Mega Man: The Wily Castle Remix Gauntlet 2011

[Main Finger]

When and where will the round 1 results be posted?

[MindWanderer]

When and where will the round 1 results be posted?

Already have been. The roster now has the ranking results. For the vote totals you'll need that spreadsheet that I'm too lazy to link to right now.

I have more detailed thoughts upcoming, but I actually thought this round was better than the last. It's really hard to do something original with Wily 2-1, and I feel like most of you did admirably, considering.

[Gario]

When and where will the round 1 results be posted?

It's on the first post in a spreadsheet.

[Rexy]

Well, seeing that the big point send-offs are being sent to the top 3 in each round, I can be safe in the knowledge that if I face a crushing defeat in this round (which is more than likely ) then it won't damage the team too much.

But nevertheless, was a good start for Round 1

[Sir_NutS]

So, here are my comments on this round. Overall I found it a bit weaker than last one, but some really great tracks can be found here.

The Root of All Things: I enjoyed the mood and I almost placed it third but I found that it focused way too much on Wily and not much on Plant man which is a shame because I love the Plant man theme. I also thought that more could have been done with Wily but that's a problem I found in almost every track this round.

Wily's Inferno Again i found this track's issue is that not much is done with the wily theme, but at least it got plenty of Napalm, and I love the lead instrument in this song, totally rockin'. One of my favorites this round.

Attracted to Power This would have easily been a contender for first place but I don't have to vote for it so that's great. Anyways the arrangement is awesome, the squarewave goodness is everywhere and it's just a solid and enjoyable track, I loved it and it's another keeper for me, gj Gario.

Mr. X was Wily the WHOLE TIME The guitar was a bit grating and I found it a bit off-sounding at some spots. I didn't like this one much to be honest.

Smooth Heat Another song that suffers from the same "not much done with Wily" syndrome I found on this round. The transition to heat man could've been handled better as well.

Glacial Age Man you don't know how much I love Frost Man's theme, but this track lacked direction for me, it was a bit aimless at some spots. It sure sounded chilly and dark tho.

Light Your Way Good arrangement, I loved what was done with Flash Man. Not much to say other than I'm keeping this one.

Far from Home Wow, I was beaten at my own game. THIS WAS FANTASTIC. Seriously I don't see the point anymore in me going all retro on this competitions if you can put out stuff this authentic. LOVE IT. Absolutely. Let's have a child together and name him Bernard Peter EIGHTIESAREAWESOME.

Shadows of Wily Rock at last! I liked this one but it lacked the strenght that the first round rock tunes had for me. Still pretty enjoyable.

whatever.jpg Pretty chillin piano solo, maybe a bit too quiet, I was waiting for the energy to come at some point but I was left waiting. Probably the track that did more with the Wily theme tho.

No Ticket! Pretty enjoyable, I liked the effects, the changes, was debating a 3rd place for me. Sadly there can only be 3 so yeah.

[Main Finger]

Oh, I see. This one?

I got 7th :\ Better luck next time I guess.

It would be really nice if we could just get actual, easy to find rankings after each round. As soon as round 2 ends and the points end up being cumulative in that sheet, it's going to get increasingly hard to follow individual round rankings.

In all honesty I find the rankings much more interesting than the actual score system because, well, if you aren't in the top 3 you will just end up with a million tied teams which is kind of lame.

Edit:

From my conversation with fellow teammate Geoffio...

[1:29:02 AM] mainfinger: so basically

[1:29:18 AM] mainfinger: if i farted into the microphone for 3 solid minutes our score would be the same

[1:29:42 AM] geoffio: basically since getting in the top 3 isn't a possibility for our team... we're going to end this with 1 point for each time

[1:30:06 AM] geoffio: That really makes me feel like putting in a lot of effort

Ok, that's enough sourgrapes for now.

[Rexy]

I don't know, I actually seem to like it this way.

If there were point distributions going further down the list too, then that would mean way too much pressure being built just to try and fight for one of them. With this system, we can just relax and have fun with what we do, knowing that if you take part you're practically guaranteed 4th place no matter what you do.

