*NO* Star Ocean 'For Achieve (Hardbeat Acolyte's Trance Mix)'

[Liontamer]

~Contact information

ReMixer name: Hardbeat Acolyte

Real name:

Email address:

Website: http://www.youtube.com/user/HardbeatAcolyte (this Youtube channel is where I 'officially' host my music in video, with MP3 links in all video descriptions)

User ID: 33769

~Submission information

Name of game(s) arranged: Star Ocean

Platform: SNES

Name of individual song(s) arranged: For Achieve

Name of remix: For Achieve (Hardbeat Acolyte's Trance Mix)

Link to remix: (click the "Download Track" button above "Mark as Favourite")

~Comments about this remix

Originally I made this remix under my old remixer name 'setokaibarocket' (I've applied for a merging of the two accounts, didn't notice the forums already featured an account renaming thread =/) for round 156 of the People's Remixing Competition (http://compo.thasauce.net/rounds/view/PRC156) under the remix title "Obligatory RPG Trance Mix". Not very original, was it? Well, at least this renaming of it is a ~slight~ improvement. xD

I'm feeling really tired right now, so I'm going to start off my description with a lazy copy & paste of my short description of it there:

"So I was sitting at my PC, wondering what on earth I should remix, and eventually chose this song since I've had it stuck in my head since I started playing this game a little while ago on advice of a friend. It's a cool RPG, and this is as much a tribute to the game itself as it is to the music."

I count this remix among my greatest musical accomplishments using FL Studio to date, as I think I did quite well producing a trance track with a smooth, polished and professional sound. All drums are samples I'm afraid - haven't really gotten the hang of good drum synthesis yet - though I think I made them fit in quite well with the overall composition. Supersaws were created with Synth1 (God bless that VST, lol), the offbeat bass and the lowpass-then-edgy electric piano-esque synth with 3xOsc, the accompaniment bass & the fluttery gated square synth with Novation V-Station, and the cool synth that sounds like that used by hardstyle producers Headhunterz in their track "Digiwave" (little other way for me to describe it, lol) and the filtered, gated noise effect with altered ReFX Vanguard presets (the former of which the Headhunterz track is in fact named after).

Looking in retrospect, a few weak points of the remix are that some would consider it too repetitive, with the intro and outro being simple buildups and breakdowns of energy, featuring little melody and chord progression. Though this is somewhat common in trance tracks, and often appreciated by people who personally consider themselves big fans of the genre, I can understand why this is not for everyone, even though this was somewhat intentional as I was producing the remix (an acquired taste, perhaps). Also, the V-Station accompaniment bass has a somewhat "plucky" overtone, most noticed from when it is played solo just after the beginning - however, although this is unintentional, because it is a "bass" sound, a bit of a plucky overtone probably doesn't harm the sound - perhaps it adds a certain degree of character (or perhaps I'm too optimistic about how it turned out, or perhaps I try too hard to sound like an audio connoisseur - interpret that as you wish =P)

Anyway, I hope you enjoy =)

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First off, though it has 0 bearing on the decision, the mix title needs some work. "Source Name (Artist's Genre Mix)"? Pff. That's not a real title, that's just something summarizing what it is. Even if you go the "Source Name (XYZ Mix)" route, spice it up with something unique.

http://ocremix.org/chip/6627 - "For Achieve"

You're certainly boom-tss'ing with the extended intro. I hope there's no claim that the intro is somehow derived from the first 4.5 seconds of the source, because that's definitely not an overt connection. I'm treating it as wholly original.

The source tune FINALLY came in at 1:46. The production is technically competent, but, arrangement-wise, there was nothing substantial beyond adapting the source for trance. Very paint-by-numbers. Also, the gated lead at 2:13 didn't sound melodious like the original, so there was a lot less clear direction to the piece.

3:35 ended with the extended original outro, basically mirroring the intro with a breakdown instead of a buildup. Just way too formulaic. And that's not inherently bad, it's just not coupled with a fully-developed and interpretive arrangement.

The source usage was from 1:46-3:35.5 or 1:49's worth of a 4:39-long track (39.25% source usage). Cut the fat from those intros and/or integrate the source material into them for a stronger connection to the game music to pull the source use over 50%. And do what you can to personalize the arrangement further, beyond the adaptation to trance. It was going in the right direction, but needs even more substance.

NO (resubmit)

[DragonAvenger]

The Larry dude has it here. The exended intro and outtro, while typical of the genre, really don't have any source, which is making what source there is feel almost like a cameo. I'd say either nix them or find a way to have the source in there. When the source does come in, it's got little interpretation to it, aside from the style genre. I'd like to hear you add some cool rhythms or effects to the source to give it an edge and add some new life to it.

I'd like to see you address these points and send it back to us. I like the source, and the idea you're going for, but right now it's too cookie-cutter. NO (resubmit)

[OceansAndrew]

I guess i'll repeast what Larry and Deia said, because it's easier, and also, they are correct. OCR needs teh radio edits with the cut intros and outros.

Production was fine, but really, the issue with the song as a whole is that it is too close to the original sandwiched between extended original intros and outros. I definitely enjoyed the track, but I think it needs a deeper level of interpretation before it can hit the front page. Sorry man

No