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The Evolution of OCR

Bahamut

By Bahamut,
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Bahamut Newbie

Bahamut

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So I've frequented OCR since 2002 - I know some of you have been here longer (Dave comes to mind of course).

I've been catching up on remixes from the past year and a half since I've fallen so behind on them, and I've been finding a lot of these songs quality. Contrasting them with most of the past stuff (when I went through them all a year or two ago), I find that the music posted on the site has progressed quite a lot. The production & arrangement prowess has increased dramatically - there's nothing like zircon's & sixto's Nuclear Flash pre-1000, and even perhaps even before that mix in its variety and intensity.

I'm not deriding ALL of the music from the past. I am however noting that I'm deriving quite a lot of enjoyment from the more recent stuff, in more deeper ways than much of the music from the past.

What are everyone's thoughts on this?

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Rozovian Apprentice

Rozovian

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Back in OA's review campaign, I got to hear a bunch of -1000 remixes that were great, some that were ok, and a bunch that I didn't dare review. While the 1000- tracks are technically better by far, a lot of the old ones have a charm that the newer ones rarely have. I've noticed ocr tends to piss off ppl, whether by means of sidebar or by rejecting their "awesome" remixes, which is such a shame since a lot of those people could have brought something fresh to ocr.

...not that stuff like The Shinra Shuffle and other recent tracks aren't fresh... Can someone say what I mean better?

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Mustin Newbie

Mustin

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...there's nothing like zircon's & sixto's Nuclear Flash pre-1000, and even perhaps even before that mix in its variety and intensity.

What are everyone's thoughts on this?

My thoughts are that this statement is very subjective and shows favouritism.

I do agree that the production quality has increased. It's a lot easier to say that one track is well-recorded as opposed to a different track. But that still doesn't necessarily make it a better track. Many albums have been recorded very poorly - with performance mistakes - and they are regarded as great albums of our time.

Just leave it at, "I've noticed that the music here is continually improving by the standards imposed by this site" before interjecting favouritism and opinions as facts.

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OceansAndrew Newbie

OceansAndrew

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I've listed to every track on the site multiple times, and it's my opinion that there is something excellent to be found in every 'era' of the site. Even looking on the front page now, there is almost as much variety as you'd see in a record store (if such things still existed). I think the production really increased around the 1000 mark overall, but arrangements can still be good or bad. Not to get into favorites or anything, butI probably have as many remixes i've downloaded to my playlist from the first thousand as I do the second thousand, and my favorite mix on the site wouldn't win any awards for production.

As for Team Gato, it's a classic that I loved so much, we made a track on the FF4 project album that is (hopefully regarded as) a loving tribute. Dale North and Mustin are even thanked in the liner notes. :-)

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Jam Stunna Newbie

Jam Stunna

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The way I see it, the bar has followed the progress of the "regulars", or something in that vein. The members that started out with a regular, healthy interest in music have grown up and gotten really good at what they do. There's a huge gap between the levels of skill now. Maybe that also shows through the mixes?

I was thinking this as well.

Also, technology has progressed. I'm no expert, but I don't think a song like "Cantata for Dancing" was even possible in the past.

That said, my favorite ReMix is from 2003, so I guess it is subjective in the end.

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HoboKa Rising Star

HoboKa

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My opinion? Current OCR music is striving too hard to be mainstream sounding; video game tracks are meant to be innovative and unique, yet we hear a lot of them being turned into cliche genres, with overly predictable progressions. Sure, OCR is getting better soundwise and so forth, but as the years pass the soul wanes. Moreover, I don't think I've enjoyed all that many oif the new tracks, except for the album projects...

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying this for my own sake (as I'm aware I'm still a nub) - I'm saying this for the other great tracks that get NO (resubmit) but then never get resubmitted because the artists are either burnt out, or too pissed off to attempt them again. A lot of good stuff gets rejected...a lot of it over asinine, over-done subjectivity. It's even lamer when we know that the head judge can't even compose, yet he has the audacity to critique other people - and his taste in music is a bit...well...tasteless. You guys know who I'm speaking of.

In fact, if Thasauce and VGmix were still kicking, I wouldn't even be lurking in these forums and I know that many others think the same way.

Hell...and I still wonder who hacked VGmix? Perhaps DJP had a vested interest in doing so...no?