And that to me is a much more uplifting take on the whole thing than seeing laments over low finishing positions

[Sir_NutS]

I, like Rexy, do like this method more. If you lose you won't get as far away from everyone and if your team does well in one round they get quite a boost of 5 or 3 points. I don't think there will be a team gettin all the first places every round so there won't be quite a disparity.

But don't worry too much about the points and just have fun, thats what I'm here for. And you will also get some really AWESOME music in such a short time, I mean stuff like Akumajo's mix, just worth it being here.

[Starphoenix]

Well, I AM a bit outclassed here. Really.

Expecting genius out of me is like expecting James Earl Jones to sing opera.

Oh well. Till next time.

Dude, I sat there and gave you an idea for a direction next time around. Try going jazzy. Or you could take inspiration from Megaman Battle Network 4.5, which is the same theme just arranged mind you, and take a cue from Searchman's theme in that game. You definitely have options just got to put your nose to the grindstone.

[Mirby]

Oooh nice suggestion of Real Operation! :3

Also, I enjoyed all this week's entries a lot ('cept Emunator's, but that's because he didn't have enough time or sumtin; also, too quiet).

The best part, though, was Akuma's little allusions to For You. :3

[SuperiorX]

Round 2 track impressions:

The Root of all Things: I really like what you did with the arrangement here Rexy. I think you blended the two themes together well and in a very interesting way. It's just a shame the samples/production weren't a bit better, otherwise this would've been a real standout track.

Wily's Inferno: Orchestral parts were pretty cool, really made the song sound pretty epic with the Wily theme and all. Once 0:54 kicked in I really started getting into the song. The lead synth sounds great and (I assume) Willrock's synth solo is absolutely rockin'. Very well done. Other than the solo though, I felt like the song stuck pretty close to the two original themes, I would've liked to see some more interpretation, but overall that didn't stop this track from getting my #2 vote.

Attracted to Power: Easily my favorite of the round, and thus my #1 vote. Gario I think you did a great job arranging the two themes and making them your own. I loved some of the interpretative segments of two very recognizable themes. Nice instrumentation too.

Mr. X was Wily THE WHOLE TIME: Fun track name. I liked the atmosphere of your piece, the organ, guitars, and whatnot, kind of made me think of Castlevania. Overall I felt the arrangement was a bit lacking and kind of stagnated as the song went on. But it was still a fun song nonetheless.

Smooth Heat: This was another track where I felt the arrangement stuck a little too close to the original themes. Some of the transitions could've been a bit smoother too. Also the track sounds kind of muted? Either the volume was too low, or the EQ was not mixed/separated sufficiently? I'm not trying to sound like I hated this track, cause I actually liked it. I just think with some more interpretation and polish it could be great.

Glacial Age: Mr. L, if this is your first attempt at a remix ever, then you should be proud. I liked the "frosty" atmospheric elements and the piano/xylophone combo is cool. Now with that said, this track meanders a lot and there is nothing really cohesive tying it together other than the background synth pad. Some bass or a drum track would've done wonders to make this sound like an actual song. There also seems to be some off-key piano notes and some timing issues. Nice first attempt tho, keep working at it!

Light Your Way: This was nearly my #3 vote. I liked the acoustic guitar intro and outro, it was a nice touch. The rockin' middle section was cool too, and had enough interpretation of the two themes to sound fresh (since these are like the two most remixes themes ever). Fun little song.

Far From Home: Akumajo never disappoints. I made this my #3 vote. Great song all around, great production, great lyrics, great soundscape. I kept waiting for an overt "For You" reference, given the Wily theme, but I think I picked up on some little allusions to it throughout. I find it hard to believe you came up with this in just a week, it sounds so good. Great job!

