DragonAvenger Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 Hey dear Judges! I hope you're doing well! Contact Information Chernabogue Alexandre Mourey http://www.fflproduction.fr 20943 Submission Information Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Gangsta Man Strikes Back Mystic Cave Zone and a bit of Scrap Brain Zone from the Master System game Masato Nakamura + Izuho Takeuchi // Megadrive This remix was made for the Sonic Zone competition (thanks to SuperiorX for making it real!). I faced Sir_NutS during the first round but won by default (thanks to Diablo III). However, people loved the mix, so why not submitting it? Also, Gangsta Man is a stupid Robot Master created during a Mega Man compo (thanks to DarkeSword fr that) and I love that name. The mix has a BIG gangsta/rap/hip-hop influence, and while I don't usually listen to these genres, I had a LOT of fun making it (thanks to OCR for that!!). Link to the mix: MEDIAFIRE I hope everything's okay! As always, feel free to tell me if not! -Alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
halc Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 ah man, loved this track in the sonic compo. such a fresh take on the Mystic Cave theme, with a funky beat and some tight processing. there are a few rough spots in terms of samples (not in love with that sax lick that plays from time to time) and some of the string articulations were a little wonky. the rapping could have been a litttttle bit tighter, and the mixing of the vocals pretty much cut all of the lows and mids, to the point where it kinda sounded like there was a hi-pass filter on 'em; but they were a nice touch. the ending was weak. overall however I thought this had a lot of merit, and the arrangement outweighs its shortcomings for me. YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emunator Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 I'm gonna preface my vote by saying this: this is a really cool concept. I'm loving the raw creativity going into this mix, I think it's one of your most clever and interesting approaches to date. As I write this I'm still not sure how I plan to vote... A few critiques I want to get out on the table, some of which Drew touched upon in his vote. At :57, I find myself wishing for a more pronounced transition, the core beat feels like it needs a break, even if it's very brief, at that point, to signal the start of the body of the remix. It's a small structural thing, but I think adding a little break/drop would help the flow of things greatly. The piano sample you're using isn't really wowing me. Definitely sounds like a cheaper GM-quality sample that sticks out like a sore thumb. I didn't have an issue with the sax sample itself, though the mixing makes it feel detached from the mix, like it's drier than the rest of the instruments. Small nitpick there, but I think it's worth pointing out to perhaps clarify what halc was getting at with his vote. The rest of the instruments/beats sounded pretty well produced, with the exception of one other thing... The rap verse at the end of the track is probably my biggest issue with this mix. I can't tell if you did this yourself or got someone else to contribute, or if it's just a sampled verse, but it's mixed pretty quietly and when the xylophone starts playing over it, I can't really make out most of the words. I'm hearing some timing issues too where the rapper's rhythm isn't lining up with the beat. 2:32-2:38 is an example of what I'm talking about. And then it kind of just ends, like Drew pointed out. A little disappointing, I feel like there was still a bit more room to close things out. All in all, I guess after listing all that out I feel like there's a bit more room where this could be refined to a point where it's more clearly above the bar. It's very borderline as-is and I wouldn't be upset if the track passed, but it falls just on the wrong side of my bar in terms of polish. Good luck either way Alex! NO (resubmit!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WillRock Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 This is a cool mix, and i'm liking the arrangement for the most part. That intro drum part is pretty sweet. The scrap brain source usuage is pretty liberal as far as it goes. I had to analyse the source rather closely itself to catch it. When Mystic Cave hits in tho, the mix becomes alot more familiar and the variation on the mix keeps it from getting boring. The production is flawed however. The bass frequencies are clashing and thus it gets rather muddy even when considering the mix is very sparse. The piano has a tad too much reverb on it (yay for typical harsh reverb crit) and like the others have said, that sax is unrealistic. I'm not digging the vocal part. Its badly mixed (too quiet) and while it fits with the mix aesthetic overall, it feels a bit tacked on at the end there. Then the mix just ends. Like the others I feel like it could have used a better ending than that. I think the mix is sweet, but the production issues keep this one from letting me pass it i'm afraid. It shouldn't take too much work to get this one up to standard (halc did yes it after all). If this doesn't make it and you wanna resub, i'd fix up the low end, bring out the vocal part, fix the unrealistic sax, and give it a good ending. It should be good to go then! Keep at it bro! NO (resub) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palpable Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 I recognize that drumloop you keep using but I don't remember from where. While I like the arrangement, the mixing is pretty weird and it sounds like you messed with EQ and reverb too much, or are using lo-fi samples. The instruments felt very disparate and didn't gel together. I would recommend trying to get a good solid base for the drums, something high quality, and then try to make everything else fit that. If something doesn't fit, THEN shift the EQ and reverb until it does. But having that grounding makes it so that you don't overuse the EQ and reverb, as I feel like you did here. Anyway, best of luck on a resubmit if this doesn't pass. NO (resubmit) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
halc Posted November 2, 2012 Share Posted November 2, 2012 gonna go ahead and flip my vote for the sake of closing this out, as you've gotten a lot of good criticism to work with here, and after a fresh listen I'm inclined to agree with most of what was posted. I do still think this is a solid track though, and with a bit more polish I'll be happy to pass it on. NO(resub) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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