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SZRC - The Sonic Zone Remix Competition 2012


SuperiorX
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I've been meaning to post a few comments on each of the songs this week:

Magellanic: This was a really fun, high energy track. I particularly enjoyed the guitar solo built around Star Light zone towards the end of the song, it was really cool. Mixing felt a little loud overall (the whole song), but that's my only complaint. A really solid mix!

AkumajoBelmont: I wasn't far off when I jokingly guessed that Robbie was making a rap song :) Great collab here guys, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The vocal recording sounded pretty good and you made Tidal Tempest quite the infectious beat here!

Mr. L: You've improved a lot since the stuff I remember from the WCRG! I really enjoyed some of your synth sounds and effects! When the song first started I thought I was listening to a Sir_NutS track. That 80s synth and drum beat haha! The arrangement did seem to meander a bit, but overall good work!

TheRexAsaurous: You had some interesting elements here, but overall the soundscape felt a bit sparse. I was looking forward to hearing some more Casino Night 2P in here too cause it's such a fun theme! I know you were a little short on time, so I hope you have more this coming week!

Rexy: This is probably one of my favorite songs of yours I've heard. I really enjoyed the arrangement of the two themes, they were put together quite well. You had some really nice synth and modulation work here. I really like the part around 3:58 where you went downtempo, it was a cool way to end the song.

DusK: That intro drum and bass pattern is a ton of fun, I think it really set the stage for this piece. Great guitar work throughout (you've been spoiling us recently with all the SF mixes). I really enjoyed the guitar shenanigans towards the end of the song as well. Nice job!

Main Finger: Oh my do I love this track. I think the vocal clips were integrated quite well with the song, they really feel like they belong. A really fun arrangement of the two themes too, I think they work really well off each other. Not really any complaints, one of favs from the round!

Jakesnke17: I really can't believe you made this song in like 6-7 hours. It sounds like a finished, well-polished product. That bit-crushed bass is just plain nasty, I love it. I really like a lot of your synth work here too, I think it's some of the best I've heard from you. That and the bass really kept things interesting throughout. Nice!!

PixelPanic: I like your idea here. I never thought of slowing down Hill Top like that. It sounds really cool, from a chill-out vibe mix standpoint. Overall though your sound design needs some work to help fill out the otherwise sparse soundscape.

Phonetic Hero: This song just cracks me up. The wah-wah vox bass you made is just damn hilarious. This also probably the most upbeat & energetic mix I've heard from you. The chiptune synth work is super well done. That middle-ish 1:30 section feels a bit awkward, but overall I can't complain, this was a super-fun song!

hakstock: I've never any of your stuff before hakstock, so I was pleasantly surprised. The guitar intro (and throughout) is really groovy. Cool guitar layering and synth-pad combo going on there. Really enjoyed this one.

Amphibious: You sir have got that Joshua Morse sexy smooth mixing style down pat. This song really got me nodding my head. Great beat, nice sound design, and some crystal-clear mixing (IMO). A bit short, but that's my only real complaint.

Ben Briggs: What's the smell? It's the smell of a damn awesome song, that's what. I just liked this whole thing, so I'm going to bother trying to describe my feelings. Just give me more please. :smile:

Xenon Odyssey: This was a super fun true chiptune piece. It was sad to see you go up against Mr. Briggs in the first round cause (as of voting now at least) we won't hear any more :sad:. The arrangement was rather hectic and unpredictable, but that was one of the things I really enjoyed about it. The tempo switchups were a nice touch too!

I'll be posting my votes last when I close the voting threads (DarkeSword style), so hopefully I didn't give too many of them away with my comments :smile:. Good job everyone, this was an impressive batch of songs! I can't wait to hear what the pancakes got for us in a few days.

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also, last question superiorx. everybody and their grandmothers keep saying "yo dawg i'm at 4:37" and stuff like that. is their a minimum time limit? because i prolly won't throw in filler solo wanking.

No there is no minimum time limit. I mean I'd shoot for at least 2:00 so you have something substantial, but you could go as long or as short as you'd like!

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No there is no minimum time limit. I mean I'd shoot for at least 2:00 so you have something substantial, but you could go as long or as short as you'd like!
I don't think so. But the lizards were all mentioning their songs were short. I guess it's a bit showing off or something.

cool, sounds good.

That moment when you start dancing in your chair while making music: priceless.

that moment when you start making music while dancing in your chair.

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Thanks Sir Jordanius, really appreciate it (especially since you're technically competing against me!). I don't know theory very well, I mean I can pick out the notes on a piano but I'd really have to think about it when it comes to chords and stuff. I basically just go by ear for everything and if it sounds good. I have to say I find it surprising you think our songs (mixes?) will work well together because I didn't think that at all! I had to take Sunset Park down maybe.. uh.. 4 or 5 semitones, and then I finally got a melody from it to work with Launch base, but there was a lot of shifting of individual notes for it to sound good. On the bright side, I'm actually starting to LIKE my mix now, when at first I really didn't at all.