Shadows of Wily: So I looked up some of Amphibious' stuff prior to the compo starting and I heard your "Ocean's EP" on bandcamp, so I was expecting some chillout Mega Man remix here. Nope, guess not, I get the exact opposite with some driving rock. Nicely done, this was another song I really enjoyed from this round. Again, I felt the arrangement was pretty conservative, but I think the two themes were blended well enough and it does sound pretty awesome. Nice work.

whatever.jpg: I know you only had like half a day to work on this, but I really like it. I'm cool with piano solos, and would really like to hear you fix this thing up cause I think the arrangement is really slick and I'm digging the jazzy chillout vibe. With that said, the mix is really really quiet and the piano sounds muffled. Was this recorded live, or using some shoddy piano samples? Either way with the proper piano samples or a good live recording, this could be very good. I hope you re-visit this after the compo.

No Ticket!: This is my Mega Baller's track! Yeah! I think Pete did a great job on this mix. I love the upbeat vibe, I think the arrangement and production are pretty top-notch, and I love the train sound effects to open and close the track. Honestly if I could've voted for this I would've had it in my top 3. Very nice work.

Glitch in the System: This started out interesting and kinda quirky. Pretty neat soundscape. I was enjoying it until the the robot voice at 1:30, and what is going on at 1:37, I have no idea. Then the Wily theme comes in at 1:42 and sounds off-key and out of place. I think this could've been a really interesting piece if the first minute and a half could've been expanded and the Wily theme integrated with the same quirky atmopshere/instrumentation choices.

Overall I'd have to say Round 1 was collectively a bit better, but there were some really good standout tracks in this round as well. Good job everyone!

[Nabeel Ansari]

Well, I AM a bit outclassed here. Really.

Expecting genius out of me is like expecting James Earl Jones to sing opera.

Oh well. Till next time.

Every second you spend complaining on how much you "suck" (you're not as bad as you say you are) is a second you could've spent learning how to get better. Practice practice practice

Also, I enjoyed all this week's entries a lot ('cept Emunator's, but that's because he didn't have enough time or sumtin; also, too quiet).

Try a volume knob, n00b.

[Bahamut]

Oh, I see. This one?

I got 7th :\ Better luck next time I guess.

It would be really nice if we could just get actual, easy to find rankings after each round. As soon as round 2 ends and the points end up being cumulative in that sheet, it's going to get increasingly hard to follow individual round rankings.

In all honesty I find the rankings much more interesting than the actual score system because, well, if you aren't in the top 3 you will just end up with a million tied teams which is kind of lame.

Edit:

From my conversation with fellow teammate Geoffio...

[1:29:02 AM] mainfinger: so basically

[1:29:18 AM] mainfinger: if i farted into the microphone for 3 solid minutes our score would be the same

[1:29:42 AM] geoffio: basically since getting in the top 3 isn't a possibility for our team... we're going to end this with 1 point for each time

[1:30:06 AM] geoffio: That really makes me feel like putting in a lot of effort

Ok, that's enough sourgrapes for now.

I don't like the top 3 thing either for that same reason. It doesn't really capture a lot of people's thoughts well IMO.

[Jason Covenant]

I'm also inclined to disagree with the current points system. Why not just use the actual scores from the votes? So Halc would get 64 points in first place, Brandon would get 57, etc. In the current system anyone who doesn't vote for the top 3 literally doesn't have their votes counted. Some voters may feel inclined to vote for whom they think will win, rather than who they want to win, just to ensure that their vote counts for something.

Case in point, Sir Nuts' mix garnered 48 points, while the top mix earned 64 points. But Sir Nuts only got 1 point with the current system and the top mix got 5. That is clearly disproportionate.

Like Bahamut said, it doesn't really convey the wishes of the voters very well.

[ectogemia]

I'll just kind of write things in a stream of consciousness here, so don't be offended if the review ends on a sour note. Did anyone have brentalfloss raging through their mind while they listened to every song?

The Root of All Things -- The arrangement was solid and the percussion, though simple, really pushed this mix along (what plugin did you use for the percussion?). The modulation and neoclassicism beginning at 3:09 was pretty sweet! Plant Man's theme was largely absent, but I heard it come through a couple of times. The sound design choices were just a bit bland, and the lead could have used more modulation.

