hesitate.

How do you begin, you load the midi file and modify it or you base yourself on the track itself and start from there.

Personally I say stay away from midi ripping, if you can help it. Try to put the music down by ear (or base it off the track itself, as you said) - more often than not you'll put stuff that you didn't know you wanted to do in the music (which contributes to the personality of the remix). Personal preference, though; some people would fight me on this.

[SnappleMan]

The "man it would be better if they did this..." idea fails because 9 times out of 10 you can't write songs on "their" level. I just arrange songs I personally like, and try to do them as much justice as possible. And I try very hard to preserve the original feel of the song, and attempt to guess where the composer was trying to go with it.

As for the process itself. I just learn the song by listening to it and start recording the keyboards/bass/drums. Then I lay down guitars and start the mixing process.

[atenza]

Thanks guys for all your input so far! What is a music arranger?

I will try and see what I can do to get me started!

[Rozovian]

I got an idea for a rock/metal version of Song of Storms from Ocarina of Time just by playing guitar one day. I got some arrangement ideas for a remix of one of the Boss songs from Super Metroid from playing with time signatures. I have an F-Zero GX remix to be posted that was a test to see if I could make something using synths and only synths. My posted remix of F-Zero's Red Canyon was based on the source's bassline and developed from there into what it is now.

That's where some ideas have come from. A lot of time the source track draws you in one direction and your idea draws you in another, and the result is somewhere neither of them would go on their own. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. When it doesn't you just have to scratch that version and redo it... or just forget about it and make another song instead.

OCR has some guides and stuff... somewhere, and the net is full of getting started pages and how-to material. Do a bit of research into it. Ultimately, it's all about making music. Just because it has video game music themes in it doesn't mean it's any easier.

btw, some copy-paste stuff from the midi, some don't use the midi files at all. remixing isn't just taking a midi file, changing the instruments and adding drums.

[Yoozer]

I mean, when you "remix" or "rendition" a song/theme.

So you meant that if you put that in the topic title the question would've been "how do you remix".

Haha.

How do you begin

I pick a song I like. I listen to it carefully - MIDI files actually complicate things more for me. I then pick a style I'd like to hear it done in, or attempt to fix the shortcomings in the original (e.g. too repetetive, no effects to properly convey ambience), and out rolls the new version.

Remixing is after all just making music, no fairy dust involved.

Anybody can tell me how, I wanna start too! thanks

Don't ask, just go do it.

What's holding you back? You don't have instruments? You don't know what you need? Of course you do, there's a zillion sticky topics up there describing exactly what you need.

Why can't you? You lack the software? Again, see the stickies, go try stuff out, don't ask "what's the best x" because that doesn't exist. What you can get is something you can afford, and something that thinks the same way you do when you want to make music.

Ask the right questions in the right way - you'll get the right answers.

[Nekofrog]

I just take a song I like, start jamming to it, and let the creativity take over.

Sometimes it takes no time at all, and sometimes it takes forever.

[Groovemaster303]

If you really like a song, and can imagine some sort of remix for it, just do it.

Well said, thats exactly what I was going to say.

[Gario]

The "man it would be better if they did this..." idea fails because 9 times out of 10 you can't write songs on "their" level. I just arrange songs I personally like, and try to do them as much justice as possible. And I try very hard to preserve the original feel of the song, and attempt to guess where the composer was trying to go with it.

lol, I don't think writing on their level is ever my intention when arranging. If I wanted something to preserve the original feel I'd just listen to the original . Of course, this is a very subjective topic, so everyone's gonna have a different method of arranging (none of which will be better or worse).

Atenza, just do it - you'll find out 'how to do it' by just throwing yourself into the fray. I don't think we can help you with this topic much - we all have varying, different (and sometimes contradicting) opinions on the subject, so you'll really need to find your own method and stick with it.

Yoozer probably has the best advice on the subject...

Don't ask, just go do it.

[atenza]

Yes, thanks guys. In other words, I will just do it and then learn from my errors!

Haha. Anyway, I will try and remix some song and I will get back to you guys to

judge it. Thanks again for your input!

[Nubioso]

I'm working on my first remix now. I've never actually tried really remixing as a song as much as I've just had pieces of other songs that I've added on to.

For me, I chose a game I remembered liking, then just listened through the songs to find one that struck my ear. I really like songs with minor tonalities and dark tones overall so I usually lean towards those.

In the case of my zelda remix, I looked at the MIDI files and wanted to see what they were playing and then just changed arranging, edited the notes and/or replayed them how I wanted to. Replace simple basslines with more dynamic ones, take simple lead synths and turn them into sweet synthy solos in some places, find harmonies for the synths, etc..etc..etc...until you've taken something that could be considered a plain cake with no frosting and turned it into a 7 layer death by chocolate cake =P

There's still that same cake in there....it's just now covered with gooey delicious frosting and chocolate......7 layers of them......awww yeah.......::drool::......oh yeah, music!

[Brian]

Having some music theory helps so you don't second guess yourself when building chords. What's your fav genre?

[Geoffrey Taucer]

I never start with midis; I've always found that stifles my creativity.

I do everything from scratch, by ear. Sometimes my memory and my ear are accurate, sometimes they aren't. Most of my best ideas come from messing around and sometimes even from screwing up; for example I have a zelda's lullabye mix in the works that sounds, in my opinion, absolutely amazing, and it grew out of failed attempts to figure out the original chord progression. I couldn't figure out the chords for the original, but I found that with a few alterations to the melody I could use a simpler progression that not only sounded great, but fit just as well behind Illia's theme, allowing me to mash the two together into a single mix. So I took the idea and ran with it (or rather, am running with it)

[Cyril the Wolf]

I second that idea of not using the MIDI file. I'm working on a CT Battle 2 mix along with everything else I am in the process of remixing (aren't I fun?) and I just figured that out by jamming on my guitar with it. I really really screwed up the chord progression, after I did look at a midi, but it sounded good to me and so I think that'll be one part of the remix.

I also try as hard as I possibly can to not take parts from the songs themselves unless they are SUPER INTEGRAL. Like I couldn't imagine a final fantasy battle mix without that ever present bassline, if you know what I mean.

[rig1015]

First;

I find a melody or rhythm that moves me.

Learn the musical theory behind the song.

Load MIDI into DAW, or play melody if no MIDI files are available.

Change or remove controllers/patches/program changes (if any present in MIDI file).

Give each note a synth.

If drums fit I work them in.

Arrange layout.

Generate transition FX's (cymbal splashes).

Automate everything.

Listen to the track.

Listen to the track again.

Listen to the track one more time.

Bounce from DAW

Open in waveform editor (Sound Forge, Peak, Cool Edit).

Master using EQ and MultiBand Dynamic Compression.

Save as WAV uncompressed.

Save as MP3 with all tagged info & album pics.

Upload to interweb.

Have everyone tell you how much they hate it.

And that is where babi- err... songs come from.