I have about 2 minutes so far and I think the arrangement is alright... might think about extending certain sections or bring some previous ones back in again... I do find it a bit more difficult to work with the latin rhythm.. I'm more of a chillout / ambient producer so this stuff is all weird to me :P

I'm really stoked to hear your interpretation though!! Hopefully you can get a start on it soon!

P.S. Why does your signature say you're with the lizards?? You're a pancake you know... traitor!!!

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I have about 2 minutes so far and I think the arrangement is alright... might think about extending certain sections or bring some previous ones back in again... I do find it a bit more difficult to work with the latin rhythm.. I'm more of a chillout / ambient producer so this stuff is all weird to me :P

Just because the sources started with a latin rhythm, doesn't mean you need to keep it that way. Work with your strengths, if you're strength is chill/ambient, find a way to make your sources fit that genre. Some people get really creative & interpretative in these compos, so there is nothing stopping you from completely changing/removing sections, adding parts to them, etc. Sometimes it's not even that the notes are the same, but that the rhythm of those notes resembles the original melody. Feel free to be as creative & interpretative as you want, as long as the sources still have some trace back to the original. If people hear it and can't tell whatsoever that this is a Launch Base mix, then you might have gone too far, but if you can still pick up parts of it here and there, then you should be good. Overall, just have fun!

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your last point.... "have fun"

I think that's the most important thing, and I think im forgetting to actually have fun! I hate stressing myself out haha. Anyway, tonights plans = make big cup 'O tea w/ cookies to help the brain juices flow :D and then finish arrangement :) I want to be all set tomorrow and only mix / master.

Hope everyone else is having fun and busy working putting the AWESOME in their mixes!!

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your last point.... "have fun"

I think that's the most important thing, and I think im forgetting to actually have fun! I hate stressing myself out haha. Anyway, tonights plans = make big cup 'O tea w/ cookies to help the brain juices flow :D and then finish arrangement :) I want to be all set tomorrow and only mix / master.

Hope everyone else is having fun and busy working putting the AWESOME in their mixes!!

Having fun while mixing music?

What madness is this

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Let's just say that you like putting on fresh spins on familiar dishes, regardless of whether your tongue is long or not. :razz:

And if you want my take, Launch Base and Sunset Park have a good similar groove towards them which makes them good to fit in, not to mention that the contrast between emphasizes (is that the plural?) on rhythm and melody respectively could yield some very interesting results. I say keep going, Syllix - you've got good ground to practice on :)

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oh yeah, what supx said. i didn't mean to say "make it latin mofo herp derp" but no worries, you know what works best for you.

and wth is this? i thought i was a lizzurd? i'm so confused. i feel like my entire week has been a lie.

*edits sig*

O carp! So I took salsa lessons for nothing??

And yeah, whether you like it or not, you're a pancake bro...

Rexy... you're a total boss. Thanks! And I will try and make you proud by shoving an earful of awesomeness, um.. into your ears... come Saturday :) hee!

Anyway, I finally had a breakthrough and finished my arrangement, clocking in at just under 3 minutes!! (because, as we know, the longer the song, the better it is - honestly, I should have just put an audio clip of James Brown's "huuh!!" and stretched it over half an hour).

Anyway, someone once told me "if it sounds good without any fancy synths or anything, you know it's gonna be good in the end"

I have 32 tracks that are either saw waves or cheap-sounding electronic drums :P

Anyway, 2am here... time for some sleep, wake up early and start the mixing process!

Good luck, fellow thin flat cakes of batter fried on both sides on a griddle or in a frying pan!!!

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:( Well best of luck to you too! Bummer you didn't have much time, but it happens.

Nah, that was pretty much my fault there. After starting from scratch like four times, I had to realize my original idea was pretty much my best bet. Lol.

I think I came out with a pretty good track though. But if your track is anywhere as awesome as your DKC2 Hot Head Bop remix then I'm going to have hard time getting votes. :P

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I just sent my submission. I can't wait to see what everyone has come up with this week! I'm especially curious to see what halc has done. No doubt it's going to be awesome.

I'm also really impressed with how helpful everyone is around here. In spite of the fact that some of you are going against each other, you're still willing to help each other out. That just makes this competition all the more awesome, and I'm glad I got to participate in it.

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I feel glad you're at home Arceace. Though I'm in fear over some cold-blooded affairs tomorrow (damnit, must get away from those lizard puns >_>), it's actions like this that make this a great mellow hangout and a good place to grow. I thought that Collision Chaos and Splash Hill seems like a difficult combination to be honest, but it'll be neat to see what you and halc have done :)

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I feel glad you're at home Arceace. Though I'm in fear over some cold-blooded affairs tomorrow (damnit, must get away from those lizard puns >_>), it's actions like this that make this a great mellow hangout and a good place to grow. I thought that Collision Chaos and Splash Hill seems like a difficult combination to be honest, but it'll be neat to see what you and halc have done :)

.... mmmmm.... Collision Chaos... Da DA - Da DaDaaaDaDaahh ORCH HIT!

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