Wily's Inferno -- The bass could have been stronger at the beginning to enhance the epic factor. The string stabs were an awesome complement to the melody. Oh look, the lead is fantastic. Is this a Willro... yep it's a Willrock mix. You need to show me a project file of yours sometime, sir. On that note, the panning on the tapping parts and the whammy dives was VERY cool! I'd love to figure out how to write leads like that. The percussion was pretty weak. The snare had no punch, and the patterns were repetitive and uninteresting. I loved the atmosphere of the final 40 seconds, but it was a bit repetitive. I would have preferred a little more Napalm Man, but his theme carried most of the first third of the remix at least.

Attracted to Power -- Ohhh, I've been looking forward to this remix. Love Magnet Man. Very cool delayed chippy lead, flawlessly sequenced. AND FAKE CHIP ARPS? You know me all too well. The transition at 1:11 was sweet, though simple. It was kind of hard to pick out Magnet Man's theme at times because you had to convert it to a minor key, but I definitely heard it in the beginning. I thought the mixing sounded pretty dry overall, but perhaps that was intentional being that it's so chippy (hey, chips like reverb, too!).

Mr. X was Wily THE WHOLE TIME -- The muted guitar doesn't sound very good, although I like the idea. It's just kinda panned right for no reason (or am I hearing things?). I think that could have been double-tracked to make it wider, and maybe a different sample/processing would have helped thicken it up. The arrangement of the two themes is the best I've heard so far. You're giving equal time to each theme, and they're dovetailing quite nicely. The lead could have used some modulation and some more presence on the high end. The break beginning at 2:28 was awesome. Throughout, the kick was WAY louder than any of the other percussion. I thought the snare could have used some more presence. I liked the unusual harmonic minor-y modulation of this, but I'm not sure I would have stayed in that mode throughout the duration of the remix. It worked though, so good choice This was a very conservative remix, but the modulation did a good job of making it seem different than the source.

Smooth Heat -- That intro lead sounds, um, like it's hot. Yeah, that doesn't make any sense, but good choice! The arrangement was fantastic. Both themes were loud and clear and led into one another very nicely. This mix was very conservative. I'm not sure there was any original material at all besides the percussion and a few harmonies. The ending was a little weak, coulda tossed in a crash at least

Glacial Age -- Oh god, I love haunting piano sounds. The pad, piano, and mallet-y thing (just a xylophone?) were all excellent choices together. The part beginning at 0:24 didn't fit harmonically, and again at 0:40, at 1:16, and similarly a few more times. I understand the mix was supposed to be very atmospheric, but it needed some more presence in a few places. Around 2:00 and thereafter, for instance, is lacking a lot of frequencies in the soundscape; a bass presence would have been a good addition at times. Some ambient percussion would have been fitting, too. The ideas were excellent here, and the arrangement was good (minus the harmonic and transpositional errors). If you took a closer look at the harmonies and thickened the soundscape, this would be a gorgeous piece of music. Varying the instrument choice at times would have helped to keep interest.

Light Your Way -- Oh yes. FLASH MANNN. The harmonies were sweet at the beginning. Very well mixed, too. I hate the Beach Boys'y sounding guitar around 0:34, but I've always hated fast-plucked clean electric guitar. No idea why. Fortunately, shit hit the phan right after that and made me forget all about it Loving the supersaw lead around 1:40. The detuned square lead was a little weak. The arrangement was excellent. The break beginning around 2:33 was beautiful. Great harmonic choices, again. There's some weird audio clip that sounds like you're letting off the guitar strings with some delay on it in the closing 5 seconds that just kind of pops in and out. Might wanna mix that out of existence. Very solid entry.

Far Away From Home -- Oh no, sorry I'm really not into vocals, especially 80s stuff, so I'll do my best to remain objective here. The singing is strong in terms of tone, but it could have used a bit of bit of pitch correction at places. Mostly solid, though, and it's very well mixed. The overdriven vocals were a nice touch, as well. This is a very well put together mix and arrangement. The Wily Theme could have used more air time.