Anyhoo...there's my 2 cents...ciao for now.

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DarkeSword Community Regular

DarkeSword

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Hell...and I still wonder who hacked VGmix? Perhaps DJP had a vested interest in doing so...no?

Wow. Wow.

How dare you say something like that. Never mind the rest of your post which is absolutely soaking with bitterness, but to suggest that djpretzel and OCR had a vested interest in bringing down VGMix really takes the fucking cake. When VGMix was around, it complimented OCR so well, and a bunch of OCR STAFF MEMBERS released music there all the time. I was personally very disappointed when VGMix was taken offline. :\

What the hell is wrong with you? :?

You know what? Don't even bother answering.

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HoboKa Rising Star

HoboKa

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So it's ok for you to have the audacity to critique other people when you've also proven that you can't even compose? :roll:

You only answered one of my points and turned it against me, as if that somehow makes the rest of my argument void. Such a lame tactic; but I suppose that that's what hacks like you do, right?

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Mustin Newbie

Mustin

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The way I see it, the bar has followed the progress of the "regulars", or something in that vein. The members that started out with a regular, healthy interest in music have grown up and gotten really good at what they do. There's a huge gap between the levels of skill now. Maybe that also shows through the mixes?

Yeah, I like this statement because I know it's true for me. My first mix here was very primitive in the way of production, but I still get positive feedback from people who are just now hearing it for the first time NINE YEARS LATER. And it's definitely thanks to my peers here that I've grown and have become more polished as an artist.

I dunno. Something about that original post just irked me. And I don't mean any discredit to zircon or Sixto - zircon has pretty much set the bar in terms of productive polish, but I felt like the original post, though saying it was, was in fact bashing any track that came before it. That's not fair, and I don't think it was the poster's intention.

blah blah blah back to making drum 'n' bass

(and thanks for the "Team Gato" love. One day we're going to do 2.0 - we already have the script!)

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OceansAndrew Newbie

OceansAndrew

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You only answered one of my points and turned it against me, as if that somehow makes the rest of my argument void. Such a lame tactic; but I suppose that that's what hacks like you do, right?

The rest of your statement was either your opinion, and not something I was inclined to dispute; you having your opinion is fine by me, or it was so hilariously fucked up that I chose to do us both a favor and forget you even said it.

As for me being a hack, i'll be the first one to tell you that I need a lifetime of improvement.

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DarkeSword Community Regular

DarkeSword

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Should that have a question mark at the end? I've seen it both ways.

Hm. You're probably right; I'm not actually sure. While it's mostly rhetorical, technically it is a question. I'll change it.

Also, I'm excited for Team Gato: The Sequel.

EDIT: look it up. apparently different types of punctuation are all valid for rhetorical questions. changing it hack.

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cobaltstarfire Newbie

cobaltstarfire

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It's even lamer when we know that the head judge can't even compose

Uh...one does not have to have technical skill in something to be able to do a good job as judge, teacher, or giver of general feedback. Some of the most helpful and insightful stuff comes from those who enjoy the arts but do not create any themselves for whatever reason be it lack of skill or interest.

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Bahamut Newbie

Bahamut

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My thoughts are that this statement is very subjective and shows favouritism.

I do agree that the production quality has increased. It's a lot easier to say that one track is well-recorded as opposed to a different track. But that still doesn't necessarily make it a better track. Many albums have been recorded very poorly - with performance mistakes - and they are regarded as great albums of our time.

Just leave it at, "I've noticed that the music here is continually improving by the standards imposed by this site" before interjecting favouritism and opinions as facts.

I wasn't using that track as an example of that-track-is-better-than-all-older-tracks - you're missing my point. I was just noting a level of complexity that wasn't present in much of the earlier tracks. For an analogy on this specific point, there is a power metal band called Helloween - their later material became more complex, yet most regard their early material as quite better for the level of abstraction they brought.

I'm talking about the overall quality. There are a LOT of older tracks that aged really poorly - I don't see any charm in them whatsoever. I do agree that there are some entertaining tracks of various degrees in the past, but in numbers, I feel that most of the tracks now are quite listenable & enjoyable, but you cannot say that about most of the tracks in the past.

Also, LOL at Hoboka's post.

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