Pokémon GSC Game Corner ReMix

[AlmightyArceus]

Hello my fellow OCRemixing community! Here comes my GSC Game Corner Remix; they just keep getting better and better! You'll notice the tempo in this remix is much slower than the original; the purpose was to make it a bit more funky and catchy--to me, it just sounded cooler slower

Alright, so for this one, I need your help and critique especially, because I am having a hard time choosing the better sound for my mix; one synth pad is making all the difference. I have here two versions of the same remix (made by Garageband '11.)

The first remix was my original remix--as in, the way I originally created it, with an unadjusted Manori Stab Pad. Here the harmonies become a little bit less clear, but I feel that the intensity in this remix is amped by this certain adjustment--as in, it just sounds cooler to me.

The second remix is my altered remix--as in, the Manori Stab Pad has been adjusted for more clarity (though for a few parts I altered the decay to bring back the "intensity" where I really needed it--IE, the ending, arpeggios, etc) While clarity increases for a good portion of the mix, I feel like the intensity took a little bit of a hit there.

This is where you all come in. Please tell me which is better and why, what to fix, etc. This is one I really want to end up submitting the the OCRemix judging panel, and I really need some review to help me out. So I thank you all for your time; below, you will find the remixes

Source:

Original: http://www.box.net/shared/340159yv00 (More intensity)

Altered: http://www.box.net/shared/2f101uoc4q (More clarity)

[DaMonz]

First of all, let me suggest you set your thread to "Work-in-Progress". I think you'd better get at least a few comments before asking for Mod Review

You remix is pretty good and promising (I liked when one of your synths went crazy near 1:20), but there's still much work to be done in my opinion:

- The arrangement feels pretty mechanical. One of the things to do to fix that is to play around with each individual note's velocity and length in a riff or melody, which I strongly suggest (especially in your solos and bass line).

-There seems to be so much stuff happening in the lows. I think you should clear that a bit.

-I like your simple drum sounds. They lay down a pretty nice groove, but I think you should back them up a bit with something with more punch at some points (I'm thinking of 2:00 - 2:11 for example)

-Check out your levels, because I feel some stuff is too quiet for what it is (the solo at 1:20, for example)

-You should try panning your tracks. Experiment with that, and hear for yourself

This remix is pretty interesting. There's some sweet stuff happening in there, so keep it up!

EDIT: by the way, I think the second version's better

[Emunator]

Yeah, unfortunately, my honest opinion is that this needs quite a bit of work. It's not for nothing, but most of the synths are pretty basic and don't really capture me as a listener. DaMonz also hit the nail right on the head when he described the sequencing as "mechanical," cause it's noticeable on pretty much every instrument, particularly the bassline and leads. It's hard to get into a groove as-is.

In addition, I definitely feel like the mixing is a little lackluster regardless of which version you go with. Muddiness is a big problem, tone down on the reverb on various synths or consider using samples that have a bit more clarity to them from the start, so things like your bassline will not bleed as much. The drums on the other hand don't feel energetic enough, I don't know how much of this is the writing and how much is the mixing, but the drums definitely sound a little off to me.

That's not all I have to say about the mix, but I think trying to re-sequence the track so it has a bit more flow, as well as cleaning up the mixing so certain elements are leveled properly would be a great start for this. It's a great source tune and you did some cool stuff with it, so keep at this one!

[Level 99]

I'm sorry to say but I'm with Emu: I can't give any more feedback until after some steps are taken to fix things up. Resequence and focus on cleaning up the mix.