Shadows of Wily -- Mmmm, I love Shadow Man's theme. EXCIT'D. Oh balls, only 2:28 of Shadow Man I love the nasty rhythm guitar progression. The lead was very well performed, but it could have used a little more presence. Man, all these guitar remixes are making me want to bust my guitar back out... it's been entirely too long. But I digest. The transition into Wily at 0:57 is very smooth! The arrangement is great in this one. Both sources are easily identified, and the rock transition was seamless (surprise, it's Mega Man music). The leads were very conservative both in interpretation and execution/playing. I tend to expect a lot more embellishment in metal, but the wah pedal was welcome and helped in that department in the last third of the mix. The mix just cuts out at 2:28. I'm assuming you're planning on adding more later, but it would have benefited from a smoother ending, maybe just ringing the notes out. Nevertheless, I loved this mix, and it's precisely the type of music that got me really interested in music in the first place. Great work

No Ticket -- Sweet Charge Man is the shitOHMYGOD so much dblue glitch. Love it. The overdriven chip lead for Wily is sweeeet. I love how the square around 1:55ish and after plays around with Charge Man's theme. The break at 2:27 is BADASS. There are so many interesting harmonic ideas. The lead panning at 3:02 was a little extreme. It made me dizzy listening on my headphones. So far, this has been my favorite entry, and I really don't much to critique. Maybe a little more Charge Man?

Glitch in the System -- Nooo, my least favorite Mega Man song :[ The NES's capabilites didn't lend themselves to the source well. Let's see how you do with more modern tools. Sounds much better with some modern treatment. I like the embellishments you added in the lead, but you left out a fair amount of source. The harmony from 2:03-2:12ish is pretty awkward. The fadeout segment sounds sweet, I wish you'd extended it from there!

1st: No Ticket

2nd: Attracted to Power

3rd: Light Your Way

Ya'll bitches be whinin'. Round 2 was fine, but yes, overall, round 1 was better. My only complaints were the mixes were mostly too dry, and the sources were sometimes difficult to hear, incomplete, or too conservative.

[SuperiorX]

I'm also inclined to disagree with the current points system. Why not just use the actual scores from the votes? So Halc would get 64 points in first place, Brandon would get 57, etc. In the current system anyone who doesn't vote for the top 3 literally doesn't have their votes counted.

Like Bahamut said, it doesn't really convey the wishes of the voters very well.

Yeah this was what I thought we were doing too, so each team would have a ranked total. I had though the "5,3,2,1" point breakdowns were just what would be given to each 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and submitting remix total respectively. It would be nice to see more variability in team points once the rounds start adding up. But either way, I'm just here to have fun and listen to mixes, I ultimately don't care too much where I end up "ranking".

[Jason Covenant]

Yeah this was what I thought we were doing too, so each team would have a ranked total. I had though the "5,3,2,1" point breakdowns were just what would be given to each 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and submitting remix total respectively. It would be nice to see more variability in team points once the rounds start adding up. But either way, I'm just here to have fun and listen to mixes, I ultimately don't care too much where I end up "ranking".

It's not just for people that try hard, do well, but don't end up in the top 3, but also for the voters who want their vote to actually translate into points for the mix they voted on.

Of course this is primarily for fun, but part of that fun is following a coherent, competitive structure. If that was pointless, there'd be no reason for us to have a competition at all.

[Nabeel Ansari]

I'm also inclined to disagree with the current points system. Why not just use the actual scores from the votes? So Halc would get 64 points in first place, Brandon would get 57, etc. In the current system anyone who doesn't vote for the top 3 literally doesn't have their votes counted. Some voters may feel inclined to vote for whom they think will win, rather than who they want to win, just to ensure that their vote counts for something.

Case in point, Sir Nuts' mix garnered 48 points, while the top mix earned 64 points. But Sir Nuts only got 1 point with the current system and the top mix got 5. That is clearly disproportionate.

Like Bahamut said, it doesn't really convey the wishes of the voters very well.

It's for tallying up the winning team at the end of the competition.

[Jason Covenant]

It's for tallying up the winning team at the end of the competition.

I don't think it's any more difficult to add 57+48 than to say add 5+1. If this imposes great difficulty on anyone, I'd be happy to do it myself.

[Nabeel Ansari]

I don't think it's any more difficult to add 57+48 than to say add 5+1.

5+1 is a lot easier than 57+48. The first requires less than half a second, the second requires at least two seconds. Unless he records cumulative score in the scoreboard then we would sit there for at least 15 or so seconds to try and figure out who's winning.

[Jason Covenant]

5+1 is a lot easier than 57+48. The first requires less than half a second, the second requires at least two seconds.

I volunteer to do it. I'll keep a running tally and host it.

[Nabeel Ansari]

I volunteer to do it. I'll keep a running tally and host it.

It wouldn't make much of a difference, since he's only counting the top 3 winners anyway. The problem doesn't lie in the points tallying, it lies in that he's only counting top 3 people. You're complaining about a problem that's just a side effect of the real problem.

[Jason Covenant]

It wouldn't make much of a difference, since he's only counting the top 3 winners anyway.

I'm aware of the current system. I'm disagreeing with it. I think it's fatally flawed for all involved. I won't begrudge darkesword for wanting to keep it, since it's his competition, but I think he should use a simpler, fairer system like people are suggesting and I'm volunteering to help with the math and display in such a system.

[Nabeel Ansari]

I'm aware of the current system. I'm disagreeing with it. I think it's fatally flawed for all involved. I won't begrudge darkesword for wanting to keep it, since it's his competition, but I think he should use a simpler, fairer system like people are suggesting and I'm volunteering to help with the math and display in such a system.

Even the tournament style was flawed:

A vs. B, C vs. D

A wins, D wins.

But C had a better remix than A.

That's definitely not right he can't keep going.

[Rexy]

See, the way you guys are COMPLETELY MISJUDGING my own track is the very reason why I REFUSE to see a change in the voting system.

I spent over £500 on new samples after the whole long-SDB-project-evaluation thing, as a way to SIGNIFICANTLY up my game. But now you guys have a wrongful accusation to go for it. I asked so many people for balance and production criticisms (including two REALLY TOUGH production critics) throughout the whole process and they said they were fine with it, so what the hell is going wrong?

Answering Ectogemia's question, the percussion used was Addictive's drumsets and the Latin American percussion patches from Garritan World Instruments.

As for the whole Plant-Wily argument, there was MORE PLANT THAN WILY. It may not be obvious, but let me break it down for you:

First 16 bars - Piano part plays melody D for Plant all the way through, and in the last 8 bars of this the Wily melody

Next 16 - Chord structure for the riff of Wily 1 over the melody for Plant

Next 16 - Reverse roles

Next 16 - Piano part plays the D section of the Plant melody over the E section of Wily [section *]

Next 16 - Guitarron and glockenspiel reference to Plant melody B, last 8 bars refer to Wily on the synth

Next 16 - Wily riff with added melody, last 2 bars have a reference to Plant melody A

Next 16 - Chord structure for Plant A and hint of Plant C was noted in the first four bars of the synth line. No Wily here.

Next 16 - See Section *

Next 16 - Synth solo, first 8 bars uses chord structure for the B/D section of Wily

Next 8 - Plant C noted on glockenspiel

Next 16 - Section *, with key change

Next 16 - Accompaniment of Section * remains, and a hint of Plant A is noted in the last synth solo

Ending - Answer and call between Wily and Plant

So all in all, you can see that Plant has MORE PRESENCE THAN WILY. I am actually very annoyed by the wrongful accusations, and I really hope my analysis of the whole thing can clear things up to you.

Please, spare me a vote. I'm having the worst week ever due to wrongful accusations at work, and I odn't want this on top of it